My brows lift. “Is there a point to this deeply complimentary speech? Or am I just supposed to stand here as you list all my less-than-attractive qualities?”
His eyes darken as he leans down, invading my space. I’m breathing too fast as his gaze drops to my mouth, lingering there for what feels like an eternity.
“My point?” he whispers, so close I can feel the words against my lips. “This is my point, Emmeline.”
Before I can respond, before I can move, before I can breathe… his arms wind around my back and he hauls me up against his chest. Our bodies collide the same second his mouth crashes against mine in a hard, unapologetic kiss. I can barely wrap my head around the fact that I’m kissing the very man I swore to hate for all eternity because…
Holy. Mother-Effing. Shit.
Passion explodes between us like two opposing storm fronts. I taste lightning on his tongue as a hurricane of emotion churns through my veins, spinning me out of control within the circle of his arms.
We are a wild tempest. A cyclone of arrogance. A squall of indignation.
He touches me, and a whole decade of hate and lust lashes me like warm rain. He pulls me closer and ten years of need and torment claw at me like gusts of wind.
In the span of a heartbeat, I’ve abandoned my ability to breathe or think or do much of anything, except hang on for dear life while Emmett Fox singlehandedly ruins me. His hands fist in the fabric of my chef’s jacket as he deepens the kiss, his tongue spearing into my mouth as though he’s staking a claim over my body.
My memories.
My mind.
My heart.
His lips are somehow hard and soft, playful and passionate. A steel blade and the softest caress. I can’t quite suppress the small moan that emanates from my throat. I’d be embarrassed he’s managed to elicit such a sound in so short a time, if I could summon a single thought except holy-shit-holy-shit-holy-shit as his lips move over mine.
We’re both panting hard when we finally break apart, breathless and dazed from the force of this strange new attraction tugging us together. His forehead comes down to rest against mine. Our ragged breaths mingle in the gap between our faces. And, for once…
We are entirely out of words. I can conjure no insults, can fathom no quippy retorts. I simply stare at him, dumbfounded by his kiss even as the desire it ignited continues to pump through my system like a drug.
I hate Emmett Fox.
Hate him.
Hate.
Him.
Except…
What if I didn’t?
My lips twitch in the beginnings of a smile as I look up into the eyes of a man I’ve loathed and cursed and taunted. A man I’ve wanted and hated and tortured. A man I’ve never been able to get out of my head, whether it’s obsessing over ways to destroy him or dreaming of what it might feel like to take a peek under his chef’s jacket.
“Emmett,” I whisper finally, shattering the silence. “You do realize this is going to make our feud a bit more complicated, right?”
“Oh, Emmeline,” he murmurs, smirking back at me as his hands squeeze my waist tighter. “On the contrary — I think this just made our rivalry a hell of a lot more interesting…”
THE END
Also by Julie Johnson
STANDALONE NOVELS:
LIKE GRAVITY
SAY THE WORD
FAITHLESS
* * *
THE BOSTON LOVE STORIES:
NOT YOU IT’S ME
CROSS THE LINE
ONE GOOD REASON
TAKE YOUR TIME
* * *
THE GIRL DUET:
THE MONDAY GIRL
THE SOMEDAY GIRL
THE FADED DUET:
FADED
UNFADED
UNCHARTED
About the Author
JULIE JOHNSON is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome. When she's not writing, Julie can most often be found adding stamps to her passport, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, and Instagramming pictures of her dog. (Follow her: @author_julie)
She published her debut novel LIKE GRAVITY in August 2013, just before her senior year of college, and she's never looked back. Since, she has published a dozen more novels, including the bestselling BOSTON LOVE STORY series. Her books have appeared on Kindle and iTunes Bestseller lists around the world, as well as in AdWeek, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today.
You can find Julie on Facebook or contact her on her website www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie.
For major book news and updates, subscribe to Julie's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bnWtHH
Connect with Julie:
www.juliejohnsonbooks.com
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