Free Solid Soul by Brenda Jackson

mood is because of you and your dad’s visit. Seeing her that way made me realize just how lonely my mom probably has been. All she’sever had is me. Like I told you, I don’t ever recall her dating anyone. In a few years I’ll be leaving for college and she’ll be all alone if she doesn’t meet someone and get serious about him.”
    Marcus nodded. “Yeah, Dad will be all alone when I leave for college, too, in two years. He has his parents and his brothers and cousins but it won’t be the same. He needs to get involved with a nice lady like your mom. I really like her.”
    When they reached the backyard, Marcus glanced around. “Speaking of our parents, where are they?”
    Tiffany’s face glowed with excitement when she said, “My mom is inside making the potato salad, and I suggested to your dad that he go inside and keep her company, and that you and I were capable of doing the cooking.”
    Marcus smiled down at her. “It seems our plan just might be working.”
    Tiffany tipped her head back and looked up at him, returning his smile. “Yes, it certainly appears that way. Now it’s going to be up to us to make sure they get to spend more and more time together.”
     
     
    Chance strode into Kylie’s house, rounded the corner that led from the utility room to the kitchenand stopped dead in his tracks. For the first time in his life, he forgot how to breathe.
    Kylie was standing on a stool trying to get something out of a top cabinet. Stretching upward, the sundress she was wearing had raised, showing off a pair of luscious hips and those legs of hers that he admired so much.
    His conscience gave him a hard kick. He shouldn’t be standing in the middle of her kitchen ogling her this way. The truth of the matter was that he couldn’t help it. The tantalizing sight of her had captured his attention and wouldn’t let go. Pure, unadulterated hunger filled his gaze, keeping him focused primarily on her. She had a gorgeous body and, with the fantasies playing around in his head, he could just imagine his hands all over it, followed by his mouth.
    He inhaled deeply when he felt his body getting hotter by the second. The need to escape back outside suddenly overwhelmed him. He had to get out of there, right now, this very instant, before he went up in flames or—even worse—before he did something outside of his control like cross the room, snatch her off that stool and take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
     
     
    Kylie wasn’t certain if she’d heard a sound behind her or if her own body had alerted her to the fact thatChance was near. Whichever it was, she turned around so fast that she almost slipped off the step stool and had to fight to regain her balance.
    Within an instant she was gathered into strong arms, avoiding a possible fall.
    “You okay?”
    The soft husky words from Chance’s lips that fanned against her temple raised her temperature ten degrees. “Yes, I’m okay. You startled me. I hadn’t heard you come in.”
    Instead of offering her any kind of explanation, he simply nodded as he held her body in his strong arms. For the next couple of seconds her mind questioned the sanity of them standing in her kitchen that way. What if the kids walked in?
    She panicked at that possibility. “I’m okay, Chance. You can put me down now,” she said, although she knew her voice lacked conviction.
    “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his tone deep and rich, and his gaze remaining steadily on hers.
    No, Kylie thought. She wasn’t sure. Desire, the likes of which she’d never encountered before, raced through her, igniting her awareness, her attraction and her fire. Her eyes locked with his and at that instant she felt safe and protected in hisarms, even with the feel of his body growing hard beneath her, which reminded her of the kiss they had shared Friday at the car wash.
    With her teeth she caught the edge of her bottom lip, thinking she was just where she had dreamed of being