“You bet,” he said before crushing her mouth with his. Vanilla lip gloss mingled with the taste of pizza sauce, making him crave her more than ever. His hands traveled up her back, firmly massaging the tense muscles along her spine and shoulders before cupping the back of her head beneath her tangled, windblown hair. His tongue separated her lips and continued to explore her mouth as he deepened the kiss.

Her hands were against his chest and the muscles beneath the thin fabric of his faded search and rescue T-shirt twitched. The soft moan that escaped her lips had him hardening fast and when she pressed her body closer, his erection was impossible to hide.

Her eyes snapped open as she broke the kiss. The look of surprise in her dark eyes was killing him. She had to know the effect she could have on a man. “I did that?” she asked.

He laughed gently, pulling her even closer against it. “That was all you.”

She grinned as her hands crept around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she guided his mouth back to hers. “Let’s see how hard we can make it.”

He nearly growled as he devoured her mouth again, his grip on her waist moving lower to cup her ass in the ski pants. Smooth, thick fabric beneath his hands wasn’t cutting it and he quickly slipped his hands down the waistband. The tightness cut off circulation in his wrists, but he didn’t care. She wore thin yoga pants underneath. He could tell by the soft, thin, stretchy fabric hugging her like a second skin.

Damn, her ass was hot.

She pulled away slightly to run her tongue along his bottom lip, then captured it between her teeth, biting gently, driving him crazy.

The spectrum of emotions she’d evoked since arriving were all cumulating into one strong, overwhelming desire to have her—all of her. Every little inch of her sexy body, every brilliant thought and every piece of her unreachable heart.

But he needed to slow things a little or he’d never last. And he wanted this to last a long time. He broke the contact between their lips as another slow Christmas song started to play. “Dance with me,” he said, taking one hand in his and wrapping his arm around her waist. She wasn’t getting that far away.

“I don’t know how,” she said, breathless.

“Just sway,” he said, leading her in a slow circle.

She rested her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head. His grip tightened on her hand as the carol wrapped around them. The pulsing in his veins subsided just a little to let him appreciate holding her, feeling her...

She sighed and he could feel her heart beating against his.

As the song came to an end, he tilted her face up toward his. “You’re beautiful,” he said.