Scorch by Kait Gamble Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kait Gamble
Tags: Erotic Romance Fiction
happy. More than.
Within the space of a breath, there were a squealing tangle of arms and bouncing female.
“Uh, hello?” Sebastian stood at the door, an amused smile tilting his lips. “I’m here too.”
“Sebastian!” They quickly dragged him into the jumble of limbs so they circled and clung to him like ivy on a pole.
Chelsea was first to draw back and look at them. It had been…what, a year? Far too long since she’d seen them. “You two look fantastic!”
Cara herded everyone to a table. “I’ll be right back with some wine. Do not start without me.”
Chelsea smirked. Cara knew full well that she’d have to catch up when she got back with the wine. “So?” It was all Chelsea needed to say. Natalie knew what she was asking.
Her friend theatrically ran her left hand through her hair, letting the sparkling ring do the talking for her.
Crying with delight, Chelsea looped her arms around the necks of her two friends. “Congratulations!”
“What did I just say?” Cara had a mock frown on her face as she plunked the bottle and glasses on the table. “What did I miss?”
Natalie flashed the ring, setting off another round of shrieks and congratulations.
Forgotten, Sebastian sat back for a few minutes while they gushed over the ring. Then Cara’s. Chelsea noted the glow of both her friends. She had been like them, once. Bright-eyed and looking forward to married life. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for her friends. She truly was. And she knew that the men they were going to marry were good men. Chelsea smiled past the hollow ache in her chest.
She was jerked out of her reverie by a tap on her shoulder. Daniel smiled apologetically. “I need you in the kitchen for a second.”
Cara arched an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all.” Daniel didn’t elaborate. Instead, he just smiled reassuringly as he led Chelsea away.
He led her into the pantry and she dutifully followed, wondering what he needed her in there for.
He stayed silent until the doors swung closed.
“What’s wr—?” She had barely turned before Daniel wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his. Shock quickly vaporized under the demanding pressure of his lips. The caress of his tongue against hers blasted all thoughts from her mind. Heat bloomed from somewhere deep and coursed through her veins. When he pulled back, she could only stare up at him breathlessly for a long moment.
“You just looked like you could use a kiss.”
Her brain took a moment to process what he’d said. Had she? Chelsea thought she’d looked as happy for her friends as she felt. She stared up at him, wanting both to punch his smug expression and to feel his lips against hers again. “And what makes you think that I wanted the kiss to be from you?”
He edged closer. The heat emanating off his hard body urged her to press herself up against again.
“The same way I can tell right now that you want me to kiss you again.”
And Chelsea did want him to do it again. A little too much. “We have to get back out there before Cara comes charging in here.”
He dipped his head closer and, for a moment, Chelsea thought he was going to kiss her again, but he simply smiled and nodded.
Chelsea shakily followed him out of the pantry and fought her body into something resembling composure, only she needed more than the few seconds it took to walk through the kitchen to do it. Daniel paused at the door and the smoldering look he gave her almost had her dragging him into the pantry again.
“Be happy that you are rid of him.” And with that, he shoved her through the door.
All eyes turned to her. Cara arched an eyebrow. “Everything good?”
“Yeah, Daniel just wanted to show me something.”
Cara said nothing, but the look she gave Chelsea meant that she was going to be asking some questions later. Knowing her friend, the questions would be relentless and there was no use trying to get out of it. It was inevitable.
Within the space of a breath, there were a squealing tangle of arms and bouncing female.
“Uh, hello?” Sebastian stood at the door, an amused smile tilting his lips. “I’m here too.”
“Sebastian!” They quickly dragged him into the jumble of limbs so they circled and clung to him like ivy on a pole.
Chelsea was first to draw back and look at them. It had been…what, a year? Far too long since she’d seen them. “You two look fantastic!”
Cara herded everyone to a table. “I’ll be right back with some wine. Do not start without me.”
Chelsea smirked. Cara knew full well that she’d have to catch up when she got back with the wine. “So?” It was all Chelsea needed to say. Natalie knew what she was asking.
Her friend theatrically ran her left hand through her hair, letting the sparkling ring do the talking for her.
Crying with delight, Chelsea looped her arms around the necks of her two friends. “Congratulations!”
“What did I just say?” Cara had a mock frown on her face as she plunked the bottle and glasses on the table. “What did I miss?”
Natalie flashed the ring, setting off another round of shrieks and congratulations.
Forgotten, Sebastian sat back for a few minutes while they gushed over the ring. Then Cara’s. Chelsea noted the glow of both her friends. She had been like them, once. Bright-eyed and looking forward to married life. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for her friends. She truly was. And she knew that the men they were going to marry were good men. Chelsea smiled past the hollow ache in her chest.
She was jerked out of her reverie by a tap on her shoulder. Daniel smiled apologetically. “I need you in the kitchen for a second.”
Cara arched an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all.” Daniel didn’t elaborate. Instead, he just smiled reassuringly as he led Chelsea away.
He led her into the pantry and she dutifully followed, wondering what he needed her in there for.
He stayed silent until the doors swung closed.
“What’s wr—?” She had barely turned before Daniel wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his. Shock quickly vaporized under the demanding pressure of his lips. The caress of his tongue against hers blasted all thoughts from her mind. Heat bloomed from somewhere deep and coursed through her veins. When he pulled back, she could only stare up at him breathlessly for a long moment.
“You just looked like you could use a kiss.”
Her brain took a moment to process what he’d said. Had she? Chelsea thought she’d looked as happy for her friends as she felt. She stared up at him, wanting both to punch his smug expression and to feel his lips against hers again. “And what makes you think that I wanted the kiss to be from you?”
He edged closer. The heat emanating off his hard body urged her to press herself up against again.
“The same way I can tell right now that you want me to kiss you again.”
And Chelsea did want him to do it again. A little too much. “We have to get back out there before Cara comes charging in here.”
He dipped his head closer and, for a moment, Chelsea thought he was going to kiss her again, but he simply smiled and nodded.
Chelsea shakily followed him out of the pantry and fought her body into something resembling composure, only she needed more than the few seconds it took to walk through the kitchen to do it. Daniel paused at the door and the smoldering look he gave her almost had her dragging him into the pantry again.
“Be happy that you are rid of him.” And with that, he shoved her through the door.
All eyes turned to her. Cara arched an eyebrow. “Everything good?”
“Yeah, Daniel just wanted to show me something.”
Cara said nothing, but the look she gave Chelsea meant that she was going to be asking some questions later. Knowing her friend, the questions would be relentless and there was no use trying to get out of it. It was inevitable.