Night Heat (Forged of Steele 2)

She got just what she expected and exactly what she wanted, the tantalizing and rich taste of Reese Singleton. This is what time and distance hadn’t been able to erase from her memory. Nor had Neil Grunthall.

With excruciating slowness and painstaking thoroughness, she kissed him, leaning into him but careful to keep their bodies from touching. But she needed this. After wondering for years if she’d ever be able to kiss a man again, she had her answer.

Leah slowly pulled back, or at least she tried to, but Reese’s mouth followed. He gently leaned toward her, recaptured her mouth, letting her know how much he enjoyed this. So did she. So they kissed again, passionately, thoroughly. And somehow, at some point, he wrapped his arms around her and she didn’t reject his touch. She was too caught up in the feel of being in his arms.

Her mind was humming that this was Reese, the man she loved, had always loved and would always love. Finally, he pulled back slightly, then began brushing kisses along her jaw. When he pulled his mouth away, their eyes met and although neither said anything, they were both aware of the importance of what had taken place.

“Thanks for making my day special,” Reese said. “It was well worth the wait.”

Leah nodded. She then lifted her hands to his chest. “Yes, it was, and please kiss me again.”

Reese smiled and lowered his head. He was more than happy to oblige her request.

“The boss is in a bad mood,” Tommy Grooms whispered to Reese when he arrived at the work site sometime later. This was their first day on a new project. The post office needed expanding and they had been awarded the job.

Considering he was in a damn good mood, Reese walked over to where Jocelyn was wielding her hammer. He waited until she was finished and tapped on her hard hat. She turned around and glared at him. “What?”

“We need to talk.”

Jocelyn mentally swore as she placed her hammer aside and followed Reese into a deserted area of the room. She pulled off her safety glasses and hard hat. “What’s this about?”

Reese leaned against a metal post. “You tell me. The guys think you’re in a bad mood.”

Jocelyn put her safety glasses back on and glared through them. “I am.”

“Then you need to leave.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said you need to leave and pull yourself together. This job is no place for negative emotions right now.”

Jocelyn’s angered flared. “You’re a fine one to talk.”

“Yes, and I learned from experience. Go ahead. Take an extended lunch. Come back when you feel better.”

“I feel fine.”

Reese chuckled without any real amusement. “You might feel fine but you look like hell. It’s plain to see you’ve been crying. What’s going on, Jocelyn? You and Bas have a lover’s spat?”

She glared. “Don’t mention his name.”

Reese lifted a brow. “Wow, that sounds deep.”

Jocelyn’s lips twitched in anger. “Men. All of you are nuts. You want affairs then you don’t want affairs. And when you do fall in love, you expect everyone to follow suit like good little soldiers. Well, not everyone wants to fall in love,” she snapped.

“Then don’t,” Reese countered. He then smiled. “But you know what I think, Joce? Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re already in love.”

Jocelyn decided to have lunch at one of the local sandwich shops in town. Reese had been right. She’d needed time alone. She released a long sigh and thought about what Bas had said that morning. He loved her.

Any other woman would probably have been elated at his confession, but why was she so frightened? She sighed again as the answer came back to her. Mainly because of the unknown. To fall in love with Bas meant uprooting her life here and going someplace outside of her comfort zone. Other than her visits to Aunt Susan every summer in Florida, this was where her life had been. This was where she’d always felt she belonged.

All because of personal insecurities she’d always managed to hide.

Leah was right. The main reason she’d never formed an attachment to a man was because of the fear of eventually being left alone. That was why she’d never been involved in a serious relationship.