Best Friends With the Billionaire (The Rochesters) by Coleen Kwan Page A

felt like she was wearing dental floss.
    “Thank Christ, or I’d never be able to concentrate on anything else.”
    He kissed her again, his mouth hungry and demanding while his hand squeezed her bare butt. She flitted her tongue across his, loving the erotic dance. His hand roved over the back of her thighs, sending desire shuddering through her. If he shifted his fingers between her legs she wouldn’t be able to disguise how wet she was for him.
    A whisper of doubt clouded her desire. Was she prepared to show Kirk exactly how desperate she was for him? She was supposed to be acting cool and adult over this sudden change between them. She was only kissing him to help her forget about her ex. This was meant to be light and casual making out, not foreplay before an all-out sex orgy. If Kirk found out how turned on she was, he might guess that this was serious for her. She couldn’t let that happen. Alarm darted through her. Panic took over.
    She uncurled her leg from him and staggered back, somehow managing to stay upright in her ridiculous heels. Kirk blinked, obviously taken by surprise.
    “Cassie?”
    Her voice was lost somewhere in her lungs. Sweat beaded between her breasts as she prayed for strength to return to her legs. Dizzy and disoriented, she leaned against the back of a couch, pulling at her dress to cover her bare thigh.
    “Uh, that’s some kiss you have there, Kirk.” Her rib cage ached from the effort of talking. “I-I never knew it could be so, uh, lethal.”
    He tugged at his shirt, undoing several buttons. “Did I succeed in making you forget?”
    The wedge of tanned, toned chest bared by his half-opened shirt made her forget everything. Belatedly, she realized she was gawping at him. She snapped her jaw shut and hoped she hadn’t been drooling.
    “Oh, oh yeah. Totally.”
    “That’s too bad,” he said huskily, lifting a strand of hair from her flushed cheek. “I wouldn’t mind making you forget some more.”
    The brush of his fingers sent a quiver of longing right down to her toes. Even the lightest touch from Kirk was enough to combust her.
    Keep it cool. Don’t let him guess how much his kisses mean to you.
    She forced a light laugh that made her ribs creak. “Maybe we should keep some in reserve. You know, don’t burn through the fuel all at once.”
    Kirk’s eyebrows lifted. Could he tell she was lying?
    “I’ve got fuel enough,” he said slowly, “but you’re right. We’ve probably done enough forgetting for one night.”
    He tucked his hands into his pockets, and regret panged in her at the realization she wouldn’t have those captivating hands on her anymore tonight. But she should count herself lucky for bailing out before he found out how completely at his mercy she was.
    She backed away, half-smiling, half-grimacing, feeling slightly idiotic, not knowing how to make a graceful exit from a situation she’d never expected.
    “I guess I’ll say good night, then,” she said.
    His gaze wandered over her one last time. “Good night, Cassie,” he murmured, sounding annoyingly right back in control. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Chapter Five
    Kirk spent another restless night alone in bed, kept awake by images of Cassie in his arms, warm and vibrant and unforgivably desirable. His stubborn erection throbbed each time he relived her kisses and the way her supple body moved beneath his touch. Holy hell, who would have thought Cassie Cooper could have such a devastating effect on him? Tonight she’d completely blown his mind.
    But after several hours of sweaty dreams and a little self-relief, his logic returned, and with it some powerful misgivings. After those scorching few minutes downstairs, how could they go back to being friends like before? Wouldn’t things be awkward in the morning? What if they could never be comfortable with each other again? The possibility chilled him. In the morning they’d have to talk, he decided. They had to sort this out before it