Free More Than You Know by Jennifer Gracen Page B

kissing her. He wanted her so bad it ached, and he took it out on her luscious mouth.
    His kisses were greedy, ravenous. He wanted to own her, and his mouth was relentless. Kissing, nipping, tasting, he consumed her. She whimpered softly into his mouth as the kisses deepened; as she surrendered with a tiny moan, her arms slid around his neck and held.
    That tiny moan nearly undid him. He tangled his fingers in her soft, thick hair, holding her head as he took what he wanted. But she matched him, taking and giving, the heat between them rising. Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. His hands slid down her sides, around to her back, over those lush hips to hold her tighter. She pressed her body against his and he grabbed her ass, holding her hips to his. His erection strained against her and a groan came from deep in his throat, vibrating into her mouth.
    She pushed him away. Hard. “ Whoa. Okay. That’s . . .” Her eyes were dazed, dark with passion. Gasping, wide-eyed, she gaped at him.
    His head spinning, he fought to catch his breath too. “Holy shit,” he panted.
    A quick laugh escaped her now-swollen mouth. “Yeah.” She stared a moment longer, then took a step back, recomposing herself in a flash. “But that can’t happen again.”
    Annoyance flashed through him and he squelched it. He was ready to throw her down on the couch and totally ravage her. But she was right. He took a deeper breath and raked his hands through his hair. “I know.” He couldn’t help but smirk as he added teasingly, “You started it.”
    Her face flushed and she pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Okay. Yes, I kissed you first. But I don’t care how hot you are, or how hot you think I am,” she said staunchly. “This will not happen. This is a great job. A dream job. I want to keep this job.”
    â€œYou will,” he assured her. His mind had cleared, his heart rate was slowing, and as much as she was putting on a damn strong front, he’d caught a glimpse of something in her eyes before she’d shuttered it: fear. “Julia. Your contract is ironclad. You’re safe. Don’t show up drunk, don’t be inappropriate in the hotel, don’t get your name in the papers for anything negative, and your job is secure. Whether anything ever happens between us or not. Okay?”
    She stared for another few seconds, then turned away. She went to the mirror and dropped her shoulder bag onto the counter. Her hair fell around her face as she rummaged through her bag, like a shield of fiery waves. She pulled out a lip-liner pencil and fixed her mouth, not meeting his eyes in the mirror as she worked.
    Dane stared at her back. She’d brushed him off. She’d all but fucking dismissed him. He sat slowly on one of the sofas, trying to maintain an air of casual ease, but his insides were still throbbing and his mind was in a tailspin. To say she’d surprised him was the understatement of the year. She’d kissed him, she’d made the first move. He’d been, as Pierce would say, gobsmacked. He wasn’t used to a woman taking what she wanted from him so boldly. She’d wanted it so she’d taken it, without apology and without restraint. It turned him on more than he wanted to admit.
    He licked his lips, still tasting her. The sound of her soft moan of surrender still echoed in his head. Goddammit, he wanted her. She was fire and power and heat, and he wanted all of it. She could brush him off all she liked—the chemistry between them was undeniable. Those scorching kisses had proved it.
    He drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
    Maintaining a professional relationship with Julia Shay was going to be even harder than he’d thought.

Chapter Five
    Dane made another pass through the lobby, shaking hands as he worked his way through the crowd. The party was in full swing and going smoothly. Food disappeared off the trays