These Arms of Mine. Judy Hubbard Lynn

eyes briefly before acquiescing. She spoke so softly he thought he had imagined it.

       “Derrick.”

       “Again.” He softly kissed her quivering lips—lips that were as addictive as anything he had ever known.

       “Derrick,” she reiterated on a sigh, and then on a moan, as he had foretold, as his lips and hands continued to lightly caress her. “Derrick.”

       The last thing she saw was his smile—not of triumph, but of understanding—before her eyes closed once her mouth was finally, ravenously recaptured. He kissed her again and again and she prayed he would stop soon before she begged him never to. His lips were like a magnet, attracting her against her will, holding her mesmerized, unable to break away.

       The last thing she wanted was to escape from this intensely pleasurable embrace. Her mind screamed out for her to put as much distance between them as possible, yet her body craved closer contact with his—much closer. How could she remotely tolerate kisses from a man who was single-handedly ruining her career and stealing her freedom? What in the name of God was wrong with her? She couldn’t begin to formulate an answer anymore than she could deny that she craved and enjoyed his kisses, almost to the point of self-destruction.

       After endless, sweet minutes of torture, his firm, strong, warm lips dragged themselves from hers. She fought the urge to pull his mouth back to hers and gradually opened her confused, embarrassed eyes to find him staring at her with an unreadable expression. Her cheeks were warm, her lips were trembling, and she could just die from the embarrassment.

       He smiled slightly, one of his fingers trailing over her quivering, moist lips as he huskily said, “I think our arrangement will be very profitable and pleasurable—for the both of us.”

       She pushed away from him at his words, partly in anger and partly just needing to escape from his overpowering presence and from her own desires. She needed to get out of there! This time he let her go, and this time she nearly ran out the door, not stopping to look back—certain she would find him following her.

       Had she turned to stare at him, she would have seen echoing arousal, disbelief and dismay etched on his handsome features. Her retreating pace accelerated until she was safely out of his maddening reach—for the moment.

       A few days later, she sat beside Derrick in one of the most upscale jewelry shops in Washington. Even though she had insisted she didn’t want an expensive ring, he had been adamant that she would wear a ring to be marveled at, for appearances’ sake.

       She hadn’t seen him since the devastating kisses in his office, yet the time apart had done nothing to ease her mind, nor squelch her anticipation of their next encounter. She didn’t know what was the matter with her or who she was becoming. Even more unnerving, when she was with him, she wasn’t sure she even cared.

       “What about this one?” He held up a three-carat brilliant-cut diamond solitaire, set in a split band of platinum.

       “It’s beautiful but…” She carefully took the exquisite ring from his fingers.

       “But what?” He eyed her closely.

       “It’s too expensive—all these rings are.”

       She placed the exquisite ring back onto the black velvet cover on the table next to the matching wedding band, which was inset with a carat of diamonds halfway around it, and the man’s wedding band, which was a thick circle of brightly polished platinum with scrollwork over its surface.

       “Nonsense.” He smiled at her assertion. “Besides, when this is all over, you’ll have something to sell that will bring you a nice piece of change.”

       She turned hurt and angry eyes on him. When she spoke, her voice trembled slightly, “Why did you say that to me? You know I’m not marrying you for your money.”

       The somewhat mocking smile on his face slowly faded as he realized he had hurt her. Part of him had meant to, but he derived no pleasure from the fact that he had succeeded. Instead he felt miserable about it. He wasn’t a cruel person and there was no reason for him to act like one.