Beginning Again: Book 1 in the Second Chances series (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

her mouth. His hands skimmed her hips, dipped in at her waist, then moved up to the sides of her breasts. His thumbs circled both nipples. She could feel them harden, feel the heat and dampness between her legs that he raised in her. Oh, God, did he knew how to kiss, how to hold her. This was more like her fantasy of kissing than her actual experience.
    Her arms seemed to develop a will of their own and went around his neck as her body arched into his, pressing her breasts against his chest, wanting those hands to … to what? To move down her hips to her bottom and pull her tighter against his erection so she could feel him, hard and aroused. The thought had no sooner shot through her mind than he did it.
    If he could read her thoughts, she was in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. She had to stop him before it went any further.
    But he acted first, letting her go, moving slightly away from her but keeping his hands on her waist. “I needed one more kiss before I left.” He turned toward the car, then back again. “Well, maybe two more.” This one, like the first kiss, was sweet and gentle. “There, now it’s really goodnight. I promise.” He kissed the end of her nose. “No, I guess that’s it.”
    She stood rooted to the sidewalk as he started the engine and put the car in gear. Before he pulled out he said, “Breakfast tomorrow at nine. Okay?” and left without waiting for her answer.

Chapter 4
    Her buzzer rang the next morning at nine. Collins wasn’t anywhere near the freeway driving east, out of her life until she figured out a way to manage him or at least manage her reaction to him. He was at her door, a coffee carrier in one hand and multiple Starbucks bags in the other.
    “I thought you were going back to your cabin,” she said as she let him in. “And,” indicating the sacks, “who the hell is coming to breakfast that you brought all that?”
    “Couldn’t decide what pastry you’d like so I brought two of everything they had.” He followed her to the kitchen where he began searching her cabinets until he found an acceptable plate on which to put a wild assortment of muffins, scones, bagels, and coffeecake.
    “I took a chance that you were a latte kinda woman. Hope I was right.” He removed a large cup from the cardboard carrier and handed it to her. “And I have two juices for you to choose from.” He placed three containers on the table along with a couple of glasses he took from the cabinet before motioning for her to sit.
    She hesitated a moment, then pulled out a chair. She hadn’t eaten yet and it looked good. What harm could there be in having breakfast with the man? After all, he was leaving as soon as they finished. Wasn’t he?
    “Back to my original question. Aren’t you leaving for home today?” She opened a bottle of pomegranate and blueberry juice and poured it into a glass.
    “Aha. I knew you’d be an antioxidant freak like me. I should have just gone with that and left the oj behind.” He snatched up the second container of the same juice and drank from the bottle. Wiping his mouth on a napkin he pulled from a bag, he winked at her. “I’ve decided not to leave for a couple days. I’m having too much fun here.”
    Her heart surged, then sank. That was the harm in eating breakfast with him. It was going to lead to … to who knows what? Dear God, what was she going to do?
    As if responding to her unspoken question, he said, “I thought we should get to know each other a little better. Hang out, eat dinner, that kind of thing. No pressure. Just an artist and his representative.”
    She almost snorted the juice out her nose. “No pressure? Collins, how dumb do you think I am?”
    “I don’t think you’re dumb at all. Quite the opposite. You’re way too smart for me. The point of this is for you to get to know me.”
    “Does anyone ever say no to you and you take it as no?”
    “Lots of people. Judges, juries — in both my legal and art careers, newspaper