Champagne Rules by Susan Lyons Page B

lips, outlining the top one, then the bottom. Then he leaned closer and her heart stopped. Their lips touched. It was the gentlest of meetings, a hello and a question. But the moment the question was asked, she knew the answer. The magic was there. She let out her breath in a soft sigh that parted her lips. His mouth moved, slanting against hers, kissing the corner of her mouth, nibbling her lower lip. His lips were firm, soft, full, utterly tantalizing and she smelled his slightly musky, very male scent.
    Heat surged through her and she moved toward him, losing her balance and almost toppling off the driftwood. His arms came around her waist, steadying her, and hers came up to circle his shoulders. He moved a step closer, and their bodies touched.
    She gasped. He was aroused. Already. And in the next breath she realized she was too. Beneath the filmy skirt, her new silk panties were wet.
    She wanted to grind herself against him in mindless passion. On a public beach. Oh yes, she was outrageous69. It was amazing what this man did to her. To her surprise, he didn’t deepen the kiss. Instead, he lifted her down from the log and held out his hand. She took it and they began to walk again.
    No, she didn’t want to ask questions. For the moment, she knew everything she wanted to about Jaxon. She gazed sideways at the front of his black jeans. If anyone spared them more than a passing glance, they’d notice his erection despite the fist he’d jammed in his pocket. But the people they passed seemed occupied with their own concerns, either packing up and heading home or spreading out picnic suppers. The picnic basket was in her car, together with a rug. And she and Jaxon were walking in the opposite direction, strolling along the waterline, feeling the chilled Pacific lap their feet. Moving away from her friends.
    He bent down and picked up something, then presented her with a fragment of abalone shell. She examined it, running her finger over the gleaming bands of blue, mauve and silver. Jaxon caught her finger and brought it to his mouth. He sucked the tip gently, and she felt his touch through her whole body. Luckily, as a woman, her arousal wasn’t so obvious.
    “What do you taste?”
    “The ocean, and Suzanne. Enough to whet my appetite. I want more of you.”
    She imagined his tongue exploring her most private spots, and a shiver of desire rippled through her. “We want the same thing.” Though her cheeks were burning at her boldness, her lust, she tilted up her chin and met his gaze. He lowered his head and kissed her again, this time sliding the tip of his tongue across the crease of her lips. She opened readily and touched her tongue to his, inviting him in. He accepted, exploring her mouth, thrusting, then retreating, and she reciprocated.
    The sun had almost hit the water now, the light was fading. She eased her mouth away from his and dropped her head to his shoulder, clinging tight. In the distance, her friends were rapidly becoming silhouettes.
    Now that she was with Jaxon again, every instinct told her she could trust him.
    Behind his back, she lifted a hand and waved, giving the signal. One of them waved back and she waved again, to confirm. They rose and moved in the direction of the parking lot. She’d just bet Ann was telling the other two they were crazy to leave her on her own.
    Jaxon put his hands on her shoulders, easing her away.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Chasing away a bug.”
    His grin was a flash of white. “A bug?” He glanced over his shoulder, then shrugged.
    She guessed he didn’t believe her. He probably knew she wasn’t so foolish as to come here alone. And, even though she trusted him, she would keep her promise not to stray from the populated part of the beach.
    She slid a hand down his back, feeling first the silky fabric of the T-shirt, then the coarseness of denim. Curving her palm around his butt, she wished her hand was on the inside of his jeans.
    “It’s getting dark,”