asked you to meet
me here when I’ve gone out of my way to keep you from catching up with me.”
“The thought has crossed my mind, yes.” He
forced himself to focus but the light breeze caught the scent of her perfume.
It drifted toward him, wrapping him in the succulent aromas of Asian spices and
sun-dappled skin.
He thought his body couldn’t get any harder
but then he realized her eyes had dropped to his crotch. His flesh swelled as
her gaze lingered there for a long moment. The collar of his shirt grew
tighter, suffocating him, but he didn’t tug it away from his skin. Instead he
trained his gaze on her face, watching her eyes move from his lips back down
his body in a long, leisurely look.
She licked full, tinted lips and tilted her
face up toward the ceiling of the gazebo. “You’re attracted to me, Detective.”
“Aren’t most men?” He wouldn’t deny the
obvious.
A laugh filtered into the darkness. “I’m
not interested in most men.”
Every muscle in Hunt’s body coiled with
sexual tension, and in that moment he forgot about duty, honor, the law,
everything but what he wanted most. Her. Plunging into her wet heat. Feeling
those long, luscious legs wrapped around his hips.
He bit back a groan and dropped his gaze,
clawing desperately at composure that mockingly eluded him. “Let’s get back on
point.” He forced the words out through a throat drier than Arizona sawdust.
She took a step toward him, surprising him
with her boldness. “You already know I need your help.”
Now bathed in her scent, he found it
difficult to take his eyes off her cleavage. “So why didn’t you come to the
station and ask for it? That’s the way a normal person asks for help. You
didn’t turn yourself into a criminal just because you need my help.”
Hunt took a step closer and then another
until mere inches separated their bodies. Probably not a good idea considering
his body’s reaction to her. “That’s not something a sane person would do.”
Why was he still talking when his palms
ached to cup her breasts, to fill his hands with their heaviness? Drowning in a
sea of sexual hunger, he tried to think about what he should say next. Do next.
Nothing came to mind…at least nothing he should do. Oh but there were
plenty of things he wanted to do. What in the hell was happening to him?
“Sanity is overrated.” She breathed the
words, sending soft puffs of minted air toward him.
God, he wanted to kiss her, to tangle his
hands in that thick hair. Riveted, he lifted one hand and brushed his knuckles
down the side of her face, the urge to touch her stronger than the inner voice
telling him to back away. “Who are you?”
Their gazes clashed, held, both
challenging, demanding. Carley smiled. “I just gave you my name.”
“And that’s all you’ve given me.”
“That will have to do for now.”
“Not acceptable.” He sensed she was pulling
back from him, ready to leave the conversation much sooner than he was ready to
let her go.
She reached out and captured his tie with
one hand, rolling it around her hand. “If that’s the case, then why are you
here?”
Hunt’s blood pressure climbed. “Maybe the
mystery has me intrigued.” No more so than the woman standing in front of him.
She stood on tiptoe and pressed her cheek
to his to whisper in his ear. “And there’s so much more mystery awaiting you.”
He fisted one hand in her hair and gave it
a gentle tug, his body mere seconds away from exploding. “Enough with the
games. What do you want from me?”
Carley’s gaze met his and Hunt caught his
breath and held it, knowing he should say something, do something. But that
look, that raw pain he saw in her eyes, left him helpless.
“What is it, Carley? It’s time to be
honest. You’ve got my attention so now tell me why you want it.”
She tugged her hair free from his hand and
took a step back and he imagined doors closing that effectively shut out her
emotions. “It’s my sister.
me here when I’ve gone out of my way to keep you from catching up with me.”
“The thought has crossed my mind, yes.” He
forced himself to focus but the light breeze caught the scent of her perfume.
It drifted toward him, wrapping him in the succulent aromas of Asian spices and
sun-dappled skin.
He thought his body couldn’t get any harder
but then he realized her eyes had dropped to his crotch. His flesh swelled as
her gaze lingered there for a long moment. The collar of his shirt grew
tighter, suffocating him, but he didn’t tug it away from his skin. Instead he
trained his gaze on her face, watching her eyes move from his lips back down
his body in a long, leisurely look.
She licked full, tinted lips and tilted her
face up toward the ceiling of the gazebo. “You’re attracted to me, Detective.”
“Aren’t most men?” He wouldn’t deny the
obvious.
A laugh filtered into the darkness. “I’m
not interested in most men.”
Every muscle in Hunt’s body coiled with
sexual tension, and in that moment he forgot about duty, honor, the law,
everything but what he wanted most. Her. Plunging into her wet heat. Feeling
those long, luscious legs wrapped around his hips.
He bit back a groan and dropped his gaze,
clawing desperately at composure that mockingly eluded him. “Let’s get back on
point.” He forced the words out through a throat drier than Arizona sawdust.
She took a step toward him, surprising him
with her boldness. “You already know I need your help.”
Now bathed in her scent, he found it
difficult to take his eyes off her cleavage. “So why didn’t you come to the
station and ask for it? That’s the way a normal person asks for help. You
didn’t turn yourself into a criminal just because you need my help.”
Hunt took a step closer and then another
until mere inches separated their bodies. Probably not a good idea considering
his body’s reaction to her. “That’s not something a sane person would do.”
Why was he still talking when his palms
ached to cup her breasts, to fill his hands with their heaviness? Drowning in a
sea of sexual hunger, he tried to think about what he should say next. Do next.
Nothing came to mind…at least nothing he should do. Oh but there were
plenty of things he wanted to do. What in the hell was happening to him?
“Sanity is overrated.” She breathed the
words, sending soft puffs of minted air toward him.
God, he wanted to kiss her, to tangle his
hands in that thick hair. Riveted, he lifted one hand and brushed his knuckles
down the side of her face, the urge to touch her stronger than the inner voice
telling him to back away. “Who are you?”
Their gazes clashed, held, both
challenging, demanding. Carley smiled. “I just gave you my name.”
“And that’s all you’ve given me.”
“That will have to do for now.”
“Not acceptable.” He sensed she was pulling
back from him, ready to leave the conversation much sooner than he was ready to
let her go.
She reached out and captured his tie with
one hand, rolling it around her hand. “If that’s the case, then why are you
here?”
Hunt’s blood pressure climbed. “Maybe the
mystery has me intrigued.” No more so than the woman standing in front of him.
She stood on tiptoe and pressed her cheek
to his to whisper in his ear. “And there’s so much more mystery awaiting you.”
He fisted one hand in her hair and gave it
a gentle tug, his body mere seconds away from exploding. “Enough with the
games. What do you want from me?”
Carley’s gaze met his and Hunt caught his
breath and held it, knowing he should say something, do something. But that
look, that raw pain he saw in her eyes, left him helpless.
“What is it, Carley? It’s time to be
honest. You’ve got my attention so now tell me why you want it.”
She tugged her hair free from his hand and
took a step back and he imagined doors closing that effectively shut out her
emotions. “It’s my sister.