Free Predator's Kiss by Rosanna Leo

again, the expression he bore made her want to peel. The way his eyes narrowed on her made her imagine her very clothing wanted to roll right off her skin. He pulled her in against his hard body and leaned over to make up for their almost comical height difference. He was over a full head taller than she was and bigger than her in every other way. And while dancing with him should have felt awkward, Lia couldn’t help feeling their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. He slid one arm around her waist, holding her other hand in his. He began to sway and she followed.
    He leaned farther in and she didn’t pull away. His breath danced over the exposed skin of her neck, and she found herself wishing she could feel it all over her body. That she could lie back and relish the sensation of his hot breath on her nipples, her stomach, between her legs.
    Oh, God. Don’t go there, Lia .
    She realized she ought to say something, anything, just to stop herself from attacking him in lust. “So, I hear you like the circus,” she blurted out.
    Oh, no, you didn’t . Why did she bring that up?
    Ryland frowned. “Where did you hear that?”
    It wasn’t the reaction of a grief-stricken man who was weeping inside. Suddenly, everything seemed a little clearer. She breathed in and out. “Soren.”
    Ryland’s eyebrows twisted in about three different directions, such was his surprise. “What the hell?”
    “He told me about your girlfriend,” she said softly. “He also told me she died in a trapeze accident.”
    Ryland blinked a few times, his mouth open. “That little shit. He’s just stirring up trouble.”
    “Why would he do that?”
    He spoke in a low, unamused voice. “Because my brother lives to cause trouble.” He then chortled. “A trapeze artist. That’s a new one. On his last visit here, he told a female visitor I was a leper. Every time I asked about her accommodations, she ran from me, her hand over her nose and mouth.”
    In spite of herself, Lia burst into laughter. And within a few seconds, Ryland did too.
    She liked laughing with Ryland. Liked it a lot. And she liked dancing with him in a way she’d never liked anything before.
    The musicians hit the cadence of the song with a flourish from the fiddles and Ryland stopped moving. He stared intently, as if he didn’t quite know what to do with her. And Lia did everything in her power not to fall to the ground with her jellyfish legs.
    Luckily, or unluckily, he was holding her tightly.
    “You’re a good dancer,” she whispered.
    “Lia,” he murmured. He lowered his head.
    Her heart commenced a pounding so forceful she was sure he must feel it through their layers of clothing.
    Soren chose that moment to reappear, his leather-jacketed arms laden with paper dishes full of sausages on buns and homemade french fries. “Check it out, Lia. I come bearing gifts, sweetheart!”
    Ryland stepped back, breaking contact, and looked away. Again, he looked peeved. And Lia realized she was feeling a little peeved herself. What was she thinking? There was no use entertaining thoughts of sleeping with Ryland. She was on the run. And if her experience with men had demonstrated anything to her, it was they were usually just interested in her as some sort of fantasy plaything for freaks.
    Soren put all his culinary packages down on the nearest picnic table and walked over to her as Ryland watched. “Baby doll, I think I deserve a hug after carrying all that deep-fried goodness to you.”
    And before she knew what was happening, Soren engulfed her in a big bear hug. Dazed, she realized it really was a big bear hug. He ran his hands up and down her back, and then relaxed his hold a bit. He looked at her, grinned, and brought his lips to hers.
    Somewhere behind them, a camera flash went off, illuminating the dark sky.
    Shocked, she and Soren turned toward the source of the flash. Just as shocked, Ryland gawked at Soren. “You kissed her!”
    “He certainly did!”
    Lia stared