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Authors: Amie Louellen
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wasn’t the only one drawn like a magnet. He moved closer and closer still until she could count every dark lash on those exotic eyes.
Before she could protest—not that she wanted to—he kissed her.
Natalie sighed and leaned into him, thankful for his strong presence to hold her upright. As his mouth moved over hers there was something sweet and thrilling and somehow forbidden in that wonderful kiss. Forbidden … Not because he was a tabloid reporter, not because he was a Yankee, but she was almost engaged.
The thought swirled around in her head like the stars in that famous painting, but she couldn’t quite grasp its meaning. Almost engaged wasn’t engaged. And she wanted to experiment just a smidge. Just to see why every time she got close to Newland Tran her heart knocked in her chest like the trill of a woodpecker.
Almost engaged. Somehow she grabbed hold of the thought and realized this was wrong. She was kissing another man when she was nearly engaged to Gerald Davenport, the man of her dreams.
She used her hands to push Newland away. How had they gotten to his chest to begin with? Hadn’t they been at her sides just moments before?
“No.” Her voice was a breathless whisper as threadbare as the rugs in the hallway.
Despite the insubstantial word, he took a step back.
She swayed in place and he steadied her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, though she wasn’t sure for what or to whom was she apologizing. Him for stopping their kiss? Herself for enjoying it? Or for Gerald because he wasn’t standing there?
She shook her head.
“I’m not.”
Her eyes flew open and she studied his expression. He didn’t look sorry at all. In fact he looked quite satisfied with himself.
“That can never happen again.”
“Why, because you’re engaged to a stuffed shirt?”
“Gerald is not a stuffed shirt.”
“Oh yeah, and I forgot. You’re not exactly engaged, now are you?”
Her palm itched to slap his face, but even as she wanted to, she knew he spoke the truth. She wasn’t engaged to Gerald. Not yet. But she would be and that in itself would put her life in brilliant order. Just the way she liked it.
“It’s only a matter of time,” she said.
He nodded, but she could tell from the smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth that he didn’t believe it, not for a second.
“Uh-huh,” he said. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away whistling as he went, leaving Natalie staring behind him, her lips still throbbing with his kiss.
Chapter Six
Natalie was exhausted by the time she pulled up in front of her aunt’s house the next evening. She had gotten up before everyone that morning and was out of the house before they even knew she was gone. And that was just how she wanted it. She would call the school later and make sure that Aubie had made it to his classes.
But it wasn’t her brother who had her lingering in the car. Nope, it was him, the last person she wanted to see. Newland Tran.
She sat in her car for another moment under the shade of that big sycamore, with Oskar next to her whining a bit, wondering why they were inactive.
She reached over and scratched the pup behind his ears, effectively stanching his worry. “I know, boy. It’s not the best situation, hmmm?”
That was an understatement.
Despite her sleepless night she still hadn’t figured out what to do about that kiss. That bad night coupled with the busy day she had was the reason she hadn’t figured out what to do. Or at least that was what she was telling herself. There was more to it than that. Much more.
Her day had been busy, including a lunch with Gerald. That hadn’t been as busy as it had been uncomfortable. She couldn’t help but think of kissing Newland as she sat across the table from her almost fiancé. But it was only a kiss.
A kiss that curled toes and melted plastic.
“But that’s not important, right?” She looked to her dog for answers but Oskar simply wagged his tail and gave her
Before she could protest—not that she wanted to—he kissed her.
Natalie sighed and leaned into him, thankful for his strong presence to hold her upright. As his mouth moved over hers there was something sweet and thrilling and somehow forbidden in that wonderful kiss. Forbidden … Not because he was a tabloid reporter, not because he was a Yankee, but she was almost engaged.
The thought swirled around in her head like the stars in that famous painting, but she couldn’t quite grasp its meaning. Almost engaged wasn’t engaged. And she wanted to experiment just a smidge. Just to see why every time she got close to Newland Tran her heart knocked in her chest like the trill of a woodpecker.
Almost engaged. Somehow she grabbed hold of the thought and realized this was wrong. She was kissing another man when she was nearly engaged to Gerald Davenport, the man of her dreams.
She used her hands to push Newland away. How had they gotten to his chest to begin with? Hadn’t they been at her sides just moments before?
“No.” Her voice was a breathless whisper as threadbare as the rugs in the hallway.
Despite the insubstantial word, he took a step back.
She swayed in place and he steadied her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, though she wasn’t sure for what or to whom was she apologizing. Him for stopping their kiss? Herself for enjoying it? Or for Gerald because he wasn’t standing there?
She shook her head.
“I’m not.”
Her eyes flew open and she studied his expression. He didn’t look sorry at all. In fact he looked quite satisfied with himself.
“That can never happen again.”
“Why, because you’re engaged to a stuffed shirt?”
“Gerald is not a stuffed shirt.”
“Oh yeah, and I forgot. You’re not exactly engaged, now are you?”
Her palm itched to slap his face, but even as she wanted to, she knew he spoke the truth. She wasn’t engaged to Gerald. Not yet. But she would be and that in itself would put her life in brilliant order. Just the way she liked it.
“It’s only a matter of time,” she said.
He nodded, but she could tell from the smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth that he didn’t believe it, not for a second.
“Uh-huh,” he said. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away whistling as he went, leaving Natalie staring behind him, her lips still throbbing with his kiss.
Chapter Six
Natalie was exhausted by the time she pulled up in front of her aunt’s house the next evening. She had gotten up before everyone that morning and was out of the house before they even knew she was gone. And that was just how she wanted it. She would call the school later and make sure that Aubie had made it to his classes.
But it wasn’t her brother who had her lingering in the car. Nope, it was him, the last person she wanted to see. Newland Tran.
She sat in her car for another moment under the shade of that big sycamore, with Oskar next to her whining a bit, wondering why they were inactive.
She reached over and scratched the pup behind his ears, effectively stanching his worry. “I know, boy. It’s not the best situation, hmmm?”
That was an understatement.
Despite her sleepless night she still hadn’t figured out what to do about that kiss. That bad night coupled with the busy day she had was the reason she hadn’t figured out what to do. Or at least that was what she was telling herself. There was more to it than that. Much more.
Her day had been busy, including a lunch with Gerald. That hadn’t been as busy as it had been uncomfortable. She couldn’t help but think of kissing Newland as she sat across the table from her almost fiancé. But it was only a kiss.
A kiss that curled toes and melted plastic.
“But that’s not important, right?” She looked to her dog for answers but Oskar simply wagged his tail and gave her
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