Free The Spy Who Loves Me by Julie Kenner Page B

proposition, really. She took a long look at him and stifled a sigh. There was just something about a man with a strong jaw and broad shoulders….
    With a scowl, she shook her head, trying to dissolve the fantasy. She didn’t usually react so strongly to men, and it unnerved her. She needed to stay focused.
    He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Lost in thought? Or avoiding my question?”
    â€œYou want my secrets?” she murmured, pulling herself back into her role. “I can do that.”
    After all, there was no better time than the present to start her get-close plan with gusto. And so in one quick motion, she lifted herself onto her toes and swung her arms around his neck.
    His mouth opened as if in surprise, but before any sound escaped, she pressed her lips against his. If she’d caught him off guard, he covered well. His mouth was hot and firm beneath hers, and his tongue demanded entrance, as if this kiss had been his idea all along.
    She opened her mouth in response, her body trembling as she explored his deep, delicious mouth. He tasted of want and need, of infinite possibilities and untamed passion. Part of her wanted to simply give in, to meld against him and let him take the kiss where he would. But this was her kiss, she’d begun it, and she wasn’t about to lose control.
    She pulled back, her teeth grazing his lower lips, before she moved in, insistent, her hands pressed to the side of his face as she held him in place, his head tilted at just the right angle. He foiled her, though, cupping her butt as she moved and urging her closer until she was pressed hard against him. Amber heard a low moan of satisfaction and realized it was coming from her.
    Slightly dazed, she broke off, holding on to the beer case for balance. She took a deep breath, gathering control and focusing on her plan. Her body hummed with passion that wasn’t fading despite the few inches of air she’d placed between them.
    Her reaction to this man had startled her, and she needed to regain the upper hand. She tilted her chin up just slightly, her eyes meeting his even as she let a slow, sultry smile ease across her face. “My secret, Mr. Phineus Teague, is that I followed you to Pasadena.” She cocked her head, hoping she looked both sexy and beguiling. “I guess you could say I’ve got a little bit of a crush on you.”
    She’d expected him to register some surprise, but he didn’t. Instead he just took a half step backward and regarded her with curiosity mixed with something else. Interest? Passion? She wasn’t certain, and he was giving her no clues.
    He said nothing, and his silence unnerved her. The man was too cool.
    â€œI see you’re speechless,” she said, widening her eyes for maximum effect. “Was I too bold?”
    Two seconds ticked by, the weight of the time almost unbearable. But then a lazy grin crossed his face and his eyes flashed, dark and dangerous. “Hell no,” he said.
    That was an answer she’d expected. He was, after all, a guy.
    He moved toward her then, every male inch of him, until he was looking down at her from his five-inch vantage point. He hooked a finger under her chin, and she trembled slightly, annoyed with herself for allowing the unbidden reaction.
    â€œActually,” he said, “I think you’re just what the doctor ordered.”
    She wanted to ask what he meant, but he tilted her face up, his lips closing over hers before she could voice the question.
    His response to her initial kiss might have been enthusiastic, but in comparison to this kiss, it had been a peck. This was more than just a kiss. Finn was making love to her with his mouth. His tongue dipped and teased, exploring and tasting. Demanding, and yet giving. Sensual, and yet flirtatious.
    Her knees weakened, and she sagged a bit, but there was nowhere to go. Finn held her tight against him, the undeniable evidence of his interest