Past Lies

by Kim Rees

  “You’re welcome,” he said and stepped toward her, taking her hands in his. He pulled her against his chest and slid his arms around her back.

  The crisp hairs of his chest rubbed her breasts. The thin silk of the gown and robe did little to keep the heat of his body from hers. Her nipples hardened against him, the rush of desire almost dropping her. Her limbs turned to gelatin and she felt weightless and lightheaded.

  “Two months, Faith,” he said softly as his head dipped towards her. “That’s a very long time. Are you sure?”

  This wasn’t fair. No one had ever held her like this, made her feel such uncontrollable need. She wanted so much to experience these feelings, to step toward that desire and know what she hadn’t known before. Blood pounded at her temples and liquid heat pooled deep within her. She was certain Ryan could sense her reaction because he tightened his hold on her, his hands softly kneading the muscles of her back, gradually sliding lower and lower.

  “I…it’s…you agreed to it.” Pitiful excuse.

  “I know. How stupid of me.”

  The smoke-filled depth of his eyes drew her in, hypnotizing her senses, rushing over her like a wildfire out of control.

  If his lips drew any closer they’d touch hers. Faith was sure she’d die if they did. She was already losing control, inhaling his scent with rapid breaths, his hands burning against the silk of her gown, drawing her ever nearer to the heat of his lips.

  Then just as suddenly as it started, the storming inferno was over. Ryan stepped back, his lips parted as the hint of a smile crossed his features.

  “Tomorrow, you move into my bedroom. Goodnight, Faith.”

  He turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him.

  Faith stood in the middle of the room, wondering what had just happened. Her breathing still hadn’t returned to normal. The rhythm of her heart continued to pound its staccato beat. She still felt him, smelled him, all but tasted him on her lips as the memory of his thumb against her mouth singed her skin.

  Despite her thoughts about needing to wait, wanting to wait, she had been ready to leap into her husband’s arms.

  She thought she had more self-control than that. It was obvious her inexperience was no match for the powerful charm of Ryan McKay. She’d have to be extra careful over the next couple months and try to keep her distance from him. Too much of his overpowering sexuality and she’d self combust. Clearly, she was not ready at all for an intimate encounter with Ryan.

  Two months wasn’t nearly long enough.

  And yet, two months was a very long time.

  An instant family wasn’t what David had planned for his life, but once he met single mother Lucy he knew he had to change his plans.

  The Whole Shebang

  © 2007 Elisa Adams

  Available April 17, 2007 at Samhain Publishing

  Fifth grade teacher David Storm has had it up to here with one of his students. Lately the boy’s attitude has changed. He’s is obnoxious and rowdy, unable to sit still for five seconds, and is constantly interrupting to ask questions that have nothing to do with the subjects they’re studying. The boy’s twin brother is just the opposite—so quiet that it has David worried. He calls their mother and tells her he needs to speak with her, setting in motion a whole set of events he never could have imagined.

  Lucy Parker knows what her boys are trying to do—and she doesn’t approve. Since her divorce from their father three years ago, the eleven-year-olds have been trying to set her up with every single man in the tri-county area. They mean well, but she isn’t looking for love. She’s got enough trouble raising four rambunctious boys, and she doesn’t need to add someone else to the list. Especially not their latest choice—their very handsome yet way-too-young-for-her teacher.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for The Whole Shebang:

  The conflicted look on her face echoed somewhere inside him. He walked over to where she stood and cupped her cheek in his hand. Without giving himself time to come to his senses—or giving Lucy time to push him away—he leaned in and kissed her.

  He’d meant the kiss to be a soft brush of lips. A show of his interest and a way to convince her to go out with him. Once he tasted her lips, he knew there was no going back. The kiss turned into so much more. She seemed to hesitate, holding herself stiff against him for a few seconds before she finally gave in and parted her lips, sinking against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He slipped his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss while he stroked his tongue into her mouth.

  Lucy moaned, a soft, shuddering sound that made him want to push her against the wall and press his body up against her. His cock stirred at the thought, but for the moment, he’d have to be content with pulling her closer, feeling the way her body molded to his and wishing this incredible kiss could go on forever.

  The sound of the front door crashing against the wall snapped the spell. She broke the kiss and stepped back as if she’d been burned, smoothing down her skirt and licking her lips nervously.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, waiting for her to slap him or tell him to go to hell.

  Instead of getting angry, or showing him any emotion at all, she shook her head, sighed and left the room, calling out to her kids on the way. “You boys are going to put a hole through the wall one of these days.”

  David walked out of her office and followed the brood into the kitchen. He’d stressed the woman out enough for one day, and as a single mother, she had bigger problems to deal with than his offer of coffee. He wasn’t giving up on her, but he wasn’t going to push too fast, either. The kiss might have been too much, too soon, and he’d have to watch that. For now. Once the school year ended and the boys were no longer his students, all bets were off. “I’m going to go now, so you can get them settled.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled, relief flooding her expression. “I appreciate it. And I appreciate you giving Trevor a ride home. Hopefully he won’t miss the bus again. Ever.”

  The last part was added with a pointed glare toward her son, who sat staring at the table like it might sprout legs and run away.

  “Are you sure you won’t change your mind about the coffee?” he asked when he was halfway through the kitchen doorway, glancing at her over his shoulder.

  Her gaze shot up to his, her eyes wide, and he realized his mistake. Lucy glared at him. “No, thanks. I have plenty of coffee here, but thanks for offering to send some home with the boys. I’m grateful, but it really won’t be necessary.”

  She rushed forward, grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the foyer, not stopping until they stood next to the still-open front door. Her lips were parted, her brow knit in aggravation. She looked beautiful when she was pissed, but he figured she’d smack him if he told her so.

  “Are you crazy?” she asked, glancing toward the kitchen like she expected one of the boys to walk through the door at any moment.

  He forced back a laugh. Was she talking about the kiss? “What did I do?”

  “They want me to go out with you, remember? Don’t feed into their games by asking me out in front of them. It’ll only encourage them more, and then they’ll never stop.”

  He shook his head. Why was she so against going out with him? He knew she was interested. Whenever her gaze locked with his, he caught something in her eyes that mirrored what he felt inside. They were circling each other, and she refused to admit it. “You have very expressive eyes.”

  Lucy took a step away from him. She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest. “Excuse me?”

  “You say you don’t want to go out with me, but you really do.”

  She huffed out a breath and looked outside, but said nothing in response.

  The fact that she didn’t make any attempt to deny it brought a smile to his face. He stepped closer until he stood right in front of her. For days, he’d been dying to touch her. One brief kiss hadn’t been nearly enough. He wanted to stroke her arms to see if the skin there felt as soft under
his hands as he suspected it would. “So why not just say yes?”

  “I’ve already told you my reasons, but you refuse to listen. Because it isn’t a good idea.”

  But why? She seemed to be very skilled at avoiding the real issues. He’d bet anything that she didn’t even know why she kept rejecting him, at least not really. Excuses only went so far before a person had to face the truth. “You’ve said that. I’d like to hear some real reasons to support it, rather than just excuses.”

  Lucy waved her hand in the air in dismissal. “I’m not making excuses.”

  And I’m not giving up on you yet. In the six months since he’d split with Katie, he hadn’t met another woman who turned him on like Lucy did. She was smart, gorgeous and talented, and he had a feeling she’d be a blast to talk to. Mentally, she’d challenge him, and he needed that in his life. Plus, he couldn’t ignore the tension between them that had nothing to do with her family or his job. It deserved exploring, and if she wasn’t willing to admit it, he’d just have to find a way to show her. Whether it lasted a few weeks, or a few months—or even became something more significant—he wasn’t about to let her walk away without giving it a chance. At the very least, he intended to find out what her lips tasted like and how soft her hair was again when he tangled his hands in it as he kissed her.

  And if he kept going with that line of thinking, she’d know without a doubt exactly how she affected him and she’d kick him out and slam the door in his face. Not a pleasant option.

  His fingers itched to touch the side of her face, but he held back, both out of respect for her wishes and out of fear of scaring the woman away. He met her wary stare and smiled, hoping to disarm her fear a little bit. Her expression softened only marginally, but it was enough for him. “If you say so. I’ll bring some books by in a week or two.”

  “For what?”

  “You said you’d sign them for me, remember? I’m going to hold you to that.” And if it was what it took to see her again, he would make sure he did just that. But not too soon.

  Without giving her a chance to answer, he turned and walked out the door. He’d give her time. Maybe even until the school year ended. But then her time to hesitate would be up.

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