Free Let's Pretend (Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Second Chance, Sensual) by Monique DeVere

replete. Do you understand me?”
    She gave him a sexy smirk and bit the corner of her bottom lip. “I’m not sure if that’s a promise or a threat.”
    He couldn’t be sure either. Every male hormone in his body urged him to kiss her good and hard, until she was begging him to make love to her, while the part of his brain responsible for logical thought—the part that wasn’t completely devoid of blood—told him to back off. If Belle hadn’t consumed so much wine, she wouldn’t have allowed things to get this far. And she’d never forgive him if he took advantage of her vulnerability tonight.
    “Belle, I doubt you’ll remember doing this tomorrow.”
    Her eyelids brushed down to half-mast as her gaze zeroed in on his mouth. She licked her lips in a slow, tormenting glide. “You have the most beautiful lips; do you know that?” Her finger traced his bottom lip.
    Luc gulped, then chuckled to cover the groan her compliment tore from him. Turning down Belle’s unspoken invitation was going to be harder than the organ in his trousers begging to get out. “Honey, let’s get you tucked into bed. You’ll feel better once you sleep this off.”
    With a lethargic smile, she cupped the back of his head just as he started to turn her toward her bed, bringing his mouth to hers. She snuck her soft tongue into his mouth, inciting his response. He took the kiss and turned it into an erotic caress that was deep and hot and left them breathing hard. When she pulled away, her dark blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
    “I know exactly what I’m doing, Luc.”  
    His good intentions went up in smoke as every part of him came alive. Just for tonight, he’d believe Belle wanted him as much as he longed for her. Just for tonight, he’d pretend everything was all right between them. But when tomorrow came he planned to win the battle for his marriage. Because Luc knew after this weekend, he’d never be able to give her up—she was his, and he loved her. To him, “for better or for worse” meant just that. He’d given her time to reconsider, but the decree nisi he’d received a few weeks ago told him she did not intend to do so.
    He’d believed it prudent to give her time to calm down; he now knew that to be a foolish mistake. He shouldn’t have let her go so easily.
    Luc dropped his gaze to her lips, parted and swollen from their last kiss as she waited for him to make the decision. He couldn’t summon the strength to fight the urge to kiss her—he needed her more than his next breath.
    Her cool hands snuck beneath his shirt, sliding up over rigid stomach muscles on their way to his chest.
    “I’ve always loved your body.” She lightly drew her short nails down his pecs, scraping his flat nipples.
    He swallowed back a groan.
    Little minx! She knew exactly what that did to him. Clearly, she wanted to tease him out of his skin—as if he wasn’t already heavy and throbbing for her.   
    Belle leaned into him. “It always makes me so…” She reached up on tiptoe to press her cheek against his, her lips touching his ear. “… hot .”
    This time no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t prevent the rough groan from escaping his throat. Like a backdraft , her words caused a rapid combustion. He tangled his hands in her glossy hair and covered her mouth with his. Good and hard was how he wanted to kiss her, and evidently she felt the same way, because she pulled her hands from underneath his shirt and slid them into his hair. She held him while she gave herself over to his kiss, kissing him back with equal ardour until they both fought to catch their breaths, only to lock onto each other’s lips a second after breaking away for air.
    Soon Luc lost track of where one kiss ended and the next began. All he knew was that he couldn’t stop kissing Belle now he’d started—not even if someone held a gun to his head.
    Lips sliding against lips, tongues gliding together, Belle’s hands stripping off his clothes; he