Excerpt of Under the Spotlight by Kate Willoughby

They stared at each other for a long moment. She realized that he’d shaved. She wanted to touch his face and feel the warm skin under her fingertips. He had kind eyes, but his nose had obviously been broken more than once. Wearing next to nothing onstage couldn’t even compare to getting beat up on the ice night after night. After all, his fat lip still looked pretty painful. She kind of wanted to kiss it better.

Maybe more than kind of.

She met his gaze. His deep-set eyes narrowed slightly as he took a very slow step toward her. They were a warm brown, made sexy with thick lashes and faint laugh lines. She wondered how old he was.

“Christine.”

Suddenly, he seemed a lot larger and she became aware of a raw masculinity and strength that only seemed to be coming out now, as if he’d been shielding it until just the right moment, like a secret weapon. Her limbs felt heavy, as he reached out and cupped her elbows, tugging gently.

This time she was the one who took a step forward.

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said in a low voice. She clasped his forearms. They were corded with muscle.

“Doing what?” He sounded amused.

She looked up, took a chance. “Letting you kiss me.”

A chuckle rumbled out of his chest. “Is that what you’re doing? We’re doing?” His hands traveled up her arms, her neck, until his fingers snaked into her hair. She shivered.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe I just wanted to massage your head.”

She laughed softly. “I like your hands on me, Joe Rutherford.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. And I’d like your lips on me even more.