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Un-Edited
EXCERPT:
One night as she stood in the kitchen barefoot, making
herself a salad for dinner, the doorbell chimed. Munching on
a carrot, she walked to the door and pulled it open. The
sight on the other side almost caused her to choke. The man
who’d been haunting her dreams stood there, holding the cute
little girl in his arms, a bag on one shoulder.
“H…h…hi,” she managed to mutter. Holy hell, he’s even
hotter than I remember from my dreams.
Shelby cooed and reached for her, and without thought,
Yasmine took her into her arms. The gentle scent of
innocence washed over her.
“Would you believe we were in the neighborhood?” One side of
his mouth curved up in a disarming smile. Yet she could see
in the depths of his eyes more than a bit uncertainty.
Did she? And
did she really care?
“Come on in,” she said, stepping back to allow them in the
house.
“We’re not interrupting, are we?” he asked as he moved past
her.
“Nope. Just fixing a bite to eat before Rufus and I go for a
walk.”
“Rufus?” Sedeo asked.
Jerking her head toward the door, she said, “The one putting
nose prints on my sliding glass door.”
“Puppy!” Shelby cried and struggled to get down.
With a smile, Yasmine set her on her feet, well aware that
Rufus was fine with kids.
“Is she…is he okay? Will she…?” Sedeo babbled.
Without thought, she placed a hand on his arm and said,
“She’ll be fine. Rufus loves kids.”
The heat from his skin seared her palm, and she swallowed
rapidly. Removing her hand, she moved to the door, opening
it to allow Rufus to come inside. Keeping her gaze on the
two on the floor, she made sure all was good between dog and
child. She longed to stand near him again, but part of her
make-up was following the rules and doing what was best.
Getting involved with Sedeo Parker was not what was best.
A shadow fell over her, and she looked up at the man who
stood a few inches taller than her. He stared down at her
with a longing in his gaze. Her belly churned, and her legs
became shaky. Everything in the room shrank to the two of
them, nothing more, and nothing less. In slow motion, he
cupped the side of her face and lowered his mouth to hers.
Nothing else mattered, aside from the fact his lips were
nearing hers. At first touch, she whimpered. His lips were
made for kissing. He nibbled gently before covering her
mouth. She moaned as his tongue slid along her lips and
sought entrance. Yasmine opened on a sigh.
It was a slow exploration of the recess of her mouth, and
Yasmine allowed him to set his pace. Her fingers curled into
her palms so she didn’t grab him. It was over almost before
it started, and when he pulled back, his eyes swirled with
barely restrained passion.
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