Artfully Yours by Isabel North Page B

catch her as she backed up, tightened it to bring her against him, and he touched his mouth lightly to hers. Yes? No? Do you want this as much as I do? Do you need it like I do?
    She took a swift breath in; he waited a second, then—thank you, God—she reached up for him. He drew away a taunting fraction, making her follow, making her have to be the one to do it. She stretched against him and he laughed, bending his knees enough to lift her up and press her against the inner wall of the barn.
    Full-body contact. Skimming a firm hand down the length of her thigh, he dragged it up and around his hip. She obligingly raised the other leg, locked her ankles, and squeezed him closer as he dropped his lips to hers again, taking in her startled breath before his mouth opened over hers, and he was in.
    The world inside him realigned as he filled her, tongue sliding against hers in a deep, slow lick that made her fist a hand in his hair convulsively. Everything lit up, and all the edges of himself he’d felt splintering off into orphaned shards just…clicked back together.
    He cupped her chin, angled her head, and deepened the kiss, holding her for it.
    He was home.
    Alex leaned his weight into her until he wondered if he was crushing her, but she didn’t make any protest, just shifted against him restlessly. He held her, steady and controlled, focused in his passionate exploration. As for Elle, she caught fire. Her hands went everywhere . From clutching his hair to tracing the line of his shoulders, then down his sides and, yep, she grabbed his butt. He shook with longing as she tugged his shirt clear and dragged her palms up the damp muscles of his back.
    Down to his butt again.
    He felt her fingers trace the waistband of his jeans and growled encouragement into her mouth.
    She froze for an instant, then pulled back. “Wait!” she said, her eyes dazed, pupils dilated.
    Vibrating with the effort it took to stay still, Alex stared at her. Elle’s gaze dropped to his mouth, an inch away from hers, and she bit her lip. Then she sighed and bit his, so he figured he could go ahead and kiss her again.
    They strained together in a furious tangle until she pulled back again. “No. Wait.”
    “No?” He moved to her neck, alternating between kisses and light nips. He sucked gently at a patch of skin, and she shuddered. “Are you sure?” His question came out in a short, harsh pant.
    “No. Yes. Yes, I’m sure. I didn’t come here for this.”
    He switched to the other side of her neck. Her legs around his waist tightened reflexively, and he couldn’t help himself from rocking up into her. Once. Then—it felt so good—again. And again. Slow. Hard. Deliberate.
    “ Oh , my God.” Her eyes fluttered shut and she blindly caught his jaw, directed him back for another kiss, deep and wet. Then, damn it, she broke away again. Her palm still lay on his jaw and, as they stared at each other, she stroked, subtly, as if she couldn’t help herself. The shiver that ran through her at the abrasion of his stubble wasn’t even remotely subtle.
    “Why did you come here, if not for this?” His voice sounded rough and unrecognizable to his own ears. He slid a hand between them, down over her soft stomach, lower. He stopped, let it rest there. Ask me to go lower. Say the word. Please. Say it.
    “P-plunger,” she said.
    He nudged her higher up the wall and went back to pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to her neck. Plunger? Was that code for something? “Please let that be code.”
    “Hah. Yes. Code for there’s a demon in my toilet.”
    Alex straightened in surprise and swore when she unhooked her ankles and shoved at his shoulders. He hesitated before he set her down. She sidled sideways in an attempt to put some space between them. He blocked her exit by bracing a hand by her head, no, don’t go , and that was it. Wrong move.
    She ran.
    Alex watched as she damn near flew around the corner of the house. His entire body jolted with the