“Sounds dangerous,” he said, his voice lower, grittier.
“Exactly. She cuts herself, not deep, but sexy mountain man is protective and carries her inside to tend her injury.”
He swung the ax, burying it in another piece of wood, and started toward me. “And what happens next?”
My heart started beating faster. “They kiss. And then she runs off because she’s afraid to get involved with anyone.” Well, shit, why had I said that? That was way too revealing.
His gaze hit mine. “This neighbor guy sounds smart to me. He’d definitely follow her home and make her talk it through.”
Okay, I needed to veer away from this thread in our little made-up story. “She barely knows him. She’s not going to share. So she kisses him instead.”
His nostrils flared, but his gaze told me he knew what I was doing. “What kind of kiss?” he asked, not calling me on it.
Relief washed through me. “The kind that makes your toes curl and your insides all hot and melty,” I said, and it came out a whisper.
“I think I need a demonstration,” he growled. “How does a kiss like that start?”
I swallowed and stepped closer, lifting my hands to his chest, flexing my fingers against the soft hair there. “Slow, teasing.”
He dipped his head. “Then what?”
“Then it gets more serious.”
“Show me.”
Oh god, I was already hot and melty and our mouths hadn’t even touched yet. He didn’t move, wasn’t making it easy on me. He wanted me to take the lead, and I was damn near quivering from how badly I wanted him. Taking his hand, I led him to the woodpile, then stood on one of the rounds because he was so much taller than me. If I was going to do this right, I needed better access to that delectable mouth.
He watched me but didn’t comment.
He was still a head taller than me like this, but I could work with it. I took his handsome face in my hands. “Ready?”
Manic growled like a damn grizzly and shifted closer, his patience running out. He leaned in and I pulled away. “Uh-uh. You asked me to show you, now you have to let me.”
His eyes got glittery and dark, and he tried to kiss me again. Again, I pulled away.
“Addison,” he said, a warning in his voice.
I looked into his eyes. “No. Now hold still and let me show you.”
The heat in his eyes smoldered and he licked his lips. I wanted a taste of him, and I was determined to knock his freaking socks off, to drive him to the edge of that steely control of his. I lifted to my toes, and he dipped closer at the same time. I held him still, then gently, so very gently, pressed my lips to his.
He growled and tried to deepen the kiss.
I pulled back again, my heart thundering and the ache between my legs a slow, steady throb. “No. I lead this time.”
“I don’t do that,” he said gruffly.
“But you will, for me, just this once.”
His hands went to my hips and he squeezed.
My breath shuddered out, and I held his stare. “Are you going to hold still?”
“I’ll try.”
That was the best I could hope for.
“But then I’m going to throw you over my shoulder, take you inside and—”