Free Her Lifeline: (A Romantic Suspense) by Danica Chandler Page B

a few seconds before she broke the silence. "What are you sorry about, Nick?"
    "You're my boss. I just started working here. I shouldn't be putting the moves on you." Again, he raked his hand through his hair. It must have been a nervous tick, because he had done it a lot in the past few minutes.
    Taking a step forward, she forced a smile. "You're not the only guilty party in this situation, trust me." There were so many reasons why she should just leave, but her legs wouldn't move toward the door. He was right, but he was also wrong. Was she not thinking clearly due to the circumstances? Amelia wasn't sure. All she knew was that the kiss had made her weak in the knees.
    "How's that?" Nick asked, finally looking up from the floor.
    "Because I wanted it to happen too."
    "Did you?"
    He walked toward her and pushed her against the wall, pinning her. He planted another deep kiss on her lips, his tongue darting inside and back out, one hand in her hair, the other skimming the side of her breast. He felt so good against her and she returned the favor, exploring the inside of his mouth as well. Her lips trailed down the side of his face and she pecked kisses down his neck and over his Adam's apple. His skin was salty on her lips and a few times, her tongue traced back up to his lips, making his eyes close and his arms tighten around her.
    Again he stopped the embrace and took a few steps back, a smoldering look in his eye. "We can't do this."
    Damn it, why was he right? She didn't want to admit it out loud, but how would they feel when the sun came up? Would they be able to look each other in the eye? Would he be able to continue to work there? The thought of him leaving after one day made her stomach hurt. It was only twenty-four hours, but she was already used to the idea of having him around. She couldn't let a moment of heated passion ruin her long-term goal of saving the ranch.
    "You're right, Nick. We should probably stop this before it gets too far." The words were foreign to her, and she hated saying them. She had never moved this fast with anyone, but with Nick, it just felt right. Even with all the reasons why they shouldn't do it, she still wanted to make it happen. The expression on his face told her he felt the same way, but was having a moral dilemma himself. He needed the job. She needed his help.
    "Okay then," he replied, his voice raspy. "I'm sorry." His gaze went downward again. He looked like a little boy who had been scolded.
    "By all means, Nick, don't apologize. We're adults. It's fine."
    Looking at the clock, he let out a nervous laugh. "Guess I better get some coffee going. Would be stupid to go to bed now. You probably don't want to miss the investigator. No telling when he'll show up."
    "Yeah. I need to go get dad up. Maybe he can enlighten me on exactly what was in that shed. Still can't believe him and Noah slept through it. He'll be pissed I didn't wake him up sooner."
    Nick walked with her to the door. The sun was starting to come up on the horizon, and the hue of dawn was beautiful as it peered over the hills.
    "Hopefully he'll help you with any concerns you have about it. I'm almost certain y'all had some kind of chemical or fertilizer in there and forgot about it."
    "I hope you're right, Nick. Thanks for keeping me calm." Stepping off of the porch, she turned and smiled. "Don't forget the sunscreen today, okay? Gonna be another scorcher."
    Nick's wide grin made her heart melt. He was so handsome. "Lesson learned. I'll see y'all at breakfast."
    Walking back to the house, a shrill of butterflies coursed through Amelia. Sure, it had ended before much could get going, but the feelings she was experiencing were none she had ever felt before, not even with Noah's dad. She had to shove them aside. Nick had made his intentions perfectly clear. The amazing kiss said otherwise, and he was the one that made the first move. At least it got her mind off of the ranch problems, even for just a few minutes.
    "Amelia,