Page 14 of Catch a Tiger

She notices his stare and her lips part. “You want to kiss me, don’t you?”

Lifting a hand, he cups her flaming cheeks. “I do.”

“Okay,” she says, swallowing thickly.

Gently, he eases forward. She trembles under his hand and when their lips almost touch, he whispers, “Relax. I won’t bite. Much.”

Chapter 6

Maria

He presses his lips to her and it takes everything she has not to moan against them. His lips are perfect. They fit so expertly against hers, and they’re plump and soft, and definitely made for kissing.

An explosion of emotions comes with that one kiss. Emotions that flick by too fast for her to identify, but she does know that the majority of them are good. Those good emotions cause butterflies to flutter in her stomach and her heart to beat faster.

He parts his lips and brushes them against hers. She responds in kind, deepening the kiss a little more. This close, and with their breaths mingling, his scent is even more intoxicating. It makes her head swim and gives her the desire to want more. To take more. But she won’t allow herself. She may have spent the evening getting to know him, but she doesn’t know him well enough to slip her tongue inside and explore his flavor, even though she wants to.

Slowly, as if sensing this, he pulls away. His eyes are half-hooded when he says, “Good night, Maria.”

She clears her throat. Oddly a lump had formed there. The lump has nothing to do with sad feelings, but everything to do with the fact that she was just kissed by the hottest guy she’s ever met, and she kissed him back. And the fact that he didn’t demand more like most guys do . . .

“Good night,” she whispers.

She stares at him for a moment longer before turning away, grasping the door handle, and stepping out of the car. She wrings her hands at her sides as she strides to her apartment door, and when she reaches it, she looks back at him.

His eyes are still hooded, heated, as he watches her. She gives him a small smile and a little wave. He inclines his head, his version of a wave she supposes. Without another word or another gesture, she heads inside.

Once the door is closed, she hears his car pull away. Her spine jolts as she slumps against the door, a hand over her still-beating-fast heart.

“Jesus, take the wheel,” she whispers because only God knows that she could easily fall for this guy. He’s kind. He’s considerate. He likes the way she looks and he’s made that very clear. And he’s attractive. She hadn’t missed the way the waitress watched him throughout their time at the restaurant. He was completely oblivious, that much was obvious, and it only served to be pulled into him even more. She was the center of his attention. She’s never had that before.

What’s she supposed to do with that? With this?

She runs a hand through her hair as a bedroom door closes inside the apartment. She hears Darius’ footsteps travel into the living room and he strides into the kitchen when she doesn’t meet him halfway.

He just stands there while she gathers her emotions back up. When she finally meets his gaze, he studies her face, and she doesn’t know what he finds, but he smiles, crosses his arms, and leans a hip against the counter.

“That good, huh?” he asks after a moment.

“You have no idea.”

“Oh, I saw him. I have an inkling of how your night went.”

She frowns at him. “If you’re so smart, then tell me. How did my night go?”

His grin broadens. “Well, he was charming. He swept you off your feet. You want to know how I know? Because you’re absolutely conflicted right now.”

She sighs and drops her purse on the table. “Why am I so conflicted?”

“You don’t need a therapist to tell you that you have guy issues.”

Snorting, she cocks an eyebrow at him. “I have no problems with you.”

He returns the same look. “I’m not trying to get into your pants like all your past disgusting boyfriends who only told you what you wanted to hear to make you fall for them.”

“Ew.” She says under her breath.

“Exactly.”