Chapter Twelve
The retort on the tip of her tongue died as she melted into his arms. Why oh why did he have to feel so damned good? Her hands slid up his chest, feeling the planes of hard muscles beneath her fingers. She itched to push the material up and run her hands along his hot, bare skin. Heat ignited inside her. What would it be like to push him backward on a bed and straddle his hips? She wanted him beneath her as she leaned down to lap at his bronzed skin.
She inhaled his personal blend of sandalwood and something uniquely Walker. It didn’t provide the clarity she’d wanted. No, if anything it made her head swim even more. What was it about this man that made her crave him like a drug? She’d spent so many years with him, doing everything in her power not to think about him sexually. And now it was like they’d both mutually gone insane and thrown all logic to the wind.
But why now? Was this just his way of getting a little stress relief without having to leave the comfort of his own home?
The thought had her tearing her mouth from his with a hoarse cry. Pushing him away, she stumbled over to the couch and gripped the edge of it for support.
“Clara…”
Straightening, she cut him off with a slash of her hand. “Stress again?” she demanded. “Must be just another slip you’ll write off in the morning. I must tell you, I can’t be as casual about this as you clearly can. I can’t kiss my best friend and then pretend it was meaningless.”
“I can’t either,” he said, taking a step toward her. “And I don’t want to try.”
“Then what is this?” she demanded. “What’s happening?”
He closed the distance between them with careful steps. “Do we have to define it? Can’t we just enjoy the moment?”
She shook her head. “This will change everything.”
His eyes were on her mouth. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“We’re too different,” she tried. “You view relationships as a prison and I…”
“You want more.”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “All that’s true. But on the other hand…”
He pulled her back into his arms.
Dammit, she cursed as his lips touched hers. She knew this was a mistake, and yet her body clearly hadn’t received the memo.
“This is crazy,” she whispered against his mouth.
“A very bad idea,” he agreed.
“You’re good at those.”
“Yes. But it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Thinking of me how?”
He reached out to tug a piece of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing gently against her cheek. “In a way, I promised myself I never would.”
“Why would you make a promise like that?”
“Because I can’t lose you. Not ever.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You won’t lose me,” she vowed, running her hands up his arms.
“You don’t know that,” he replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “We’ve worked very hard to keep our relationship platonic.” He leaned forward until his lips brushed her ear. “And what I want to do to you has nothing to do with friendship.”
She shivered. “You’re not the only one who’s been thinking about crossing lines.”
“No?” he murmured when she drew back enough to face him.
“No,” she agreed. Raising a hand, she ran a finger over his lips, touching him more intimately than she’d ever dared. “You may have always viewed me as sexless, but I can’t help the way I feel about you.”
“Sexless is the last word I’d use to describe you,” he replied, pressing a tiny kiss to her questing fingertips. “I’ve never met any woman as hard to forget about as you are. You drive me crazy, Clara. Seeing you in my home every day, watching you with Hunter, dreaming of you every night. It’s driving me insane.”
“Sounds like you should do something about it, then,” she whispered.
“That’s the conclusion I came to as well.”
“Makes sense.”
“Right?” His lips hung a breath away from hers. “But I need to be clear. If we go down this road, I can’t make any promises. Not right now. Not with Hunter and everything going crazy in my life. Can you handle that?”
Could she?
She drew in a shuddering breath. “I don’t want to lose you. And I don’t want to be with anyone else. This might be a moment we regret for the rest of our lives, but I don’t want to walk away.”
The hands on her body tightened. “I don’t want to walk away either. I can’t. Even if it’s the right thing to do.”
“You never do the right thing,” she teased. “Don’t start now.”
“Good advice.” His hands ran up higher, sliding against the sides of her breasts. “Be sure, Clara.”
She cupped his face, looking up into eyes she’d loved in one way or another for most of her adult life.
“You’re the only thing I’ve ever been sure of,” she said.
The need on his face softened as he gazed down at her with a tenderness that took her breath away.
“And you never make mistakes,” he murmured.
“No, I don’t.”
“Good.”
He kissed her again.
Clara moaned as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Their kisses before had been fiery, stolen. But this one was infinitely gentle and more devastating. He touched her as if she were the most important thing in the world to him.
Tunneling her fingers into his hair, she took charge and deepened the kiss. He might think she was made of glass, but she wanted to show him nothing was further from the truth. She was more than capable of giving as good as she got, and the idea of proving that to him made her breath quicken.
“Where’s Hunter?” she whispered.
“Asleep in the crib in my room. I’ve got the baby monitor on,” he said, pointing to the receiver on the coffee table.
“Then we have nothing to worry about.” With a hand on his chest, she pushed him backward toward the couch.
“No interruptions,” he agreed, falling onto the cushions.
She straddled him, her fingers running through his hair. “No turning back.”
His hands rose to her thighs to steady her as she leaned down to kiss him. Electricity shot through her. Finally, after all these years she could touch him the way she’d always wanted to. There was nothing to hold her back. Who knew what the morning would bring, but wasn’t one night with him better than wondering if she’d missed out for the rest of her life?
Tonight, she could indulge in her every fantasy, and she wasn’t going to miss this chance.
With a growl, he tumbled her backward onto the couch and rose over her. One hand gripped her thigh as the other slid up her body. She shifted beneath him, parting her legs to make enough room for him on the couch that suddenly seemed smaller than it had a moment before.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured, running his lips down her throat. “You are utterly gorgeous.”
“Sweet talk, hmm?” She angled her head back to give him better access. “Love it.”
“I can think of several things I want to do to you that you’ll love,” he whispered into her ear.
Clara shivered, twining her arms around his shoulders. “Color me intrigued.”
“And soon you’ll be gasping my name.”
Butterflies erupted in her stomach. This was it. This was real. And Walker was wasting no time sliding her skirt up higher.
“Walker…” she breathed.
Right when a loud wail sounded from the baby monitor.
With a groan, he dropped his head against her collarbone.
“Are you kidding me?” she demanded, staring up at the ceiling.
“Maybe he’ll settle down himself.”
The wailing got louder.
“Or maybe he’ll shout the whole building down,” she said.
With a sigh, he pushed himself up.
“I guess that’s that,” she said, smoothing her dress back into place.
He arched a brow right before wrapping a hand behind her nape and pulling her in for a last, heated kiss.
“To be continued,” he said against her lips.
“I like the sound of that.”
He gave her a half smile before rising to his feet. Draping herself over the back of the couch, she watched him walk away.
“Are you going to work tomorrow?” he asked when he reached the doorway.
“I have to drop off my article.”
“All right then, how about you come straight home after.”
“Why?
His smile turned into a full grin. “Because I’m taking you out.”
“You are?”
“Hurry home.”
With a wink, he disappeared up the stairs to take care of Hunter.
Clara flopped back down on the couch, touching her fingers to her lips.
A date with Walker. Now that was an excellent idea.