Playing with Fire (11 page)

When she moved her gaze back to him, his eyes
held hers as he took a step closer and grasped her shoulders.

“Shane —”

He heard the tiny catch in her voice as she
spoke and rubbed his thumb across her full bottom lip as if erasing
her protest. “Ssshhh.”

He placed his lips on hers. Softly,
tentatively, allowing her time to adjust to the shock of his
assault. When she didn’t pull away, he opened his greedy mouth over
hers and went in for the kill.

Liberty released a sigh at the feel of
Shane’s sweet torture while she mentally scolded herself for
allowing it to happen. Although, in her defense, the attraction
between them was so overpowering, so demanding. Neither of them had
a chance.

As his lips continued their panty-dampening
massage, her nipples tightened and screamed for his attention.
Stroke them. Kiss them
.

She moaned both in ecstasy and frustration.
Someone needed to be the voice of reason and no way would Shane
relent. She was here to
help
him, not help herself
to
him.

“Shane.” She forced herself away while her
body cursed in protest. “This cannot happen.”

She crossed her arms over her chest in an
attempt to disguise her arousal and stop the battle in her head.
Hormones vs. sanity and hormones had the lead.

He shrugged. “I know.”

“Will you come to the class on Saturday?”

He shrugged again. “What the hell? I’ll be
there.”

“Good.” She smiled while she still attempted
to slow her body’s hum. “I’ve got to go.”

“I didn’t finish my picture.”

“I think we’ve spent enough time on your
childhood for one day.”

He gave her another of his devastatingly sexy
smiles. “I didn’t tell you how much Cindy contributed to my happy
childhood.”

She bit back an obnoxious giggle as they
walked to the front door. “There are some things even your
therapist doesn’t need to know.”

Desperate to touch him one last time, she
laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll see you tomorrow
night,” she promised as she closed the door behind her.

The minute Liberty stepped off the porch, her
knees shook and her heart pounded. Screw ethics. She shouldn’t have
stopped Shane from kissing her. No, she should’ve plastered herself
to his rock hard body and had her nasty way with him, just to work
him out of her system. Why did she have to be so damn sensible
anyway?

The drive to her house took mere minutes and
she still couldn’t shake the effects of Shane’s touch. The only
thing left to do was throw another bucket of ice water on her
raging hormones. She slammed the car door and snorted as she
unlocked her front door. Like that would work. Her physical
response to him was just too ... wild. And extremely
unpredictable.

She stomped to the kitchen and flung open the
refrigerator door, still angry at herself for falling prey to her
cunning libido. Darn Shane for coaxing it from its hiding
place.

She grabbed a chilled salad bowl from the
second shelf, bumped the door closed with her elbow, and took a
deep, cleansing breath as she set the bowl on the counter. Her
anger began to dull just as the shrill tone of the telephone
interrupted her silent rant.

“Hey Liberty,” Maddie chattered across the
line, “I forgot to ask you to bring a bottle of salad
dressing.”

“Sure.” She reached back into the
refrigerator. “Anything else?”

A tiny pause vibrated the line before Maddie
spoke. “No. How far away are you?”

“I’m leaving as soon as we hang up.”

“Great! Try to hurry, huh? I need some extra
hands.”

Puzzled by Maddie’s insistence, she felt an
odd sense of unease. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. Just come on!”

Ten minutes later, Liberty realized her best
friend had something up her sleeve. The four place settings on
Maddie’s dining room table gave it away.

Somewhere between amused and irritated, she
set the bowl of salad on the table and made a beeline for the
kitchen.

“Are you expecting more company for
dinner?”

Maddie jumped and grabbed her chest.
“Liberty! I didn’t hear the doorbell.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I used
my key.”

Maddie turned back to the oven and began
buttering the warm crescent rolls.

“Who else, Maddie?”

“Didn’t I mention it?” Maddie’s wrist jerked
and butter sizzled on the hot pan.

Liberty folded her arms across her chest.
“You’re setting me up again, aren’t you?” She groaned. “Don’t you
remember what happened last time?”

Maddie pushed the pan back into the over and
closed the door. “Well, how did I know he had a foot fetish? He
appeared perfectly normal.”

She ignored Maddie’s excuse. “Who?”

“Relax Lib, it’s just Shane.”

Her eyes threatened to bulge from their
sockets. “Hartwell?”
The man who I just kissed during a therapy
session
?

Maddie twisted her lips. “Do you know any
other Shanes?”

“No, Maddie. Absolutely not. You know I can’t
go out with him. He’s a —”

“A very hot, extremely sexy fireman who just
happens to light your fire.” She groaned. “That was really cheesy.
But true.”

Liberty sighed and plopped down on a bar
stool. “Am I that obvious?”

“Crystal clear.” Maddie shrugged. “What are
you waiting for? Find him a new therapist and do him, already!”

She giggled despite her uneasiness. “Is that
your clinical observation?”

Maddie gave her a light hug. “This wasn’t a
set-up. We just wanted to have dinner with our best friends. The
rest is up to you and Shane.”

“Not too sure I want witnesses for that,”
Liberty mumbled.

When she didn’t get a response, Liberty gave
her a good hard look. “What’s wrong?”

Maddie fanned herself with a potholder and
then grasped the edge of the bar. Liberty grabbed her arm and
forced her to sit on a stool. “Are you coming down with something?
You’re awfully pale.”

“It’s just hot in here.” Maddie dismissed her
concern with a wave of her hand. “Let’s go into the living room
where it’s cooler.”

As Maddie lifted herself to stand, her knees
buckled and she reached for Liberty’s arm. Liberty caught her
before she hit the floor. “Lean on me.”

Once she tucked Maddie into the sofa cushions
with the ceiling fan blowing cool air over her, Liberty noticed the
color returning to her cheeks.

“Better?”

Maddie gave a half smile. “Yes.”

“You should see your doctor. Does this happen
often?”

“I’m a nurse, Liberty.” Her best friend
snorted. “I just got too hot.”

Still skeptical, Liberty tabled her concern.
“Sit there and let me get everything on the table. She tossed a
wink over her shoulder as she left the room. “Doctor’s orders.”

As if programmed, her hormones skipped a
happy dance as soon as she heard the front door open. Shane’s deep,
rich voice floated over the distance, tickling her
already-overloaded nerve endings as he and Dylan questioned Maddie
about why she was parked on the couch. Liberty locked her knees to
stop their tremble.

The heat refused to escape her as she stepped
from the kitchen and saw Shane standing next to the sofa with his
arms folded across his chest and one hip propped against the back.
His biceps strained for freedom beneath his molded, grey t-shirt.
When he shifted his gaze to hers, she dropped the bread basket.

He smirked as he pushed himself off the sofa
and approached her. “Need some help?”

She bent to pick up the basket which
miraculously managed not to spill when it hit the floor. “You knew
about this, didn’t you?”

His eyes flashed. “I don’t know what you’re
talking about.”

Despite her suspicion, she found it
impossible not to smile. “Of course not.”

She stood and placed the basket on the table
as Maddie and Dylan entered the room.

Maddie lifted her eyebrows. “Liberty, please
tell my husband I’m fine.”

She shrugged. “It was hot in the kitchen.”
But nothing like the temperature in this room.
“Let’s
eat.”

Shane pulled out a chair and motioned her to
sit, then sat beside her so closely his thigh brushed hers. She
fought the demanding urge to stroke him from kneecap to hip and
everywhere in between.

Outraged by her thoughts, she struggled to
regain control of her spinning senses and scooted her chair over
until the table leg prevented any more distance. The air around her
danced with electricity, zapping her with each move. While they
ate, Shane took every opportunity to touch her; his biceps brushed
her shoulder as he reached for the salt, his smooth, warm hand
caressed hers as he passed the bread. By the time she finished
eating, she was dizzy with frustration.

Desperate to escape his sensual torture, she
finally jumped up and nearly knocked over her chair. “I’ll do the
dishes.” She gathered plates and silverware to keep her hands
busy.

Shane stood and steadied her chair. “I’ll
help.”

Liberty caught Dylan’s mocking smile out of
the corner of her eye. “Should I get the fire extinguisher?”

Maddie elbowed him in the ribs. “Thanks,
Liberty.”

She balanced plates and silverware in her
arms and headed for the kitchen. As she frantically scraped food
from plates and into the garbage disposal, she heard someone enter
the kitchen.

“Liberty.” Shane pried her fingers from the
plates and laid them on the counter. “It’s no use.”

She stood helplessly dazed as he slipped his
left arm around her waist and molded himself to her backside.
Gently urging her head back against his chest, he trailed his lips
down her neck and nipped the sensitive skin with his teeth. She
moaned while mile-high flames raced through her blood.

“Shane,” she whispered. “We can’t.”

He slid his right hand across her breast and
then downward until it rested in the hollow of her stomach. “We
can.”

“But, you’re —”

He moved her hand to his groin; the hardness
there made those flames burn two miles high.

“Frustrated as hell,” he growled into her
neck.

The plates shifted on the counter and
clattered into the sink.

She sprung out of his hold. “Shane, we can’t
do this. We’re in Maddie’s kitchen and she and Dylan are right
outside the door.”

Right on cue, Dylan opened the door and
peeked through. “Liberty, can you check on Maddie? She’s sick
again.”

“Of course.” She grabbed a hand towel and
dried her hands, cursing the cold emptiness as she left the
kitchen.

Dylan’s teasing chased her down the hallway.
“Hartwell, are you having a
therapy
session in my
kitchen?”

She gave herself a smug smile.
Serves him
right
.

She knocked softly on the bathroom door.
“Maddie, can I come in?”

“Yes.” She barely heard the weak voice that
answered.

On the floor next to the toilet, Maddie sat
shivering against the cool tile wall. Just as she closed the door,
Maddie leaned over the toilet and heaved.

As soon as the toilet flushed, Liberty
grabbed a hair clip from the vanity, doused a washrag with cool
water and handed both to Maddie. “Go see your doctor tomorrow.” She
eased down beside her friend.

“Already planned on it. Are you guys
okay?”

She nodded. “You’re the one hugging the
toilet.”

“It might be food poisoning. And you ate the
same dinner I did.”

“We’re fine. It’s not food poisoning.” She
reached to feel Maddie’s forehead, thankfully cool to the touch.
“Are you pregnant?”

“Right,” Maddie balked. “You know we’ve tried
for almost two years. I doubt it, Liberty.” She stood and grabbed
her toothbrush from the counter. “So, what about you and
Shane?”

“What about us?”

Maddie pursed her lips. “Even Dylan
noticed.”

“Nuh-huh.” She stood and motioned at the
toothbrush. “Brush your teeth. Get some rest and let me know what
your doctor says.” She stepped to the door. “Thanks for dinner. It
was delicious.”

Liberty stopped in the living room to send
Dylan to the bathroom to check on his wife, then she and Shane
stepped outside onto the porch. As soon he pulled the door closed,
Shane pulled her to the bottom of the steps.

“My house.”

He jumped in his truck and drove out of the
driveway before she could argue.

Liberty rubbed her hand across her forehead
as his truck disappeared into the dark night. She knew full well
there would be no therapy tonight. Not after the fireworks in
Maddie’s kitchen.

She exhaled a slow breath.
Fine
. There
was no doubt in her mind she would succumb to physical desire, but
she and Shane needed to get a few things straight first.

The cool, night wind cleansed her thoughts as
she drove, perfectly intent on maintaining control of the
situation. However, once she stood in front of his delectable body
and read the primal urges in his eyes, reserve escaped her.

As soon as he closed the door, he stepped
toward her. She stopped him with a hand.

“I know where this is going, but there are
things we need to discuss.”

He crossed his arms and propped one hip
against the sofa. “Shoot.”

She closed her eyes, swallowed, and then
focused on the sexy mountain of male in front of her. “First, if
this happens, you’ll have to find another therapist.”

He grinned like a woman-eating shark.
“If?”

She knew as well as he there was no further
question. “I’ll call Dr. Brady in the morning.”

“Male or female?”

She squinted narrowly. “Male.”

“Agreed.”

“You also have to agree to continue
therapy.”

He reached for her again. “I will.”