Page 30 of Substitute Bride

His mind was still whirling, but for a different reason now. He was aware of nothing in the world but Rose, and she seemed to fill his entire consciousness. Her mouth was set, her cheeks were flush, and her eyes were full of feeling. Her damp hair tumbled down around her shoulders, and her lush body was like the sweetest temptation.

It was wrong. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t seem to care very much. His body and mind were both pulsing now with how much he wanted her.

“Do you really want me to say exactly what I mean?” he demanded, his voice thick and hoarse.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea. It can’t be healthy to keep everything always bottled up the way you do.”

“You think I should let it out?” He was leaning forward now, irresistibly drawn.

“What you’ll do and what you should do don’t often seem to be the same thing.”

“So you think I won’t?”

“I know you won’t.” She gave him a little smile. “In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never let out what you really think or feel. You’re not likely to do so now.”

It was like a dare or a challenge, and there was no way James could let it go unanswered. He didn’t want to let it go since she was voicing exactly what he wanted, he needed, he’d never believed he could have.

He leaned forward even more until he could take her face in his hands. Then he kissed her. Hard.

She gasped against his mouth, clearly taken by surprise but then almost immediately her hands were going up to his face too, her palms pressing against his jaw.

He felt her body softening and her lips starting to move with his, and the pleasure surged up inside him until he couldn’t think or see. He leaned forward even more until both of them tumbled backward onto her chaise.

He didn’t let the awkward move stop him. He needed this so much that it was like his body had a will of its own. He moved over her more securely in the chaise and claimed her lips again.

“James,” she gasped, breaking off the kiss but clearly not trying to make the embrace end yet. She moved one hand up to clutch at his hair and the other down to stroke his back.

She’d always called him Mr. Harwood, and something thrilled inside him at hearing her say his name like that. Her body was rocking against his, and he couldn’t get enough of the feel of it.

He ran his lips across her smooth cheek until he’d reached her lips once more. He slid his tongue over the top and then bottom lip before he slipped it into her mouth. She opened for him readily, everything about her passionate and eager. His body throbbed with urgent need as their tongues tangled together.

She was soft and warm and feminine, and his hands started to move over any of the curves he could reach. He’d never felt anyone like her before, and it spurred on his desire.

He was completely out of control, devouring her mouth and rocking his growing erection against her middle. He needed a release badly, and he needed it to be in her body.

Maybe he’d always wanted this. Maybe he’d just never known it until now.

There was no telling what he would do, how far he would go, if they hadn’t heard a noise from the backyard gate.

It sounded like the latch clicked, and both of them jerked as the sound broke through their passionate interlude.

James was panting as he looked over toward the gate. He caught a faint glimpse of someone leaving—like they’d come to the gate and then turned around.

“Who is it?” Rose asked breathlessly as if she’d seen too.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. A different kind of urgency compelled him to heave himself to his feet, his erection still throbbing and every muscle in his body tight.

He walked stiffly over to the gate and looked out. A car had just pulled out of the driveway and was racing down the street with squealing tires.

It wasn’t Marta. He was sure of that, because she drove a silver sedan and this car was red.

The only person he knew with a red car was Genevieve, but surely she wouldn’t…

He wouldn’t put it past her to come unannounced, but she wouldn’t have left without a confrontation. Not if she’d seen him kissing Rose like that.

Rose was standing up when he returned, and she was pulling on a cover-up. “Who was it?” she asked, looking flushed and confused.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “It looked kind of like Genevieve, but I don’t think she would have…” He trailed off.