Temptation's Kiss Read Free

lingerie out of his head. As soon as he had spotted it, he had a flash of her, so real it was almost memory, her pale skin against the deep purple, her breasts straining against the lace bra. And had that been a bow at the back of the thong?
    Damn. He broke out into a cold sweat just thinking about it.
    They approached the parking lot of the old train depot, people milling around the stands of organic fruit and vegetables, locally harvested honey, and cheese aged at area farms.
    He looked down at her, trying to get the image of her almost naked body out of his head. Trying to summon the friendship they shared and banish the other stuff.
    “So what’s on the list today?”
    She consulted her phone. “Let’s see … greens, tomatoes, and fresh basil. I also want to get some of that buffalo mozzarella they had last time. Oh! And some berries!”
    He nodded, following her through the throng of people. She stopped at her favorite stands, chatting up the owners, every one of them charmed by her.
    Because who wouldn’t be, Kane thought. She was so damn nice. So good.
    And sexy as hell.
    He didn’t get it. He wasn’t exactly a college boy. He was a fucking warrior, for God’s sake. A member of the Shadowguard. He wasn’t oblivious to the appeal. There were plenty of women who would go to bed with him without complication. Hell, he could go down to the Anti-Chamber with the guys tonight, slam back a few beers, and find someone to take home without any effort at all.
    Except he’d never been into the whole one night stand thing. And it’s not that he wasn’t into sex. He was very into sex. Especially the idea of sex with someone like Lily. Someone who made his heart race. Who made him want to do more than bed her. Who made him want to worship every inch of her perfect body, to protect her and cherish her, to come home to her every night.
    To call her his.
    None of which was what he was supposed to be thinking about as they continued through the aisles, Lily testing and buying, adding things to the bags as they went.
    When her list was fulfilled, they headed back, stopping for ice cream at the old creamery. It had become a tradition, and they sat on their favorite bench in the old park near the depot, Lily licking her strawberry ice cream while Kane worked on his pistachio-filled cone.
    The silence between them was comfortable, even if the magnetic pull of her body was anything but. It was one of the things he liked most about her. They could be walking or shopping or just sitting and having coffee, and Lily felt no compulsion to fill the space with chatter.
    He watched her eat with single-minded concentration, her tongue darting out to catch the ice cream dripping onto the cone. He wanted to lean over, touch his mouth to hers, feel her soft lips against his, her cold tongue tasting of strawberries and sugar. Her thigh, bare in a short flowered skirt, fell against his, and the beginnings of arousal stirred in his groin.
    He looked away. That was the last thing he needed.
    “I realize I’ve never thanked you,” she said softly.
    He couldn’t hide his surprise. “Thank me? For what?”
    She seemed to consider her words. “For being my friend. I don’t have many of them.”
    The vulnerability in her voice, as if the confession were some kind of strike against her character, made him want to take her in his arms then and there, shield her from anything that made her think she was less than perfect exactly as she was.
    “That’s only because you’re so busy taking care of everyone else,” Kane said. “Don’t you ever think about making another life? A life of your own?”
    “I like taking care of people,” she said softly. “Although …”
    “What?” he prodded.
    She ducked her head a little, her cheeks turning pink. “Well, I’ve always thought I might like to have a bakery. Nothing big or fancy. Just a little place where people could escape real life for a minute or two. A place that was warm and smelled