Page 7 of Bargain with the Bachelor
Whatever it was, it seemed to energize Harry. His lungs worked in heavy surges, his hands gliding down my sides and grappling in the heavy folds of my dress.
He began working it upward as he backed me slowly across the room. The backs of my legs encountered an obstacle. Oh, it was a bedframe.
Whoa.
The surprise realization snapped me out of the lust-fog that had dropped over me in the past few minutes and obscured all my usual cautionary road signs.
Kissing in the dark was one thing—banging my boyfriend at a public venue would be a wholeotherkind of thing.
I turned my head, disengaging from the kiss.
“Wait.” I was fighting for breath as well as self-control. “Wait a minute. We have to stop.”
Harry let me go instantly, removing his hands and his mind-altering body heat. After a few ragged breaths of his own, he finally spoke.
“Too fast? Sorry about that. I got a little carried away.”
A bolt of terror shot through my chest.
Not Harry!
Not. Harry.
That wasnothis voice. Not even close. This voice was deeper, huskier.
Scrambling back from the man, I fell onto the bed in an ungraceful sprawl. Which the stranger couldn’t see, thank goodness, because of the darkness.
Stranger.Oh my God, I’d kissed a stranger.
Who was I kidding? I’dmade outwith him.
In a public place.
At my stepmother’s party, which was attended by pretty much everyone we knew in town.
Oh no.What if I knew this guy? What if he was one of Margot’s friends? One of my father’s friends? Ugh.
What if he was one ofHarry’sfriends?
This was so bad. So, so bad. I could hardly bear to think about it.
My chest hurt. Mortification flooded my veins, pushing out the words that had been trapped behind the instantaneous lump in my throat.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I gasped.
“Please…” A low chuckle. “… don’t apologize. That was just about the best few minutes of my life.”
“No, really. Ihaveto apologize. That was a mistake—an accident.”
“You sure about that? It felt pretty intentional there for a minute.” The man’s voice was somehow soothing and taunting at the same time.
That voice.Itwassomeone I knew. But who?
“No, I mean the kissing wasn’t an accident. It’s just… I didn’t mean to kissyou. I thought you were someone else. Wait… who are you?”
I heard the soft shush of movement, and then the light switched on, causing me to squint against its disconcerting brightness.
Blinking and getting my bearings, I shifted toward the bedroom door to see…
