Chemistry of Desire. Melanie Schuster

you can get to bed. You look a little sleepy,” Todd said.

      Emily turned quickly and made sure the kitchen door was locked, as well as the windows she’d opened earlier. She showed Todd how to use the house’s alarm system, and once everything was secured, they went upstairs. Her heartbeat had returned to normal and she was calm enough to speak in a casual manner.

      “Good night, Todd. I hope you’re comfortable. If you hear anything in the morning, it’ll just be me. I leave the house at about seven to run.”

      His face brightened. “Can I join you? I usually use a treadmill for convenience, but I love to run outside.”

      “If you want to, but I get up at six-thirty,” she cautioned him.

      “Not a problem. Sleep well.”

      Her hand was on her doorknob as she looked up at him. “You, too. Sleep well, I mean.”

      Without warning he leaned down and took her mouth with his for a lingering kiss that rocked her to her very soul.

      “Now I will,” he said.

      Todd might have slept soundly, but Emily was having a very difficult time in her room. Ever since Todd had kissed her she’d been dizzy. His lips were hot and smooth and strong, and she’d never felt anything like them in her life. She wasn’t a virgin and she’d had some pleasurable sexual experiences in the past, but they paled in comparison to the thrill of Todd’s kiss. It was unexpected, sweet and hot as fire, and she could still feel it as she tossed and turned in bed.

      She had stripped off her clothes as soon as she got into her room, changing into an old plaid cotton robe that she’d had since college. It was big and baggy and utterly hideous, but she needed to be completely covered because she needed a shower right now, preferably a cold one that would shock her back into her right mind. After bundling her hair up into a knot, she waited until she was sure Todd was in his room for the night and she slipped out into the hallway and scooted to the bathroom. Turning the water on full blast, she lathered her body from head to toe, trying to put out the fire Todd had lit.

      Why did he kiss me, she wondered. And why didn’t he do it again? He didn’t have to stop; they could have kept on kissing until morning as far as she was concerned. Better yet, they could have just kissed their way into her bed. She was honest enough to admit that she’d desired him since the day they’d met, way back when Ayanna got married. They were introduced at the wedding rehearsal, and she could still recall every detail of their meeting. Everything was engraved in her memory, from what he had on, how he smelled, what his skin felt like as they shook hands to his beautiful smile. She’d had an instant attraction to him, but she was far too self-conscious and shy to make her interest known.

      Her feelings about Todd would have remained a secret forever if he hadn’t turned up on her doorstep. But he had, and in a few hours he’d gone from being an abstract desire to something else. What that something was, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t possible to put a name on it. He’d seen her naked, she’d called the police on him; they’d had a nice dinner and watched a DVD until she fell asleep in his arms. She’d waved a gun in his face, and he kissed her good-night. As a first day together it was interesting, to say the least. What would tomorrow bring?

      She licked her lips and experienced the same vestigial thrill she’d been feeling since Todd had kissed her. Whatever came next, she vowed she’d be ready for it. Opportunities like this came only once in a lifetime and she wasn’t going to waste it.