Free Must Like Kids by Jackie Braun

citrus. It enveloped him, washed over him like a wave.
    “Well?”
    He could barely hear the word over the blood that had begun to pound in his ears. What was wrong with him? Since when did he find intensity so sexy, or a simple touch so unsettling when she reached out and rolled up his shirtsleeves a second time?
    She nodded afterward. “Yes. To the middle of the forearm makes you look more relaxed and approachable.”
    “Approachable,” Alec repeated. He wanted to be amused. Instead, he was intrigued...and unbearably turned on.
    Her hands were still on his arm, warm palms resting lightly against his bare skin. Another sizzle of awareness streaked through him, carrying the zing of an electrical current. Julia must have felt it, too, because she yanked her hands away and glanced up, her mouth rounded in surprise.
    Seduction was an art, one at which Alec excelled, but he didn’t plan to kiss Julia. It just happened. No other parts of their bodies connected, only their lips. That tentative brush was all the more erotic for its brevity and sweetness.
    He stopped, ordered himself to take a step back, but as his mouth hovered over hers, interest turned into need, until it seemed he had no other choice but to kiss her a second time. Nothing about this meeting was brief or could be classified as sweet. Hungry would be an apt description. Desperate would fit, too. Still, he didn’t touch her. He kept his arms at his sides, his hands clenched into fists. It was the only control he could muster, and even it was flagging by the time Julia broke away.
    She brought her hand to her lips, her expression a mixture of surprise and, to his disappointment, horror.
    “That probably wasn’t a good idea,” Alec said once his heart rate had leveled off.
    Julia fussed with her shirt’s ribbon belt. Alec wanted to fuss with it as well...unknot it so he could slip the blouse over her head. He was sucking in a breath even as she exhaled.
    “No. Not a good idea. Let’s not let that happen again.”
    Her reply made it clear she wasn’t foisting all of the responsibility for that kiss on him, even if he had been the one to initiate it. She was taking responsibility, too. He wanted to agree with her about no repeats. Doing so would put both of their minds at ease.
    Instead, he asked, “Why not? I mean, I know it’s not a good idea, but you’ve got to admit, that was one hell of a kiss.”
    In fact, he wasn’t entirely certain he’d ever experienced its like. The blush that stained her cheeks made her agreement plain. When she spoke, her prim tone, even more so than her words, told him she didn’t plan to come back for seconds.
    “I have a job to do, Alec. I’ve been hired to resurrect your public image. Your board of directors is not paying me to...fool around with you in private.”
    He grunted out an oath. He couldn’t put his finger on the source of his irritation. But like a dog with a bone, he chewed on it. “Is that your idea of fooling around? If so, you need to get out more. It entails a whole lot more than kissing.”
    The lips that just a moment earlier had been so soft and pliant beneath his, flattened into a thin line.
    “I don’t need to get out more. What I need to do is my job. Speaking of which, we need to leave now or we’ll be late. I promised the organizer of the cutest baby contest that we would be at the park no later than two.”
    “Julia—”
    She shook her head and turned on her heel. She was out of his apartment and nearly to the elevator before he had a chance to grab his keys and sunglasses and lock up. The ride down was quiet. She stood on the opposite side of the small elevator, arms crossed over her chest. No eye contact was made. It grated that she had a friendly smile and wave for Hank as she hustled across the lobby.
    “You know where we’re going, right?” she said once they were outside. While his car was in the private lot designated for tenants, hers was parallel-parked up the block.
    “I