Free A Little Bit Scandalous by Robyn DeHart

attractive, had even considered bedding her at one point. But this, the urgency and intensity of his want, took him by surprise. Her mouth was so soft, the curves of her body pressed into his, and lust surged through him. He slid his tongue against hers and not only did she allow it, but she kissed back. Her hands gripped at his biceps. She eagerly took the punishment he offered her. He was not teaching her a lesson, at least, not the right one. She was not afraid of him or his kisses. She wanted them. The realization made him take a step back.
    “They would do a hell of lot worse to you.” He stormed out of the room, hoping he appeared angry and that she couldn’t see right through him, see the way she had affected him.
    …
    Well, damnation!
    Caroline put her fingers to her lips, her eyes fluttered closed. She had thought for so long that her feelings for Roe had been a girlhood crush, fleeting feelings of youthful love that meant nothing once she’d grown into a full woman. Yet, that was certainly not how she was feeling at the moment.
    Her body had come alive when he’d pulled her close, when he’d pressed his lips to hers. Then he’d kissed her, and it seemed the world had stopped spinning. Even though she knew that he’d only done so as a way of showing her how dangerous and reckless she’d been, it had not been about desire. Except for her.
    She could have stayed in his arms, in that moment, for the rest of her life.
    She shook herself and left his study, heading up to her own bedchamber. His motive had been to scare her, she could tell that much, but their kiss had affected him, too.
    She didn’t have time for such nonsense. She had a plan for her own life that did not include wasting any more of her time on Roe Grisham. Her heart might feel otherwise, but she was a rational, logical creature, and she could simply ignore those feelings. It was merely a reaction to his kiss, to his nearness.
    Good heavens, though, as logical as she was, she was also a woman and Roe was more handsome than any man she’d ever set eyes on. It would be hard not to be affected by his presence. But she could certainly ignore him or at least, learn to be less entranced by him. It would take some effort on her part, but she was a disciplined person.
    She stepped into the room and rang for the maid that had been assigned to see about her needs. Caroline stood while the girl unbuttoned the fastenings at her back. What did he care if any man at Rodale’s suspected she was a woman and tried to take liberties with her? Roe had washed his hands of her years ago, so it shouldn’t matter to him one way or another. He’d certainly never done anything to assist her, other than what was his duty. That wasn’t fair and she knew it, still, tonight she needed to be angry with him.
    Give her the money for her house, he must be mad. She would never allow him to do such a thing. That defeated the whole purpose. Not that it wasn’t tempting, she couldn’t deny that. She could always repay him. It would be a way of restoring the property immediately, but no, she wanted to do it on her own. She needed to do it alone, to prove to herself she could stand by herself and not have to always rely on others to take care of her.
    If Roe funded the renovations for her, she’d be relying on him. Precisely what she’d done her entire life. She’d been a burden to every person she’d ever loved, first her father when her mother died, and then poor Christopher when their dad passed away. After his death, she was sent off to a veritable stranger and had lived off him and his mother for all of her adult life.
    It was past time for her to take care of herself.
    That solved the issue of money, though it certainly begged the question of what she would do if the renovations required more than she’d already earned. She needed a new plan to earn the rest of the funds. In the meantime, she would live in Roe’s townhome and try to keep her distance.
    So while her