Leah pressed her legs together, her muscles tensing from her belly to her toes and everywhere in between.

Carter had blocked out the sun. His face was all she could see. She was drowning in his eyes. He was witnessing the truth, her truth. She had judged him on his cut, his Harley, and his willingness to run with the devil.

A devil that was right now telling her that kissing him would be the best thing to ever happen to her.

“Good.” He kind of smiled. “That was all I wanted, for you to take the time to review your judgment of me.”

“What do you want me to see?” she asked softly, almost afraid to break the spell that had wrapped around them.

“A guy who likes a girl.” He touched her cheek with the crook of his index finger and ran it to her chin. “That’s all, nothing more.”

“I get the feeling there’s always more with you, Carter.” Where he was touching her tingled, as if she was super-sensitive.

He closed his eyes, his lashes long and casting small shadows on his cheeks. A muscle flexed beneath the stubble on his jawline.

Her breaths were shallow as she waited for him to speak.

“The question is, Leah…” He opened his eyes and nipped her chin. “How much more do you want?”

Her nipples tightened, and she had a sudden craving to have it all. All of Carter Harris. To suggest they rush into the beach house and rip each other’s clothes off. Fuck. Fuck hard, as if they’d never fucked before and never would again. As if their lives depended upon it. “I … I don’t know.”

“You don’t know how much of me you want?” His eyebrows lifted.

She swallowed.

“How about we start with this?” He lowered his head, his eyes closing once more, and still holding her chin, he set his lips over hers.

The relief of finally feeling him there, pressing down, drew a small moan of longing from her throat.

He slanted his head and probed with his tongue.

She opened up and let him in. He tasted of beer, the ocean, and desire. She was sure the desire matched hers.

The kiss deepened. He was a damn expert, and she became lost to it. Lost to him.

Reaching for his sun-hot shoulders, she let the heat of his flesh absorb onto her palms. Beneath his skin, his muscles were honed and hard. She felt so small and yet so safe with him.

Eventually, he pulled back, his lips a little shiny. “You have no idea,” he murmured, “how much I…”

“How much you what?”

He touched the center of her lips. A small frown appeared between his eyebrows, a neat straight line. “You have no idea how much I want to stay here, kissing you, but…”

There was a but? After that kiss!

“But,” he went on. “I have somewhere to be.” His jaw tensed.

“Oh, okay.”

He sat on his ass with his knees bent and arms hanging over them. His ribs expanded as he appeared to take several deep breaths and stare out at the ocean.

She studied the ink on his back. The words Devil Barbarian Until I Die arced over a grim reaper with its eye sockets on fire.

“So, I’ll see you around.” He stood, a little stiffly, then reached for his backpack and scooped up his boots. “I’ll leave you the food.”

“Er, thanks.” Why had a strange hollowness filled her belly?

I don’t want him to leave.

That realization was sudden and powerful. It seemed to penetrate to her core, an annoying fizz of frustration. She’d have to get her vibe out later and take the edge off it.

“You’ve got my cell number,” he said. “If you need anything while you’re in town, call me.”

“Thanks, I will.” She hesitated. “And I’m sorry.”

“For what?” He dropped his shades, and her reflection appeared in them.

“If you feel I judged you, Carter.”

“Hey, no hard feelings. I judged you too.” He shrugged.

“You did?”

“Sure, I never thought a goody-two-shoes like you, power suits, a mayor’s daughter, would make out on the beach with a biker. Guess we surprised each other, huh?”