Second Chances: Love Nibbles Read Online Free Page A

freshmen students say they don’t understand how what a bunch of dead people wrote speaks to their lives.” Camilla set her empty plate on the floor. “But most literary classics are as timely now as when they were written. It’s not as if humans have come up with new questions to ponder. Everything boils down to ‘why am I here?’ and ‘what should I do with my time on this earth?’”
    “ Carpe diem . Isn’t there some poem about that?” He finished his wine and put his glass on the end table.
    “ Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day, to-morrow will be dying. Robert Herrick.” She leaned against the back of the couch, her eyes half closed, a pleasant buzz from the wine making her drowsy.
    “Wise man.” Ryan reached over and traced her ear with his fingertip, a light touch around the curve to the lobe, only that, but it sent wildfire roaring through her.
    Camilla opened her eyes and turned toward him. He was so damn beautiful. She loved his thick, sandy hair and the way it fell over his forehead. Back when she’d been dating, stiffly gelled spikes had been in style. Running a hand through hair as crisp as cornflakes wasn’t a turn-on. She imagined Ryan’s hair would feel soft and silken between her fingers.
    He slid his hand down the bare length of her arm from shoulder to wrist, making her glad she’d put on a tank top rather than a long sleeved shirt. Her skin prickled with gooseflesh as if touched by a cool breeze. When his large, warm hand curved around hers, she spread her fingers apart so his fingers could lace with hers.
    They stayed that way while time stretched as taut as a rubber band close to snapping, the air between them vibrating with possibilities. Camilla pictured them as if from a distance, two people sitting side by side in a quiet living room holding hands.
    She felt the heat of Ryan’s body close to hers, heard the soft intake of his breath, and at the same time, watched from above as the woman leaned toward the man and kissed him.
     
    Chapter Three
    He tasted of sweet wine and tangy spices. His lips were soft, lips yielding under the pressure of her mouth. He cupped the back of her neck, holding her steady as he kissed her harder. She welcomed his tongue teasing delicately between her lips. How strange the way they coiled around one another in a sinuous dance. Like a key in a lock, it opened her and made her want more. So long…it had been so long since she was kissed this way, hungrily, desperately, as if she were life giving oxygen. She’d forgotten kisses could be more than a light peck on the lips.
    Ryan pulled her closer. She swooned against him and slid her arms around his back. His muscles were so hard and his flesh so hot the insides of her arms were singed by the contact. His strength flowed into her, wrapping around her, supporting her, making her want to cry with the pleasure of molding herself to him. It seemed like forever since she’d been held this way, overwhelmed by an embrace. Heavenly.
    He cradled her face in his palm while his other hand roamed down her back. He paused at her tailbone just above the swell of her ass and she wanted him to go further, to grab her butt and knead. But he halted there politely, giving her time to get used to his touch.
    They kissed for what felt like hours, tender nibbles followed by a hungry mashing together of lips and tongue, deep, desperate, powerful. When Ryan finally abandoned her mouth to kiss her cheek, her jaw, her neck, Camilla’s lips felt swollen and tender. She’d forgotten the simple pleasure of making out for long stretches of time. Her body was both utterly relaxed and tense with need.
    Ryan slid his hand beneath her shirt and cupped her breast. Her nipple pebbled hard, eager for his touch, but Camilla was nervous. Fondling her breasts was the next step. From kissing to touching—then sex, which she craved and feared equally. This near stranger would