Champagne Cravings Read Online Free

myself
three years ago.
    I had to suppress my own wistful—or lust ful—sigh. The
latter probably being more accurate.
    His half-assed grin was a heart-stopper. “Relax, will you?”
    Impossible. I could barely breathe and every fiber of
my being wanted to get naked with him. But…
    “I don’t want to cross any lines here.” Though the devil on
my shoulder sure did.
    Mike leaned toward me once more and whispered, “You’re wound
way too tight, Lace.”
    Moving past me, he headed out of the small room. He hadn’t
bothered to wrap the towel around his waist. Damn it all to hell, I couldn’t
keep my head from whipping around to see if the backside was as awesome as the front.
It was. Unable to stop myself, I turned and gave him a pat on the butt. I
really wasn’t good at ignoring the devil.
    Mike glanced back at me with another crooked brow. “That was
patronizing.”
    “You deserved it.”
    “Hmph. The next time you spank me, you’d better put some
meaning behind it.”
    My cunt clenched and my nipples tightened. Why oh why did I
have to play with fire? I’d laid down the law from the onset of our friendship.
Having been burned twice by bad boys like Mike Lucas, I refused to fall into his
sexy trap. My heart couldn’t take it. Nor could my damaged ego.
    Yet I wasn’t exactly stepping away from the rabbit hole, was
I?
    I remained rooted where I was as he ducked into my bedroom
and dressed. Yes indeed, I’d probably have to camp out on the sofa tonight if I
wanted to get any sleep. Otherwise, I’d stare into the darkness and imagine him
strutting in, stripping down and climbing into bed with me.
    When he returned from my room, his blazing blue gaze eased
over me again, from head to toe. He took his time sizing me up, as though
enjoying the view. It hardly compared to the one I’d had of him, but he let out
a low whistle of appreciation anyway.
    “You look sensational, by the way.”
    His eyes dropped indiscreetly to my breasts, brazen man who
he was. I wouldn’t be surprised if my hard nipples tented the silver satin,
given the thin material of the gown and my bra. I didn’t spare a look to
confirm my suspicion.
    Seemingly reluctant to do so, he pulled his gaze from my
ample chest and glanced up at my face. “How’d the shindig go at the
Montlimiere?”
    I’d forgotten about the crazy night I’d had. He distracted
me beyond all belief. “Took a shocking turn no one expected.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Yes. Now if you’re done here…” I could use a reprieve from
his overwhelming presence and all the riotous sensations he evoked.
    He didn’t budge. He continued to stand close to me. Too
close. I could smell his masculine scent along with a hint of my pomegranate
shampoo, which he’d clearly used. I pressed my back against the molding of the
archway, shrinking away from him. I also needed the support as my knees knocked
together.
    Mike didn’t back off, as he typically did when the flirting
escalated to an uncomfortable level for me. In fact, he propped a forearm above
my head. “You know, Lace,” he said in his deep, intimate tone, all traces of
his earlier amusement over our awkward predicament vanishing. “You don’t always
have to play the tough girl with me.” His blue irises glowed seductively as
they held my gaze. His other hand rested on my hip. He bent his head to mine
and my breath caught. “I’d never hurt you.”
    “Not intentionally.” My chest rose and fell sharply as my
breathing turned shallow. “But I’m all too familiar with your kind, remember?”
    His jaw clenched briefly. “Don’t lump me in with Chase and
Brandon. When it comes to you, I’m not looking for a quick fuck and an easy
escape.”
    My teeth clamped down on my bottom lip to keep it from
trembling. His words lingered between us, making me want to believe in them. I
knew he wasn’t an asshole. We’d been friends from the moment we’d met. I
trusted him with the key to my apartment, for God’s