*~*Forever Bound by Samantha Chase & Noelle Adams Blitz*~*

“I don’t mind.” He grinned at me, looking amused but not flirtatious, which was a change from the way he’d smiled at me before. “Changing tires is my specialty.”

He definitely knew what he was doing. He moved quickly and easily as he lifted the car on the jack, loosened the lug nuts, and pulled off the flat tire. He wore khakis and a short-sleeved shirt, even though it was December, and my eyes lingered on his well-developed biceps, his strong back, and his tight ass as he leaned over.

My mind went in very wrong directions, and there was no way I could rein it in, not until he secured the spare and lowered the car.

“Thank you,” I said, when he stood up.

“You’re welcome.” His eyes rested on my face, and I wasn’t sure what to make of the expression. It wasn’t that practiced flirtation I’d seen before, but it felt warm, admiring. It made a knot of excitement tighten in my gut. “My pleasure.”

“I can’t imagine that changing a tire is really a pleasure,” I murmured, glancing down and then up at him again.

“I like to work with my hands.”

A very particular feeling was coursing through my body now—one I hadn’t experienced in ages. He’d stepped closer, and I couldn’t look away from him. “I can see that.” My voice broke slightly, so I cleared my throat. “It’s nice to know that you’re good at something.”

I hadn’t thought through those words either, and I realized they might have sounded meaner than I’d intended. He didn’t take them as mean, though. His smile warmed even more, and he took another step toward me, until he was only inches away. “I’m good at a lot of things.”

“Like what?” I was breathless now, and my body seemed to know what was coming, even though my mind hadn’t caught up.

“Like this.”

I still hadn’t processed exactly what was going on, so I wasn’t prepared when he lifted one hand to cup my face and then leaned down to kiss me.

I gasped against his lips—from pleasure and excitement and surprise all at once—and my hands flew up instinctively to cling to his shirt. He made a little humming sound and pressed into me more, sliding his hand to the back of my head.

At first, his lips just brushed against mine, but then I couldn’t help but open to the kiss so his tongue could start to explore.

My mind roared with feeling and sensation as I eagerly responded. I couldn’t help it. It felt so good, and it had been so long since I’d felt this way. I pressed my body against his and wrapped my arms around his neck.

A first kiss—so out of the blue like this—shouldn’t have been so deep or lasted so long. But neither of us pulled away. I loved the tension I felt in his body and the shameless entitlement of his hands, one of which slipped down toward my bottom.

Then suddenly I remembered Nick. And I remembered it was Declan I was kissing now.

And I remembered that I didn’t even really like him. And that there was something secret going on.

I gasped again, with dismay, and jerked myself away from him.

We stood staring at each other, both of us panting, for a minute.