Free Jingle This! by Stephanie Rowe Page B

yes."
    "Me."
    Brain melt. "You want to kiss me?" she asked faintly.
    "No, I don't want to," he said, but there was a humorous tease to his voice. "But I'd do it for the company."
    "You really do know how to make a girl swoon. Do you give lessons on sweet-talking?" She shoved at his chest. "Forget it. A kiss for Roger's company isn't exactly going to put me in the mood to be all lovey and romantic."
    "Hell, woman. It's not for Roger!"
    Before she could react to his statement, he laid his hands on either side of her face and kissed her.

Chapter Five
    There's nothing like some good tongue action to make the holiday season brighten right up. Who needs diamonds?
    –Angie Miller
    The instant Kyle's lips touched hers, Angie was lost to him. Everything miserable, hateful and depressing vanished from her body, replaced with a warm, bubbling sensation that started in her belly and slowly spread to every nerve in her body.
    She grasped the front of his shirt, holding on tight to feelings she didn't ever want to lose. Kyle was kissing her. Really kissing her. How could it really be happening? Her body was trembling, her heart pounding. Kyle is kissing me. His kiss was tender and sensual, a seduction of his lips tantalized by the slide of his hand over her hip, the brush of his thumb against the bare skin of her lower back. A tease. A flirt. A seduction so intense her entire body was vibrating with desire and need—
    He broke the kiss. "Are you ready to write the article yet?" His voice was hoarse, and his hands were now flanking her waist, his thumbs doing slow circles on her skin.
    "No. Not yet. I'm still feeling rather bitter and hostile," she said a little breathlessly. "I think we should try again… you know, for the sake of the article."
    A wicked grin lit up his face, and he locked his hand around the back of her neck, taking control. "For the article," he agreed in a low voice, just before he kissed her again.
    This time when he kissed her, it wasn't soft or soothing. It was hot and demanding, invading her defenses and leaving her exposed and vulnerable.
    And she loved it. It was nothing like the kisses she'd shared with Roger. This was...something deeper. It was everything she'd always thought a kiss from Kyle would be, and then some.
    She heard a noise echo from the back of her throat, and Kyle responded by deepening the kiss.
    I'm down with that. The antler headband took a dive as she ran her hands through his hair. A worthwhile sacrifice.
    His hands were all over her. Back, waist, ribs, wait a sec. Breasts. Was that about the article now, huh?
    But damn, it felt good. Just another minute...and she started to lose her balance. Kyle grabbed her thighs and hauled her toward him, locking her legs around his hips. Oh, God. Yes. That was perfect and amazing. Her entire body was thrumming with desire and need.
    He gripped her hips, pulling her more tightly against him as he deepened the kiss. His hands moved to her bottom, kneading at her flesh… Oh, God. Yes.
    Something crashed to the floor. Her heart, maybe? Because for one that was so thoroughly broken, it was certainly swelling in her chest like nobody's business. And...
    Kyle broke the kiss. "That was my laptop."
    "Lap?" He wanted her on his lap? She opened her eyes to find Kyle peering past her hip at the floor, his hand still on her butt. She followed his glance and looked down. On the floor was a computer. "That was your laptop that fell?" The crash hadn't been her heart? Well, that was good news.
    He glanced at her. "That's what I said."
    Oh, right. Laptop. Not a request for her to climb on top of his lap. Embarrassment burned through her. She'd never had a kiss that made her forget the English language before. She cleared her throat and realized her hands had somehow worked themselves under his shirt, where she was still massaging his bare chest.
    Payback for the butt massage. All things fair in love and war, right?
    Which raised the question of whether this was love or