One Little Kiss (Smart Cupid) Read online

  “His passion threshold?”

  She gave a short nod. “Defines how much passion a man can handle.” A smile played at the edges of her mouth. “Want to give it a shot?” He cocked an eyebrow, and she clarified, “The quiz.”

  “Right. The quiz.” He leaned back on his elbows, legs crossed at the ankles. “Tonight’s off the record, so…why not?” Might not fall into the wise category, but if it meant a chance to flip the tables and define her threshold, gain insight into her limits, he was all in.

  Her smile widened. “Okay…first question.”

  She tilted her head in thought, and the simple movement exposed her curves in a way that made focusing on her quiz next to impossible. “Let’s see, the first question was…”

  He felt captivated—that’s how he felt. Captivated by her curves, her smile, the way the velvety hum of her voice echoed the pulse of the rain. How long had it been since he’d noticed a woman for any reason, much less for the tone of her voice or the fabulousness of her curves?

  “Favorite type of music. Classical, rock’n roll, elevator, or rhythm & blues?”

  He looked over and caught her gaze. She smiled back at him. Damn. Totally captivated. “Gotta be rhythm & blues…soulful, slow, sexy…that’s the way I like it.” He heard the soft breath hitch in her throat, and suddenly, he was smiling, too. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling the strange electricity building between them. “What about you? What’s your favorite?”

  “I’m the one asking the questions, remember?”

  “I don’t recall any restrictions on the quiz.”

  She opened her mouth—probably to debate the quiz-taking rules—but stopped and said simply, “Fine. Classic rock.”

  He gave a slow nod of approval. “Loud and bold. I like it.”

  She pinned him with a look. “Next question—movie genre. Mystery, Comedy, Thriller, or Action.”

  “Action, obviously.”

  “Obviously,” she said, a teasing gleam in her eyes, “Rogue One or Jason Bourne?”

  “Do you really need to ask? Jason Bourne. All those super-cool operative skills.”

  The look on her face was dubious at best. “Oh, right, I can definitely see that.”

  He reached for the edge of the blanket and tugged her closer. “Hey, don’t doubt me. I am all about the covert…”

  “Action?”

  “Exactly,” he said with a small smile. “The spontaneous covert action.” He added the word to the Scrabble board, noting that, despite the rain pummeling the island, he felt lighter than he had in years. Nice to have a woman around. “And you?” he asked, tilting his head to catch her gaze. “I imagine you love romance.”

  “Obviously.”

  “Sweet or sexy?”He held her gaze, noting the way her eyes darkened slightly. Almost as if she…what? Wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her? God, he hoped he was that lucky.

  She moved the strap of the dress back onto her shoulder, a casual move that sent a shot of unexpected raw desire through his system. “Both.”

  “Best answer so far.” If she wasn’t the sweetest, sexiest woman he’d seen in a while…damn.

  Blame it on the storm, or the unexpected intimacy of the situation, whatever the reason, in that moment, he knew one thing. If this woman gave even the smallest indication that she wanted to kiss him, then not kissing her was going to be next to impossible.

  “What about your favorite breakfast?”

  “Do I like it sweet or sexy?”

  “No—I mean, well, sweet, maybe, if you like Belgian waffles or French toast or… ”

  “Coffee. Just coffee.” He nodded toward the Thermos. “But a bagel from Shelsky’s on Court Street? Definitely sexy. The sexiest in Brooklyn.”

  “The sexiest, huh?”

  “By far.”

  She laughed again—and damn. He was grinning. “So is Shelsky’s, home of the world’s sexiest bagel, your favorite breakfast place?”

  “Not by a long shot,” he said, leaning closer, his smile still playing at the edges of his mouth. Because, God help him, she was making him feel more alive than he had in a long time. Another subtly sexy comment or two would show if she was feeling the same way. And he hoped she did. “No, my favorite breakfast place is in bed.”

  Her lips rounded into a small circle. “Oh…well, that is sexy.”

  “Think it ups the passion threshold?”

  “Definitely ups the passion…threshold, yes.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s move on to the next section. Favorite part about dating.”

  He leaned closer. “I’d much rather talk about kissing.”

  Another blush stained her cheeks. “Okay, that’s the same area. I guess.” She swallowed. “So your favorite part about kissing?”

  He’d meant the question to put her on edge, but instead she’d turned it around on him without even trying. “The buildup. The sense that maybe, just maybe, you’re going to kiss.”

  She bit down on her bottom lip as if to hold back her next words. “Me too. I love the good night kiss. The anticipation. The possibilities.” She shifted onto her hip and the strap of her dress fell away, leaving only the red lace of her bra against her bare shoulder. His mouth went dry. So many possibilities. She looked over at him. Caught his gaze. Held it. “So…when was the last time you gave someone a good night kiss?”

  “Too long,” he said in a low voice. “Far too long.”

  He smiled. She smiled back. “So when is a good night kiss appropriate?” she asked. “After the first date? Or maybe…the second?”

  Or now. Right now.

  “A better question might be: why limit a kiss to good night?” He leaned closer, his gaze drifting to her mouth. Jesus, he wanted to kiss her. Wanted to find out if her lips tasted like strawberries. He felt certain they would.

  “That is a much better question.”

  Her answer was a near whisper, soft and sweet, and he couldn’t take his eyes off those soft, crushable lips. He shifted closer, wanting to feel her mouth beneath his, wanting to kiss her until she was gasping for breath. But could he trust those desires? Hell, it’d been forever since he wanted to carry a woman across her passion threshold—any threshold. But with this woman…“A kiss is just the beginning.”

  He looked at Kate. She looked back. They’d both been hurt, and while she still believed in love, love was out of the question for him. But he could be her rebound guy. Make her feel things she’d never felt before. Give her all the hot chips she deserved. “A kiss can lead anywhere.”

  “Anywhere?” A quiet sigh fell from her parted lips, inviting him closer. “One little kiss?”

  “One little kiss.” His full attention focused on her mouth.

  “Never had a kiss lead…anywhere.”

  He could stop here. Back away before this went any further. Maybe he should. She wanted this and had been plain that she wasn’t expecting anything, but he’d been here before. Taken chances. Let his heart—and other things—guide him.

  “Are you sure you can still kiss, considering how it’s been ‘far too long?’”

  “Excuse me?”

  A mischievous twinkle at the back of her eyes. “You heard me.”

  “That sounds like a challenge.” She wet her lips, a move so enticing that he knew he was going to kiss her if he didn’t stop right now. “I love a good challenge.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Who doesn’t?”

  A low chuckle sounded in the back of his throat. Damn, this was fun. She was fun. He gave the blanket a quick tug, and suddenly, she was just inches way. He slanted his mouth over her already parted lips, hovering there in anticipation, feeling her warm breath. In that moment, he almost believed a kiss could lead anywhere. He brushed her lips gently, barely a touch, and she let go a soft sigh. An invitation.

  His lips captured hers again, tenderly, as his hands moved up her back and tangled in the curls at the nape of her neck. He deepened his kiss slowly, adding intensity with her every quiet sound of e
ncouragement. God, he’d missed the feel of a woman in his arms, and this woman made him realize just how much he’d been missing. Made him feel how much he wanted her, maybe even needed her, if just for this one night. Here. In the middle of the storm.

  He pulled away slowly and took in the sight of her. Eyes gone dark, her lips wet from kissing, her skin flushed and warm—she was the prettiest thing he’d seen in a very long time.

  A very long time.

  “Great kiss.”

  “Great kiss.”

  He raised his eyes to meet her gaze, not quite believing what he was about to say. “Kate, I may not be that whole company-line package, but I can promise you more great kisses, and if you’ll let me show you exactly where a kiss can lead…” He stopped. Drew in a breath. What the hell? Nothing to lose. “I can guarantee you really great sex.”

  Chapter Six

  Guarantee? Had she heard him right? Guaranteed great sex.

  Kate felt her racing heart stop. Great sex wasn’t something she’d experienced with her ex. Or maybe ever. And here he was—after delivering one heck of a kiss—guaranteeing heart-stoppingly great sex. She wrapped her arms around her body to keep from shivering with anticipation. “That’s a pretty big promise.”

  He smiled as if big wasn’t a problem, a boyish grin lighting up his face. “Well, hot chips are my specialty, so I’m pretty certain I can deliver.”

  Her heart rate accelerated, but hey, she enjoyed a challenge as much as the next girl. She’d certainly enjoyed the last one, she thought, drawing in a steadying seven-second breath. “What makes you so sure you can deliver?”

  He took off his glasses and looked her in the eye. “It’s the way I kiss.”

  The way I kiss. She drew in another breath. Wow. The effect of those eyes without the Costellos was—wow. Butterflies in the stomach. For the first time, the expression made sense. The way I kiss. Four little words, and all of a sudden, she was melting. “You sure are confident.”

  He shrugged a broad shoulder. “Really great sex starts with a really great kiss, and maybe it’s been a while, but some things you never forget.”

  “Like riding a bike?”

  A wicked smile played at the edge of his mouth. “Nothing like riding a bike, sweetheart.”

  Sweetheart. Kate had never liked the nickname. Always the sweet one, the considerate one, she felt the expectation of the moniker. But from his lips, the endearment sounded more like an invitation than a demand. And this was an invitation she wanted to accept.

  “What do you say, Kate?” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Interested?”

  Her mouth went dry. Say something. She cleared her throat. God, yes, she was interested. He fit the bill perfectly. He wasn’t super-vain, or pathological, or gorgeous beyond reason. He was scruffy and cute. Safe. She bit down on her lower lip. Of course, that last kiss wasn’t exactly what she’d call safe, but she’d only be here for twenty-four hours—she could keep it simple. She ran her tongue over her lips. Now or never, Kate. This was her chance to be a Cosmo girl. Live out a few of those fantasies she wrote about.

  She shifted her body closer to the game board, picked up three Scrabble letters, and laid down her answer. YES. “One more kiss and we’ll see where it leads.”

  He added three letters to the game for a triple word score.

  Y

  E

  K I S S

  One more kiss. Yes, please.

  Jake looked up from the board, his blue eyes locked with hers, shadows from the candlelight emphasizing the planes of his face, and suddenly, it felt impossible to swallow.

  “Do you know the three elements of the perfect kiss?” he asked.

  The timbre of his voice dipped into a low hum that made her toes curl into the luxurious blanket. “No, but I’m sure you do.”

  He actually had the nerve to look pleased with himself. “I do.”

  The rush of her feelings was strange and unexpected, and whether she owed her daring to the situation, the intimacy of the candlelight, or the fact that they were alone, safe inside as the storm raged outside, didn’t seem to matter. “Plan on sharing?”

  “First, don’t rush it.” He eased his long frame closer, looped his index fingers beneath the straps of her sundress, and tugged gently on the straps.

  “Slow and easy.” Her voice was a whisper as her gaze fell to his lips.

  His mouth tilted closer. “Secondly, it is critical…”

  “Critical?” she whispered, her gaze locked on his mouth.

  “Critical.” The straps fell from her shoulders as his fingertips coasted along the lines of her collarbone. “To minimize distractions.”

  “Minimize distractions,” she repeated. His hands drifted south, grazing the neckline of her dress before moving over her nearly naked shoulders. “I am so not distracted.”

  A smile lifted the edges of his mouth, and he took her face in his both hands. “Timing is everything.”

  Wow. There it was again, that wow, wow, wow feeling. She felt hypnotized as his lips moved closer, not touching but just a breath away.

  Her everyday seemed distant and unreal. Timing is everything, he’d said, and Hallelujah, her time was now. He leaned closer, and the way his muscles moved beneath the cotton of his T-shirt made the breath catch in her throat. The storm raged outside, but the candlelit house felt intimate, hushed except the rain against the skylights. Her eyes drifted shut. Now. Kiss me now.

  And he did. Slowly. Deeply. Indulging in her. Kissing her like it was a kind of mindful meditation.

  The moment felt dreamy. Nothing like New York. No taxis or traffic, no takeout guy at the door, no police sirens or ferry horns. Just the circling wind and rain and the two of them together for the night

  Not wanting the moment to end, she laced her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. Yes, he was still her interview, but she wanted this night and she didn’t want it to end with just one kiss.

  Her lips parted, and a soft moan escaped her. The fragrant, vanilla-scented air, the sexy blues on the radio, the fierce warmth of his kiss raced straight to her head. His hands fell to her hips and coaxed her an inch closer, close enough to feel his warm breath against her cheek as he pulled back. His blue eyes darkened with desire, and his gaze seared her flushed skin, promising all kinds of torturous delight.

  His gaze dipped to her mouth as though he wanted to kiss her again. Desire kicked in as an image of the two of them rolling around like thunder beneath the soft gray sheets of his California King blossomed in her mind like an island flower. Bring on the fantasy. She brought his mouth crashing back down onto hers, twisting her hands into his dark hair, not caring that it curled wildly in all the wrong places, wanting only to stay in his arms and in his kiss. His hands fell to her ass and dragged her closer. Her heart pounded in her chest. His mouth on hers. His hands burning across her skin. New and unfamiliar. And she loved it.

  Her body melted into his, and the slim space between them disappeared, their heartbeats pulsing in time with the rhythm of the wind. She pulled him closer, wrapping her elbows around his neck, entwining her fingers deeper into his soft hair, pressing her body closer. She breathed in his scent of spiced rum and ocean air, and pulled him closer, wanting to feel every muscle in his body contract beneath her fingers.

  “Are you sure?” he whispered against her lips. “Because if you’re not, you need to tell me now.”

  “I am so sure.” She tugged at the bottom of his t-shift, and her hands skimmed the muscles of his abdomen. “Completely, totally off the record sure.”

  She wanted this feeling. This rush of sensation. Didn’t need a plan beyond when she would feel his mouth again.

  He pressed another kiss against her mouth. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. God, she’d forgotten how it felt to be desired. To be kissed with intention. To be wanted. Heck, maybe she’d never known. Not like this. The new Kate had arrived. “What happens in Paradise…”

  …


  Jake needed no more encouragement.

  He brushed a white-blonde curl from her cheek as his lips covered hers, teasing and gentle at first, growing more insistent as he traced the line of her lips with his tongue, stopping at the corners to tug at her bottom lip. He heard her soft intake of breath. Slow and steady. Critical timing. All of it. Out the freaking window.

  And when her lips parted under his kiss, he accepted her enticing invitation and deepened his exploration of her mouth. At the first caress of his tongue inside her mouth, an earthy moan rose from her throat. His heart raced, beating steadily against the gauzy material of her red dress, meager protection against the heat building between them.

  His hands moved from her rounded hips, along the gentle curve of her waist to the swell of her breasts. He tugged the small strap and the fabric fell away, allowing him access to the edges of the lacy bra that had been tempting him for hours. Her head tilted back in an invitation, and his mouth moved to her throat, licking and tasting, enjoying the feel of her, letting his hands roam her breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh, tweaking the pointed tips until she arched forward to fill his hands more completely, reveling in the soft, pleading whimpers falling from her lips.

  Damn, it had been too long since he’d had a woman in his arms—way too long—and her sweet, sexy sounds made him want more. So much more. She edged her body closer, silently asking for his touch, and turning back now felt impossible. Instead, he circled the edge of her nipple, first with his palm, then with the tips of his fingers, pinching and tweaking as his tongue licked and kissed through the lace. He nipped at the rosy peaks, loving the way her body trembled, responding to his every bite and touch. To hell with self-control. He released a low growl of need as his hands fell to her hips and flipped her onto her stomach.

  A soft moan escaped her as his fingers drifted to the hem of her dress. He lowered his body carefully, letting her feel some of his weight, adjusting his position to allow his fingers to slip beneath the thin fabric of the dress. Creating an intimate trail across the curve of her calves, he lifted the dress higher to the reveal the creamy skin of her thighs, then shifted his body higher to kiss the back of her neck. “Is this okay,” he asked, his fingers skimming the line of her body. “Is this what you want?”