It's In His Kiss Read Online Free Page A

 
    Grabbing the can of condensed milk, she gestured with the spoon. "Want some?"
    "Uh," he raised his brows. "No thanks. I had disgusting sweet stuff for lunch."
    She shoved a huge, dripping spoonful into her mouth and spoke around it. "When did you get back from Japan?" It came out as "Hen did ooh get bag fum Hapan?"
    He didn't answer, just raised an eyebrow and reached for her spoon.
    "Ah--ah-- ah," she said, pushing his hand away with her elbow as she swallowed. "Get your own spoon."
    He satisfied himself with sticking a finger into the can, then sucking on it. Propping one denim-clad ankle on the other knee, he licked his lips. "I was right. It's disgusting. How're you doing?"
    "Fine." Cat reached for a lemon slice and bit into it. She shuddered.
    Michael's eyes widened in disbelief. " What are you doing?"  
    She shrugged and licked her lips. "It's the same as lemon ice box pie, if you think about it."
    "I'd rather not think about it, thanks. Aren't you missing the graham crackers and whipped cream?" 
    "I'm fresh out." She sucked lemon juice off her finger.
    He muttered something she didn't hear, his eyes watching her finger.
    "What?"
    "Nothing," he said, shaking his head.
    She frowned at him. "So--when did you get in? I talked to Sara yesterday. Why didn't she mention you were back?"
    Michael's gaze slid away, and he stood and wandered around, pretending interest in her apartment.
    Cat was distracted by his broad shoulders and perfectly fitting jeans. Boy he looked great. It had been six years since she’d seen him, and he still had a face and body that would stop traffic. He shifted and she immediately recognized his nonchalant I've-got-something-to-hide stance. "Michael?" 
    He leaned against the mantle over her nonfunctional fireplace. "This place is nice. Must have cost you a bundle."
    "More like a bale than a bundle. Could you kindly quit avoiding my question?"
    He ran a finger along the mantle's surface, then scrutinized it. "Actually, Cat--."
    Her instincts went on red alert. "Actually Cat? Actually ? Nothing good ever came out of a sentence that started with 'actually.' Okay, Michael, spit it out. I can take it." 
    He looked at her, his mouth barely curling, a flicker of wariness in his gaze. "Actually, I've been back for--a while." He touched a couple of the dozen or so candles sitting on the mantle, then picked up a fat white one.
    Her brows shot up. "A while? You've been back for a while?" she repeated stupidly. "Are we talking a while as in a few days, or a while like in a few weeks?"
    His gaze faltered. "Actually--I quit my job over there three years ago."
    Cat's whole world froze, for about a half-second. Her scalp prickled. Her ears began to burn, and her insides felt like a crater had opened up. "Three--" her voice gave out.
    "Yeah." His voice sounded decidedly sheepish, and his attention was on the candle he weighed in his hand.
    "Three years," she repeated as shock reverberated through her like an earthquake. She swallowed against a lump that was forming in her throat. "You're kidding, right?"
    He shook his head.
    "You're not kidding. Well." Her throat had seized, and it was a struggle to breathe. He'd been in Nashville three years and hadn't bothered to contact her. Something deep inside her started to ache.
    "So--" she started, but her voice went out on her again. She covered it with a cough, then cleared her throat. "Must be the lemon. So, where've you been for the past three years?"
    "In, uh, West Meade."
    "West Meade." She nodded sagely. "And you never once--? Wait. She's known all this time? Why--" The hurt grew into a knot under her breastbone. "So is there some particular reason you and Sara conspired against me? Or am I being paranoid?" Cat suddenly felt totally alone. Michael had always been the one person she could depend on. Since he'd left, she'd thought she could rely on his older sister.  
    Michael had the grace to look embarrassed. "Don't be angry at Sara--."
    "Oh, I'm not mad at