He whooped, a distinctly un-accountant-like sound, and wrapped her in a tight, joyful hug. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck.
“So did she say yes?” came muffled voices from outside.
“Yes!” shouted Dan, and she laughed again, and kissed him.
When they finally came up for air, Dan reached over and opened the side window. They were greeted with cheers and whoops, and she laughed and cheered with everyone. This was magic. A car drove by, honking, and Mrs. Harris waved out the window and drove off into the sunset.
Read on for a sneak peek at Jamie by Lori Foster, coming next month.
When she lay naked in front of him, the proof of her perfect body there for him to see, Jamie took only a moment to absorb the sight of her before hefting her into his arms. She wasn’t a petite woman, but then, he wasn’t a slouch. He could, would, carry her—as far as necessary.
With his right hand, he snatched up her torn pile of clothing. It had been so long since he’d held anyone, since he’d allowed himself the comfort of physical contact, that his heart felt full to bursting, pounding hard and fast. Never mind the mud and rain and whatever ailed her, she still smelled like a woman: soft and feminine and ripe with sex appeal.
He’d missed that smell so much.
First things first. Rather than climb back up to his cabin, Jamie made his way to the west, toward the plunging edge of a cliff. He looked over to a deep ravine cut through the mountain by a fast-moving stream, now swollen from the heavy rains. Tightening his hold on the woman, he reared back and slung her clothes over the side. The ruined garments soared, sank, and hit the creek with a dull splash, separating, dragged along by the current to get dumped a good distance away from him.
Just getting rid of the clothes made Jamie feel better.
She could still have a surveillance device on her body somewhere, and he’d check for that as soon as he got her out of the foul weather. She might not like his thorough inspection—what woman would? But then, he didn’t like being hunted, either. Given the howling wind and stinging rain, it looked like they both had to tolerate a few things.
Even burdened with the woman’s weight, the climb to his cabin didn’t tax him. Whenever he went anywhere, he walked, so his legs were strong and he had an abundance of stamina.
The woman didn’t make a peep, didn’t open her eyes again, but she must not have been entirely out of it, because her arms went around his neck and she tucked her face in near his chest to avoid the rain. Prodded by a strange yearning, Jamie curled her closer still, even bent over her a bit to afford her more protection. He could feel the rapping of her heartbeat on his chest, her gentle breath on his throat.
Cravings he hadn’t suffered in far too long awoke within him. He didn’t like it. Or maybe he liked it too much.
He knew the moment Clint spotted them. He felt the sheriff ’s shock and curiosity slapping against his already heightened senses. Eyes narrowed against the rain, Jamie forged onward, refusing to look back.
Clint called to him, but his words blew away on the storm. Knowing the woods better than even the bears, Jamie easily lost Clint by moving between trees and boulders and across narrow streams.
By the time he reached his cabin, he knew Clint had turned back. What tales he’d tell to the others, Jamie could only guess. But when the rain stopped and the mud dried—tomorrow or the next day—they’d come for him.
He knew it as sure as he knew the woman in his arms would be trouble.
And still, he carried her over the threshold and into his cabin.
When he nudged the door shut with his shoulder, she shifted, making a small, purely feminine sound of discomfort. Charmed, Jamie watched and waited for her to become fully aware.
She lifted her head slightly. Her gaze shied away from his, and she took in her surroundings, then, blinked twice. No smile. No fear. But she had nervousness in spades, almost equal to her tenacity. While Jamie continued to hold her, she licked her lips, hesitated, and finally turned her face up to his.
His awareness on a razor’s edge, Jamie assessed her. Mud streaked her pale cheeks. Her long, wet hair tangled around his shoulder. Her lips shivered with the cold.
Taking him off guard, she lifted one small, woman-soft hand to touch the side of his face. “Thank you.”
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2005, 2013 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
“Once in a Blue Moon” copyright © 2005 by Lori Foster
“Moon Magnetism” copyright © 2005 by Lucy Monroe
“Full Moon Pie” copyright © 2013 by Sarah Title
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-9525-5
ISBN-10: 0-7582-9525-1
First Kensinton Mass Market Edition: December 2013
eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-9526-2
eISBN-10: 0-7582-9526-X
First Kensington Electronic Edition: December 2013
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