Free Confessions of the World's Oldest Shotgun Bride by Gail Hart Page A

pulsing nerve endings.
    It was the kind of kiss she wished could last forever, but eventually Steve pulled away. His smile was smug. He’d obviously felt every bit of her body’s response to him.
    Kathryn shook her head, disgusted with herself for her weakness. “What was that supposed to prove? That I want you? Well, that’s a no-brainer, but it doesn’t have anything to do with whether we should keep seeing each other.”
    “Really? Explain that one to me.”
    “Sure, we had some of the hottest sex on the planet, but you can’t build a relationship entirely on lust.”
    He touched his nose to hers and spoke in a gentle tone. “You can’t dismiss me that easily. There’s more between us than lust, and you know it. We have fun together. We make each other laugh.”
    She directed her gaze over his shoulder, avoiding eye contact. “Just because we screwed each other’s lights out...”
    He winced at the crude remark. “Not screwed, made love.”
    Her expression mocked him. “Made love? Surely you’re not saying you love me.”
    A touch of color rose on his cheeks. “Maybe not yet, but we have a shot at falling crazy in love if you’ll give us a chance.”
    Panic welled up in her stomach. She spat out, “Stop acting like a child.”
    He smiled a slow, sexy smile. “You don’t have a logical comeback, so you’re resorting to bringing up our age difference. I must be winning.”
    He was right, damn it. “Look,” she said, trying another tack, “I already told you, for the foreseeable future, I need to focus on winning the president’s job and consolidating my position. I won’t have time for a man, especially one people would think is unsuitable.”
    He gave his head a small shake. “Talk, talk, talk. You’re so full of it. You’re not pushing me away because you don’t have time for me or you’re worried about what people will think. You’re pushing me away because you’re gutless.”
    Her face grew warm with indignation. “Gutless? I swim with sharks, and I took on the founder’s son for control of a multi-million dollar business, and you have the nerve to call me gutless?”
    “You may not be afraid of sharks, on land or in the water, but you’re scared to death of how I make you feel.”
    Because in her experience, whenever she felt so much for a man, she ended up getting hurt. She didn’t want to care for her boy toy. The men she cared for had always left her, starting with her father. But she had no intention of admitting that. She pushed free of him. “Look, I have to get in line now, or I’ll miss my flight.”
    He flashed her the Steve smile. “I’ll let you go catch your plane, Katie, but I won’t let you go. This isn’t over, not by a long shot.” He turned and swaggered away.
    * * *
    Waiting behind Murph in the line to go through the airport metal detector, Steve stuffed his hands in his pants pockets and scowled. This sucked canal water backward. How had things with Katie gone south so fast?
    He normally didn’t use the tacky phrase “she needs to get laid,” but in Katie’s case it was the God’s honest truth. She’d so obviously withered up and dried out inside during her year alone. She was a whole new woman after lovemaking, softer, gentler, happiness radiating off her in waves. A woman as passionate as Katie needed to be made love to on a regular basis. Made love to, and loved, and treasured. And he was ready, willing and able to do all three. But she was afraid to let him.
    Murph walked through the metal detector and Steve prepared to follow. He emptied his pockets into the container on a table, pulling out his wallet, passport, loose change, and... oh shit! Katie’s blue silk panties. He tried to snatch them back before anyone noticed.
    Too late. Murph had reached over from the other side of the machine and scooped up the incriminating evidence. Murph twirled the panties around on his index finger and leered. “Taken up cross dressing, Tyler?”
    Steve