Free Love for Beginners: An Under the Hood Novella by Sally Clements

the cabin looked clean, if a bit dusty. Heath opened the window to let in the fresh summer breeze.
    Mel hobbled toward the back of the cabin. “There are two bedrooms.” She pushed doors open to reveal basic rooms with iron beds. “And the kitchen is over here.” In the corner of the simple kitchen, just next to the large fridge and plain wooden dresser, was a gas oven. “Let’s have a cup of coffee before we start to unload the pickup.” She rooted through the kitchen drawers and pulled out a box of matches.
    Heath left her to it. If there was going to be any chance of surviving this weekend, he needed to get his sexed-up responses to Melody Swan under control—and fast.
    It took four treks to bring in supplies from the pickup. And every trudge up the steps, he stopped on the top one to relive the feel of her body against his. Her foot was soft and white, with nails painted the same blue as the sky. He’d always thought blue toes would be sort of frostbite disgusting—but on her it was a good look. Her little sigh as he’d rubbed the raised arch had set his temperature from simmer to boil.
    Heath groaned as he pushed through the front door carrying the final load. Did they really need to bring all this stuff?
    He slipped off the lid of a plastic box. Tossed lettuce in bags, cartons of milk and juice, a jar of coffee, a loaf of bread, and what looked like a couple of fat steaks snapped into another Tupperware container.
    His stomach growled. Uh, yeah. They definitely did need this.
    “The water’s boiled.” Mel walked in from the sitting room. “Let’s have lunch.”
    Her tongue swiped across her lips in a nervous motion, and all the efforts that Heath had made over the past half hour were instantly obliterated.
    Emerald eyes darkened to forest green. Damn this . He crossed his arms over his chest to stop himself from reaching for her. Tried to remind himself that the lady had said she wasn’t interested, that there was going to be no sex in this relationship. He almost felt like saying it aloud, so that the rest of him got the message, because it sure hadn’t so far. His gaze dipped. Oh God, nipples . Why on earth had he suggested they come out here alone?
    …
    Mel stepped closer. “I want to talk about what happened in the garage before. About kissing you. I…I shouldn’t have.”
    She’d wanted to forget it, to pretend it hadn’t happened, but the moment Heath had started to touch her it was as though she was back at that moment again. Back wanting.
    “You were just flexing your wings—I get that. Our deal was you could practice on me.”
    “Yeah, but I crossed the line. And I want to cross it again.”
    Desire held her in its grip. Mel felt so hot her skin seemed to glow with stored heat, like a radiator. Longing made her blood molten. Like mercury, or motor oil.
    “You want to kiss me again?” His voice was deep. He stared into her eyes, not moving an inch, keeping the decision hers.
    Mel placed her hand on his chest.
    His arms uncrossed, and his hands fell to his side. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” But he didn’t stop her, and there was banked heat in the depths of his eyes.
    “I just want to know”—she trailed a finger over his lips—“if what I felt before was a onetime thing. I want to find out if things really have changed for me. If the ice really is in the process of melting.”
    He closed his eyes. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and he seemed to have stopped breathing.
    “Can I?” she whispered.
    His chin jerked in a terse nod.
    On tiptoe, she pressed her mouth against his.
    With a groan, he responded. His hands moved to her hips, then slid up her back, bringing her close against his body.
    Daringly, she traced Heath’s top lip with her tongue, wondering where this person driven by desire had been all her life.
    Maybe she’d needed this particular man to rev up her engine.
    She’d never given herself permission to feel like this before. Had been so