Page 63 of Lawbreaker

Tears were running down her cheeks, but not from anger or hurt. She was crying because it was the first real, passionate kiss she’d ever shared with a man. The child of overprotective parents, with two vigilant big brothers and a town full of kindly gossips who would have told on her for any amorous adventures, she was as innocent as Tony’s first wife.

He’d always suspected that, long before she was in his arms and proving to him how unsophisticated she was. He loved it. He smiled against her mouth, and his own gentled again, cherishing the softness of lips that were experiencing something totally new.

Finally, he was able to lift his head. He looked down into drowned blue eyes, drowsy with passion, wide and searching on his face.

“This,” he whispered, “is a very bad idea.”

She nodded slowly.

“You are going to get in over your head very soon.”

She nodded again.

“Your parents are going to lock you up and never let you out of the house again.”

She nodded.

He let out an exasperated breath. “Are you hearing me? I’m telling you what’s going to happen, and you’re just nodding your head!”

“Couldn’t we go back before the lecturing part to the kissing part?” she asked, her eyes dropping to his mouth.

“Oh, God,” he groaned as she tugged at his neck.

There was no way he was going to resist her. He’d always known that he couldn’t. That’s why he’d worked at keeping her away. Now it was too late. This was all his fault. It was going to blow up in both their faces.

But that would happen tomorrow or the next day or next week sometime. For right now, right here, she was his girl, and he was going to make the most of something he’d have died for.

She tasted of flowers and candy and innocence. He was getting drunk from the taste of her. Her arms locked around his neck as he lifted her even closer, his mouth hard and insistent on hers. And just as he was about to do something much worse than just kiss her, a key sounded in the lock and the door swung open.

They jumped apart guiltily. Odalie tugged down her blouse and Tony moved back two steps.

Stasia walked in to total silence and stopped suddenly with her eyes wide open. “So that’s what the bodyguards were snickering about outside,” she murmured with a quickly hidden grin.

“Snickering about what?” Tony asked gruffly. “I told you I was coming over here to apologize.”

“It looks as if you apologized with a broom,” she replied, with a speaking glance at the disarray of Odalie’s blouse and hair and makeup.

“Not nice,” he said. “And after all I did for you, too. For shame.”

She just chuckled as she laid her purse on a side table. “I’ve been shopping for the baby,” she said, dangling a designer bag.

“And you’ll want to show it to your sister-in-law. Count me out. I don’t do baby things,” he said, turning toward the door. He hesitated. “I’ll make lasagna if you two want to come over for supper tonight.”

“If you’re cooking lasagna, I’m coming,” Stasia said.

He turned at the door. Dark, soft eyes slid to Odalie’s flushed face and quickly away. “Fine. You can bring your friend here with you, if you want to.” He grinned at both of them and went out the door.

“That man!” Stasia sighed, exasperated. “Honestly! Did he really apologize?”

Odalie looked stunned. She nodded.

“Well, I’m shocked. I mean, he does usually convey an apology, but not in real words. Did he use real words?”

Odalie swallowed. She could still taste Tony on her lips, and she was breathless, still trying to make sense of what had happened. “He used a few words.”

“And a few something else?” a delighted Stasia persisted.

Odalie turned beet red. “I have to get into something comfortable,” she blurted, heading for her bedroom. “Be right back.” She went into her room and closed the door.