Free Lost in Her by Sandra Owens Page A

met, then paused, giving her time to push him away. Her hand snaked around his neck and he took that as permission. Like their previous two kisses, this one knocked his socks off. Or maybe it was because Charlie was only the second woman he’d ever kissed, and it was the novelty of it. He didn’t think so, though. He thought it more likely that it had everything to do with the girl who didn’t want him to feel alone.
    Charlie tightened her hold on Ryan’s neck, letting him know she wanted this, wanted his mouth on hers. His tongue slid across the seam of her lips, and she opened her mouth, welcoming him in. He groaned and covered the right side of her body with his. Warmth seeped into her at all the parts he touched.
    Although she had only been intimate with one man—her rat-fink ex-boyfriend—in high school, she had kissed a lot of boys. Most had bumbled their way through the experience, a learning process for them as much as her. One though, Levi Greenberg, had definitely known what he was doing, or so she had thought at the time. She mentally struck him off her one-person list of all-time great kissers and replaced him with Ryan’s name.
    “Ahhh,” she said, her mind going blank when he nibbled his way to her earlobe and sucked it into his mouth.
    His chuckle vibrated against her skin. “Was that a good ahhh, cherub?”
    Was he kidding? “Mmm.” Sheesh, not only had he stolen all the thoughts in her head but all her words right along with them.
    Another chuckle as his warm breath tickled the hairs along her neck. From her ear, he made his way to the vee of her blouse, then his tongue did a long lick down to the first button. She fisted her hands to keep from ripping her shirt apart to give him better access.
    “You taste so good.” He swiped his tongue over her skin once more.
    “Fresh,” she said, then gave an inward groan. Real sophisticated there, Charlie.
    He lifted his head and grinned down at her. “That, too.”
    “No, the lotion, it’s some kind of sunshiny-fresh beachy stuff. Or maybe it’s beachy-fresh sunshine. I can’t think too good right now.” If she stopped talking, maybe he would go back to what he had been doing. Actually, she should stop talking altogether, because nothing but nonsense was coming out of her mouth.
    His grin morphed into laughter, and he flopped back onto the sand. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? Now he was laughing at her. Mr. Hot Guy probably wished he’d let her walk out of Dockside and into the night where he’d never have to see her again.
    He reached over, picked up her hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed the top of her palm, near her wrist. “I like you, Charlene Morgan. A lot. Can I see you again?”
    Oh, not what she’d expected to hear, and her heart did a somersault while screaming, “Yes!” She rolled onto her side and the big hand he had wrapped around hers caught her gaze where their hands rested against his chest. She could feel his strong heartbeat, the thump, thump of it, under her palm.
    “I’d like that,” she said, lifting her eyes to his. Was he done with kissing her?
    A smile curved his lips as he tugged on her hand. “Come here, cherub.”
    “And do what?”
    “Whatever you want.”
    That was an invitation to sin if there ever was one. She pulled her hand from under his, then traced the outline of his lips with her finger. His smile faded, and he watched her face with an intensity that was both unnerving and exciting. She lowered her mouth to his.
    She equated letting him into her life with shutting down the engine of her plane at the top of a hammerhead stall. Anything could happen, and it could be the most thrilling ride of her life, or she could crash and burn. Either way, she would have no regrets. That she promised herself.
    One thing she’d fantasized about doing since the first night they’d met was exploring all those muscled parts of him. He dropped his hands to his sides, and other