Page 42 of Kiss Me Forever

"Best friends are for girls and little kids."

"Oh, come on, that's not true. You're splitting hairs. If you don't like the word 'best', then tell me who your good friends are."

"You've met a bunch of them already."

She shook her head. "I mean people like Mick, people who really know you. What about kids you grew up with, went to high school with—do you keep in touch with any of them?"

"No," he said shortly. "My friends are the people you've met as well as some coworkers you haven't met."

"When do I get to meet them?"

"Andrea, you're not writing an encyclopedia. You don’t need to interview everyone I've ever talked to in my life. How long is this article?"

"It's long enough to warrant as much information as I can gather," she retorted. "And I don't tell you how to make games, so don't tell me how to do my job."

Anger sparkled in her blue eyes, which only made them prettier. "I wasn't telling you how to do your job, but I think you're trying to make something out of nothing. You know my past. You know what I do now. What more do you want?"

"A lot more," she snapped. "You haven't told me anything about your parents."

"I don't talk about them."

"Exactly. And I know only basic facts about what happened in your teens. Your early twenties are still a mystery to me. There seem to be big gaps between working in a video arcade and running a billion-dollar company. I don't know who you talk to when you're down or whether you've ever really been in love with anyone. I don't know what you want to do tomorrow or next year or ten years from now."

"Neither do I. I don't have my life planned out. I stopped making plans a long time ago. I live in the moment."

"That's not true. You plan game releases a year out at least."

"Fine, I make business plans, but not personal ones."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't." He strode forward, stopping just inches away from her.

"You're afraid," she said.

"You're calling me a coward?" he asked in astonishment. "I've been called a lot of things, but not that."

"You're afraid to want something in case you don't get it. In business, it doesn't matter. But in your personal life, it does. You lost a lot as a kid, your parents, your aunt, your whole world was shattered. So now you don't have close friends. You don't count on people. You don't expect anything, because then you won't be disappointed."

"You think you have me figured out," he murmured. She actually wasn't that far off base. Not all of her assumptions were true, but some of them were. He shouldn't have been surprised. She was a smart woman with an analytical mind, but it wasn't her mind he was interested in right now.

"I think I've figured a few things out," she amended, wariness flashing in her eyes as he slid his arms around her. "Alex?"

"You're right about some things. I don't count on anyone but myself. And perhaps I don't make plans because when I used to do that, I was almost always slapped down. But I'm not as closed-off as you think. I have friends. I've had women in my life. And I'm not afraid of life. I'm ready for the next curve to get thrown. In fact, I'm not waiting for it to come to me; I'm going after it. I'm going after it right now."

She stiffened, desire in her eyes, as he made his intent extremely clear.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?

"Probably not. But I've been thinking about kissing you since the last time, and if you don't want this to happen, you better tell me now."

"It's hard to fight you and myself," she said with a soft sigh.

"Then don't."

The heat that had been simmering between them sparked and flamed with the touch of their lips. He took the kiss deeper, wanting to take her mouth, her body, every part of her that she wanted to give.

He hauled her up against his chest, needing to feel her soft curves, needing to be as close to her as he could get.

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