Читать книгу Our First Kiss - Judy Hubbard Lynn - Страница 9

Prologue

Marcy glanced at her watch for at least the tenth time in the past half hour. Her mother and father glanced at each other and then back to their twenty-eight-year-old daughter, who was determinedly searching the room with her eyes.

“Do you have to be somewhere, dear?” Margaret made reference to her daughter’s obvious preoccupation.

“Definitely.” She secretively smiled.

“Where?” Michael laughed at the tenacious gleam in her eyes.

“I have to go and find Nathan.”

Her watch informed her it was a few minutes before midnight. She intended to be in Nathan’s arms when the clock struck twelve.

“What for?” Margaret eyed her daughter suspiciously. She hadn’t seen her this worked up over a man since...well, since never.

“For the usual midnight occurrence on New Year’s Eve.” Marcy’s eyes twinkled.

“Marcy, you’ve just met him,” Margaret gasped.

“Mom, tell me again how you and Dad met and how long it took you two to get involved?” Marcy laughingly reminded.

“She has you there, Margaret.” Michael kissed his wife’s cheek.

“You two are incorrigible.” Margaret laughed, a little embarrassed.

“We just know what we want and go after it, right, Dad?” Marcy winked at her father.

“Right, kitten,” he agreed. “Go and find Nathan, and give him my regards.”

“Oh, I will—right after I give him mine,” Marcy promised before hurrying off.

* * *

One minute before midnight, Marcy strategically positioned herself next to Nathan. She reached him just as the group countdown reached zero and white-and-black balloons along with colorful streamers miraculously began raining down on them.

“Happy New Year, Nathan.” She could tell her voice startled him as he turned around to face her.

“Happy New Year, Marcy,” he echoed.

Lord, she was gorgeous. Why did she have to be so darn beautiful, and why did he have to meet her now? More importantly, why did he have to be so attracted to her when he knew there was no way he could act on that attraction?

Instinctively, Marcy knew he was about to shake her hand. She negatively shook her head and placed possessive hands on his broad shoulders. He raised an eyebrow at her forwardness, and she smiled confidently.

“It’s customary to seal that wish with a kiss,” she said, as she immediately pressed her mouth to his.

Once his mouth touched hers and those soft honey folds parted so easily, he couldn’t help but dive in. Her lips were quicksand, and he was drowning in them. He pulled her a little closer with the hand that was resting on her waist. He moved his free hand up and entangled it in her luxuriously thick, soft hair as he had wanted to do since meeting her. He decided to let himself go a little deeper—for a little while more.

When minutes later he pushed her away, she weakly clinging to his lapels, her eyes wide with wonder and longing. While the kiss was far too brief, at the same time it lasted much too long. He rationalized that he couldn’t afford any emotional involvements—especially now. Marcy Johnson could quickly become that—if he let her—which was something he must not do.

“Wow.” Marcy sighed in breathless awe. “That was...” Her voice faded off as words escaped her.

“Deadly.” Nathan’s finished for her, his eyes darkening with barely restrained hunger. Somehow, he resisted the urge to feast on her luscious lips again, knowing he would be lost if he did. Unfortunately, he was halfway there already.