Bewitched in Budapest (Xcite Romance) by Justine Elyot Read Free Book Online

you know the story that any person who kisses here will come back to Budapest, for example?’ His voice was lower, caressing. I felt my insides turn to liquid silk.
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Oh yes, really. You want to come back to Budapest?’
    ‘I haven’t left yet!’
    ‘No, but …?’
    ‘I think so. Yes. It’s lovely. I’d definitely come here again.’
    ‘You can make it happen.’ His lips were close to my ear, his shoulder nudging mine.
    I giggled, but not because anything was funny. The danger of what might happen if I let János kiss me was far from amusing. But he wasn’t to know that.
    ‘I’m afraid I don’t believe these silly legends. If I want to come back to Budapest I’ll buy a flight and pack a bag. Not kiss some, er, person.’
    ‘You speak so cold, but that is not you. This is just fun. You are afraid of fun?’
    ‘Of course not.’
    He put a hand on the back of my neck. ‘You are so tense! Ó istenem! You need a kiss.’
    I tilted my head, offering my left cheek for a peck. ‘Oh, go on then.’
    ‘It must be on the lips. Cheek does not work.’
    I huffed. ‘You’re making this up. Oh, for God’s sake.’ I puckered up and screwed my eyes shut, thinking we could get this silly thing over with and then go to the café at the top of the terrace.
    I held my breath, feeling him move closer, scenting him on the city air. He kept that hand, delicate but firm, on the back of my neck, then there was the gentlest whisper of warm breath and his lips were on mine. I wrinkled my nose as his moustache tickled my skin and felt it bump against his.
    The seconds ticked by. Neither of us moved. We just stood there, connected at the lips, not quite kissing, not quite daring to breathe, not quite able to disengage.
    I should move, I thought, but I couldn’t.
    The time has come when he either has to end this, or take it further. My chest burned. My heart thundered.
    He moved closer, forward instead of back. His fingers splayed to hold my neck in a tighter grip. His mouth pressed down.
    It was a kiss. A real one. And all my resistance and level-headedness and good sense had chosen this moment to fly into the central European clouds.
    His other arm slid around me, holding me at my waist, knuckles stroking up and down the small of my back while I put my palms up to his shoulders, steadying my weakened legs.
    He felt so heavenly, so incredible, so right. Dave had never felt like this. Dave had never kissed like this. With János I slotted into place, moving blindly into his heat and strength like a missile finding its target. My body bubbled into a froth of irresistible desire. He’d got under my skin. I’d lost the fight, such as it was. 
    When his tongue made its first approach, my lips parted eagerly to admit it. I let him inside me, welcoming and willing, feeling a huge load lift.
    Why not, after all? Why not enjoy this gorgeous man while you can? Why not just live?
    I don’t know how long we kissed there, but we didn’t stop until a sneery American voice a few feet away advised us to, ‘Get a room, sheesh.’
    It was odd to find that I still had feet and ears and things like that. Somewhere along the line I thought I’d transmogrified into pure sensation, but no, it seemed I was just the same lumpen fleshy thing I was before.
    I rested my head against János’ chest while I got my breath back, still unwilling or unable to disconnect.
    ‘You see,’ he whispered, his moustache tickling my ear. ‘You needed a kiss.’ As if to prove it, he kissed my earlobe and rubbed his nose in my hair.
    ‘Shall we go home?’ I whispered back.
    ‘You want to?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    He took my hand and led me back to the steps. I was going down now. A long way down. I only hoped I’d be able to keep my head.
    While we rode the tram, me curled inside his arm, my head nuzzling his neck, his phone bleeped and he took it out to read the text message. ‘Ah, my friend has found a good place for a kert. We go and see it