Paper Marriage Proposition (Gage Brothers 1)

“I…” She turned around to face him, breathing hard. “I can’t feel my tongue.”

“God, you’re so sexy all uninhibited like this, give it to me.” Sweeping down, he closed his mouth over hers and gently suckled her tongue into his warm mouth. She felt that, goodness, she did. He tasted of champagne and her dizzied senses swam like frantic fishes in all kinds of directions as she let herself get even more drunk on her husband’s intoxicating flavor.

She twisted her tongue around him and trailed her fingers over his chest before she remembered why this couldn’t be. “Oh, no, we shouldn’t—Landon, don’t.” Bolting upright and pushing him away, she smoothed her T-shirt with awkward, trembling hands. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Not after the papers I signed.”

He looked at her for a moment, then gave a long exhale. “I’m not losing another child. If you get pregnant, I want it.”

Regret thickened her voice as she attempted to recover the sheets, needing something to clutch instead of the gorgeous man before her. “I’m not giving away a baby of mine, not even to you—I won’t risk it. Excuse me but you’re sitting on the sheets.”

He cursed and drew her so close, embraced her so tight her breasts were crushed against his chest and her hands had to release the sheets she’d been trying to hang on to for sanity.

“Stop thinking so much and just feel for a minute,” he growled, then smoothed his hands along her hair, and murmured, “It’s all right, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to pleasure you, Bethany, I’m going to make you forget every man in your life but me.”

Her insides disintegrated at that passionate vow. The need to kiss him, be with him, became so acute, she wanted to weep and scream in frustration. She wanted to say, to hell with it! and give her husband a wedding present no husband in his right mind ever forgets.

But he wasn’t truly her husband, and she couldn’t bear to repeat her mistakes, set herself up for heartache again. She’d been an innocent when she’d married Hector, but now she knew better.

She wiggled free of his hold and succeeded in pulling a part of the covers back over herself, as though they were the Berlin Wall itself—probably barely enough to keep a man like him away. Her voice, though she tried to keep it steady, broke in the end. “The black book is in the top nightstand drawer. I’m sure that’s what you want to read tonight, being that you married me for it.”

For a long, wretched minute, he didn’t speak or breathe or move. Then her heart wept when he grabbed the book from the nightstand, carried it outside and shut the door behind him.

Nine

He’d gone through the headache thing with his first wife. Landon knew a willing woman when he saw one, and unfortunately, Bethany wasn’t it.

Grim-faced behind his massive o

ffice desk, he waved the black book he was showing to his brothers. “The key to my success.”

He handed it over, every single word he’d read in it seared into his mind.

Leaning back in his chair, he watched them sift through the pages, first Garrett with a thoughtful frown, then Julian John with raised eyebrows.

“One would think your disposition would change after last night,” Garrett mulled out loud.

“I spent my wedding night reading that little gem there, not with my wife.”

There was a bleak silence as Garrett digested this.

“Now why on earth would you do something so stupid?”

“She doesn’t want me, Garrett.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“This is not something to joke about.”

“She doesn’t…desire you?” The words hung in the air, and they were so painful to hear, Landon found himself gritting his teeth. “I don’t believe it.”

“Believe it.”

Julian glanced up from the book, raising both eyebrows. “Every woman wants you. You had girlfriends before you even had your first bike.”

“Why wouldn’t Beth want you?” Garrett demanded.

That was the worst question of them all. Landon remembered last night. How her nipples had pricked under his fingers. How her body had molded against his. He’d planned to give her no choice, make her beg for it.

He couldn’t.