Becky Barker CADE’S CHALLENGE Romantic Suspense

"Sallie, Sallie, Sallie," he whispered. "You’re driving me crazy." The husky admission vibrated with emotion, and drained some of the stiffness from her body.

Somewhere in the middle of the next long, coaxing kiss, she stopped straining for distance between them and began to relax a little more. Her mouth parted ever so slowly and sweetly, gradually welcoming the invasion of his tongue. Taking full advantage, he swept it across her teeth, into the hollows of her cheeks and then along the length of her tongue. She tasted as sweet as he remembered.

He loosened his grip on her wrists, but she didn’t retreat. She shifted closer and locked her arms around his neck, freeing him to caress the length of her bare arms, from wrist to elbow to shoulders. Her skin was so soft, so smooth, so supple. He wanted to explore every inch of her. Taste every delectable centimeter.

Their mouths parted on breathless sighs, and he busied himself planting kisses along the curve of her jaw. He massaged some of the tension from her shoulders, and then buried his fingers in her hair. Her neck enticed him next with its softness and the subtle sweetness of her perfume. He sucked the pulse beating erratically at her throat, and then trapped her tiny moan with more deep, searching kisses.

Tunneling his fingers into her hair, he slowly worked it loose until he could gather both his hands full of the satiny tresses. Eyes closed, her lashes were feathered over pale cheeks, her expression dreamy. It made him ache just to look at her. He used his grip on her to lightly tilt her head, allowing their mouths to lock more completely. Their tongues mated in perfect harmony.

The kisses were hot and heady, making him dizzy. He kept going back another and another and another. She returned them with a fervor that set him on fire.

Cade grew more aroused and restless by the second. Blood sang through his veins in a riotous rhythm, making him hotter and harder with each beat of his heart. He couldn’t get enough of her; her taste, her scent, her feel. He wanted to gobble her up, feel her against him skin to skin, and join their bodies in the most elemental fashion.

When next they gasped for breath, he scoured her face with kisses, brushing her nose, caressing her eyes, and skimming the softness of her cheeks before he homed in on her mouth again. This time, she greedily sucked his tongue into her mouth, and he felt the pull of desire deep in his gut.

His fingers slid to her neck, kneading and encouraging. Then they drifted down her spine to its base, where they rubbed a little longer. Suddenly urgent for the feel of more skin, he tugged her blouse from the waistband of her skirt and slipped his hands beneath the fabric. She felt warm and soft and sweetly feminine. He took his time to enjoy the sensual pleasure.

Sallie rocked against him, gripping him more tightly, and he tugged her closer. Shifting until his back was against the wall, he spread his legs, urging her into the cradle of his thighs. When she pressed herself against him, he nearly came undone. She fit perfectly, chest-to-chest and hip-to-hip. A shudder racked him when she snuggled herself against the hard ridge of flesh straining his jeans.

A moan of pleasure erupted from deep in his throat. When their mouths parted, he nudged her sideways so that he could slide his lips down her throat to her chest. He eased the neck of her blouse aside to scatter kisses across her breastbone and the gentle swell of her breasts. Her sexy moan was little more than a whisper of warm breath against his ear, but he felt it to the tips of his toes.

His hands moved to her hips, his fingers involuntarily flexing into her tight flesh. He urged her still closer, shuddering violently when she rocked against him in feminine demand. Desire, hot and raw, clawed at his insides, making his blood thicken and his legs tremble. His mouth sought hers again for another hot, wet kiss until he got dangerously close to losing control and embarrassing himself. So close, that he dragged his mouth from hers and sucked in air, fighting for calm. He needed a few seconds to get a grip and clear his head.

Instead, he got seduced by the feel her lips at his neck. Tentative at first with the wet flick of her tongue, her caress grew bolder until she was sucking the pulse that pounded erratically at his throat. He felt the pull deep in his groin, and his knees grew weak.

So much passion.

So impossibly sweet and sexy.

Incredible. She had an incredible affect on him. He burned for her. With very little effort, she’d set him on fire.

He was in serious trouble here.