Free His Most Wanted by Sandra Jones

together to satisfy our cravings.” He surveyed her, tilting his head as he took in her face, her body, searching for something. He caught her hands in his and examined them, his thumbs coaxing her palms open. He then brought the heels of her hands to his lips and kissed each, his breath sweeping across her sensitive skin until she shivered with delight.
    Suddenly, she felt blessed she hadn’t found Andrea’s attacker at the saloon or the hotel that night. If she’d fired her gun, Kit would’ve been able to tell. The smell of the blast would have lingered on her skin, and no one would know that scent better than the experienced gunman. It was almost as if he were looking for it. Surely to goodness he didn’t know her secret?
    The stubble around his mouth scraped against her palms as he kissed her again, eliciting tingles up her arms before he moved to her wrists. He spoke quietly as he nuzzled her, “I won’t be able to sleep again until I get you out of my system.” He placed her hand against his chest and leaned in for her lips.
    The light on his closed eyes and shiny black lashes made him seem less of a threat, more handsome than a man ought to be, and she craved another taste of him. She rose on her toes to meet him, returning his kiss with an eagerness that surprised even her as she braced a hand on his strong shoulder. His tongue swept hers, boldly thrusting deeper in her mouth as matching spirals of pleasure spun in her belly. He spread his hands across the small of her back, dragging her away from the uncomfortable dresser at her back and against the unyielding granite mountain that was his frame. Their hips made contact, and beneath the layers of their clothing, she felt the shocking ridge in his pants, solid against the cradle of her body. Ardent need raged within her, but her thoughts immediately pushed back.
    It had been years ago, but the old ghosts returned, the memories of rough hands wrapping her throat. Then the pain and shame that followed.
    Panic swelled inside, choking her, collapsing her lungs. Breaking the kiss, she pushed him back and strangled out, “I told you, I don’t sleep with anyone.”
    Kit took a deep breath, his flushed face reflecting his struggle. “Not with anyone , Cora?” He raised a mocking eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”
    She lifted a shoulder. “Believe what you want. Look, it’s not that I don’t find you attractive enough. It’s just a matter of my professional philosophy. I’m done with men in my life and in my bed.”
    He raked a hand through his hair and stared at her for a long moment. “After that kiss, I’d say you’re about as done with me as I’m done with you…and that’s not at all.”
    Uncertain of her fortitude, she crossed her arms and hugged her stomach as she caught her breath. If he took her in his embrace again, the past might return to haunt her…or she might just enjoy it. The latter was far more frightening.
    He watched her for a long moment before his expression closed, and then he sighed. “All right. You win again. But—” he backed away and spoke in a raspy voice fraught with discomfort, “—I came back for another reason too, Cora. I need a favor, and you’re the only person in town I feel comfortable asking about it. Crazy, right?”
    Something in his quiet admission touched her heart, reminding her of the way he’d been so forthright before. She shook her head in relief and gave him a slight smile. “That’s not crazy. We get that a lot in the Willows.”
    He frowned as if considering her answer. “No, I don’t think it’s because you run a bordello. I think it’s…well, I just don’t know.” He walked backwards, heading toward the door, and she felt something in her twisting, like an invisible cord in her reeling him back. How many men would’ve pushed