Wrong Man, Right Kiss by Red Garnier Page A

barely speak, his voice roughened with painful, dizzying arousal.
    “Should we just go out there so my brother gets to see what I’ve been doing to you? He’ll probably think I’ve had my hands all over you this evening.”
    She made a little choking sound and dropped her face. “Jules, stop. Please don’t tease.”
    Julian’s thighs trembled as he fought for control, fought to keep from doing more, doing everything to her. Withher. “I’d just like to know if this kiss was just for Garrett—or because you want me, Molly?”
    She kept her head bent, intoxicating him with the smell of raspberry shampoo that wafted to his nostrils. “Everybody wants you, Julian. Everybody. I just can’t believe this. What did we do? This was so insane, so stupid!”
    “Shh.” He pinned her against him when she squirmed, his hands firmly curled around her shoulders as he kissed the top of her head and tried to ease her. “If you can’t do this sort of stupid thing with your best friend, then I don’t know who the hell you can do it with.”
    She shook her head but nonetheless buried her nose in the crook of his neck. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. All this is your fault! For being such an expert seducer—please don’t let go yet. I just want you to hold me. Jules, you smell so good….”
    One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve…
    Not enough. He could count to a million and it was not. Enough. Not enough of her. Not enough time. To hold her. Be with her. Drown in her.
    A groan of pent-up desire rumbled up from deep within his throat as his fingers clenched around her waist. “I wasn’t seducing you, Molly—but you shouldn’t have tempted me to kiss you.” Unable to stop himself, he recklessly slid his hands upward to engulf her breasts as he heatedly nibbled on her earlobe. “Now I want to kiss you until you’re weak and pliant in my arms. Until you tell me what it is that you really want, because I don’t think you even know what you’re asking for—”
    “ So! Are you two finished in here—or do we have tocall the fire department?”
    * * *
     
    The baritone voice that cut through Julian’s delicious, seductive words yanked Molly to full wakefulness. She jerked in Julian’s arms as if she’d just been dumped into the frigid waters off Alaska and straightened to see Garrett—the man she wanted to marry—standing just outside the open door. Landon stood next to him, and while Landon’s expression verged on amusement, Garrett did not look pleased.
    And now he’ll think I’m a whore.
    The sudden thought popped into her mind and she almost wanted to groan in self-pity.
    Her cheeks glowed hot as Julian pushed her behind him in a stance that reeked of protectiveness, and she was grateful for that. Taking advantage, she hid against his back and frantically struggled to rearrange her dress and hair.
    “We’ll be done as soon as you two dopes leave us alone.”
    How Julian could sound so calm and collected, she didn’t know, because panic had gripped Molly by the throat and she could hardly even breathe now.
    She’d wanted Garrett to imagine she and Julian had shared a little romp this evening. But she had never, ever expected to be caught while doing it.
    What had she been thinking? She had clearly been undone by the strange, tantalizing complexity of Julian’s male scent, the desperate desires his mouth evoked, his kisses always somehow bringing the heartbreaking reminder of her night with Garrett at the masquerade. Every time she kissed Julian, her chest began to ache, and not in a good way.
    “We apologize, but Mother sent us,” she heard Landon explain to Jules almost apologetically. “Not a task I was looking forward to.”
    “I’m surprised she didn’t summon the whole party to come stop us,” Julian grumbled, and with one of his powerful arms, he slammed the door back shut.
    Cursing low in his throat once they were alone, he extended an arm to keep the door closed