The words burned across her skin, making her gasp. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone. It had been building beneath their banter and arguments and one-upmanship until just having him in front of her without being able to touch was intensely painful.

“John?”

“Yeah, Molly?”

“Would it be okay if I kissed you now?”

He smiled, but it wasn’t like his smirks or his teases or even his jolly grins. This was so sweet that it squeezed her heart, wringing it so tightly that she was pretty sure she’d never be the same again. “It would be very okay.”

As soon as the words were out, she tipped her head that tiny distance she needed in order for their lips to meet. She jumped off the cliff without looking down, and even the squawking voice in her head had gone quiet. Pressing her lips against his ever so tentatively, she knew this was right. Even if things crashed and burned disastrously later, it would be worth it. After all, she’d never experienced anything so incredibly perfect as the feel of his sweet smile against hers.

Then his hands were cupping her face, and the kiss deepened, going from gentle to smoking hot in a split second. Grabbing his shirt in both hands, she hauled him closer before wrapping her arms around his neck, needing to feel the full press of her chest against his. She always had known he was big—tall and broad and solid as a rock—but it was so much more evident when he was wrapped around her, making her feel like a giant had her tucked securely in his fist.

He burrowed his fingers into her hair and kissed her even more deeply, bearing her back into the couch cushions. His kiss really was hungry, just like he’d said, as if he were a starving man and she was the only sustenance around. She was just as desperate to taste him, and they kissed until there was nothing else in her brain except John.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, she groaned in disappointment, but he simply chuckled hoarsely as his lips found their way to her jaw and then her throat. This time, her moan was from her own hunger, and she could feel him smile against her skin. Her fingers worked on the back of his head, her short nails scoring lightly against his scalp.

She felt it as he sucked in a breath, air drawn against her overheated skin, and she shivered, needing more even while she didn’t want anything to change, wanting to keep feeling John’s lips against her neck forever. While he was kissing her, everything else disappeared. There were no felonious mothers or dangerous bail jumpers or greedy bondsmen right now. There were only John’s mouth and hands and the feeling of his muscles twitching beneath her touch.

Even as incredible as his kisses were, Molly shifted impatiently, needing more bare skin to explore. The barrier of his T-shirt, as thin as it was, was unbearably frustrating. Grabbing a handful of fabric, she tugged it upward.