My Only Wish (4 page)

It was a thought that should have scared him, but it didn’t. He was intrigued, and there was nothing wrong with it. While he hadn’t felt this much interest in a woman in years, he attributed it to his attraction to her.

“You like embarrassing me, don’t you?” she narrowed her eyes playfully.

“You caught me.” And he liked it. He liked it even more that she called him on it. Leaning back in his chair, he took his drink again. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I hate questions like those. They’re so vague.” Her nose wrinkled. “Am I supposed to supply you with my basic history, a few tidbits to make it interesting, or in return, ask about you?”

He agreed with her. It was the type of open-ended question that he would have asked as a PI to get his subject to open up to him, to give him details that he normally wouldn’t have asked about. And most important, her response would tell him even more about herself than the information she conveyed. “Why don’t we start with the basic get-to-know-you questions? What do you do for work? What do you like to do when you aren’t working? If it was the end of the world, would you rather have a toothbrush or toilet paper?”

Her hand quickly covered her mouth, shielding him from the drink that was threatening to spew. “What?”

“I thought it was important.”

“Very amusing.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m working as a nanny for twins. A girl and a boy. They’re seven now.” She sighed. “I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by.”

“How long have you been with them?”

“Since they were two.” A glimmer of mischief entered her dreamy eyes. “They were such hellions at that age. Their previous nanny had spoiled them rotten.”

“And you don’t?”

“No way. You have to let children know who’s boss from day one. Or else they will know they can terrorize you into giving them whatever they want. Besides, kids need boundaries.”

He laughed at the image, but he could relate. Her description of raising children wasn’t far from his opinion on jobs. With any person in his field, the employees, the PIs, snitches, or clients, you needed to have a firm but soft touch. “What made you want to get into childcare?”

“I don’t know exactly. I’ve always been good with kids and I feel comfortable around them. They may be naughty at times but they are never truly bad at heart. They don’t intentionally set out to hurt you, and often, what you see is what you get. I like that openness.” She shook her head. “Now enough about me. What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m a private investigator.” It was true. He was still licensed as one even though he hardly ever took any clients these days. And the fact that he owned the company didn’t feel like a lie of omission.

Besides, while she didn’t seem the type, he couldn’t bear to see the dollar signs that so often crept into a woman’s eyes when he told them he owned the company.

“Interesting. So are you investigating me?” His mouth fell open and she laughed, clearly delighted with herself. “I’m only kidding.”

His chuckle was a bit strained before he took another draw from his beer. Lies came easily to him, but it felt wrong to lie to her. It was something he hoped to never have to do.

“Anyway, I’m a nanny. For fun I like to read, romance mainly, and I’d choose a toothbrush.” She leaned forward slowly, the shirt gaping slightly, revealing a scrap of red that had him ready to eat his hand. She rested her head in her hand as if she were enthralled, not realizing the havoc she was creating in his system. “And you? Toilet paper or toothbrush?”

He cleared his throat, forcing his gaze away.
Focus on the question
. “I’m with you on this one. Toothbrush.”

Her dimple winked and he felt stunned. Why was she having such a strong effect on him? He looked her over slowly, from the blonde curls down to her spiked heels. When his eyes raked their way back up her body, the grin slowly left her face.

“Let’s take a walk.” He knew his voice was laced with a dangerous edge but he couldn’t help it. At the moment he wanted his hands on her, and he wasn’t gifted enough to mask it.

Glancing uneasily back to her friend, he realized that she didn’t exactly trust him.

Smart girl.

“There’s a path around the building we could take. I doubt we’ll ever be alone.”

It was the right thing to say. He saw her smile again, the rigidness leaving her shoulders. “Sure. Let me just tell my friend so she doesn’t worry.”

“Take your time.”

She slipped out of her chair and walked back into the bar. With each step she took, he released a finger from his clenched fist. How he had resisted yanking her across the table and ravaging her mouth, he didn’t know. All he knew is that it would have been the end of their conversation, and most likely, their acquaintance.

She had surprised him tonight. Everything he had imagined her to be was false. She had no guile, and, if he had to guess, he would say little experience. She enflamed him and intrigued him at the same time.

A dangerous combination, he thought, but quickly wiped it away. He wasn’t afraid of anything.

“Ready?” he asked when she came back to the table, coat in hand.

“Yes. Do you have a coat you need to grab?”

“There’s one in my car if I need it.”

Leaving the bar, he led her out the door, relishing the small touch he had on her lower back. He couldn’t help himself from touching her. Even that small contact had him fighting back the urge to take her into his arms.

They started down the path around the building, and he was grateful for the few stragglers that were outside. They would make her more relaxed. “What made you come tonight?”

If he hadn’t been trained, he knew he wouldn’t have caught the hesitation in her voice. “I need a change. Ashley suggested that this might be it.” A rueful smile caressed her lips. “That I might have fun and loosen up.”

“Do you need some fun?”

“Yes, actually. I tend to get too focused on things. Ashley thought I needed a guy from here to get me to relax.” Her brows furrowed. “I really shouldn’t have said that. It sounds terrible.”

“Not at all,” he said, leading her into a garden area that appeared to be empty. She didn’t notice. “I think meeting someone casually can be a great way to loosen up.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

She puzzled over that before she turned to him. “Why? I mean, I’m not disagreeing with you. But how could a stranger help that? I always find myself to be tied in knots when I meet new people.”

“Do I tie you in knots?”

“Yes.” Her frankness was refreshing. He moved in closer to her, but not so fast that it would frighten her.

“A stranger can help you relax because you can be anything, anyone, you want to be.” He cornered her by a half wall, caging her body with his own. “You can do anything you want without having to worry about seeing them again. Without being judged. It’s freeing, don’t you think?” he asked, his voice lowering to a whisper.

She swallowed hard, her eyes lifting to his. When their eyes met, he felt power surge through him as he saw not fear, but passion blazing in the emerald green depths. “What do you want to do, Abby?”

Her name slipped off his tongue like a caress and he saw her shiver. Wetting her lips, she glanced down to his, ripping a groan from deep in his chest.

“I want you to kiss me.”

He didn’t move for a moment, worried that he would swallow her whole. He wanted to cage the beast that was clawing at him from the inside, demanding that he take, plunder, enjoy. He wanted to savor her, and to see if he could make her feel the raging passion that he was feeling.

He leaned into her slowly, watching as her lashes flickered before closing fully. One of his hands trailed up her side, moving to cup the back of her neck.

She shivered in his arms, but he knew it wasn’t from the cold. Her skin was hot silk to his touch as he tilted her head back, the curls of her hair tickling his arms.

Dipping his head, his lips grazed the soft hollow of her neck beneath her chin where her scent was the strongest. The tang of apples, sunshine and woman overwhelmed him. Making him feel as a drunk gaining his first taste of a long-awaited drink.

His other arm wrapped firmly around her lower waist, bringing her quivering body flush against his.

His mouth grazed hers, causing a shock that jolted from her and into him like a promise. Her flavor was as potent as her scent.

Straining forward, he could feel her pressing for more as a whimper escaped her lips.

Exerting more pressure, his lips connected fully with hers, crushing her ripe lips to his and sweeping his tongue in for the first taste of her.

Flavors exploded in his mind, making him reel from the force of his desire. She was sweet, juicy, and when her tentative tongue met his, he was sure he could die from it.

The need to taste her, devour her, took over. He drove his tongue deep inside with a hard kiss that had him straining against her.

Her body began to curl against him, into him, as he loosened his grip, beginning to kiss her softly as if searching for a secret.

The pleasure thickened, as she strained to get closer, as her body demanded that he kiss her harder, deeper.

“Touch me,” he growled against her lips, feeling invincible as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her fingers diving into his hair. She tugged, demanding more.

He was losing ground quickly, so enthralled by the heat and intensity flowing between them. He wanted to lay her down and feast on her soft body. Find hidden secrets to increase her pleasure.

He was drowning, going down in waves of ecstasy. The taste of her, the feel, and scent of her held him prisoner.

For one who was always in control, he was precariously close to losing it. For a second, he didn’t care.

Forcing himself from her mouth, his hands fisted at her hips, fighting for control. Kissing along her jaw, he left a trail of hot, openmouthed kisses on the soft skin of her neck. She shivered at the lingering contact, but didn’t move to pull away.

Her mouth was swollen, even rosier from his kiss, and the thought of doing it again, caused his stomach to clench.

He needed more.

Taking her palm, his teeth scraped the sensitive skin before he soothed it with a kiss.

“That was more than I bargained for.” Her lashes fluttered open and he saw her eyes were still glazed over. “I don’t normally do this, but come with me where we can be alone. Anywhere.”

Her eyes widened, and he realized it was the wrong thing to say. Shaking his head, he tried to clear the passion-tinged fog that clouded his brain. “Scratch that. Come to dinner with me tomorrow.”

“Dinner?” She raised a hand to her hair, but he wasn’t sure if the move was to clear her mind or to fix her hair.

“Yes. Dinner. You know, we’d go to a restaurant, order some food, get to know each other better.”

“That is generally what someone does at dinner.” She took a deep breath, holding it in before exhaling it slowly.

“Say you will.” The idea of her refusing sent a slice of panic cutting through him. This couldn’t be the last he’d see of her.

“I’m not sure.” She nudged him a little before stepping away. “I don’t know if it would be the best idea.”

“Because you’d have to see me again after what we just did?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Perhaps. I don’t usually do this sort of thing. Besides, wasn’t that the argument you made for kissing in the first place?” Her lips tilted at the corners.