Page 8 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

‘Excellent.’ Her breath gushed out as she came around her desk. Her face brightened, and her expression became unguarded for the first time.

The heat surged.

Great, he was going to have to get a handle on that reaction if he was going to deal with her for a whole year. But even as the thought occurred to him, he couldn’t resist the urge to poke at her composure again.

‘I guess we’ll have to figure out a dating itinerary for the next couple weeks. So we can be seen getting up close and personal before you tell everyone how you’ve fallen madly in love with me.’

‘Oh, yes, of course, absolutely,’ she said, even though he suspected she hadn’t considered doing any such thing—which only made the urge to push more irresistible.

He lifted his hand and traced his thumb down the side of her face. Her brows rose and he felt her vicious jolt of reaction. But she didn’t pull away.

His grin widened. ‘Perhaps we should practise before I go,’ he teased, unable to resist.

‘I beg your pardon, Mr Lord.’

‘Call me Travis, Belle,’ he said, using the nickname he knew had horrified her earlier. He’d used it then to unsettle her deliberately. It had a similar effect now.

‘Belle is not my name. It’s Isabelle, or Issy,’ she whispered. ‘That’s what my mother called me.’ Sadness shadowed her eyes before she could mask it.

‘I prefer Belle. It’s better if my pet name for you is unique.’ He brushed his thumb across her lips. Her eyes widened, and he had the weirdest suspicion she’d never been touched by a man before... But then he got a clue.

She was just skittish with him because she didn’t know him.

This situation was super screwed up, whatever way you looked at it, but the sooner she got used to his touch, the better.

‘Okay, if you insist,’ she said, the intelligence in her eyes dispelling the shock. ‘And what should my pet name for you be?’ she challenged. ‘Trav, maybe. Or Vis?’

He chuckled. Was she making a joke? Because as outlandish as it seemed, it was also kind of cute.

‘They used to call me Killer on the slopes,’ he said, trailing his thumb down the elegant line of her neck and pressing the pad against the rampant pulse in her collarbone. Still she didn’t draw away.

‘Killer doesn’t seem very romantic,’ she managed, although her breathing had become ragged. Her throat contracted as she swallowed, the heat rising like a wall. Tall and infallible.

He was playing with fire. He’d agreed to no sex. But hey, they had to be convincing for this to work, and anyway, when had he ever been the type of guy who denied himself something he wanted...? And right now, he wanted to find out how soft her lips really were.

‘Brace yourself, Your Majesty,’ he murmured, giving her one last chance to tell him no.

But she didn’t, so he lowered his head slowly and pressed his mouth to hers.

She sucked in a breath, the giddy pulse beating double time against his thumb. He eased her into the kiss, slicking his tongue across the seam, gently, then more insistently, until she got the message. And opened for him. He pressed his advantage, tasting sweetness and spice... And all things nice. But as he probed, ready to go deeper, she jerked back.

He lifted his head, just as a knock sounded at the door.

She stared up at him—dazed.

Damn, but he could drown in those eyes, the mossy green sheened with heat and yearning, but also the panic he had sensed earlier.

Then she blinked and the shutters slammed down again. She took a step back.

He jammed his fists into his pockets to contain the urge to cup her cheeks, feel the heat against his palms—and take a heck of a lot more than just a kiss.

‘Was that sufficient?’ she asked.

Not nearly.

He eased a tight breath out of his lungs, and tried to remember this was all for show... And for his own amusement. Although his little joke had backfired, the heat now pulsing painfully in his gut.

‘To be convincing?’ she added, having regained her composure a lot faster than he had. Except... Her gaze wasn’t meeting his again.

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