Read Online Kiss Me Forever (Bachelors & Bridesmaids #1) by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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to warn me to be quiet? I'm insulted, Alex. We've known each other a long time."
"Don't take it that way. Consider it a heads up."
"All right. Since this woman has you rattled, I'll do that. But I don't think it's just her story you're worried about. She's not like those flaky models you date. She's got brains and a mind of her own. And you've always liked a challenge."
Mick was right. He did like a challenge, and he definitely liked Andrea. Her sharp wit, her candor, and even her vulnerability had impressed him. And he had the strangest urge to try to impress her in return, which was really why he'd brought her to the gym in the first place. He'd wanted her to catch a glimpse of a man who did more than party with rich people. But that had been an impulsive mistake.
"I like a challenge," he said, realizing Mick was still waiting for him to comment. "But I'm not stupid. I won't jeopardize everything."
"What happens if she does find something out? What then?"
Alex's mouth tightened into a grim line at the thought. "I'd have to make sure she didn't use it."
"By doing what?"
"Whatever I have to."
"Maybe when Andrea gets here, I should offer her some boxing gloves. She might need them before you're through."
"All I need you to do is smile and tell her nothing. Hopefully, she'll get frustrated and give up."
Mick smiled. "And here I thought you'd forgotten how to be optimistic."
He reluctantly smiled back. "I thought I'd forgotten, too."
"When do you see her again?"
"Tonight. I'm taking her to a party. There will be lots of people around and no chance for private conversation." He paused, wondering why that didn't sound quite so appealing anymore. "At any rate, tonight should not be a problem."
* * *
Andrea was wrestling with a stubborn zipper on the back of her emerald green cocktail dress when the doorbell rang. Swearing under her breath, she gave the zipper another impatient tug, glaring at her expression in the mirror. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, and her blond hair tumbled around her shoulders in a mass of waves. She was actually a little amazed by her image. She looked downright sexy—like a party girl, a woman on a date, not a reporter on assignment. But she could hardly go to a cocktail party in her work clothes, and it was too late to change anyway.
The doorbell rang again, reminding her that there was no time for second thoughts. With one arm holding the back of her dress together, she stalked to the front door and threw it open, glaring at the man in the hallway.
"You're early," she said.
Alex raised one eyebrow and then consulted his Rolex watch. "Two minutes late, actually."
She let out a heavy sigh and stood back. "You might as well come in."
"Thank you. What's wrong?"
"My zipper is stuck."
"Let me help."
She reluctantly turned around, knowing he was going to catch a good view of her lacy bra and bare back.
"Nice," he murmured.
Her nerves tingled at the husky word.
"Just focus on the zipper."
"Not as easy as you might think," he said dryly. "You have a beautiful body, what I can see of it—"
"I'd rather you see less of it—so zipper, please."
She stared straight ahead, trying to concentrate on the long crack of plaster on the wall and not on Alex's warm fingers as they grazed her back. But the wall didn't do it for her, so she looked around the living room of her small apartment, suddenly aware of the overflowing laundry basket she'd set on the chair when she'd come up from the laundry room earlier, and the bridal magazines her sister had left on the coffee table, and the half-filled mug of coffee she'd drunk the night before while doing her research on Alex. She wasn't a complete slob, but her apartment was nowhere near as pristine clean as Alex's house. Then again, she didn't have a cleaning staff.
"This is really stuck," Alex said.
"Maybe I'll just wear something else."
"Give me a second. Don't give up so easily."
She normally didn't give up easily at
"Don't take it that way. Consider it a heads up."
"All right. Since this woman has you rattled, I'll do that. But I don't think it's just her story you're worried about. She's not like those flaky models you date. She's got brains and a mind of her own. And you've always liked a challenge."
Mick was right. He did like a challenge, and he definitely liked Andrea. Her sharp wit, her candor, and even her vulnerability had impressed him. And he had the strangest urge to try to impress her in return, which was really why he'd brought her to the gym in the first place. He'd wanted her to catch a glimpse of a man who did more than party with rich people. But that had been an impulsive mistake.
"I like a challenge," he said, realizing Mick was still waiting for him to comment. "But I'm not stupid. I won't jeopardize everything."
"What happens if she does find something out? What then?"
Alex's mouth tightened into a grim line at the thought. "I'd have to make sure she didn't use it."
"By doing what?"
"Whatever I have to."
"Maybe when Andrea gets here, I should offer her some boxing gloves. She might need them before you're through."
"All I need you to do is smile and tell her nothing. Hopefully, she'll get frustrated and give up."
Mick smiled. "And here I thought you'd forgotten how to be optimistic."
He reluctantly smiled back. "I thought I'd forgotten, too."
"When do you see her again?"
"Tonight. I'm taking her to a party. There will be lots of people around and no chance for private conversation." He paused, wondering why that didn't sound quite so appealing anymore. "At any rate, tonight should not be a problem."
* * *
Andrea was wrestling with a stubborn zipper on the back of her emerald green cocktail dress when the doorbell rang. Swearing under her breath, she gave the zipper another impatient tug, glaring at her expression in the mirror. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, and her blond hair tumbled around her shoulders in a mass of waves. She was actually a little amazed by her image. She looked downright sexy—like a party girl, a woman on a date, not a reporter on assignment. But she could hardly go to a cocktail party in her work clothes, and it was too late to change anyway.
The doorbell rang again, reminding her that there was no time for second thoughts. With one arm holding the back of her dress together, she stalked to the front door and threw it open, glaring at the man in the hallway.
"You're early," she said.
Alex raised one eyebrow and then consulted his Rolex watch. "Two minutes late, actually."
She let out a heavy sigh and stood back. "You might as well come in."
"Thank you. What's wrong?"
"My zipper is stuck."
"Let me help."
She reluctantly turned around, knowing he was going to catch a good view of her lacy bra and bare back.
"Nice," he murmured.
Her nerves tingled at the husky word.
"Just focus on the zipper."
"Not as easy as you might think," he said dryly. "You have a beautiful body, what I can see of it—"
"I'd rather you see less of it—so zipper, please."
She stared straight ahead, trying to concentrate on the long crack of plaster on the wall and not on Alex's warm fingers as they grazed her back. But the wall didn't do it for her, so she looked around the living room of her small apartment, suddenly aware of the overflowing laundry basket she'd set on the chair when she'd come up from the laundry room earlier, and the bridal magazines her sister had left on the coffee table, and the half-filled mug of coffee she'd drunk the night before while doing her research on Alex. She wasn't a complete slob, but her apartment was nowhere near as pristine clean as Alex's house. Then again, she didn't have a cleaning staff.
"This is really stuck," Alex said.
"Maybe I'll just wear something else."
"Give me a second. Don't give up so easily."
She normally didn't give up easily at
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