The Tempting Mrs. Reilly Read Online Free PDF Page B

had to fight to keep her knees from wobbling.
    â€œBrian—“
    â€œTina—“
    They started talking together, then each of them stopped and laughed shortly, uncomfortably. A twist of regret tightened in her chest as she acknowledged that discomfort. How had they come to this? she wondered. How had the passion, the love they’d once felt for each other dissolved into this awkward courtesy between strangers?
    â€œYou go first,” he said tightly.
    Shaking her head, she said, “No, it’s okay. You go ahead.”
    Nodding, he jammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, rocked on his heels and shifted his gaze to one side briefly before slamming back into hers. “Tina, this isn’t easy for me, but…”
    While he talked, Tina watched him. And as she watched, her brain, dazzled at first by his unexpected arrival, began to kick in. She noticed the way he held his head. The shrug of his shoulders. The way he stood and the way one corner of his mouth tilted up when he spoke. But it wasn’t just how he looked that was different. It was how he felt . Or rather, how he wasn’t making her feel. There was no buzz of electricity jumping up and down her spine. There was no hum of energy bristling between them. And no matter what else had passed between them, they’d always shared a combustible chemistry.
    Whenever she was near Brian, the very air changed, and she felt that tingle right down to her toes.
    Except, at the moment, she felt absolutely nothing .
    As her brain calculated all of this information and more, Tina’s temper flared.
    â€œâ€¦I know I don’t have the right to ask you to do anything,” he was saying.
    She should call him on it now. He deserved it. Had to be Connor, she told herself. Aidan wouldn’t have tried it. In seconds, dozens of thoughts raced throughher mind as she tried to decide how to handle the last of the Reilly triplets. When the solution finally dawned on her, she smiled.
    So did he. “See? I knew you’d be reasonable. No sense in you staying here when it would just make it awkward for both of us.”
    â€œAwkward?” she said on a deep, throaty purr. “Brian, honey, we know each other way too well to be awkward together.”
    â€œHuh?” He looked confused.
    Good. Tina chuckled gleefully inside, but on the outside, she gave him a sultry smile and stepped close enough to walk her fingers up his chest and then stroke his cheek. “I missed you, Brian,” she breathed and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I’m… lonely .”
    She let that one word hover in the air between them and watched with some small sense of satisfaction as panic lit up Connor’s eyes just before he backed up a step. “Now, Tina, I don’t think you really mean that and—“
    â€œBrian, baby,” she cooed, closing in on him with unerring instinct, “haven’t you missed me, too?”
    â€œUh, sure.” He looked around wildly for help that wasn’t coming.
    Tina moved in even closer and reaching up, wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, pressing her breasts to his chest. He pulled hishands free of his pockets and tried to hold her away from him. But she’d felt the frantic beat of his heart and knew she’d gotten payback. “So, kiss me, Connor.”
    â€œKiss you—” he broke off and looked down into her eyes. “Connor?”
    â€œYou idiot.” She released him and took a step back while having the pleasure of watching him mentally trying to backtrack.
    â€œLook, Tina…”
    â€œDid you really think you could fool me?” she demanded hotly, all kidding aside.
    â€œWhoa,” he said, swallowing hard and shaking his head. “Tina, I don’t know what you’re talking about—“
    The temper she’d felt building a moment before leaped into pure rage, and she wouldn’t