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Sure enough, her gaze mirrored the hunger driving his every move. Her mouth was slightly open, and her chest rose and fell quickly as she panted for breath. The skin around her lips, darkened further from the scrape of his beard.
Yes, her body wanted his. But did she want more? Gone was the man he’d been when he’d dreamed of making her his wife. Could she wantthisKane? Or were they both chasing a dream better left dead in the past?
The default chime of a cell phone sounded nearby, but she made no move to answer it.
As he released his grip on her thighs, she slid down the front of his body until her feet hit the floor. The need to touch every part of her consumed him. Starting with her hair. He’d always loved her beautiful hair. He ran his hands over it gently, sliding over the thick locks to her shoulders. He feathered his thumbs over her collarbone before continuing his path down her arms.
The phone rang again, and he fought the urge to grab it from the table and toss it against the wall. He kept his focus on the prize in front of him.
Where was he? Oh yes. Now to her hips. Her tiny waist.
The phone rang again. And again. And it suffocated the fire in her eyes.
“Ignore it,” he gritted.
She shook her head and tugged his hands away from her body. “I can’t. I know who it is. And this is something I need to put right.” She kissed his knuckles before she let him go and moved away to silence the phone.
He wanted to argue or to demand an explanation but he did neither. His stomach was in knots; too much rattled around in his head.
Mandy slipped on the pristine sneakers on the floor next to the door and grabbed a thick navy cardigan from the table where she had her purse and keys. “We’ll talk again soon, okay?” Her eyes searched his, and he nodded without thinking. Her smile wasn’t quite right when she stepped backward out of the door, leaving him alone in her condo, but what did he know? Nothing could have madehimwalk away from a chance to make love to her again.
What the hell could be more important than what was happening here?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Amanda
Amanda’s pulse pounded in her ears as she slid behind the wheel of her red Prius. Kane Hale had just kissed her into oblivion.
In the years since they split, she’d tried so hard to convince herself his mouth hadn’t been as amazing as she remembered. He’d been her first love. Of course, she’d built him up in her mind.
But after tonight, she’d never be able to lie to herself again. If anything, time and distance had dulled the memory of how fucking phenomenal it was. He kissed her like she was the sun and the moon. His hands were like firebrands on her body. No man had ever turned her on so much, and none had ever made her feel, well, anything. Certainly not the overwhelming rush of hope and fear, need and abandon Kane inspired.
She would have made love to him tonight without a moment’s hesitation. Hell, she was tempted to turn around, even now, and finish what they’d started, but if she didn’t deal with Nathan, it would only come back to bite her in the ass later.
The insistent ringing on her phone told her it was him before she even needed to check the display. No one else would act like they were so entitled to an immediate response.
She glanced at the phone as she pulled to the exit of her parking garage. The screen was filled with texts.
Nathan: Pick up.
Nathan: Where are you?
Nathan: Why aren’t you answering the phone?
Nathan: You push me too far.
Swiping through several more without even reading them, she cleared his messages and sent one in return.
Amanda: I’m on my way to your place.
Barely a second passed before his response.
Nathan: Good.
Shivering, she turned up the heater. The fire in her veins Kane’s arms had ignited turned to ice with the prospect of facing Nathan tonight, but at least after this, it would all be over. The four weeks she’d promised her father weren’t nearly finished, but he’d changed the terms of their deal once. Now it was her turn. It’s not like he could take the money back now. He’d completed the wire transfer less than an hour ago.
She hovered on the cusp of starting over with Kane. He deserved honesty. God knew, keeping secrets from him had only led to heartbreak. She would not have the shadow of her ties to Nathan jeopardize her chance at happiness.
