Brady glanced over and caught her looking. Joss dropped her gaze and hoped the cover of night hid the heat blooming on her face. When she peeked from under her lashes, he was still watching her.

Her stomach flopped and her hand fisted the soft cotton of the blanket. A tingle ran through her center that made her catch her breath against the sudden urge to push him back, crawl on top of him, and kiss him until all that tension melted out of his body. Right here. Right now. No matter the spectators, or the fact he was nearly a stranger.

A very hot, damn sexy, purportedly non–serial–killer stranger.

She saw her own desire mirrored back at her. Brady's mouth dropped open and his dark eyes narrowed and blazed in the night.

It took everything she had to return her attention to the fireworks. Or at least pretend to. Because her body jangled with awareness of his until her muscles ached from the strain of holding herself in place. This is crazy. Maybe. Probably. But the dampness between her legs wasn't the result of the early September heat.

His breath ghosted over her ear, erupting ticklish chills on her neck and arms. "I'm going to kiss you here, Joss." The tip of his finger skimmed her cheek.

Heart in her throat, she nodded.

Brady pressed a lingering kiss to her cheekbone.

Her hands fisted as she struggled not to turn her head and offer her lips. She was already throwing her no touching admonition out the window.

"Here," he said, touching her jaw.

She nodded and his lips dragged along the line of her jaw.

"Here, too." His finger pressed against the soft spot right in front of her ear.

She tilted her head and gave him more space to nuzzle her. Surely he could hear her heartbeat over the fireworks, because she could feel her pulse pound under every inch of her skin.

What the hell was she doing? She should really put a stop to this.

He drew an imaginary line beginning at the indent behind her ear and running down her neck. She nodded without him even asking the question. He chuckled in her ear but then his lips were kissing with the lightest suction down her neck.

Applause erupted around them. Joss snapped out of her haze of lust. Brady pulled back and gave her a look that promised a whole helluva lot more where that came from.

Holy crap. She'd never survive it.