Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel by Nicole Leiren Page B

breath, chocolate and marshmallow from the s'mores they'd made earlier proved intoxicating at such close range. Her body, sweet Jesus, drove him past the brink of sanity. "Tell me to stop," he whispered.
    "I…" She clamped her hand on the back of his neck and brought him the short distance to her lips.
    He slid his other hand down her back to pull her even closer as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. So soft.
    She slid her tongue along the seam of his lips, and he willingly opened to let her in. Their competitive nature surfaced even during the kiss as their tongues battled for dominance. He tangled his other hand in her hair, the silky strands sliding easily through his fingers.
    Her deep throaty murmurs heated his blood and issued direct orders to his lower half. He wanted her so badly, but he needed to make sure she wanted it to. Moving away from her lips just enough to speak, he had to ask. "Tell me what you want, Ev. Those beautiful lips are sending me mixed signals."
    She rested her head on his chest, and he moved his arms to embrace her.
    "I won't be angry, I promise. Disappointment might be on the table, but not anger."
    After several long moments, she pulled back. Not a good sign. She brought her fingers to his face and cupped his cheek. "Almost every fiber of my being begs me to give things with you a try."
    Leaning forward, he kissed her on the forehead. "Tell me where these rebel fibers are camped out, and I'll search them out and convert them to our way of thinking."
    Her smile eased the worry lines around her beautiful eyes. "It can't be like before. We'd need to go slower, take our time. Really get to know one another. I can't do anything to upset the boys right now. They've been through enough already."
    He kissed her again, "They seem to like me well enough. I'll find some things us boys can do…"
    "No."
    Her brusque cutoff surprised him. "No, what?"
    She stepped farther away. Definitely not a good sign. "No. After this vacation is over, I need you to stay away from the boys. No one can know about us giving this a try. I won't have my ex using it against me or giving anyone else ammunition."
    "You worry a lot about what others think of you." All the euphoria from the kiss was replaced with a dull ache in the front part of his brain.
    "It's part of who I am. If you want a relationship that lasts more than one night with me, then you have to be willing to take the good with the bad."
    She made a valid point. He pulled her closer again, moving in slowly for the kiss this time. If she pulled away, he'd let her go. The blue of her eyes disappeared as her lids descended. Taking advantage, he rained soft, light kisses all over her face. If he were a betting man, the part of her working for the resistance resided inside that beautiful head of hers. He wanted to make sure she knew what she'd be missing if the opposition won.
    When her lips parted, he didn't require further invitation. Covering her mouth with his, he kept the pressure light. Silk sliding against satin. So smooth. So sexy. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, but he held back. Finally, he broke the connection. "Nice and slow, that's how we'll do this. I'll agree to stay in the shadows for a bit while you figure this out, but not forever. Okay?"
    She kissed his lips again and then sank into his embrace. "Okay."
    After a few minutes of holding her, he lowered them into the chair, adjusting her so she could comfortably sit on his lap. She snuggled in and put her arms around him. He kinda liked the softer side of Evelyn.
    "You want to tell me about your sister now?"
    "No, not really. I'd rather talk about you. You want to tell me about the ex?"
    Her head shook against his chest. "Not really."
    "Then how about we forget about talking tonight, enjoy this beautiful fire before it dies out, and you just let me hold you. Sound like a plan for our first date?"
    Her body vibrated slightly, maybe from a chuckle. "Sounds perfect."

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