On Thin Ice by Eve Gaddy Page B

running his thumb along the inside of her wrist. Her pulse scrambled, and he smiled. “What did you have in mind?”
    She touched her tongue to her lips in a nervous, unconsciously sensual gesture. “Oh God, I think I’m in trouble.”
    Her voice sounded like the night, a husky whisper of pure temptation. Devlin smiled and said nothing. He unbuttoned her sleeve and trailed his fingers up her arm as he pushed the material higher. Her lips parted on a moan that she caught just before completion. Strangely, his own pulse was none too steady. Just from touching her arm? Listening to her voice? Get a grip, he told himself.
    She stared at him and licked her lips again. “Now I know I’m in trouble. I can’t . . . I can’t . . .”
    When he touched his lips to the pulse throbbing at the crook of her arm, her breath hissed in with a gasp. “Can’t what?” he murmured, lingering over the magnolia petal skin of her arm.
    “I can’t think when you do that.” Dazed dark-green eyes stared at him.
    “Don’t think, then.” He threw some money on the bar to cover the check and rose, pulling her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Grasping her hand, he didn’t wait for her answer, but dragged her along with him.
    Outside, the night air was hot, humid. Clear and sultry as only a Southern summer night can be. Late as it was, the street in front of the bar was devoid of traffic. They crossed it quickly, almost silently, their shoes scraping on the rough pavement. An ambulance siren wailed in the distance. Reaching his car, Devlin pushed her back against the door and stared at her good and long. She hadn’t spoken a word since he’d hauled her out of the bar. He couldn’t say what prompted him to ask the next question, because he didn’t want to hear it if her answer was no.
    “Are you sure about this?”
    She didn’t answer with words. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, a woman who knew what she wanted and meant to get it. He drew her closer, until he felt her breasts crushed to his chest, the welcome pressure as he cupped her bottom and settled her tightly against him. Sweet and wicked at once, she tasted of temptation and midnight sin.
    And she kissed like a fantasy lover. Her tongue darted inside his mouth, teasing, arousing, flirting with him and begging for more. He caressed her bottom, drawing her even closer, and met her tongue’s parries with some lingering thrusts of his own. The blood pounded in his veins, and he shot straight into sensual overload. If he didn’t stop kissing her now, they’d be courting a public indecency charge in a matter of minutes.
    “The next time I kiss you,” he said, indulging in a last caress at the corner of her mouth, “you’ll be wearing a lot fewer clothes.”
    “Is that a threat or a promise?”
    Smiling, he unlocked the car door and let her in. “A promise.”
    He didn’t ask, but drove to her place since it was a good five minutes closer. Right now five minutes seemed like a long time. Devlin couldn’t remember wanting to make love with a woman this badly. Ever. Even half-crazed from lust, it worried him. But not enough to make him forget the idea.
    Not eager to wreck his car on the way, he kept his hands off her. Gabrielle had no such worries. She scooted over as close as the bucket seats would allow and snuggled her head against his shoulder. It surprised him, because it bespoke affection rather than passion, but her hand on his thigh wasn’t innocent by a long shot.
    “Are you trying to make me have a wreck?” he asked, barely maintaining control.
    “Drive faster.” She kissed his neck and trailed wicked fingers over his thigh.
    “My insurance—” he began, and sucked in his breath as her hand caressed him, edging so close to his erection, he thought he’d die. To hell with insurance rates, he thought, and put his foot down.
    They made it inside her house before he started ripping off her clothes. Barely. He pushed