Free The Very Thought of You by Carolann Camillo Page A

both her hands in his. He laced his fingers through hers and held her arms steady at her sides. The touch of his skin against hers sent goose bumps along her arms and a different kind of shiver down her back, the kind that resulted from contact with a gorgeous hunk of a man. Wouldn’t you know it? In this case, he was the wrong hunk of a man.
    â€œWe can pull this off,” he said.
    She tried to free her hands, but he held them captive. “I have many doubts. As in too many.”
    â€œWhat we need is a practice run.” Humor lurked behind his irises.
    â€œPractice?”
    â€œSure. To make it convincing, like we’ve been together a while, like we’ve been … close … you know, intimate. Remember the honeymoon?”
    She wondered if he’d smoked something funny at his parents’ house. Except everyone there looked like they’d just flown in from a papal convention.
    â€œAre you making this up?”
    His soft laugh filled the small enclosure. “Sweetie, I wish I were. But I’m not, so let’s cement the deal.” The humor left his eyes, and his mouth descended on hers.
    Molly made a concerted effort to free her hands, even as she parted her lips. His mouth felt warm against hers, and the way he kissed showed he was not at all self-conscious about doing it practically in public. Then he let go of her hands and slid his up her sides. That sent a flutter into her stomach. She shivered as his long fingers ranged over her back and onto her shoulders. Right about now her “stop” button should have screamed like an alarm gone berserk, but it jammed just about the time he got her lips farther apart and slipped in the tip of his tongue. The remnants of something sweet lingered. Pepsi, maybe. He probably drank some at brunch.
    Her skin prickled as his fingertips slid along her neck and through her hair. He cradled her head in a gentle grip, one she probably could have squirmed away from if she wanted to, but she didn’t want to. Heat slid down her chest and into her stomach and folded into a tiny corner where she stored those kinds of stimuli.
    Molly placed her palms against his chest. Muscles bunched under his T-shirt and proved steely-hard beneath her probing fingers. His mouth moved against hers, and she gave in totally to being possessed. His breath touched her cheek, hot and steady. His tongue slid against hers and sent her body heat into a torrid zone that lately had existed only in her imagination. Talk about adding a few extra z’s to sizzle. This was insane. She was standing here practically in full view and kissing an almost total stranger and letting him do whatever he wanted with his hands, lips, and tongue. From her scalp to her toes, Nick lit her fire. If he didn’t quit soon, all he’d find was a small pile of ash where she once stood. A moan come from deep inside her. When had she become such an easy target?
    He ended the kiss. Her eyes were Elmer’s glued to his. Her lips felt like they were pumped full of some sort of puffy stuff.
    â€œSee, you’re a better actress than you thought.” The honey-smooth seduction in his tone turned her breathing into an Olympic-sized operation.
    His breath continued to warm her cheek and the glow didn’t stop anywhere near there. It moved in waves throughout her body. She touched her upper lip with the tip of her tongue and almost expected a puff of steam to billow from the spot.
    Had she gone along so as not to cause a scene? She didn’t think so. Not with the depth of emotion she’d put into the kiss. She never even kissed on a first date, which she didn’t consider prudish, but smart — just in case the guy didn’t call again. So why had she locked lips with Nick Mancini like they were two dates short of being anointed a couple? What kind of woman did that? The words “needy” and “dumb” came to mind. And since he’d ended the kiss, she