Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

sensuous chill that crept up her spine from Slade touching her hand. “I know, but I can’t believe all of this is happening.”
    Then, deciding to be honest with him about something, she said, “My parents and Wayne—my ex-fiancé—thought I was making a huge mistake by coming here. In fact, they were dead set against it.”
    Slade released her hand to resume driving, but she did notice the frown that formed around his lips. “Why were they against it?”
    “They thought I would be intruding in the life Vincent had now, a life I had no part of. They felt I had no right to let him know of the mistake his mother had made at sixteen and were even more certain that Justin and Lorren would want to protect him from finding out—in fear of shattering his world.”
    Slade shook his head, chuckling. “Well, as you can see, things aren’t like your parents and your ex-fiancé assumed.”
    Skye smiled over at him. “No, they aren’t.”
    Skye’s smile heated up Slade’s insides, and at that moment he decided he just couldn’t take it anymore. He had to finally do something, and he knew just what he wanted to do. He glanced around. They were less than a couple of miles from Lorren Oaks and he knew this stretch of highway was seldom used around this time of the day, since most people took the interstate. He pulled Justin’s truck off to the shoulder of the road, under a bevy of oak trees. Slade’s hands were shaking when he brought the truck to a stop, turned off the ignition, and unbuckled his seat belt.
    Skye looked at him, confused. “Slade? Is something wrong?”
    He leaned back in the seat and tilted his Stetson back from covering too much of his eyes while looking at her and said, “I’m not sure. I know we just met today and the only reason you showed up at Lorren Oaks was because of Vincent. The last thing you’re probably interested in is an involvement with someone. Which is all well and good, but there’s something I just got to do, Skye.”
    He could see the query in her eyes and knew she didn’t have a clue what that “something” was. And her next question confirmed it. “What?”
    Slade didn’t hesitate in giving her an answer. “Kiss you. May I?”

CHAPTER 5
     
    Skye went completely still.
    The first thought that went through her mind was that she hadn’t heard him correctly, but then all she had to do was look into the darkness of his eyes to see she hadn’t imagined anything. He had asked to kiss her.
    He had asked …
    The next thought that immediately ran through her head was that Wayne never asked. Even on their first date he’d just assumed it was okay. After all, he was the most sought-after bachelor in Augusta, a well-known attorney who had a promising future. She should be grateful to be seen in his presence, so to his way of thinking a kiss was something he was entitled to.
    But Slade had asked and he was waiting for her answer. She sighed deeply, knowing the only one she could give him. “Yes, you may.”
    The heat in his eyes should have warned her what she was in for, but when he leaned forward and she saw those sexy lips inching closer and closer toward hers, she was too caught up in the shivers that suddenly began running through her body. When he got close enough, instead of kissing her, he reached out and unsnapped her seat belt. Then he took those same hands and cupped her face, as if to study her features. His gaze was so intense that her heart began missing beats.
    And then he was scooting closer and his hands dropped from her face to her shoulders, and then those lips were there, touching hers, moving over them with such tenderness that it almost brought tears to her eyes. When he deepened the kiss, still maintaining a certain degree of tenderness, she almost came out of her seat as sensations slowly began taking over all parts of her body. Never in her life had she experienced a kiss so heartfelt, deep, and passionate. She felt herself moving closer to those lips, and