One of the Boys by Merline Lovelace Read Free Book Online Page B

I’d like to thank you for spending time with Lisa. She hasn’t connected with any of her old friends down here this summer.”
    â€œShe told me she met one boy,” Maura ventured, thinking to help the cause of young love. “I think she said his name was Tony.”
    â€œThat kid’s a hood, as far as I’m concerned. He wears an earring in one ear and drives a truck with tires two stories high.”
    â€œI hate to be the one to break it to you, but an earring isn’t an indelible mark of delinquency these days. Most of my nephews sport at least one stud. And I think the tires have something to do with puberty rites.”
    â€œThat’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Jake said dryly as he pulled into her driveway.
    â€œOh, come on. Lisa’s pretty levelheaded. Surely you don’t think she’d be overwhelmed by a set of tires?”
    â€œI don’t think so.” His mouth curved. “But even in my day, a dude with a slick set of wheels could get lucky in the front seat occasionally.”
    â€œI’ll bet! But then, they made front seats a lot larger in the old days.”
    â€œBack seats, too,” he agreed, switching off the ignition.
    He slewed sideways, determined to stretch out their unexpected truce a little longer. When she turned to face him, her hair brushed the hand he’dpropped on her seat back. Idly, Jake burrowed his fingers in the soft, silky curtain. Not quite as idly, he stroked the soft, warm curve of her nape.
    The sudden change in the atmosphere inside the Jeep caught Maura by surprise. One minute she was laughing and more relaxed with this man than she ever thought she could be. The next his fingertips were brushing the fine hairs on her nape and sending tiny shivers down her spine.
    She knew she ought to pull away. Her hand groped blindly for the door handle. But she didn’t pull on it, and Jake didn’t stop.
    â€œThis isn’t very smart, Colonel.”
    â€œProbably not, but I tried to warn you how a hot set of wheels can make a male lose his common sense. Particularly when it contains an equally hot female.”
    Despite the shivers racing along her spine, Maura had to grin. “Somehow I have difficulty believing the cool, composed Jake McAllister ever loses control or his common sense.”
    His brows waggled in a ferocious mock scowl. “Are you questioning my manhood?”
    â€œNo, no, honestly!”
    Her laughing protests did no good as slowly, inexorably, he tugged her toward him. Her neck bowed, but she held on to the door handle and refused to give way. Even that anchor was lost when his arm slid down to wrap around her waist. An indignant Bea was dumped to the floor of the cab ashe hauled Maura across the space between the seats and onto his lap.
    For the second time in her tumultuous relationship with this man, Maura found herself in his arms. Half rueful, half aroused, she pushed against his ribs and managed to put some air between them. No easy feat with the steering wheel jabbing in her back.
    â€œWhat is it with us, McAllister? We don’t even like each other, yet we always seem to end up chest to chest.”
    His lips twitched. “Maybe we need to work on the liking part.”
    With one hand at the back of her head to hold her still, he lowered his lips until they nuzzled the edges of her mouth. He brushed them back and forth, over and over, until Maura gave a breathless murmur.
    â€œWhat the hell.”
    Eyes closed, she put herself into the kiss. Her teeth scraped along his lower lip. Her tongue tasted his.
    Sucking in a sharp breath, he moved his mouth over hers to give her full access. Maura pulled her arms free of his loosened hold and slid her palms up his arms. The muscles bunched under her fingertips, the skin warm to her touch. Tentatively at first, then more aggressively, she explored him with eager hands and tongue.
    Jake held himself back, letting her play,