Page 102 of Need You
He snaked his arm around her waist, pulled her against him, and went in for a kiss. Losing her balance, she grabbed onto his shoulders, feeling his hard chest pressed against her breasts. She took a second to luxuriate in his brawn and sniff his neck, which smelled like aftershave and something distinctly Colt. Despite all his misgivings and rules, he felt inordinately safe. Like no matter what, he had her. She never remembered feeling safe with Robert. Mostly judged, like she constantly had to prove herself.
“What’s this for?” she whispered as he devoured her mouth.
“You look hot and I’ve been wanting you for days.”
And here, in the privacy of her home, no one was watching. It didn’t bother her, she told herself. Who cared if they weren’t out in the open? Discretion was good.
“Thank you, so do you.” She closed her eyes and let the kiss take her away for a while, getting more and more aroused. “Are we skipping the date part of the program?”
“Nah.” He pulled away but she could tell it was a Herculean effort. “I promised to take you to Tahoe; I don’t renege on my promises. Not even for sex.” He flashed a crooked smile that never failed to turn her inside out.
She considered forgetting dinner and leading him upstairs but wasn’t quite comfortable being the aggressor, which she knew men enjoyed but could never bring herself to do.
“I’ll grab my purse.”
“And a jacket. It’s getting cooler at night.”
She found a cashmere wrap in the coat closet and followed him outside.
He eyed her silver Delaney Scott stilettos. “Wait here while I get my truck.”
“We can take your police car,” she said, kind of liking the idea of fooling around in the backseat of a squad vehicle.
“Against policy.” He hopped over her deck railing and climbed the driveway to the garage.
A few minutes later, he drove down the hill and jumped out of the cab to help her in, intentionally grazing her butt with his hand. At this rate, they wouldn’t get through a meal. She wanted him. Bad.
He got on the road, turned at the on-ramp to the highway, and headed east. Not for the first time she noted what an excellent driver he was, taking the curves as smoothly as she drove a straight shot on the interstate. He had one hand on her leg while he steered with the other. Ordinarily that would’ve made her nervous on a dark road. Not with Colt. She wondered if he’d learned his driving skills in the police academy.
“You okay?” he asked as they headed further up the mountain.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seem quiet.” He moved his palm higher on her thigh.
“Just enjoying the drive.” She put the back of her hand on the passenger-side window. “You were right, it’s getting chilly.”
“September is usually a nice month in the Sierra, but the temperature drops in the evenings. You want me to turn on the heat?”
“I’ve got the wrap.” Her dress was a sleeveless sheath that matched her shoes. Clingy knit fabric better suited for a warm summer night.
He slid her a sideways glance, which heated at the sight of her. “You have a busy rest of your day?”
“I got the pieces for Garner Adventure from the seamstress and countered on the offer.”
“What did the buyers say?”
“Nothing yet. They have twenty-four hours to respond. My agent thinks they’ll take it.”
He got quiet, mulling over what she’d just told him. “I guess that’s good, right? You’ll miss ski season, though.”
She couldn’t tell if he was being flip or a good sport about her eventual departure. “I don’t ski, so that won’t be a problem.”
He shook his head. “I still don’t get that. You live in one of the best ski towns in America.”
“I like drinking hot toddies in the lodge. Does that count?”
“No.” He said it like he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she didn’t ski. “If you’re still around when we get our first snow I’ll take you out for a lesson.”
