Before the Mission Begins (When The Mission Ends) by Christi Snow Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ll get the living room set up, too.”
    “Okay, can you get mine too, and top it off on the way back?”
    “Sure thing.” He escaped into the living room, tended the fire, and took a deep breath. Why was he hyperventilating over this? This was Julie. He knew her. She knew him. No one was going to get hurt here. They both knew the score. This was only a single night and they both knew that. He could live with this. He had to.
    When had he turned into such a girl? Any other guy would be thrilled at this development. He adjusted his cock; at least that part of him was completely on-board. He needed to get his brain at the same place. There just weren’t any other options right now.
    Sur veying the room, he decided it wouldn’t work for how he hoped the night would progress. Romance. That’s what they needed tonight. He slid Cassie’s coffee table over to the side of the room, and then reached into her antique trunk she used as an end table to grab the quilt to spread over the floor. The pillows from the couch and chairs were haphazardly added next. This would be nice and romantic. Tonight, they would enjoy things. Tomorrow, he’d figure out how to deal with the rest.
    He grabbed the glasses, topped them off, squared his shoulders, and headed back into the kitchen.
    When he came in, she was assembling a huge platter full of food and offered him a genuine smile.
    “You said light and I know that all this doesn’t look light, but this is a European dinner. It’s perfect for nibbling and snacking and works well with wine. We can just set it on the coffee table and nibble on it all night long.”
    He looked down over the assorted cheeses, both hard and soft, crackers, olives, peppers, breads and cubed meats. “It looks perfect. How about we put a movie in, too?”
    She nodded and then looked shyly at him. “If that’s what you’d like to do, that sounds good.”
    “It is, but first you have to answer one very important question.” He raised a single eyebrow at her and smiled.
    “What’s that?” She looked at him warily.
    He reached around her waist , needing to feel her gentle curves up against him. “Will you be my Valentine?”
    Her eyes reflected surprise and something else he couldn’t pinpoint as she murmured, “I forgot today was Valentine’s Day.”
    Letting his teeth graze the top of her ear, he spoke low into it , “That’s not an answer.”
    A full-body shiver went through her, but her smile was blinding when she met his gaze. “I’d love to be your Valentine.”
    “Good.” He gave her a hard, fast kiss then grabbed the up the platter to take into the living room.
    * * *
    Chris had put on a romantic comedy movie that Julie hadn’t seen, but thirty minutes into it, she knew tomorrow she’d still be able to say she’d never seen it. How was she expected to concentrate on a movie when Chris was lying close enough to her that she could feel his body heat even better than the heat from the fireplace?
    They were lying on the quilt on the floor, touching the full length along their sides, propped up against the couch with all the pillows for support. The only light in the room came from the flames of the fireplace and the soft glow from the television. Chris hadn’t stopped touching her in some subtle way from the moment they sprawled on the floor and her nerves were sizzling with simmering arousal. Her core pulsed in rhythm to her heartbeat and her fingers twitched with the need to touch him. She couldn’t just lie here. She was going to burst into flame.
    She rolled onto her side and angled a leg up over the top of his. Tugging at his shirt, she was able to find some of that hot, hard skin that spread across the ripples of his abs. Her fingers grazed lightly and she slowly found the courage to meet his eyes. What she saw there made her want to moan, roll over, and submit to him.
    His sapphire eyes had darkened with arousal. In the firelight, they sparked and she suddenly knew what it felt