Free Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3) by L. L. Collins Page A

couldn’t meet her the rest of the way. He knew what she wanted. Hell, he wanted to lay her down in the sand, and that was saying something. But those nagging feelings were back. As if she felt his resistance, she smiled, licking her lips. His eyes flicked to the motion, and she leaned her forehead against his, her eyes closed.
    “This isn’t me,” she whispered, her breath tickling his nose. “I want you to know that. I don’t throw myself at people, especially my team. But, I just can’t stop myself, Ellis. I feel this connection with you I can’t explain. Tell me that what I feel isn’t the same thing you feel, and we stop this right now.”
    Ellis paused, shifting unconsciously to be closer to her. “Sammi,” he breathed, reaching up and cupping her face. “You’re so beautiful.”
    She closed her eyes, leaning into his hand. When she opened them, her eyes shimmered. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his before he could even understand what was happening. He swore fireworks were shooting behind his eyes as her soft lips moved on his. She tasted like strawberries and something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She shifted and put both hands on his face, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. He was powerless to stop what she was doing, as his tongue met hers with a mind of its own.
    When he heard a small sound come from her, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her so she was sitting on his lap. His head was spinning out of control with need and desire. As their kiss intensified, he couldn’t stop the guttural noise that escaped him. Never in his life had he had a kiss like that. Her hands roamed up and down his chest and arms, while he cupped her face with his hands, afraid to touch her any further than he was.
    He had no idea how much time passed, but when they finally pulled back, he could barely catch his breath. She looked into his eyes unabashedly.
    Ellis felt foolish. Why had he let that happen? So she was beautiful, and he felt a connection with her. She was so out of his league it was ridiculous. Not only would he only be with her for a week, but she definitely didn’t want to get involved with someone like him.
    “I’m sorry,” he said, tucking that piece of hair behind her ear that he had wanted touch earlier.
    “Sorry? You’re sorry that we kissed?” Hurt laced her voice. Shit.
    “I work for you, Sam. I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
    “So it’s Sam again? What happened to Sammi? And so what, you work for me? I wasn’t alone in that kiss, Ellis. You felt that connection between us. I didn’t make that up.”
    Damn, she was upset. He helped her stand up, and he couldn’t help it, he smiled. “Sammi,” he said, and she smiled at the name. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers again, pulling her flush to his body. “I’m not sorry.”
    She laughed, tilting her head back to look at him in the moonlight. “I could stay out here all night.”
    “But you can’t,” Ellis reminded her. “You have a video shoot all day tomorrow. Your parents will kill me if I keep you up late.” He looked over at her as they began walking back. “They would kill me anyway if they saw me right now wouldn’t they?”
    Sam giggled, lacing he fingers through his as they walked. “Well, I’m an adult. They can’t tell me everything .”
     

     
    Ellis swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching his back from side to side. He looked outside the window to the white sandy beach and blue waves, his mind replaying that kiss over and over again. He wasn’t sure how much sleep he actually got after they came back in, but he knew it wasn’t much. He had switched from berating himself for allowing it to happen, to thinking about every aspect of it like it was the best damn thing that ever happened to him.
    It was just a kiss, he told himself for what seemed like the millionth time. It didn’t mean anything. So she’s a pretty