Free Payton's Woman by Marilyn Yarbrough Page A

her skin with his fingertips.
    “The gown belongs to my
employer. She lets me borrow them for these types of occasions.” She looked
away from his face and stared at his white, knotted tie so she could concentrate
on the words that came from her mouth. “She was injured a while back when she
fell down her front steps. Now she has difficulty getting around. I accompany
her on many of her social engagements. She insists that I dress accordingly.”
    “I see.” The back of his
knuckles glided along her chin. He tilted her face upward so she had to look at
him. “I’ve missed you, Angel. I didn’t realize how much until this very moment.”
    His admission startled
her, but not nearly as much as the fire blazing in his brilliant blue eyes. She
lowered her gaze to his lips only to realize her mistake. The memory of his
kisses rushed back to her.
    Visions of him had
invaded her dreams every night since they’d first met. Now he stood directly in
front of her, warm and real. She wanted to reach up, thread her fingers through
his dark hair, and pull him to her.
    She opened her mouth,
about to blurt out her deepest longings when the reality of the situation hit
her. This moment didn’t occur inside a dream. This man wasn’t a shadowy
illusion she could vanquish simply by opening her eyes. She bit on her lower
lip to prevent any words of suppressed desire from tumbling out.
    “You still owe me three
kisses.”
    Her head jerked back up.
“Not here.” Not anywhere. His kisses were far too devastating to her
self control.
    “Then let’s get out of
here.”
    “No,” she said quickly. “I
can’t leave.”
    “And I can’t leave you
alone.” He slipped his arms around her waist. His hands moved over her back
until he touched her bare skin. He traced over the fine edge of her naked
shoulder blade with his fingertips.
    The stroke of his
fingers sent ripples of pleasure through her. A heat gathered low in her belly.
Her body ached for his touch.
    “Payton, please.” She
placed her hands against the front of his white, brocaded vest with the intent
of pushing him away, but instead, her hands slid around his waist. She moved
closer so she could feel the heat of his body penetrate through his clothing.
    “What are you doing to
me?” she asked in a voice that contained wonder as well as dismay.
    “Not nearly as much as I’d
like to,” he said just before his mouth covered hers. His lips brushed over
hers in a gentle kiss.
    “Can you get away later
when the party’s over?”
    “No,” she whispered just
before he kissed her again.
    His hand moved to the
back of her neck. He turned her head, and the kiss deepened. He nibbled on her
mouth until he captured her bottom lip. He held the tender flesh lightly
between his teeth while he stroked it with his tongue.
    “Then I’ll come to you,”
he said when he released her lip.
    “No,” she repeated in a stronger
voice. “You can’t.”
    “You’d be surprised at
what I can do.”
    He leaned down to kiss
her again, but she pushed against his chest. “No, Payton. I can’t see you
tonight.”
    “Then when?”
    “Tomorrow, late morning,”
she said while gathering her thoughts. “I sometimes go for a walk. I’ll be
alone.”
    “Where shall I meet you?”
    “In the park. We can
talk.”
    He let out a groan
before asking for clarification. “Talk?”
    She nodded.
    “All right. We do have
some things to discuss.”
    When she felt him relax
his embrace, she tightened her arms around him. “Aren’t you going to give me
our last kiss?”
    “Last kiss?” His voice
was tinged with bewilderment.
    “You’ve only kissed me
twice. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to kiss me in the park.”
    “Where would you like me
to kiss you? Here?” He buried his face in the crook of her neck. His lips nibbled
on her warm flesh.
    She sucked in a gasp of
air. His warm breath sent shivers of excitement through her. Her pulse raced,
her knees weakened. Her hands slid up