Free Wild and Willing! by Kim Lawrence

proceeded to take the fabric of her nightdress between his thumb and forefinger. His knuckle moved against her collar-bone as he rubbed the material. The buzzing in her ears became a loud hum as his eyes captured her own fluttering gaze.
    ‘How is Jessica?’ Instinctively she used the key to break the spell. Ruthless reality did it every time. She almost whimpered with relief—or was it regret—when he straightened up.
    ‘She’s coming up to see the house tonight.’ The timely reminder made his expression grow cold and shuttered.
    ‘Meaning she hasn’t yet?’
    ‘She trusts my judgement.’ He frowned at her critical tone.
    In truth he wasn’t entirely sure about what Jessica’s response to the Old Rectory would be. It didn’t fit the criteria for a home they had both so painstakingly agreed on, but somehow the place had seemed right the moment he’d seen it. He wasn’t prone to making emotional decisions based on gut reaction, and it intermittently bothered him that he’d done so over such an important matter.
    ‘Sounds pretty wet to me,’ she observed with disgust.
    ‘We want the same things.’ Hearing the betraying defensive note in his own voice brought a self-derisive twist to his lips.
    ‘How sweet,’ she trilled mockingly.
    ‘Spite, Anna?’
    ‘Go away; I’m ill,’ she mumbled, turning her head and pushing it into the pillow.
    She felt ashamed of her acid retort, but wasn’t about to let him see her contrition. The pillow was suddenly yanked out from beneath her head. She sat up indignantly to see Adam standing holding it beside her.
    ‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell her that her future husband is a lecher.’
    ‘Your concern is misplaced; Jessica doesn’t get upset about insignificant details. After all, what are a few kisses,’ he said dismissively, ‘when compared with what Jessica and I have?’
    ‘Insignif…?’ She inhaled as wrath widened her eyes. She picked up a pillow and swung it in a wild arc, hitting him directly in the midriff. That’ll wipe the supercilious smirk off his face, she thought. He grunted with surprise at the impact; she’d put all her wiry strength behind the blow.
    ‘Ouch!’ she yelped as he retaliated in kind, swinging the pillow he still held at her. ‘You bully!’ she cried indignantly, scrambling to her feet on top of the bed.
    This time she aimed for his head, but he neatly ducked and simultaneously scooped her in a fireman’s lift over his shoulder. Letting go of the pillow, she hammered her fists against his back and swung her feet in an equally vicious assault on his front. ‘Let me go!’ she gasped furiously.
    Adam was breathing heavily; he swore and pushed aside the loose folds of her dressing gown which were effectively blinding him. The blows Anna was landing were by no means innocuous. He tipped her unceremoniously onto her back on the bed and came to rest above her on his knees, with his hands at either side of her head.
    The anger slowly faded from her face as she found herself staring up at him. Beneath the anger there was a fierce, raw expression; it was riveting. A slow, seductive lethargy seeped insidiously through her veins. Nervously, her breath coming in short gasps that had little to do with the recent exertion, she licked her dry lips. Adam’s eyes faithfully followed the action. Anna could see the light burning under the heavy droop of his eyelids.
    ‘How did we get here?’ he asked in a hoarse voice, as if he’d lost track of the events that had brought them to this position. He hadn’t moved since the moment their eyes had collided, but his gaze moved continually over her supine form.
    ‘You called me in…insignificant.’
    His voice held a bitter edge of irony. ‘Well, that was a lie, wasn’t it? Insignificant is the last thing anyone could call you.’ One of his hands moved to gently skim the side of her face. ‘If the circumstances were different…’ Frustration was evident in his deep voice. He moved his