Free Her Hard to Resist Husband by Tina Beckett Page A

before releasing it with a growl. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, though. Or that you didn’t either.”
    “I know.” No arguments, no denying that she felt the same. Just an acknowledgement of what was obvious to both of them.
    It had been an incredibly long week, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, make slow, satisfying love and then go to sleep still trapped inside her. Just like they used to.
    But he knew that was the exhaustion talking. Not to mention that thing wedged against her hip, which was busy shouting out commands he was doing his best to ignore.
    Sorry, bud. You’re out of luck.
    Tracy leaned her forehead against his and gave a drawn-out sigh. “We need to get back to the other village if this one is in the clear.”
    She heaved one more sigh, before climbing to her feet, looking anywhere but at his lap, which was probably smart. “I’m sure we’re both so tired we’re not thinking straight. We’ll regret this once we’ve had some sleep.”
    She might, but he wouldn’t. Not even if he slept as long as Rip Van Winkle. He’d still wake up and want to kiss her all over again.
    He closed his eyes for a long moment then started undoing his equipment without a word.
    She laid a hand on his shoulder. “If it’s any consolation, you’re right. I enjoyed it too. You always were a great kisser.”
    Some of the tension in his spine seeped away. Questions from four years ago resurfaced and he couldn’t keep himself from asking, “Then why were you always in such a hurry to leave?”
    “Please, don’t, Ben. Not right now.”
    And her response was exactly the same as it had been back then. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it—had just wanted to head off on her next adventure.
    There was nothing left to say, then. “I’ll get some medicine out of the car and explain the dosage.”
    She nodded. “I’m sure they’ll even let Miriam come home as there’s no evidence of pneumonic plague here. We’ll put her on the prophylactic dosage of antibiotics and she should be fine.”
    Stowing his equipment in a large box and carefully stacking his microscope on top, all he could do was wish for a prophylactic dose of something that would cut through his current jumble of emotions and put him back on the road to normalcy.
    Normalcy. Wow. If he ever found a pill that would restore that, he’d end up a very rich man.
    * * *
    Tracy could have kicked herself. She’d let him kiss her. On the mouth. Worse, she’d kissed him back. Crazily. As if she couldn’t get enough of him.
    Her chaste little gesture of thanks had flared to inferno proportions in a nanosecond.
    The chemistry between them was just as potent as ever. Something she never should’ve doubted. Something she should have been braced for and never allowed to happen.
    And why on earth had she let herself be drawn into an argument about the past? Because she was trying to keep her distance emotionally? You sure couldn’t tell it from where she stood. Because the only message she’d been sending while perched on his lap had been more along the lines of throw-me-on-my-back-and-take-me-hard.
    To allow that to happen, though, would only make things more complicated. Especially now. She could admit that she still cared about him, but it didn’t mean they could—or should—be together. If she thought there was a chance, she might try to explain what had happened all those years ago. But it wouldn’t do any good at this point. And the last thing she needed was Ben’s pity. Hanging onto the anger from the past might be best for both of them right now, because in another week or so they’d be heading in opposite directions.
    Lying in her hammock, hours from the time they’d finally climbed into Ben’s SUV and headed back to town, she still longed to reach across the space and take his hand. Touch his face. Kiss his lips.
    Why? None of it made any sense.
    There were less than two feet separating them. Less at the foot end of the