Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane Read Free Book Online Page A

got to hear about Mike.”
    “A little. So what happened?”
    She shrugged, then took another swallow before answering. “I told you—I work too much.”
    “And?”
    “And I’m very controlling.”
    “With what?”
    “With just about everything.”
    He couldn’t help himself. “Sounds like fun.”
    Cassandra’s gaze snapped up. “You’re not still thinking about those condoms, are you?”
    James laughed. This straightforward woman intriguedthe hell out of him. “As a matter of fact…” He stepped closer.
    She held up her hand. “Well, just get them out of your head. Sex is out. Besides, I threw them all in the trash as soon as I got here.”
    “All of them?”
    She smirked. “Every last one.”
    “Damn.” He snapped his fingers before he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Then I guess I’ll just have to settle for a kiss.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “You don’t?”
    “No, I don’t. And since I’m the boss…” Her green eyes sparkled with humor.
    “What if I told you that I don’t take orders well?” He brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.
    “I’d believe you. But your memory can’t be that bad.” She lifted one delicate fist. “I have a mean right hook. And if that doesn’t work, one scream and a horde of possessive brothers will show you theirs.”
    Leaning closer, James whispered in her ear, “It might be worth it. Wanna see?” He felt her tremble and knew she wouldn’t protest if he took a taste of those sexy lips. But he wanted to hear her answer. No, he needed to hear her answer. “Just one,” he breathed.
    Cassandra’s eyes squinted in thought before her arms hooked over his shoulders. “Just one.”
    His hands tightened on her waist. Part of him craved immediate gratification, but the other part didn’t want to rush the moment. So instead of kissing her, he just held her and swayed in time to the music of the string quartetthat had set up in the living room. They played some Christmas carol; he wasn’t sure which one. He was just thankful it was slow. The trickling water from the fountain added its own music, along with the different tones of people’s muted conversation and laughter.
    “So are you going to kiss me or what?” Her words were muffled against his shoulder.
    He smiled. God, the woman was bossy.
    “Or what,” he said, as his hands ran over the soft, clingy material of her dress. She talked and acted so tough, he expected her to be more hard muscle than feminine softness. She was a mixture of both. Her body was toned, but her frame delicate and womanly. He bent his head and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. It was chilly in the greenhouse, but her skin was warm and feather soft. She smelled good. Not like strong perfume, but like herbal shampoo. His hand skimmed up her spine, pausing at each little bump. At the base of her neck, he spread his fingers and slid them into her thick black hair.
    He held her against him for a moment and absorbed the feel of her. In her heels, her body was almost in perfect alignment with his. Her breasts snuggled into the spot beneath his pectoral muscles and her hips cradled the bulge beneath his fly. For his own sanity, he pulled back. Her eyes were closed, those plump lips parted and waiting. Still, he hesitated. He wanted to take as much time as possible, wanted to control every second of the kiss.
    It worked for all of a second.
    The second right before his lips touched hers. Once they did, he was lost.
    James no longer thought. He just felt. Felt the deep pullof her full, sweet lips as they slid over his. Felt the wet warmth of her mouth as it opened to him. It was everything a kiss should be. Her lips fit against his like a long-lost puzzle piece, filling a space that had been vacant for too long.
    She stood on tiptoe, aligning their bodies to perfection before executing a hip movement that rocked his world. If he’d thought he was turned on earlier, he’d been wrong. Now every hormone in his