Free More Than Friends by Susan Mallery

hair, as if seeking the warm skin below.
    “Chase,” she breathed, the single word sounding like a plea.
    The hell with it, he thought and lowered his mouth to hers.

Chapter Four
    S he could have stepped away.
    Jenny knew she’d remind herself of that fact over and over in the days that followed. Chase would never have held her against her will; he’d always been a gentleman. A single whisper of hesitation, a slight stiffening of her body would have been more than enough.
    Instead, she moved closer and let her hands slide up his bare chest and shoulders until her fingers tangled in the thick, dark strands of his hair. In the split second before their lips joined, she murmured his name again.
    He caught the sound, inhaled it, and the world became awash with sensation. Hard and soft, familiar and strange. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt his mouth mold itself to hers. Firm lips, confident and masculine but gentle enough to make her melt, moved back and forth, discovering anew what had once been known.
    They pressed together from knee to shoulder, jean-clad legs brushing. She’d never thought the sound of denim on denim could be the least bit erotic, until now. How easy it would be to forget the present and return to that magic time long past. The years fell away—to when she was a teenager again and her whole world consisted of loving and being loved by Chase.
    Powerful arms held her close; her breasts flattened against his chest. Her blouse and bra provided an unwelcome barrier to further intimacy. She parted her lips, eager to know more, straining to remember everything.
    His tongue entered immediately, pushing past her teeth, searching the warm sweetness. Her body, never awake much before ten, rippled as if an electric current had been connected to each nerve ending. He tasted of toothpaste, the mint mingling with a half-remembered flavor. It was like trying to describe a childhood Christmas. There were no exact words for the memory, just feelings of the familiar, the comforting, the arousing. They dueled as they had a hundred, no a thousand times before, beginning a game of seek-and-destroy with the prize of passion going to both victor and vanquished.
    The heat from his body inflamed her, while the strength of his arms offered a haven. His hands traced the length of her back, then slipped over her hips to cup her derriere and pull her firmly against him. Her fingers kneaded the strength of his shoulders, pressing smooth skin and hard muscle. No one had ever made her feel this way before; no one would again.
    Past and present merged until the boy and the man were one and she knew she’d been a fool to believe she’d forgotten any of it. The truth brought pain. A lump formed in her throat and she stiffened slightly and swallowed. He released her instantly.
    They stared at each other, their breathing rapid and shallow. Instead of giving off light, the fire in his eyes darkened the irises to smoldering black. But the shock was clearly visible. As was the desire.
    “I thought it would be different,” he said at last, turning away and walking to the window.
    “Me, too.”
    “I won’t apologize.”
    “Thank you.” She glanced down and saw that her hands were clenched into tight fists. She relaxed each finger, then forced herself to smile, hoping that by ignoring the sudden awkwardness, she could make it go away. “I’m sure it’s just left-over emotion. We never said goodbye to each other, all those years ago.”
    “Unfinished business?” he asked without turning around.
    She stared at his bare back. Eleven years ago he’d been broad and strong, but she would have been able to feel the ribs through undeveloped muscle. Today the bones were hidden by sleek, defined flesh. Worn jeans hung low on his hips. The scent of him clung to her blouse. It would haunt her all day.
    “Yeah. Unfinished business.”
    “Jenny, I—”
    “Don’t.” She cut him off. “You said you wouldn’t apologize. It just