Page 41 of Until Joy

“I don’t believe it. I bet you’re the solo act every Sunday.”

“Nope, that honor belongs to my cousin, Emmie. She’s the one who should go to Nashville. My family tells her that all the time.”

Graham took a deep swallow of water, then held out his hand. “Do you want to go out on the deck?”

I nodded.

He opened the sliding glass door, and we stepped out. Besides the table where we had eaten before, he had a couch and two chairs that I assumed were weatherproof. He motioned me to the couch, then sat down beside me.

Perfect.

As soon as he put his arm around me, I snuggled closer. We didn’t say anything, we just sat there, listening to one another breathe and the sound of the crickets.

“You’re soothing.”

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrow.

“You don’t have to fill every silence with talk.”

I shrugged. “Well, neither do you.”

I watched the muscles of his throat as he finished his water, then set the bottle down. “Are you finished?” He nodded at my bottle I clutched with both hands.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He tugged it out of my hands and set it on the low table beside his.

“All I could think about this entire week is our kiss. What about you?”

I shook my head.

“No?” He sounded surprised.

I lifted my hand and splayed my fingers over his shoulder, then dragged my hand down until it rested over his heart. “I kept imagining our next kiss.”

“Oh, that is a good answer,” he crooned.

“The truth usually is.” I watched as his eyes lit up.

“Come here, you,” Graham said as he pulled me close. Tight. Breast to chest. Just how I had been imagining. His calloused hand cupped my cheek as his arm kept me in place. When his thumb traced my lower lip, I trembled. Graham must have felt it, because he whispered in my ear.

“I’ve got you, Joy. We’re just going to share some kisses tonight. We’re not going to do anything more than you want to do. Trust me.”

Graham didn’t understand. Damn, maybe I didn’t either. It’s not that I was worried he was going to take things too far tonight. I was afraid he wouldn’t take it far enough. And that scared the hell out of me. I’d never felt so desperate for a man’s touch, this willingness to be completely vulnerable.

“Are you with me, Doll?”

I slowly nodded.

“Words, baby.”

“I’m with you.” I couldn’t wait a second longer. I reared up and took his mouth. It was electric. The feel of his beard against my face, compared to his soft lips, was out of this world. He was magic. Then Graham took over. His hand tangled in my hair, pulling me back so that I stretched out along the couch until my head rested on the pillow at the arm. Even then, his fingers continued tugging at my hair—not enough to hurt, just enough to tingle and let me know he was in charge.

His lips were fierce, demanding, claiming. He stretched over me and pinned me in place, his leg insinuating itself between mine, and I gasped. He took advantage, his tongue sweeping inside, tangling with mine in a kiss that left no room for doubt, as if I had any. The man wanted me. And he wasn’t holding back.

Heat exploded in my veins, racing down my spine, pooling low. I arched up against him, needing more. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and I swallowed hard as his hands slid lower. He traced the top of my dress, caressing my quivering breasts, but never stopped his ravishing kisses. My nails bit into his shoulders, holding on as his mouth devoured mine, hot and unrelenting.

When he finally pulled back, I was wrecked—lips tingling, chest rising and falling and wanting him to do it all over again.