Free Project: Runaway Bride by Heidi Betts Page A

piece that filled the loft with romantic calm.
    The calm part was good and much appreciated.
    The romantic, she was afraid would be her downfall.
    Reid returned to the sofa, and for the next thirty minutes they made small talk while they ate. Well, he made small talk. Juliet mostly nodded or offered short answers when appropriate.
    She felt like a plastic doll, stiff and only able to move when someone stood behind her and lifted her limbs one by one.
    Could he tell how uncomfortable she was? Or that she was only uncomfortable because she was too comfortable around him?
    She could barely swallow the bites of food she put in her mouth and forced herself to chew, because what she wanted to do after they finished eating was lean into him and curl up at his side with her arms wrapped tightly around him.
    “Finished?” Reid asked suddenly, jarring her from her wayward thoughts.
    She looked down at her plate, realizing it was mostly empty. Only a small amount of rice and vegetables remained, but she knew without a doubt that she wouldn’t be able to get the rest down, no matter how hard she tried.
    She put her fork down across the plate, which he took from her and set on the coffee table. Then he pushed to his feet and held a hand out to her.
    “Let’s dance.”
    Juliet’s heart sputtered in her chest as duty warred with desire. Oh, how she wanted to, even though she knew she shouldn’t.
    But he didn’t give her a choice. Reaching down, he grasped her fingers and hauled her up. She went into his arms like water flowing in a stream—smooth and easy, the most natural thing in the world.
    For the span of a single breath, he held her there, firm against the solid wall of his chest. The warmth of his skin permeated his pressed white dress shirt and her satin dress, and nestled deep inside her, where she hadn’t even realized she was cold. It was lovely.
    She nearly closed her eyes and sank even closer to him, wanting the moment to last forever. But then he stepped back, just a whisper, and she was dragged from the enchanting yet imaginary cocoon.
    Tugging her around the end of the sofa, he pulled her into the large open space near the windows. The sun was going down, turning the light outside to a smoky gray with hints of orange and lavender.
    Music spilled from Zoe’s iPod, the beautiful strains putting Juliet in mind of long, flowing gowns, tailored black tuxedoes and a ballroom full of couples moving about the dance floor in perfect synchronicity.
    Pulling her back against his chest, Reid wrapped one arm firmly around her waist while folding his other hand over hers. Almost of their own volition, the fingers of her free hand trailed upward to his shoulder, where she rested them lightly and tried to ignore the pinpricks of sensation that heated the pads of each digit before soaking into her skin and spreading through her veins.
    He started swaying to the music, holding her tight, pressing his cheek to her temple. Juliet let her eyes slide closed, taking a deep, shuddering breath and then letting it out again on a sigh.
    “Where are your sisters?” he whispered just above her ear.
    It took her a moment to find her voice...and the will to speak at all.
    “Zoe is closing up the store, then going out clubbing with her friends,” she told him. “And Lily is in Los Angeles with Nigel.”
    “So you’ve got the place to yourself tonight, huh? No chance of being interrupted?”
    She swallowed hard and gave a small shake of her head.
    “Good,” he murmured.
    Then, before she knew what he was doing, he tipped her head back and lowered his mouth to hers.
    His lips were warm. Salty from the Chinese they’d shared but sweet from the wine. And, man, did he know how to kiss.
    He possessed her, took from her, but gave her oh, so much in return. At first the pressure of his mouth was light, testing. But once he knew she wasn’t going to push him away, he delved deeper. The pressure of his lips against hers grew, and with one quick