Her knees wobbled, and not because she’d taken a ball to the forehead. They were still barely touching in this strange and erotically charged embrace and yet her nipples were hard and achy, her thighs quivering.

No real chemistry?

Ha.

He smoothed his fingers along her throat, then the curve of her jaw, his gaze following his every movement. “There’s something that’s been driving me crazy.”

“What?”

“Do you always kiss as careful as you look?”

“I kiss careful?” She blinked. “I look careful?”

“It’s the craziest thing. And sexy,” he murmured. “Really sexy. Because all I keep thinking is how much I want to ruffle you up.”

Her heart took one good hard leap into her throat, further compromising her breathing. His breathing wasn’t all that steady either, which was an odd comfort.

She turned him on.

Just the thought made her want to float on air, or do the happy dance, except she’d lost control of her limbs.

He was going to kiss her. She thought about what else he might do, how it would feel, how he’d actually thought there might be no chemistry—

Which was as far as she got with her obsessing before he bent his head and opened his mouth over hers.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Baseball was made for kids. Grown-ups only screw it up.

—Bob Lemon

Chemistry, Holly thought as Pace kissed her. Oh God, lots and lots of chemistry . . .

In apparent agreement of that, Pace let out a low, rough rumble deep in his chest and slid a hand into her hair, cupping her head, holding her to him. His other hand squeezed her waist, drawing her in even tighter before gliding up her back, slowly fisting in her shirt as his tongue touched hers.

And in less than two seconds she knew this little experiment was only going to fuel the fire, not extinguish it. In the next two beats, she knew she wanted more.

Lots more.

He gave it. His mouth was warm, giving, and quite talented, and she let out a helpless little hum as desire and hunger crowded her brain, squeezing out all that carefulness he’d accused her of. Needing to touch, needing to feel the heat of him radiating through his jersey, she slid her hands up his chest, absorbing the hard, sinewy lines of him. Through it all came the steady beat of his heart, steady but picking up speed, and she thought maybe it was that more than anything else that reeled her in.

He took a step into her, urging her back as his tongue delved in long, lazy strokes that were having a serious affect on her brain capacity. Another step and he’d backed her against the tile wall, holding her there with his deliciously built body as he continued the sexy, hot assault on her mouth.