He took the teacup out of her hand and put it on the table beside them. One lean hand went into the hair at her ear. He bent, hesitantly, but she wasn’t resisting. She seemed as spellbound as he felt.

Clancey’s eyes closed helplessly as his hard, warm mouth settled gently on her lips. And then it was like the last time, outside her front door. Fire and fury. Storms. Lightning. An elemental response that brought them close together, with her soft body riveted to his hard one, her mouth drowning under the hungry expertise of his.

She moaned helplessly. His arms tightened. He lifted his head and looked down at her. He felt a shock of pleasure all the way to his toes as he felt her firm, taut young breasts pressed against his chest. Her mouth was slightly swollen, her pale gray eyes wide and intent on his.

“I shouldn’t do this,” he whispered, caressing her chin with his thumb.

She nodded.

He bent. “Or this,” he added, lowering his mouth to hers in a long, sweet, tender kiss.

He lifted his head.

She nodded.

He smiled. “Are you listening to me?” he asked.

She nodded.

He chuckled and bent to pick her up, holding her tight in his arms as he kissed her hungrily one last time.

“Get your tea,” he said, bending so that she could pick it up in its thick mug.

He started out of the room. “Get the light,” he added softly, pausing to let her switch it off.

He carried her down the hall to her own room, the one just before Tad’s. The door into her brother’s room was oddly closed. But she wasn’t paying a lot of attention. She felt warm and safe and shaken up, all at once.

He sat down on the side of the bed while she put her tea down. Then he turned her, and lowered her onto the tumbled sheets, sliding alongside her.

She stiffened, just at first.

“The door’s open,” he teased, indicating the hall door.

“Oh.” She looked all at sea.

“Besides, my sister will have heard me come down the hall. About five minutes from now, she’ll make a lot of noise coming out into the hall pretending to ask if you got your tea.” He grinned at her expression. “She’s got your best interests at heart.”

“My best interests?” She was listening, but her eyes were on his hard, chiseled mouth. She was still hungry for it.

“Um-hmm.” He bent, opening her lips under his while one lean hand snaked its way under her thick T-shirt.

Her hand caught his wrist instinctively. The eyes that met his were huge.

He just smiled. “It’s part of the process,” he whispered.

“The...process?”

He nodded. “You’ll see.”