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She swallowed.  That& was a long time ago. It doesn t matter.
 Thanks a lot.
 You know what I mean.
 I m not sure that I do. Did that night mean anything to you? Or were you killing time while you and
Brett took a  break ?
Her eyes grew wide.  Don t say that like I m some kind of whore. You re the only one I ve been with
besides him. Of course it meant something to me.
Liam fought to hide his shock.  You haven t been with anyone since college?
Based on Brett s tales of how& willing she used to be, that part of her personality, much like the rest
of it, had done a complete one-eighty.
 I ve dated, she informed him, her tone sharp.  Several guys, as a matter of fact. Just because I
didn t sleep with them doesn t mean we didn t do& things. And trust me, it wasn t worth it.
Uh-huh. She may have dated a lot of men, but it didn t sound like any of them had been worth ten
seconds of her time.
He took a step forward, sensing a long-standing tension in her that he very much wanted to release.
He may permanently ruin their delicate friendship, but she was leaving soon anyway. What did he have to
lose?
 So you haven t met anyone who knows how to touch you.
Her lashes fluttered as he stepped toward her again, shrinking the gap between them until her ragged
breathing was the only thing standing in the way of a kiss.
 I suppose not. She pressed her lips together and stuck her nose in the air, but she could no longer
hide the fact that her aloof façade was slipping away. Her gaze skirted his.
Liam took her hand and led her into the living room, thankful his moving van had arrived on time so
they could make good use of his couch.
40 www.samhainpublishing.com
Full Circle
 Sit down, Elisa. That s about to change.
www.samhainpublishing.com 41
Chapter Five
Kissing was a bad idea. Kissing was the kind of thing that led to touching, that led to groping, that led
to getting naked and doing things that had severe consequences.
So when Liam wrapped his fingers around hers, Elisa expected to jump a mile. She expected to be
mad or frightened or frustrated, all of the things she usually felt when a man put the moves on her and
invaded her personal space. Instead she wanted to pull him closer as though he could protect her from ever
feeling pain again.
She sat next to him. Neither of them spoke. She looked down at their entwined hands and then up into
his blue eyes. He was going to kiss her in about three seconds, and despite her fear of all things sexual, she
wasn t going to stop him. She wouldn t show him yet again how her abusive ex and the loss of her child
still affected her. That would lead to more of his questions. She could only hope this moment didn t
backfire.
He brushed his free hand over her cheek and she closed her eyes, her chin dropping in a half-nod.
Every inch of her skin waited on pins and needles. Her claim that she d done  things on other dates had
been a bit of an exaggeration she just wanted to avoid discussing her relationship problems. So many
years had passed since she d touched a man, but Liam was gentle. He wouldn t pressure her for sex. She
could trust him.
She released his hand and draped her arms around his neck. He held either side of her waist lightly
and moved closer. She closed her eyes so she wouldn t see the moment his lips were about to touch hers
instinct would force her to pull away, and that was the last thing she wanted right now. So she sat, blindly,
feeling only the slight motion of his head where her hands rested until suddenly, his warm mouth swept
softly over hers and every muscle in her body failed.
Oh God, he tasted good. So good.
She sagged against him and his grip on her tightened, presumably so she wouldn t fall over. His name
escaped her throat. His lips were so soft and warm, she couldn t tell where his ended and hers
began& because she was kissing him back. She hadn t meant to, hadn t even tried, but she couldn t stop.
She moved with him, parting her lips more, brushing her fingers over his hair, feeling more and more like
she would pass out from experiencing this level of pleasure.
Liam s hand rested on the small of her back, drawing her closer with only the slightest pressure. An
invitation, not a demand. His torso skimmed hers and she jumped.
Full Circle
She didn t intend to, but he heard her sharp inhalation and broke the kiss long enough to give her time
to object. Which she should have. But she couldn t speak, couldn t pull herself out of his arms and the
seductive promise they offered the chance to feel like a woman. The chance to be touched like a woman
and discover that at some point during the years that had passed, her problem with making love had gone
away on its own.
When she said nothing, he cradled her neck and traced the outline of her jaw. He brought his mouth to
hers again, his fingers stroking her hair while his tongue
No.
Finally, she found the strength to pull away. A kiss on the lips was enough. More than enough.
She tried to focus on him, but the room was spinning, probably a result of all the blood that had
rushed south.  I m sorry, Liam. I shouldn t have done that. I 
 Why not?
She blinked a few times then saw the heat in his eyes and realized that her act of desperation had
ignited something much more dangerous passion.
Her heart raced, and his proximity threatened her precious self-control. A shiver of forbidden lust [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]