“Just like that?” Part of her wanted to follow him wherever he led. She wanted to see where he would take her. But she had to be in control of her surroundings. She couldn’t give up that control just because Jason asked for it.
“And the second rule...” He paused as if he wasn’t sure if he should continue. “If I’m going to publicly pretend to fall for you, the least you can do is let me catch you.”
Her mouth parted in surprise. He was worried she might reject him? Where had he gotten that idea? Had she hid her desire for him so well that he thought she found him repulsive?
“Do you agree?” He frowned when she didn’t respond. “Yes or no, Claire.”
“Yes.” The word dragged out of her throat.
He gave a sharp nod. She couldn’t tell if he was satisfied, relieved or resigned. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
She took an automatic step back. “Why?”
“Rule number one,” he reminded her as he cupped her face with his big hands.
“I’m just trying to figure out why you think this is the right time.” She was beginning to babble. “If we had used a spreadsheet, we could have staged a proper buildup and—”
He claimed her mouth with his. Claire gasped, her breath hitching in her throat as heat washed over her. This was no brushing of the lips or a gentle exploration. It was a hard and demanding kiss, as if he couldn’t wait another moment.
His touch broke the barriers she had carefully built. Claire returned the kiss with a hunger she hadn’t realized she had. The heat billowed inside her as she swiped the tip of her tongue into his mouth. His fingers tightened against her jaw as he captured her tongue and drew it in sharply. Claire felt the pull deep in her core and moaned with delight.
She wanted to be closer, to melt into Jason. She clutched the back of his head with her hands and greedily returned his kiss. Her skin felt tight and tingly as she ached for his hands to explore her body.
Claire had no idea how long the kiss had lasted when Jason pulled away slowly. She stared at him, gulping for air, not sure what to do or say. He looked as amazed as she felt. He dropped his hands as if her skin burned him.
Claire swallowed hard and reluctantly lowered her hands. She kept her gaze on his reddened lips. She couldn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t want him to see how much that kiss affected her. “I have to go.”
“You’re walking away?” There was an edge to his voice. “Again?”
“If I stay then we will have to continue this charade, and we don’t have a strategy in place,” she said hoarsely. If she stayed then she would cling to Jason and drag his clothes off. “Now is the time for me to leave.”
“Let me walk you to your car.” He bunched his hands at his sides and she knew he wasn’t going to touch her again. “And we will figure out our story along the way.”
* * *
MINUTES LATER, Claire walked into her apartment, wondering how she was going to get through the week when Jason could kiss like that. She flipped on the lights, closed the door and leaned on it. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to get addicted to his touch.
Her cell phone rang. Was it Jason? Her pulse galloped as she retrieved it from her purse. She felt a mix of relief and disappointment when she recognized her best friend’s number. Claire answered it quickly. “Kim?”
“I just got a picture of you and my big brother kissing,” her best friend said in a rush. “Tell me that it was edited.”
Claire covered her face with her hand. Someone must have captured them kissing at the party—and the photo had gotten around fast. Her friend lived across the state managing the Mountain Creek vineyards. “Where did you get a picture?”
“Oh, please. I still keep in touch with people in Woodinville.” Kim paused. “So it’s real?”
“Uh...yeah.”
“You and Jason?” Kim’s voice rose to a screech. “What is going on? When did this happen?”
Claire sighed. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“You always say that,” she said with a groan. “But this looks like a hot and steamy lip-lock. I swear he’s about to toss you over his shoulder and take you to the nearest bed.”
Claire’s legs wobbled as she imagined Jason doing just that.
“Wait...are you alone?” Kim misinterpreted Claire’s silence. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Is he with you?”
If she was alone with Jason after that kiss, she would not have answered the phone. “No, nothing like that,” Claire said with a sigh. “He’s helping me with a project.”