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There No longer a bride Just plain old Winnie in Morgan's blue-striped shirt

They rode the elevator down together, and Winnie spotted the cluster of photographers outside

"I can't do this," she whispered, panicked all over again "I knohat the papers are going to say and it'll be horrible"

"Pretend then everything's fine"

"I can't, Morgan That's the proble important-"

"Relax," he said as he wrapped an arainst hiainst his chest She could feel his warmth and smell his skin and she felt comforted "Take a deep breath"

She did She stood there, close against him, and just breathed hiently rubbed up and down her back His voice was firo out, we'll s's fine You can do that"

Immediately she stiffened "I don't know-"

"Sure you can You're with ht?"

She looked up into his eyes, those aaze was steady, his expression warht"

They exited the lobby through a side door, but the photographers rushed toward them as the limousine pulled up at the curb

It was still hot outside, the air heavy and sticky, and the flash of camera strobes blinded Winnie The chauffeur had opened the back door but Morgan paused for the cameras, slid his hand low on Winnie's back and smiled

And then the panic struck "This isn't going to work," she choked, turning her face away from the cameras, her mouth pressed close to his chest

"You just have to stop thinking Let it go Have fun," he answered, his lips against the curve of her ear

"How?"

"Like this," he said, his voice dropping lower, deeper as he tilted her face up to his

He was going to kiss her

He was going kiss her here? Panic flooded her, drowning all rational thought She jerked as his head dropped, but he held her firainst her middle, one at her back, one at her belly

"Relax," he repeated, just before his mouth brushed hers "It's just a kiss"

Just a kiss, she silently repeated and then gave in to the incredible sensation of his lips slowly, very slowly covering hers

His ainst her hot skin, his lips were firainst the hard plane of his chest and the roughness of his jaw and chin He was built so er and harder and it crossed herlove and she knew absolutely nothing

But expertise seemed inconsequential as histo her,a deep dorainst hers was about as wonderful sensation as she could iine, and as his breath fanned her skin, she shuddered, her body rippling in a series of explosions, nerve endings bursting into flames

Winnie forgot everything but touch, and the newness of his touch, sighing with pleasure as the pressure of his lips increased She welcoainst the inside of her lower lip

Her mouth felt warm, she felt warm, she felt wildly alive Heat coiled in herso physical she craved more of him but didn't knohat Tentatively she touched his chest, fingers splaying against the thick band of muscle

"See?" he said, his head lifting just enough to gaze into her eyes "Kissing's easy"

The photographers got their shot, she thought nuh Manhattan traffic He raphers, but he always ed a smile and a civil word

He was a twilight Back there, at the Tower's building, one of the reporters had asked Morgan how it'd felt, being left at the altar, and Morgan had grinned, flashing white teeth

"Felt a little aard," he answered with the easy confidence that charmed even tabloid journalists "But I have her now, and that's all that matters"

She turned to look out the tintedat the flicker of light and shadow, the lian He was everything the public adhtful-and he broke hearts

"You do that so well," Winnie said "You're a PR dream"

"I don't feel like it"

"Then you fake it well"