Free Safari Moon by Rogue Phoenix Press

followed.
Embarrassment yes, because she was attacking Solo--the man who
claimed ardently they were buddies.
     
    But his reaction toward her had changed too.
Perhaps he responded to every woman who threw herself at him.
     
    No. When she first saw him through the
window on the door, he’d been trying to untangle himself from the
redhead.
     
    “Sorry,” he murmured.
     
    Solo released her slowly, looking at her in
a different light. He wondered why he was so suddenly and so hotly
attracted to Nyssa Harrington. Then he set his hands on her
shoulders further distancing himself, yet unwilling to break all
physical contact. Forcing a smile, he reminded himself this was
Nyssa, his friend and confidant, not a plaything. He told himself
he was a louse for taking advantage of her good nature. She
deserved better. With great effort, he willed his breathing back to
a slower cadence.
     
    “This won’t happen again,” he said.
     
    The sound of spinning tires in loose dirt
pressed home the point they needn’t continue the charade. Nyssa
stepped back visibly shaken by the encounter, and he wondered which
bothered her the most, the kiss or the words the redhead threw at
them. He squeezed her hand and let go. It wasn’t right, she was
engaged and here he was like a lovesick school boy kissing her.
What the hell was he thinking?
     
    Oh, he knew why he kissed her. For the first
time in their long history together, he saw her as a woman, not a
pal, and he wanted to find out how she felt in his arms. But why
had she kissed him back? Kissed him, like she wanted nothing more
than to melt into him, give her whole heart to him.
     
    The redhead’s photographs would be spread
all over the latest tabloid as well as the internet within
twenty-four hours. For Nyssa’s sake he hoped old Robert didn’t pay
attention to the paparazzi. If he did, he was in for an eyeful.
     
    Her reaction to all this was bound to set in
soon, if it hadn’t already. Nyssa’s eyes were huge, slightly
unfocused, and they began to shimmer with moisture.
     
    “Photographs?” She looked unsteady,
appearing as if she’d crumble at any moment.
     
    “I’ll take care of it.”
     
    “How?”
     
    Oh, hell . He didn’t have any idea. All he had in working order was
his cell and he was sure his grandfather would take delight in this
new development. The Colonel was not above a little, even a lot of
scandal if it meant he’d get his way.
     
    And, Solo admitted, albeit reluctantly, he’d
never forget that kiss. Not in a million years.
     
    “The Colonel--he’ll stop the pictures.”
     
    Nyssa gave a desperate laugh. “Robert will
have a fit when he sees this. The tabloids won’t be fair to him. It
will be all over the internet.”
     
    “He won’t see the picture.”
     
    “You can’t know that.”
     
    Her lashes were lowered in a feeble attempt
to hide her expression. He wanted to know what she felt, what hurt
so he could heal the wound. So he could protect her from the
onslaught of the media. He didn’t want to admit he was lying, that
there was no way in hell he could stop the pictures.
     
    “I should apologize. I didn’t think.”
     
    He could see how awful she felt, and the
need to reassure her was instantaneous. A soft half-smile formed on
his lips. “I bet you never kissed old Robert like that.”
     
    “Sure. Make fun of me.” Looking
self-conscious, she fiddled with a tear on her shirt. Suddenly she
seemed to snap out of the depression she’d been in since the
redhead left. “That’s playing dirty, Solo. What makes you think
Robert can’t kiss as well as you? And you know what? You had a lot
of nerve dragging me all the way out here to help you with
research. Seems to me that lady knows her way around the bedroom
and cameras and by this time tomorrow you’ll have a whole crew at
your disposal. So why did you need me?”
     
    He shrugged and tried to stifle the helpless
expression he knew he couldn’t hide from her. “I could