Dan All Over Again: Dan All Over Again / The Mountie Steals A Wife

“Why, because now I can resist your charms, and keep my hands off you? Because rubbing sunblock on you doesn’t have to be a sensual experience?”

More lotion puddled in his shorts. He would have complained, but she kept right on kneading his back with her fingers. He could live with the puddle, he supposed.

“Don’t you worry about becoming boring with all these rules and lists?” he asked.

“Boring? I’m not boring, I’m sensible. Like right now, it’s sensible to put lotion on you, since you can’t reach your back.”

“So what you’re doing now is strictly industrial?”

“Strictly. You think I’m enjoying this? Running my hands across your broad shoulders, feeling your biceps tighten beneath my touch, feeling all that smooth, warm skin and the way—” She cleared her throat again. “Turn around, and I’ll put some on your nose. You always did get a pink nose when you went fishing.”

He sat in the chair and positioned his face inches in front of hers. Those sparkling green eyes of hers met his, and her mouth went slack. That’s what happened right before she knew he was going to kiss her. And since he didn’t want to let her down, he decided to oblige. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly. She wanted this kiss, too. His mouth was only a hair away from hers. A hair away from heaven.

And then she creamed him with a palm full of lotion. Her eyes were still wide and slightly startled, but she busied herself with smoothing in the lotion as though the most delicious experience wasn’t about to happen between them. He could smell the butter rum on her breath, speaking of delicious. Those sucking noises weren’t helping things, either. Her eyes were on his the whole time she smoothed on the lotion, rubbing it in over and over. He felt her finger run along that fine scar on his cheek the way she’d done a thousand times. The scent of her, the lotion and those candies, combined with her touch and close proximity were doing heady things to him. When was the last time he’d felt like this?

When he was married to her.

“Can I have one?” he asked, making her fingers stop.

“One what?”

“Candy.”

He could see it in her eyes, the memory of the times he’d asked for one when he really meant he wanted the very one in her mouth. He didn’t waste another second, didn’t want to lose the moment.

He leaned forward and moved his mouth against hers in a slow back and forth motion, testing the waters, seeing if there were any nibbles. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her mouth molded to his. Warm, sweet lips that were soft beneath his. She was going to have to break the kiss, because he wasn’t going to give her an out.

Somewhere in the logical part of his mind, he became aware of a cool sensation in his lap. He wasn’t cool down there, that was for sure. He pushed away those thoughts and focused on the heat of her mouth and the texture of her lips.

My, but she felt good, even this small bit of contact. He didn’t know where he was anymore, or why he was there. All he felt was her mouth against his, hers slightly open. When he inhaled, he tasted butter rum. Ah, that’s why he was there, to steal her candy.

He opened his mouth on the next kiss, pushing a little harder. She made a hoarse sound, and he wanted to capture it, swallow it. Her mouth opened to his so easily, almost as though she’d been anticipating this kiss as much as he had. The candy was anchored to the roof of her mouth, and he left it there for the time being. He slid his fingers up into her hair, his thumb grazing the edge of her ear. He felt her teeth scrape his tongue as he slid inside. She made another sound, and he moved closer and dived deeper inside her mouth.

Pure, sweet delight filled his senses. Not just the butter rum, but all the textures and tastes of her mouth, all the memories that assailed him. He even heard bells ringing as though a thousand angels blessed this kiss. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest, and realized he was breathing heavily, too. Her tongue traced the length of his, pausing at the tip before going down the other side. He could lose himself in her, but he’d come on a mission. His tongue scooped up the small, smooth ring.

He heard the bells again. Barking penetrated his consciousness, and then a little furball jumping up and down. With a sigh, he finished the kiss. “I see Samuel still barks when we kiss.” He’d done it since the first time he’d kissed Cassie in front of the little pipsqueak, and every time thereafter. And now he had Thor joining in.

She looked dazed, reminding him of the way she looked after they made love. She blinked, wavering a little before catching her balance.

“I…could have given you a new one,” she said in a light voice.

He positioned the ring on the tip of his tongue and stuck it out to show her. “I wanted thith one.”

She shifted her gaze to Samuel, who was jumping up and down between them. But her gaze went back to the front of his shorts, and a look of sheepish embarrassment washed away the daze. “Oh, my.”

“Well, Cass, you just do that to me.”

She lifted an eyebrow at him, trying hard to hide a grin. “I think you’d better look.”

The front of his shorts was covered in white sunblock. And at the same level, gripped in her fisted hands, was the incriminating bottle. As he’d kissed her, she’d been squeezing the bottle.

“Oops,” she said.

“Oops. Is that all you can say?”

“Sorry?” she offered with a shrug. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

He glanced around. A few of the guys were watching their little display, getting their chuckles at Dan’s expense. Great. Just great. When he turned back to her, she was staring at the white blob that at least camouflaged the effect of his desire. The only thing that mollified him was that she’d been so swept away by their kiss, she’d involuntarily squeezed the tube. She set the sunblock on the side of the boat and gave it a little pat.

Then she shook her head. “Dan, what are you—we doing?”

“Marveling at the condition of my crotch?”

“No! The other thing.”

“The kiss, you mean. Can’t you even say what it was?”

“All right, the kiss.”

“What about it?”

Her eyes grew wide. “It, er…I forgot what I was going to say.” She gave him a nudge. “That’s what I’m talking about. What are we doing here? This is crazy.”

“What’s your point?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “What are we doing?”

“If you mean right now, we’re standing here analyzing our current activity. If you’re talking about a minute ago, we were, uh, let’s see.” He moved closer and kissed her again, murmuring, “Ah yes, this is what we were doing. Had to refresh my memory.”

It felt just as wonderful the second time, even better when she sighed in surrender. He held her face in his hands, tilting it just right.

He heard bells again. Then Sammy’s yapping intruded, and little paws pushed against his legs. Dan nudged the pipsqueak away with his foot.

He blinked, feeling as though he’d just downed a six-pack of beer. “Maybe we should get some fresh air.”

“That’s all we’re getting.”

“Oh. Yeah.” He gave Sammy a pet on his head. “Does Sammy—Samuel bark when you kiss other guys?” He didn’t really want to know, but the question had popped out anyway.

She picked up the dog and nuzzled his head with her nose, looking at Dan through his hair. “He growls at the other guys.”

He wasn’t comfortable at all thinking about her kissing anyone else. Though he liked the growling part. He suddenly felt restless, and then remembered he’d been feeling that way before Cassie arrived. Since then, he hadn’t had that unnerving feeling he’d forgotten something. “Wanna go for a spin? We can stop at Biff’s Waterside Store and get you what you need for tonight.” And he’d pick up some condoms, just in case.

“Sure.”

“But first I’d better change into another pair of shorts. At this rate, I’m going to be naked by tomorrow morning.” He enjoyed her look of surprise before disappearing into the cabin.

A few minutes later, they were cruising. She watched all of the contestants studiously casting and reeling, but her thoughts were still back when Dan had kissed her something silly. She stole a glance at him, his hair slicked back from the wind, his gaze trained forward. Thornton was in position next to his captain, head up in the same way. Sammy twisted in her hold, and she put him down. He took a place next to Thornton and Dan, his head also poised. The blast of wind and thump of the waves beneath them coincided with the emotions twisting inside her.