The Wedding Charade by Melanie Milburne Page A

held by the upper arms, his eyes blazing as they held hers.
    Time stood still for the space of three rapid heartbeats.
    And then with a muttered curse he swooped down and slammed his mouth down against hers.
    Jade had lost count of the number of times she had been kissed. She had enjoyed some and hated others. But this was nothing like anything she had experienced before. Nic’s mouth was like a flame against the soft flesh of her lips. It stoked a wildfire inside her, a raging fire that leapt and danced all over her skin. His kiss was bruising but she didn’t care. She loved the taste of him, so fresh and male and commanding.
    He cupped her head with his hands and deepened the kiss with an erotic thrust of his tongue. Her belly flipped as it curled around hers, flicking, stroking, teasing, conquering.
    The kiss went on and on.
    She tasted blood but wasn’t sure if it was hers or his. She had nipped at him just as frantically as he hadnipped at her. Their teeth had even clashed at one point in the desire to gain supremacy. It was the most breathlessly exciting sensual assault on her senses. She felt as if she had been waiting her entire life for this moment. It was bliss to have his mouth hard and insistent on hers, the heated trajectory of his arousal burning like a brand against her.
    But just as suddenly as it had started it was over.
    Nic stepped away from her, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, his breathing as ragged as hers. ‘You had better make yourself scarce, young lady,’ he said. ‘I am so angry with you right now I don’t trust myself to be around you.’
    Jade ran her tongue over her swollen mouth, wincing as she felt the little split in her lip. She saw him narrow his eyes as he looked at her mouth, a flicker of remorse passing over his expression.
    ‘Damn it, Jade,’ he said, raking his hair with one of his hands. He stepped close again and tipped up her face, a gentle fingertip tracing the tiny wound on her lip. ‘Does it hurt?’ he asked in a gruff tone.
    ‘NO,’ she said in a whisper.
    He slid his hand to the nape of her neck, holding her gaze for an endless moment. ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘I’m sorry too.’
    Nic dropped his hand from her neck and stepped back. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t got time to help you clear up here,’ he said. ‘I’m already running late and I have to change.’
    ‘What time will you be home?’
    ‘I’ll call you and let you know. I might have to fly back to Rio. If so, I will meet you at Bellagio as previously planned.’
    ‘Nic?’
    He turned at the door. ‘Yes? ‘
    Jade twisted her hands together. ‘I’m sorry about your housekeeper leaving.’
    He gave her a brief crooked smile. ‘Forget about it. I was thinking of firing her anyway. I think she’s been filching the spirits.’
    ‘Oh.’
    ‘Why don’t you check out the job seekers ads in the paper?’ he said. ‘That way you can interview all the candidates and decide who you’ll get along with.’
    Jade felt her chest tighten with panic. ‘Oh, no, I can’t do that.’
    He gave her a frowning look. ‘Of course you can, Jade. You just have to call them up and arrange a time to meet them.’
    ‘But I can’t read Italian.’
    ‘You can do it online in English,’ he said. ‘There’s a computer in my study. There are listings of all the employment agencies.’
    ‘Can it wait until we get back from Bellagio?’ she asked.
    He looked at her for a long moment. ‘Of course it can wait.’ He walked over to the door, but then he paused with his hand on the doorknob as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him. He slowly turned and looked at her again. ‘You do know how to use a computer, don’t you?’
    ‘Of course I do,’ Jade said with a heavy dose of indignation. ‘What do you think I am—completely brainless?’
    ‘No, on the contrary, Jade, I think you are one of the cleverest people I have ever met. Not many people catchme off guard but you’ve done it not once, not twice,