Page 35 of Seduced By You

I touched my lips, swollen from the intensity of his kiss. The reason he’d kissed me was as clear as a cloudless sky. I’d caught Benedict eyeing us right before Kadon had asked me to trust him, and I’d second-guessed his plan. But I’d expected a quick peck, a tender look, or him tucking my hair behind my ear. I had not expected him to rock the ground beneath my feet and change the trajectory of my thoughts.

I’m not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

I peeked up at Kadon to gauge his reaction to what had transpired between us and whether he was as shaken up as I was.

I expected to find him dumbfounded, or befuddled, or contrite, or worried. Instead, his smirk was steeped in smugness, he’d jutted out his chin in that cocky manner some guys perfected after they’d nailed a girl, and he’d raised his eyebrows in a deliberate fashion.

“Fine, so you can kiss,” I muttered. “Make sure you put that on your resumé.”

A chuckle rumbled through his firm chest. The chest that, seconds ago, had my boobs pressed flat against it. The chest that, suddenly, I couldn’t stop staring at.

I lowered my gaze—and caught a definite bulge in his groin.

Oh, fuck. Abort! Abort!I looked up so fast I almost lost my eyes round the back of my head.

“Annaleesa!” Benedict strode toward us, a smile as fake as Kadon’s and my relationship plastered to his face and showing off teeth so bright they blinded me. I almost reached into my handbag for my sunglasses until I remembered it was November in England and sunglasses were normally surplus to requirements.

“Hello, Benedict.” Zero tremor to my voice. Top marks. “You look well.”

“As do you.” He looked me up and down as if he were assessing a prize thoroughbred. “Marvelous, in fact.”

Kadon pressed his palm to my lower back, a move meant to support me. Instead, electricity sizzled up my spine. It surprised me that my hair didn’t stand on end from the static.

“Thank you.” I leaned my head on Kadon’s shoulder. “This is Kadon Kingcaid. My boyfriend,” I added pointedly. More like pointlessly, considering the display we’d put on for the assembled guests and the happy couple.

Kadon held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ben.”

I suppressed a chuckle. Benedict’s eyes widened, and his lips mashed together.

“It’s Benedict. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Annaleesa.”

Kadon arched an eyebrow. “Really? You look far more like a Ben. Or a Benny. And, to be clear, Lee doesn’t have to tell you a damn thing about her personal life, or, indeed, any part of her life.”

This time I couldn’t help it. A squeak escaped through my lips. I tried—and failed—to disguise it with a cough.

Benedict’s neck reddened, a pulse thrumming in his cheek. He puffed out his chest and stood up straight, but despite his best efforts, he fell three or four inches short of Kadon. “I prefer ‘Benedict.’?”

“Then I’ll do my utmost to remember that.”

Ohhh, Kadon was playing a superb game. I could kiss him. Except I already had. Or rather, he’d kissed me. Either way, we’d kissed.

Stop thinking about the kissing.

The problem was, I couldn’t. Even with Benedict’s offended cockerel routine and Kadon’s blatant “You’re a dick” response, the way Kadon’s lips had felt against mine consumed every thought.

“Kingcaid.” Benedict tapped his finger against his chin. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Kadon’s family has businesses all over the globe.” I could have added, “And his bank balance makes your future father-in-law look like a pauper,” but I refrained. Kadon hardly ever threw around his family’s wealth; therefore, it was hardly my place to.

“Leesa!” Fenella hurried over before Benedict could respond, all plumped-up lips, waving arms, and back-combed hair that she really should check for nesting birds. “Oh, I’m so glad you could make it.” She enveloped me in a hug and air-kissed the space next to both my cheeks. “I wasn’t sure, you know. What with everything that’s gone on. But I always knew you were the sort of person who didn’t hold grudges.”

Oh, I hold grudges. And they’re aimed right between the eyes of your cheating fiancé.

Benedict was the one who’d been in a committed relationship and had thrown it all away for someone he thought better suited to enable his political ambitions. All too often, women blamed other women for their relationship breakups, and while it took two to tango, I laid ninety-five percent of the fault firmly at Benedict’s door.

“Good to see you, Fenella. Are you excited for the wedding?”

“Very.” She stuffed her hand through Benedict’s arm and nestled into him. “We can’t wait. Can we, darling?”

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