Burning Up by Sami Lee Page A

kissed and caressed her, how he’d made her feel so feminine and sexy. Yes, Rob had been there too, but in the week since, it had been the memory of Steve’s hands on her she hadn’t been able to shake. “Steve—”
    “You’ve read all seven Harry Potter books three times,” he continued. “You prefer violent action movies to chick flicks and you don’t eat chocolate because it gives you a headache. You played soccer at school and your dream holiday would be a trip to see the World Cup in—”
    “Steve stop!” Pam crushed her hand to his mouth. “Stop talking or you’ll end up telling me my bra size and I’ll be horrified to think you know that too.”
    She felt his grin against her palm before he moved her hand aside. “Size is irrelevant.”
    Pam raised a brow. “That’s what men always say.”
    “ Damn, sweetheart, I love your smart mouth.” His smile was affectionate, his grip on her wrist gentle. But when he moved her hand to settle over his heart, Pam realized there was nothing gentle about the way it slammed into his chest in a rapid cadence. Her own heart accelerated in tandem with his, launching itself against her ribcage in a mixture of excitement and fear, fear that she had this wrong somehow. Steve being serious and affectionate was not what she’d expected.
    When he spoke, his words vibrated against her hand. “Tell me why you didn’t call Rob.”
    Pam looked into his eyes. He was all seriousness again, and in the face of such sobriety, Pam couldn’t hedge. “Because I’m not interested in him.”
    Some of the tension seeped out of Steve’s expression. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “What about me?”
    “You? You’re the man who once said to me, relationships are for suckers. Oh yes, I’ve been listening too,” Pam said when Steve gave her a pained look. “You’re not interested in the same things I am, Waller. And I can’t afford to get strung along only to get my heart broken later because you can’t take anything between us seriously—”
    “You want serious?” Steve interrupted. “I’ll show you serious.”
    He pulled her to him then, crashing his lips into hers with a force that made Pam’s head spin. Her hands went to his chest automatically, an instinctive act of self-defense. But before she could push him away, the heat of his kiss jumped from him to her, like a fire leaping from one building to another. Her senses were like dry kindling, going up in flames the instant Steve’s tongue breached her mouth. Pam sent her own tongue to tangle, to mate with his, helpless against the blaze of passion that burned inside her.
    Her ass slid on the desk as Steve drew her forward, pressing her breasts to his chest. Pam wrapped her thighs around his waist, anchoring his hips to hers. She was helpless to do otherwise. Once he held her like this, she didn’t want him to let her go. Ever.
    “Magic,” Steve murmured against her mouth as the kiss slowed, became something less fiery and more achingly sensual. He drew back a little so he was merely nibbling at her lips now, as though he couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. “The way you kiss me is magic.”
    Pam let out a shaky breath that fanned over Steve’s cheek. “That’s you.”
    “It’s us.” Cupping her jaw, Steve held her face still so she couldn’t avoid meeting his earnest gaze. “We’re magic together and you know it.”
    “But Steve, what about—”
    “I want it with you, sweetheart. When I said I didn’t want a relationship or love or someone to care about me, I was lying to everyone. Most of all I was lying to myself. I do want more than a series of meaningless flings. I want more now, because you made me want more.” He rested his forehead against hers and pushed out a shuddering sigh. “I want you, Pam. I’m crazy about you. Will you give me a chance to prove it?”
    “Oh, Steve.” Pam wound her fingers through his hair. “I’m crazy about you too. I haven’t stopped