Free Borrowed Identity by Kasi Blake Page B

that.”

    “Stop telling me what I need!” She lowered her voice. “I thought you liked me for me. Just the way I am.”
    “I do.”
    Michael slid off the edge of the desk and stood next to her. He lifted his hands to her hair, slipping his fingers into the tangled curls. She wanted to bolt like a frightened horse. Her feelings didn’t make sense to her anymore. She was engaged to Michael. She was going to be his wife. So why was it hard to be in the same room with him now?
    Why did the thought of kissing him send her spinning into flight mode?
    He lowered his head and touched her lips with his own, but the familiar velvety softness of his mouth hardened instantly, sweeping her into a maelstrom of sensation.
    Kelly gasped, her expectations of a kiss changed forever. Michael’s kisses usually played like a gentle melody from beginning to end, but this was a thundering crescendo.
    Kelly welcomed the kiss and deepened it. The smooth feel of his tongue gliding against her own sent a thrilling current of electricity through her veins. She wasn’t sure which of them had let out a groan, a throaty sound of primal desire. It didn’t matter. Her mind was swirling with colors, and she reached for him, running her hands up his back. Her fingers curled, digging into the muscles beneath the thick wool of his jersey.
    The world around her ceased to exist. There was nothing but Michael. Nothing else mattered. Passion stirred within her and she was swept away on a tidal wave of pleasure.
    She wanted more. She wanted to touch his bare flesh, but didn’t dare. The fear of rejection kept her from burrowing her fingers under the hem of his sweater. Instead, she savored what Michael was willing to give to her. She tugged at him, wanting him closer, and barely remembered the doubts she’d had about him.
    But slowly, the little things that bothered her floated tothe surface. The changes in him. The secrets and lies lingering in his eyes. Did he really think she was so stupid that she couldn’t see them?
    And there was the matter of those tiny pearls she’d found….
    With a mighty shove, Kelly pushed Michael away.
    He fell back, bumping into the desk, and a startled look crossed his face. It vanished in a second, replaced by a carefully neutral expression. It was so easy for him to cover his true emotions. She both envied and resented him for it.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked calmly. But a tiny muscle in his jaw tightened visibly.
    “I need to know something.” She hugged herself. It was a bad habit. She did it every time she felt weak or vulnerable. “I found pearls on the floor in my bedroom.”
    “So?” His eyebrows arched, and he sighed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “My grandmother’s wedding gown has tiny pearls on it. You told me we didn’t get married. Therefore, there shouldn’t have been little pearls on my floor. I haven’t once taken my grandmother’s gown from the box in the attic.” Dropping her hands on her hips, she dared him to lie to her again. “Care to explain?”
    He shook his head slowly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “Fine,” she said. “Come with me then. I’ll show you.”
    Kelly didn’t wait for his consent, but bolted out the doors, turning to the stairs on the right side. She felt rather than saw Michael follow her. His eyes burned into her back, making her feel as if she was on fire. She hurried her pace and practically ran up the staircase.
    “Slow down,” Michael said. “It’s not important enough to break your neck over.”
    Moving even faster, Kelly raced into the master bedroom and went straight to the heart-shaped trinket box on the vanity. That was where she’d put the pearls. She flicked off the lid, practically shoving the box under his nose.
    “Explain these, okay? Where did they come from if not from my grandmother’s dress?”
    Michael glanced inside and shrugged. “Explain what?”
    “What?” She looked into the box. There was nothing