Wade Jeffries raised an eyebrow. "It seems some harm has been done to your rations. Perhaps you will allow me to replace them?"
His words floored her. Surprised by the unexpected offer, Trina's tongue twisted into knots. It was all she could do to swallow and speak. One minute she was trapped by a man she despised, the next she was confronted by the man she secretly lusted after from a distance.
Wade Jeffries had dark hair and a body that made her heart flutter. He was part of a fantasy she'd created to masturbate to when sex with Darci didn't bring her to climax. She wouldn't dare think he'd ever be interested in a woman beneath his station. But there was the hint of a smile lurking on his fine lips--one that said he was very attracted to what he saw.
Wade stepped closer, sending Trina's pulse into overdrive. Her heart rate soared. "That's quite all right," she stammered. "An accident--I was clumsy. My own fault. Nothing more."
An impish gleam lit his eyes. "Somehow I think that's a lie," he chuckled with a smile. "But I won't debit you for the untruth if you allow me one kiss."
His eyes lingered on her face in what felt like another heated caress. Yet he had only handed her back her groceries, hadn't touched any part of her body. But she felt that was only a matter of time.
The silence grew thicker around them. Trina couldn't bring herself to glance away. Just looking at Wade Jeffries caused a quivery feeling in her belly. A wonderful pulsing sensation settled between her thighs. His musky scent filled her nostrils, the smell of him sexy and definitely alluring. Desire threatened to pull her into its undertow, drown her with the unfulfilled wants and needs. Twenty-one years of repression had cruelly bound her natural desires, desires just straining to be unleashed. How she wished she could meld her body's heat with his. She had a feeling the sparks they'd create would set the bed ablaze. The very idea caused her to blush to the roots of her hair.
As if able to read her mind, he reached out and impulsively swept his fingers along her injured cheek. His trembling body and ragged breathing gave her a sense that the attraction wasn't one-sided. He was standing so close, he could have claimed her lips if he wished. She was definitely attracted to this imposing man. Still, she doubted he would fit into her life, much less understand her own extracurricular activities.
Trina raised her head a notch. She crushed the smashed eggs closer to her chest. She didn't mind a bit that the slimy goop covered her jacket. "A kiss would be most improper in public," she spluttered. "Given that you reprimanded an officer of yours for such displays."
His hand dropped. Instead of scolding her for her own impertinence, Wade Jeffries stepped back, scratching his chin. "Then I'll have to go through the correct legal procedures, won't I?" he said. He flashed another smile. "Perhaps I should arrange a meeting in a more suitable place. I'd like to see more of you."
A meeting in a more suitable place? Was he actually suggesting they were going to be together--in private--alone?
Shimmering with lust, his dark gaze met hers and Trina knew exactly what he wanted. They might not be saying the words, but their bodies were definitely responding to the chemistry such close quarters generated. The hint in his touch and the promise of more to come was almost too much for a healthy young woman to take.
She eyed him warily, reminding herself she was treading on dangerous ground. "That might not be proper," she said. The words made no sense, the only thing she could think of to say without sounding like an utter fool.
He laughed and shrugged like a schoolboy. Suddenly he wasn't an imposing officer of the law; he was a man making a not-so-subtle pass at a woman he found attractive.
He arched an eyebrow. "I said, I'd like to see more of you," he repeated with a shy grin. "It's up to you as to whether or not I might succeed."
His words hit home. Oh, gosh, Trina thought, blushing. You'd succeed.
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