Throwing aside all caution, Juliana slipped her arms around his neck while she returned his kiss, tentatively at first, and then with abandon. As his tongue played over hers, her heart pounded. She felt on fire, a magical electric- ity charging her nerves, a need awakening within her.
With a groan, Cal spread his legs, leaned over her and kissed her deeply. She was soft, fiery in his arms, all woman with her wild shower of golden hair and her hot, wet kisses that unleashed a raging storm of desire. Her tongue played over his, trailing across his lower lip and he shook with ef- fort for control. This cool, aloof blonde melted into a blaz- ing temptation. He knew he had gone into the marriage intending to keep it purely a business arrangement, yet from the moment they were declared husband and wife, he had been violating his own rules.
She pushed against him and he released her. Her eyes were wide, startled, and he wondered if her expression mirrored his own. Her kisses had held an arousing hunger and he had a sinking feeling that nothing between them would ever be the same again.
“We weren’t going to do this,” she whispered.
“No, but kisses aren’t binding,” he said hoarsely and knew it was a lie.
As she took a step back from him, he dropped his hands to his sides. “I think we agreed we’re better off keeping this impersonal. I’ll change clothes now,” she said abruptly, turning to move away from him.
He started toward the door and glanced back at her. “Need help with the buttons?”
“No!” she snapped, her eyes narrowing, and he smiled.
“As I recall, you have a row of buttons all down the back of that dress. I just thought you might need assistance. It wasn’t a ploy. That’s not my style.”
Juliana’s anger changed to embarrassment when she re- membered Meg laboring to get the wedding dress buttoned. When he left the room, she glanced over her shoulder into the oval cheval glass and tried to unfasten the middle but- tons. “Cal!”
He reappeared, his coat in his hand and tie removed, the first studs out of his shirt.
“I forgot about the row of buttons. I might need help, Meg had a dreadful time getting them fastened.”
He arched an eyebrow and tossed his coat and tie over a chair. “Sure.”
He crossed the room and she turned around, holding up her hair with one hand and holding the front of her dress with the other. She wasn’t wearing a bra because it hadn’t been necessary with the thick taffeta, the silk lining and the seed pearls decorating the bodice. As he twisted the but- tons free, she tried to ignore her racing pulse at the con- stant brush of his warm fingers against her back. He bent his knees slightly, and she could only partially see him in the mirror.
Cal pushed free another button and with every button loosened, he felt more sweat pop out on his forehead. He was too aware of her slender bare back. She was wearing nothing from the waist up and his imagination ran riot. Her skin was smooth and peach-colored and lovely. He ached to lean forward and trail kisses along her bare flesh. He straightened and looked over her shoulder into the mirror and felt his body responding swiftly to her reflection.
She had her hair caught up with one hand, the other hand holding her dress in place in front. The white taffeta draped seductively over the curve of her breasts, a bit of flesh re- vealed on each side of the expanse of white fabric. The al- most-nothing bits of sleeves were down to her elbows. As she stared back at him in the mirror, her eyes were huge.
“Is that the scar from the gunshot during the bank holdup?” he asked, his gaze drifting down to a small white scar on her shoulder.
“Yes, it is,” she answered, sounding breathless. He studied her a moment and then bent his head to continue loosening buttons.
Cal wanted to finish what he’d started, to unbutton the rest of the row and push the elegant dress into a heap around her ankles. Watching her in the mirror, he slowly ran his finger down her back and saw her inhale and her lips part. He leaned down to brush a kiss across her nape. Her re- sponses to his kisses or touches were always instant and in- tense.
“I must be unbuttoned enough to do the rest without you,” Juliana said. It took willpower to step away from him. What she wanted to do was melt back against him and turn to be kissed.
“If you change your mind, Juliana, about the physical part, we could have something really good together,” he said in a husky voice, still watching her in the mirror.
“No. Absolutely not. I don’t want a casual affair even if this is a paper marriage.”
She walked several steps and turned to find him watch- ing her with a smoldering appraisal that made her tremble.
Without a word, he strode out of the room, scooping up his coat and tie as he went.
She crossed the room behind him and closed the door, sagging against it and studying her reflection in the mirror. Why did she have such an intense reaction to him? Why had he kissed her? She knew the answer to that one. What she needed to remember was that he would not fall in love. When the year was up, he would be gone out of their lives. She didn’t want a big heartbreak then or sooner. Or any ca- sual affair, because for her, it could never be casual. Yet… Her thoughts trailed away as she studied her reflection. His kisses had burned through her.
She held out her hand and looked at the glittering dia- mond and the plain gold band. What had she gotten her- self into? Her lips tingled and she could remember in the finest
