Where There's Smoke by M. J. Fredrick Page A

her stomach, her bottom tucked against his hips. She gasped and turned to look back at him. He hooked her hand behind his neck in a lover's pose, trailed his fingertips down the soft skin of her bare arm. He watched chills rise along her skin, felt her intake of breath. He shouldn't have done that, not in public. But his pounding pulse had taken control. Nothing mattered but touching Lauren. He took her hand and spun her out, then drew her back so they were face to face.
    She curled her fingers in his hair, making sure their gazes locked as the beat drove their feet. Her own hair started tumbling down, clinging to her damp skin and he had an immediate, erotic vision of her rumpled in his bed.
    "Lauren.” He brushed his thumb over her lips and was suddenly doused by something cold and wet.
    Lauren and Seth leaped apart before they realized they'd circled around to the table Seth's band had commandeered, and someone had shaken and sprayed a beer on them. Chris and Tony howled with laughter, Rob merely smiled shyly.
    Seth gave his friends a tight smile, full of the promise of retribution. “Nice.” Lauren held her arms out, like Cinderella whose ball gown had just become rags. “Are you okay?"
    She nodded, but her dismayed expression broke his heart.
    "Come on, we'll get you cleaned up.” He led the way into the ladies’ room, didn't hesitate before charging in.
    "You can't come in here,” Lauren protested.
    "Watch me."
    He guided her in and sat her in a wing-backed chair in front of a wall of mirrors. Her dress had taken the brunt of the spray and was ruined. He knelt before her, then pulled a bunch of paper towels out of the dispenser and wadded them against her dress. Fibers of brown paper clung to the dark fabric. She pulled a towel from him and dried off her shoulder and arm.
    The smell of malt assaulted him. “Hope I don't get pulled over tonight,” she said. “It would be hard to convince anyone I'm not drunk."
    "Jerks,” he muttered. “I think they ruined your dress."
    "Well, it's not like I'll wear it again.” She sighed. “And they did cool me off."
    "Which reminds me.” He reached up and loosened her hair expertly and it tumbled in big fat curls around her shoulders. Oh, damn. His body reacted again as if he'd taken off her dress instead.
    She pressed her hands to her head. “What'd you do that for?"
    "It was coming down anyway,” he said, reaching beneath her hair to stroke the softer hair at her nape.
    Her eyes went a little wild, her breathing a little uneven as he caressed her, but she didn't pull away, or even blink. Pleasure at her reaction twitched his lips. He wanted to kiss her, and she wanted him to. He leaned in and she fisted her hands in her skirt.
    "Seth Escamilla, what are you doing in the ladies’ room!” scolded his Tia Lupe, entering. “Get out!"
    Seth rose reluctantly and reached for Lauren's hand. He had to get her alone, had to feed this hunger.
    Lauren rose and Seth swept her past the entering women. He turned away from the ballroom, toward the patio at a determined pace. Once outside the French doors, he turned abruptly, caging her between his arms and the wall. She looked excited and a little frightened and he did his damnedest to remember why he shouldn't be doing this. But he couldn't.
    "No more interruptions,” he said, and touched his mouth to hers.
    He didn't touch her body, didn't trust himself to. He chased after her mouth with his own, and the rest of the world disappeared as he lost himself in Lauren. Her mouth was soft and hot and eager. Good Lord, he never thought she would set him on fire like this.
    A small moan of pleasure escaped her as she moved into him. She curled her hands in his hair, then stroked his cheeks. Her breathing sounded as wild as his own, and then he couldn't not touch her anymore. The delicate fabric snagged beneath his hands as he dragged her closer until her head fell back, until her hair cascaded down her back, brushing erotically over his