A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,71

me home.”

“Oh.” Another tear fell. Con leaned in and kissed it away. His lips soft and warm on her skin.

“I lied about my experience to get work as a mechanic. I’d finally found something I was good at, that I had a real knack for, but I didn’t have any qualifications. I got used to working the angles, being whoever I needed to be to get by.”

His face was inches from hers and she could smell his skin, musky and soothing. He leaned in and kissed her again, this time on the nose.

A strange crumpled sensation pulled at her stomach. Why wasn’t she mad?

“I’ve always lied about my age. I honestly think you are the only person I’ve ever told my real age to.”

“The same as mine,” she murmured.

“Exactly. I’m even born in March, like you.”

“Pisces?”

A smile crossed his lips. “Yup.” He kissed her other cheek “Just like you.”

“But we’re not alike at all,” she whispered, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

“Why not?” He tipped his head back and looked at her, dark eyes narrowed. “Maybe we’re more alike that you think.”

“Because you’ve been through all this…” She waved her hand in the air to compensate for words that wouldn’t come to her.

“Hard times? Lies? Bullshit? Don’t be so sure we’re not alike. You’re going through all that right now.”

“Not like you.”

“Sure it is. The circumstances are different, but the hurt is the same. You’re all alone, making up crazy stories to hustle up some cash. Do you think they really believe you want to marry me?”

“You don’t think they do?”

“I don’t know. I think Raoul does. He’s a true romantic.” His mouth tilted into that familiar crooked smile.

Lizzie squeezed her eyes against the tears but they trickled over her cheeks anyway. Her throat was tight. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying, I just can’t seem to—”

“Hey, that’s okay.” He stroked her hair. Leaned in and kissed her cheek in a way that made her skin buzz. “It’s good to let your emotions out. Don’t want to keep them all bottled up inside where they can drive you crazy.”

“How come you don’t?” She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Don’t what?” He stroked her shoulder.

“Show emotion? Cry?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just don’t feel that much anymore. Kept everything battened down so long the bolts are rusted. Don’t let that happen to you.”

He cupped her cheek, wiped a tear away, then leaned in to kiss her. “I’m glad of our lie,” he whispered. “Because I like being with you. I like you, Lizzie.”

The next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, hot and forceful, his tongue in her mouth. She shuddered as he gripped her round the waist and pulled her right into him, her belly pressed against his flat stomach.

Hot relief flooded through her as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. She kissed him back even harder as her hands groped into his hair and her breath came in loud gasps. Too much emotion, too much feeling, all with nowhere to go, and it hurt.

Suddenly they were tugging at each others’ underwear and he climbed over her, panting and rolling on a condom he’d rustled up from somewhere. She couldn’t think, couldn’t talk, didn’t know how to do anything but try to press her body against his.

He gave her a rough kiss as he entered her. Something ragged inside her tore a little further, splitting her open and making her cling to him tighter. He pressed against her, grinding, sending shivers of dangerous arousal rippling through her and crashing against the swells of raw emotion. She gripped his neck, gasped and moaned as he increased the tempo, thrusting her deeper and deeper into a frenzy of tortured excitement.

She clawed at his back with her fingertips, wanting him even closer as her teeth grazed his cheekbone and her lips sought his. Oh, Con. Why do things have to be so complicated?

He moved inside her more slowly now, rocking her hot, wet and slow. Their hips rolled together, and she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so tight, not wanting to ever let go.

I love you.

The words danced on her lips for a split second before she bit them back.

Those days were over.

But as Con showered her face with tender kisses she couldn’t help thinking that they might be at the start of a new day.

A series of hard thrusts and deep tongue kisses pushed her over the