His To Protect

Except for the kisses he’d given her, he’d been a good boy and kept his hands to himself. While he never hesitated to ask a woman out, when it came to the physical aspects of a relationship, he either needed clear signs from the woman it was what she wanted or he needed her to initiate. Until this moment, the only signs he’d gotten from Kenzie were that she was open to some kissing. Not that it bothered him. Unlike others in his family, he had patience. And when it came to Kenzie, he suspected his patience would pay off.

After changing the tire, there was no way his hands were clean, but with her standing this close and her touch burning holes in his old T-shirt, not even a gun to his back could keep him from placing them on her waist and moving forward so their bodies touched. Lowering his head, he zeroed in on his target. Before he reached it, her lips touched his.

His body urged him to tease her lips apart, see what she tasted like this morning. His hands wanted to reach up and tug her hair free of the tight bun she wore so he could sink his fingers into it, find out if it was as silky as it looked.

Self-control kept him from doing either. Kenzie was a lot different from the women he’d dated recently. She wasn’t the type who spent an hour drinking with him at the bar before inviting him back to her place or following him up to his hotel room.

He felt the subtle change in their kiss and knew she was ending it. It didn’t matter. When Kenzie pulled her mouth away, a jolt of disappointment ripped through him. And only one thought raced through his mind: getting his lips on hers again.

“If I don’t go now, I’ll be late for work.” Despite the statement, Kenzie’s hands stayed on his shoulders and she made no move to put distance between them.

“We can’t have you getting in trouble.” He whispered the words near her lips before kissing her. “I’ll see you later.”

She finally dropped her arms to her sides and stepped back. “Looking forward to it.”