One Night With A Seal. Tawny Weber

his head until his mouth was a breath away from hers. Vivian was sure her heart stopped. She was pretty sure the world stopped. She tried to tell herself to keep her expectations somewhere in the realm of realistic. Just because she’d spent years dreaming about Zane’s kissing prowess didn’t mean it’d be like she’d imagined.

      Then his lips slid over hers.

      A soft, gentle glide just a hint stronger than a whisper.

      Her breath released in a slow shudder as she sank into the sweetness of it. Almost as sweet as her Bavarian cream. She started to relax, some of that tense anticipation drifting away as he shifted angles. Just the tiniest shift.

      His tongue caressed her bottom lip. So, so sweet.

      Then he nipped, a scrape of teeth over the full softness of her mouth. Desire shot, sharp and hot, through Vivian’s belly, sparking a desperate need.

      She gasped.

      His tongue plunged.

      It swept over hers, coiled and danced. Vivian melted. She straight-up melted into a puddle of desire as he took the kiss from hot to incendiary with his magic tongue. She might have kissed him back; she wasn’t sure. Everything became a tangled blur of desire, edgy need pounding through her body, settling deep in her belly. Her breasts swelled, nipples beaded with passion.

      Vivian had never felt so much.

      The kiss might have lasted a minute. It might have lasted forever. All she knew was that she didn’t want it to end.

      But apparently Zane didn’t hear that silent plea, because he pulled away. Slowly, he eased back. One last press of his lips against hers and he lifted his head.

      Feeling as if her lashes weighed a ton, Vivian had to force her eyelids open. It took longer to swallow the knot blocking her airway and breathe.

      Zane’s expression was intense. He stared for a long moment, first into her eyes, making her want to squirm. Then his gaze shifted to her mouth. His eyes darkened; his head shifted just a little. Vivian held her breath, wondering if he’d kiss her again. Then his eyes met hers again.

      “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his hand releasing her neck, leaving her feeling cold without the pressure. He stepped back, watching.

      Waiting.

      For what? she wondered. Until he realized he was being a gentleman. He was waiting for her to go wherever she was going, to make sure she was safe.

      She couldn’t go upstairs to her apartment. Mike might have mentioned that his little sister lived above the bakery. Besides, knowing he realized where she lived might be too much temptation. What if he walked her to her door? There was no way she’d be able to resist yanking him inside with her.

      So she dug her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the bakery door. Nothing to resist here, since no amount of sizzle could inspire her to do him in the same place that Mrs. Enid indulged in her daily cruller. A girl had to have some standards, after all.

      As she pushed the door open, Vivian looked over her shoulder. Zane stood at the edge of the sidewalk, both hands in his pockets as he rocked back on the heels of his motorcycle boots. He wore a hint of a smile on his face and his eyes were hot with appreciation as he stared at her butt. Finally, his grin widening, he met her eyes.

      “Tomorrow,” he said again, giving her a jaunty salute by tapping two fingers to his brow.

      “Tomorrow,” she echoed, hesitating before she stepped through the door. He waited, she noticed, until she’d turned the lock behind her before he headed for the alley. He must be staying with Lenny, Vivian realized with a groan. She had to force herself not to chase after him.

      As soon as he was out of sight, she dropped into one of the padded ice cream chairs, letting her box of ruined chocolates fall onto the table with a thunk—quickly followed by her head.

      What had she done?

      She’d had a chance to have hot, wild, rock-the-walls-and-make-the-roof-shake sex with Zane Bennett.

      Something she’d been dreaming about since she was seventeen. She’d heard plenty of stories. Oh, not like Mike came home boasting about the Bennett brothers’ sexual exploits. But there’d been plenty of things she’d overheard him and his little circle of friends say, usually in tones of awe. And the women in town were more than vocal in singing their odes of delight to the wonder that was Zane’s sexual talents. They probably sang about Xander, too, but Vivian’s focus had always been on Zane.

      So she knew that he was a man who loved a challenge. One who thrived on a dare. Which gave her an easy option if he balked at getting naked. The only downside to the dare option was as soon as he stepped up to the challenge, he was done.

      She’d seen it plenty of times.

      Guys loved the chase. But the minute they scored, they were off to the next challenge.

      But Vivian wasn’t sure she wanted to settle for only one single round with Zane. Oh, she wasn’t thinking she wanted forever—who could make that kind of decision before sex and a playlist comparison? But she knew she wanted more than one time.

      And the only way she’d get more than one was to keep Zane interested.

      Intrigued.

      Challenged.

      Vivian gave the box of chocolates a little shake as she headed for the kitchen.

      Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun.