Paper Marriage Proposition by Red Garnier Page B

heart leapt every time he walked into a room and flashed her that smile of his and called her Bethany. Oh, he was suave, that one was.
    Did Hector think he won after bribing the press after their engagement party? Ha! That would not be the case with the judge. Not this time, pig.
    She grinned at her reflection and tried that out loud. “Not this time, pig!”
    Yes, it felt awesome.
    It was past evening now. The eve of their wedding.
    Landon was still at the Daily as usual, and Beth stood before a vanity and oval mirror in her simple silken wedding dress. Why she’d thought it important to try it on again, she didn’t dare dwell on.
    The dress was sexier than she remembered, she thought as she critically studied herself. It hugged her body in an enticing way. The cut, though demure, somehow still managed to be modern and attractive, and the flattering cream color made her sort of…
    “Stunning.”
    She stiffened at the male voice, then caught sight of Landon’s piercing regard in the mirror’s reflection. The color crawled up her cheeks. “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress,” she said.
    Nothing moved. Time, the world, had paused when Landon arrived.
    Swallowing awkwardly, Beth turned and shrugged. “But I guess we’re getting divorced, so…”
    He remained motionless, a sentinel blocking the door.
    His eyes glowed. So, so slowly, they wandered over her body, head to toe, and they glimmered with such heat they scorched every inch of her they covered.
    The form-fitting dress with the high neckline suddenly felt as transparent as a spider’s web.
    She bit her lip, unable to stifle the shudder that coursed through her. “It feels glued—” she pulled at the satin on her hips “—to my skin.” All of a sudden.
    “The only thing glued to your skin are my eyes.” His voice was husky, and Beth’s thighs liquefied. Ducking her head, she unclipped her hair and used it to create a waterfall so he couldn’t see her blush.
    His words…hurt. The way he looked at her. Hurt.
    Maybe because she was starting to admire and respect him. And because he was amazing and sexy and kissable and staring at her with those bedroom eyes all the time, and she couldn’t stand it.
    Her insides knotted, and she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, smothering a groan. “Can you please get out of here, Landon? You’re making me nervous.”
    She kept her eyes shut and strained her ears to hear him leave. Hopefully, he’d close the door behind him, too. But for a charged moment nothing in the room seemed to move.
    Her heart stopped when she heard a footstep, and a second, and a third. To her alarm, they were coming in her direction. Suddenly, Landon stood too close. His familiar scent penetrated her lungs, making them want to explode.
    His arms, strong and hard, slowly slid around her waist. A fluttery, hopeful sensation danced inside her and she couldn’t quite quell it. He murmured her name over the top of her head as he drew her to his strong body.
    Feeling naked and vulnerable in his arms, she dropped her hands to his shoulders—in a poor, poor effort to push him away—but didn’t dare open her eyes.
    What was he doing?
    Why had he stared at her as if she were naked?
    God, what was he doing?
    “Look at me,” he said.
    She bit her trembling lower lip and quietly refused to.
    His hand slid languorously up her spine, and his fingers caressed the bare skin on her back as he huskily murmured, “Look at me, Beth…”
    She felt the gentle cup of his hand on the back of her head, drawing her forward until his lips were a breath away.
    “…and tell me you don’t want this.”
    He covered her lips with his. She stiffened at the contact, trying to fight it, but his lips felt plush and warm, and when the wet silk of his tongue swept into her mouth, she was lost. Lost in the moment, in a kiss that was profound with yearning and rough with hunger, a kiss that was shattering and