“You're tying me in knots, Liz.”
“What?” she hiccupped.
“I'm going to break the rules,” he said. “Fraternizing with a witness is a big no-no.”
“I have no intention of allowing you to fraternize.” She intended to break free of his hold, but froze when he put a finger beneath her chin and tipped her face upward.
He wrapped his other arm around her waist. “You weren't supposed to be a witness.” He drew her so close she was forced to lean her head back in order to see his face.
Her mind muddled. “I-I didn't mean to be.”
A corner of his mouth twitched. “I think you couldn't help yourself.”
“Hey, wait a minute—”
“Birds of a feather,” he murmured, and pushed her hat from her head. It hit the ground as his mouth reached hers.
Liz drew a breath, and caught the scent of…masculinity, as their lips touched. The tremor in her stomach exploded. Her knees weakened and she grasped his arms for support. Beneath her fingers, steely muscle strained against the fabric of his shirt. Ben slipped a thigh between her legs and her mind whirled at the pressure of his erection, hard and demanding, against her abdomen. She gasped and his tongue slipped past her lips. Her nipples responded by stiffening to hard peaks through the soft cup of her bra. He groaned and swept his tongue across hers. Her tongue thrust back before she realized the response. Ben's arm tightened around her waist.
A beat thrummed in her head in unison with the ache between her legs. Liz told herself to pull away, but her body didn't follow the command. She whimpered. He growled back. She slid a hand up his arm, around his neck, and fisted his hair. The thick, soft hair between her fingers was a strange aphrodisiac that turned her insides to jelly. His kiss grew fierce, then his mouth slid down her jaw and along her neck— He abruptly broke off and yanked her head against his chest. The gallop of his heart made her head spin.
“Another minute and I'd have to touch you,” he said in a hoarse voice that bled with desire.