Page 46 of Live a Little!

“I’ll tell you just exactly what I’m going to do.” And in the time it took for the gal holding the Stop-Slow sign to finish a cigarette, he did, using explicit language and coming up with a few scenarios he wasn’t sure a man could pull off without bioniclimbs.

“Oh, stop it.” Cynthia laughed, but there was a breathless, turned-on edge to it. “You can’t do that on a hang glider. You’d dietrying.”

“I’d die with a smile on myface.”

“Me, too,” she whispered. Their gazes connected and held, and he was surprised the two car windows separating them didn’tmelt.

The traffic had started moving and he was able to take the next turnoff. She followed. And kept on following until he pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. She parked beside him and got out, looking around with a puzzled expression. He rolled down the window and she leaned in. “This is a shoppingmall.”

“It is? You got me so turned inside out I couldn’t remember where I was going.” He grinned at her raised eyebrows. “Hop in. No sense taking twocars.”

Her eyes narrowed and she stared at him for a moment as though debating whether she should trust him. Smart lady. He leaned over and opened the passenger side, and she swung in besidehim.

“So, where arewe—”

She never finished the sentence. He had his arms around her and his lips on hers so fast she didn’t even have time to shut her eyes. He didn’t shut his, either, just watched as her eyes gave away what her body was feeling. From wide-eyed and stiff, she went to dilated pupils and a soft, yielding form. She smelled good, she felt good, she tasted good. And he forgot himself as his teasing taste of her turned into a seriousfeast.

The honk of a horn brought him to his senses. This was a suburban shopping mall in midmorning, not the bridal suite at a fancy lodge in the middle of nowhere. And that’s where he’d really rather be, he realized, as he pulledback.

“What was that for?” she askedhazily.

“Cover,” hecroaked.

“Cover?”

Like a sinful thought, a light twinkled deep in her amazing green eyes. “You said you were going to the dentist. Now you can say with perfect truth that you had your mouth thoroughlyexamined.”

“Do I have anycavities?”

“Oh, yeah. One particular cavity I’m going to have to fill later.” She snorted with laughter, and he grinned as he settled back into his own seat and started the engine. “I might have to use mydrill.”

“I don’t have time to playdentist.”

“Looked to me like that cavity needed urgent attention,” he said, letting his finger trail up her thigh pushing the sweater dress thinghigher.

She slapped his hand away and crossed her legs. Which only made the view better. “I think you’d better unplug thatdrillfor a while. It’s going to wearout.”

“Now who’s aspoilsport?”

She was trying to appear prim, but having a hard time of it. Finally, she gave up and outright grinned at him. “So, wherearewegoing?”

“The Buena Vista Garden Apartments. A pricey California-style low-rise recently home to a Mr.Harrison.”

“Do you suppose he’ll bethere?”

“I checked this morning. He definitely didn’t reenter the States with his own passport.” Jake gritted his teeth just knowing that slimy little bean counter had left the country in the first place, before they’d had a chance to talk tohim.

“I know, but his rent was due. Maybe he came back under an assumed name.” She was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of interviewing a suspected drug dealer-moneylaunderer.

As they pulled into a visitor’s parking spot outside the Buena Vista Garden Apartments, she flipped open a pocket mirror and pulled out a tube of coppery lipstick, probably to replace the stuff he’d kissed off her lipsearlier.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he did his best to sound bored. “Well—” he sighed heavily “—this’ll be a waste of time. Tell you what. You wait here and I’ll try to hurry things up, then get you back to yourcar.”

She made kissing noises to herself in the mirror, then snapped the mirror shut before turning to him. “Don’t even think about it,” she said, and opened the cardoor.

So much for reverse psychology. He joined her and together they made their way to the front door. “Okay. You can come. But I do all the talking.Understand?”

“Mmm-hmm. I’m just yoursidekick.”

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