Free Desire After Dark: A Gansett Island Novel by Marie Force Page A

of what he expected, she looked up at him, trying to anticipate his next move. But when he merely hugged her, she sagged against him, breathing in the bewitching scent of man and leather and soap.
    “Missed you,” he whispered, close enough to her ear to set off anotherseries of unprecedented responses that converged in an insistent throb of desire between her legs.
    Dear God. What was it about this man? How did he reduce her to a quivering pile of want simply by walking into a room and hugging her?
    When she came up for air, she realized her arms were inside his coat and wrapped around his waist. If this was how she reacted when he was gone fora few hours, how would she feel when he left again to resume his winter life in Florida? She didn’t want to think about that, especially not while he was standing right in front of her, sizing her up with those sexy dark eyes that saw her a little too well for her liking.
    “Did you miss me?”
    “Did you go somewhere?”
    His eyes glimmered with amusement, his smile transforming hisface from handsome to ridiculously sexy. “You hurt me with your nonchalance.”
    “Yes, I missed you. Feel better now?”
    “I’ve never felt better in my life.”
    “ Never? ” she asked, relying on humor to hide her emotional reaction to his heartfelt words.
    “Not that I can recall.”
    With his fingers on her chin, he tipped her face up for a soft, sweet kiss that left her dizzyand dying for more.
    “To be continued,” he said, releasing her.
    It was too much and not enough at the same time. How was that possible? All he had to do was walk into the room to put her on full alert. Her nipples were tight, her belly quivering, her palms sweaty, and the tingle between her legs had become a full-blown throb from one simple hug and kiss.
    Nothing about him wassimple, especially the way she reacted to him. If he could turn her on so completely with nothing more than a hug and a kiss, what would happen later when they were alone again at the lighthouse? She needed a fan to cool her face and a stiff drink to calm her nerves.
    Erin poured herself a vodka and soda on ice, hoping for some liquid courage to deal with a situation that was rapidly spinningout of her control. She made the same drink for him, and they joined the others. Slim sat next to her on the sofa, his leg pressed tight against hers, his arm stretched out behind her.
    While the others laughed and talked about the McCarthys’ anniversary party, plans for the upcoming holidays, Lizzie’s nursing home project and other island gossip, Erin tried to find the equilibrium thathad deserted her when Slim arrived. As exciting as it had been to be on the receiving end of his affection, it was still possible to stop this before it went any further. They hadn’t made each other any promises. They hadn’t done things that couldn’t be undone.
    Yet.
    If the heated make-out session earlier and her reaction to seeing him again after a few hours apart were any indication,the status quo wouldn’t last much longer. This was happening, and she’d encouraged it by asking him to stay with her. She’d encouraged it with every hour she’d spent flirting by text, on the phone and FaceTime with him over the last few months.
    But now that he was here, sitting right next to her and obviously wanting more of what they’d had earlier, she was scared to cross that invisibleline between flirty fun and seriously committed. With the exception of her family and a few close friends like Jenny, she’d made being noncommittal an art form, living her life on the surface without delving below to see what she might find.
    The surface had worked fine for her. No one got hurt on the surface. Everything was simpler there, cleaner. This situation with him was getting complicatedand messy, and she already ached at the thought of him leaving. So what would it be like when he actually left and they were forced to go back to texts, phone calls and FaceTime to stay in