Jack limned her jaw with the edge of his thumb, trailing down to caress her throat. Her pulse fluttered underneath his fingers before he dropped his hand to her shoulder and then further down. He stopped briefly at her waist, and then pressed against the small of her back, forcing her to arch against him. He brushed his lips lightly across hers but didn't linger. Instead, he traced his mouth down over her jawbone to her neck.

He twined his other hand in her hair and slowly tilted her head back and to the side, exposing the line of her throat. All the while, he nuzzled her. Her pulse accelerated beneath his wandering lips and her breathing grew heavier as she became aroused. His tongue flicked out and tasted the sensitive place just under her earlobe.

Mira whimpered and her fingers twined in his sweater at his shoulders. He cupped her rear and slid down between her cheeks a little to feel the heat emanating from her sex. Her body primed itself for him as she grew more and more aroused. He imagined she was all sticky sweet right now, soft and hot.

He nipped at the skin where her shoulder and throat met, and she shivered. He groaned at how responsive her body was. Hell, he'd never get through this without spontaneously combusting.

"Jack," she whispered.

"What do you want, gorgeous?" he murmured against her skin. "Where do you want to be touched?”

He slid a hand under the hem of her sweatshirt in the back and eased it up her smooth, soft skin to the clasp on her bra. He had it undone with one twist of his fingers and her breasts fell free of the cups.

"Do you want me to touch you here?" he asked. Drawing his hand to her front, he held one of her perfect breasts in his hand and brushed the nipple back and forth until it hardened like a little pebble. At the same time, he kissed her again—slow, in sensual little tastings. Sometimes he rasped his tongue against hers, sometimes he nipped at her lower lip.

"Jack," Mira gasped into his open mouth. She pulled away from him, pushing herself out of his arms and turning away. She stood for a moment and then took a couple steps away from him.

He stood watching her retreat, his cock hard as a steel rod and pressing against the zipper of his jeans. "Mira? What's wrong?"

TWELVE

ELEVEN

MIRA TOOK A FEW STEPS TOWARD THE KITCHEN, not sure exactly where she was headed or why. She and Jack had reached the point where sexual hunger overrode reason. Jack was right, this was a mistake. Still, it was a mistake she wanted to make.