seen a more beautiful first dance.”
Feeling oddly left out, Alex said, “I was there too.”
Rose caught him in one of her Texas-sized hugs. “Oh, sugar, you were divine, too.”
But he wasn’t. She was. Eva was. She was small and beautiful and cultured—a future queen.
Who turned him on like no one ever had before.
Something totally foreign rumbled through him. A need so strong, so powerful, the fight he waged to stop it went beyond anything he’d ever had to do around her.
It was ridiculous. They’d had two stupid kisses. One he instigated to prove a point. And the engagement dance tradition kiss that he’d started and she tried to finish but she’d stopped too soon.
He’d recognized days ago that he’d made too much of that first kiss, and maybe that was the problem? Maybe if they had one normal kiss, he’d see there was nothing different about her.
The small crowd of family had swallowed her up, as if protecting her, and perhaps they were. At least Alex knew Dom and his father were.
He managed to wiggle his way through the crowd and tap her shoulder. She turned, her face flushed. Her smile radiant.
“I think you and I need a minute together.”
“Sure.”
Preventing her from getting away from him or getting sucked into another vortex of well-wishers, he grabbed her fingers, and wove through the happy dancers with her. He walked her down one corridor, turned left and walked her down another. At the end of that hall, he opened the French doors and led her into a private garden.
Before she could say a word, he caught her by the shoulders and pressed his mouth to hers. This time there was no hesitation. No innocent pause. This time, her lips lifted to meet his.
Good. This was what they needed. A real, honest-to-God kiss that would prove to them both they were nothing special.
He deepened the kiss, nudging her mouth open with his tongue, and she responded. He pulled her closer. She slid her arms up his shoulders and looped them around his neck. Her breasts nestled against his chest. Their tongues twined—
Need exploded through him. His heart rate tripled. He ran his hands down her bare back and luxuriated in the silkiness of her skin before he realized he was in deep, dark trouble. Her kisses weren’t innocent. They were greedy. And made him hungry for everything he knew she wanted to offer.
Kissing her hadn’t accomplished what he’d set out to prove. He might have even made things worse.
He broke the kiss and bumped his forehead against hers. “Sorry.”
“No woman wants a man to say he’s sorry he kissed her, Alex.”
The way she said his name caused a jolt in his stomach. Brought a fresh avalanche of desire. They’d shared so many secrets, spoken so honestly because of the ruse, that there was an intimacy between them now that made him feel he had a right to her.
“But I am sorry.”
“Because you don’t like me.”
He pulled away, looked into her eyes. “Because I do like you. I like everything about you. Including the fact that I can be me with you. There’s never been any pretense between us.”
Her eyes studied his. “That’s good then.”
“No. It isn’t. You’re someday going to find the right guy. I don’t want to screw that up for you.” He tried to step away, but she caught his hand, stopping him.
“I know all this confuses you, but I sort of like you .” She shook her head fiercely. “No. I don’t sort of like you. I really like you. A lot. Including the fact that I can be myself with you.”
“Don’t say that.”
Exasperation trembled through her voice. “ Why not? ”
“Because I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to fall in love. And if you’re as smart as I think you are, you know that.”
To his chagrin, she laughed. “How do you know you can’t fall in love?”
“If you have to ask, you don’t know much about me or falling in love.”
“Alex, every day I like you a little bit more. Even when you make it clear you want nothing
Feeling oddly left out, Alex said, “I was there too.”
Rose caught him in one of her Texas-sized hugs. “Oh, sugar, you were divine, too.”
But he wasn’t. She was. Eva was. She was small and beautiful and cultured—a future queen.
Who turned him on like no one ever had before.
Something totally foreign rumbled through him. A need so strong, so powerful, the fight he waged to stop it went beyond anything he’d ever had to do around her.
It was ridiculous. They’d had two stupid kisses. One he instigated to prove a point. And the engagement dance tradition kiss that he’d started and she tried to finish but she’d stopped too soon.
He’d recognized days ago that he’d made too much of that first kiss, and maybe that was the problem? Maybe if they had one normal kiss, he’d see there was nothing different about her.
The small crowd of family had swallowed her up, as if protecting her, and perhaps they were. At least Alex knew Dom and his father were.
He managed to wiggle his way through the crowd and tap her shoulder. She turned, her face flushed. Her smile radiant.
“I think you and I need a minute together.”
“Sure.”
Preventing her from getting away from him or getting sucked into another vortex of well-wishers, he grabbed her fingers, and wove through the happy dancers with her. He walked her down one corridor, turned left and walked her down another. At the end of that hall, he opened the French doors and led her into a private garden.
Before she could say a word, he caught her by the shoulders and pressed his mouth to hers. This time there was no hesitation. No innocent pause. This time, her lips lifted to meet his.
Good. This was what they needed. A real, honest-to-God kiss that would prove to them both they were nothing special.
He deepened the kiss, nudging her mouth open with his tongue, and she responded. He pulled her closer. She slid her arms up his shoulders and looped them around his neck. Her breasts nestled against his chest. Their tongues twined—
Need exploded through him. His heart rate tripled. He ran his hands down her bare back and luxuriated in the silkiness of her skin before he realized he was in deep, dark trouble. Her kisses weren’t innocent. They were greedy. And made him hungry for everything he knew she wanted to offer.
Kissing her hadn’t accomplished what he’d set out to prove. He might have even made things worse.
He broke the kiss and bumped his forehead against hers. “Sorry.”
“No woman wants a man to say he’s sorry he kissed her, Alex.”
The way she said his name caused a jolt in his stomach. Brought a fresh avalanche of desire. They’d shared so many secrets, spoken so honestly because of the ruse, that there was an intimacy between them now that made him feel he had a right to her.
“But I am sorry.”
“Because you don’t like me.”
He pulled away, looked into her eyes. “Because I do like you. I like everything about you. Including the fact that I can be me with you. There’s never been any pretense between us.”
Her eyes studied his. “That’s good then.”
“No. It isn’t. You’re someday going to find the right guy. I don’t want to screw that up for you.” He tried to step away, but she caught his hand, stopping him.
“I know all this confuses you, but I sort of like you .” She shook her head fiercely. “No. I don’t sort of like you. I really like you. A lot. Including the fact that I can be myself with you.”
“Don’t say that.”
Exasperation trembled through her voice. “ Why not? ”
“Because I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to fall in love. And if you’re as smart as I think you are, you know that.”
To his chagrin, she laughed. “How do you know you can’t fall in love?”
“If you have to ask, you don’t know much about me or falling in love.”
“Alex, every day I like you a little bit more. Even when you make it clear you want nothing
Similar Books
