Hearts on Fire Read Free Page A

across the thousands of miles he’d put between them. And all he had to show for it was a year wasted without her and the possibility that he’d lost her forever.
    Cort stopped dancing, completely mesmerized by her baby-blues, long-lashed and looking at him like he was the only man in the room. Picking up a stray tendril of her hair, he noticed that it was longer than it had been, and a new fringe of wispy bangs teased the tops of her eyebrows, further accenting the huge eyes in her heart-shaped face.
    “The music stopped.” His voice was low and sultry.
    Jess whispered, “What music?”
    He leaned in, his eyes sweeping down to her slightly parted frosty-pink lips, so inviting, so pouty and plump. He hovered whisper-thin close, their breath mingling, and he cupped the back of her neck gingerly, her skin warm and silky to his fingers. Brushing his lips against hers, a spark of excitement ran through them both, and finally his mouth took hers, coaxing her tongue, tasting and teasing. The kiss deepened and he hungrily pulled her body in tight, yearning for more. As his mouth crushed against hers, a jagged need knifed through his stomach, and all he wanted was to get her alone, to show her how much he needed her, had always needed her. Had always loved her.
    And she kissed back.
     
    Like a first kiss, Jess’s insides tangled up in nerves and hyper-awareness. Her lips tingled where he brushed against them, sending little electric shocks through her, down deep inside, stirring up needs she’d buried there long ago. His kiss deepened, and against her will, Jess found herself responding, her free arm reaching up to run her eager fingers through his soft brown hair, wanting to grab hold and never let go. Her tongue orchestrated its own dance of desire with his as passion built. With heartbeat racing, her breath was coming in short gasps, and this time her moan, long and deep, could not be contained. She was drowning in the desire of the moment, losing herself in this all-consuming kiss.
    Losing the battle.
    With a Herculean effort, she tore her lips free of his as anger replaced the passion. Anger at herself for not standing strong. He was the reason she’d practically grieved away this past year of her life. He was the cause of her countless tears and too many sleepless, frustrated nights. Damned if she was going to just forget that with one little kiss.
    With a deliberate flick of her wrist, she tossed the rest of the beer from her mug into his face and marched back to her table.
    “What the hell?” Temporarily stunned, Cort just stood there, dripping. “Okay, I deserved that.” He followed after her.
    The guys at the table gaped at her when she returned.
    “My turn to buy a pitcher, fellas.”
    Wallet in hand, Jess flounced over to the bartender and leaned her elbows on the spotless bar, hitching a booted foot on the brass foot rail like she had a thousand times before.
    “I need another pitcher please. And I spilled my drink on the dance floor. Accidentally, of course. If you’ll give me a mop, I’ll clean it up.”
    The bartender poured her pitcher and winked. “Terrible accident. I saw the whole thing. Don’t you worry about it, we’ll take care of it.”
    “Thanks. And sorry.”
    Cort arrived next to her at that moment, his face wiped dry from the napkins at their table.
    “Jess.” There was a plea in his eyes, in his voice.
    She shot him a scathing look. “Haven’t you had enough? I have a full pitcher this time.”
    The bartender backed away out of splash range and Cort quirked a daring eyebrow at her.
    “I just want to talk.”
    “Seems to me you were doing more than talking out there.” She jerked her head toward the dance floor. “Besides, we have nothing to talk about.”
    “We have everything to talk about.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like us.”
    The bartender casually moseyed away to fetch the mop.
    “There is no us. Or don’t you remember?” Jess poured herself a mug of the beer. No sense