by Raine Miller
“And if you’re not busy tonight, Andrea, I’d like you to drop by. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Oh, I—”
“A distant cousin of mine from England is visiting the states for a few weeks and I’ve invited her to dinner tonight with her son. I know it’s short notice but Vanessa only called yesterday. Her schedule opened up and I wasn’t able to reach you yesterday and you didn’t return my phone call.”
Annie stifled a groan. Her mother had just requested a command performance and thrown a load of guilt on top of if. She didn’t need this now.
“Actually, Mom, I have plans for tonight.”
Beatrice paused and the guilt practically oozed over the phone line. “Well, I can certainly understand not wanting to break a commitment. If it’s a date, why don’t you ask the man to meet you at the house, so at least you could put in an appearance?”
Annie’s shoulders got tighter with each word. There was absolutely no way out, short of flat-out lying. With a muffled sigh, she resigned herself to an ibuprofen-laden night.
“I’m sure I could stop for a while, Mom, if you don’t mind an extra guest. Around seven okay?”
“That’s fine.” Beatrice paused and Annie was sure something else was forthcoming. So she was pleasantly shocked when her mother said, “Thank you, dear. I’ll see you tonight.”
Annie rang off with a weight on her heart. Did it really take so little to make her mother happy?
Well, she totally sucked as a daughter, didn’t she?
With a sigh, Annie crossed her arms on her desk and rested her forehead on them. Her entire world seemed to be shifting on its foundations and she didn’t know where it was safe to stand at the moment.
She had to take Nic to her mother’s. She didn’t think he’d let her go alone and if he did, he’d probably sit in his car outside of the house all night. And, quite honestly, she didn’t want to go without him. After last night…
After last night, she wanted to spend every waking moment with him.
But if she subjected him to her mother for more than a few minutes, Nic might want to strangle her later. A few hours in her mother’s company and Annie wanted to strangle herself.
It wasn’t that she didn’t love her mom. She did. It’s just that Beatrice Reed was…difficult. Cold and judgmental yet clingy and needy. A combination to try a saint’s patience.
And Annie was no saint.
She’d have to tell Nic and she had no idea what his response would be. She had no doubt he could handle her mother but she didn’t want him to have to.
First things first, though. She needed to finish this paperwork or she’d have more of a problem with the city council than she already did. They wanted to revoke the license for the shelter. Well, not the whole council, just a few vocal members.
They were concerned that the teens were a safety risk to the neighborhood.
Her temper boiled at the thought that her girls were a safety risk. Hell, the girls were the ones who needed to be protected. They needed to be gotten off the street into somewhere safe. And not thought of as trash by a few rich, stuck-up—
Damn it. She sucked in a calming breath. Her girls needed to be protected from men who thought they were easy prey. Like the one who’d given Karen that black eye. Those are the people those self-important assholes should be going after. Not her girls.
Unfortunately, those assholes had enough clout to be dangerous.
But there was no way she’d let them shut the shelter down. She’d worked too hard over the past two years to make this the haven it had become. The haven her grandmother had meant it to be.
With a sigh, she immersed herself in legalese that might have swamped another person and searched for a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
An hour later, she was still swearing at the papers on her desk when Nic materialized in the doorway of her office.
One minute he wasn’t there and the next…
He took her breath away.
Leaning against the doorframe, he had his arms crossed over his chest. He’d released his hair from the tail and it now brushed along his broad shoulders.
God, the man was beautiful. Not pretty, but so damn masculine and handsome. She wanted to wrap herself around him and climb him like her own personal tree. She wondered what he’d do if she told him that.
She smiled because she couldn’t help herself and when he actually smiled back, she swore her thighs quivered.
“Perfect timing,” she said. “I need you.”
His eyebrows curved up and his grin turned sexy as all hell. “Oh yeah?”
The tone of his voice was clearly amused and she blushed like a teenager. Damn the man. He shouldn’t be able to make her feel like that but he’d never smiled at her like this. And she loved it.
“I need an expert for this damn form and you’re just the man.”
He walked into the room and stopped next to her chair, letting his hand fall on her shoulder while he leaned over. “What do you need?”
She swallowed hard, positive he’d heard her when his gaze dropped to her mouth. She licked suddenly dry lips and had to suppress the urge to rub against him like a cat.
Hell, she had a reputation as an ice princess to uphold. Wasn’t doing such a good job of it now, was she?
As if he’d read her mind, he squeezed then let his hand rest there.
She turned her head and found her lips only inches from his.
Was he deliberately teasing her?
Well, two could play that game,
She looked into his eyes. “I think you know damn well what I need. But right now, this red tape is getting the best of me.”
He didn’t move away, just shook his head. “Sometimes, Annie, I don’t have a clue.”
Her eyes widened at his exasperated tone and she opened her mouth to respond but he pressed a quick kiss to her lips, effectively silencing her.
Blinking up at him as he drew back, she couldn’t think of one thing to say as he took the form from her.
“This shouldn’t be too tough.” He scanned the form, using one hand to shove his hair out of his eyes. “Bureaucracy’s a bitch.”
Okay, girl. Snap out of it. “I know. Manayunk council gave me a tough time when we first opened, although there wasn’t much they could complain about. The zoning was in my favor and the funding was more than adequate for twenty years.”
He sat on the edge of her desk, making her extremely aware of his size. Another thing she loved. “Seems like you had it all figured out.”
Since that sounded like a compliment, she took it as one. “Thank you. But I did have a lot of help from my grandmother.”
Nic straightened and walked over to sit on the couch. “Why a shelter?”
That was harder to explain, so she gave the only answer she had. “Because we could.”
Nic nodded then let his gaze drop to the form. “I’ll take care of this for you, if you want.”
Annie gave a relieved sigh. “Thank you. I really do appreciate it. And…there’s something else I need to tell you.”
His gaze shot back to hers and he lifted his eyebrows.
“My mother would like me to stop by tonight. Her cousin is visiting from England and Mom requested I make an appearance.” At his blank expression, she rushed on. “I’ll understand completely if you don’t want to go. I know dinner at my mother’s probably doesn’t sound like—”
“No problem.”
“—the best time, so…” She paused and took a breath. “Really? You’re sure you don’t mind?”
He shook his head. “Do I need a suit and tie or will be dress slacks be okay?”
Annie caught her breath. She couldn’t believe he’d said yes with no hesitation. The man was full of surprises. “Suit, if you’re okay with that. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
His chin lifted just a fraction. “Trying to talk me out of it?”
Was she? Maybe, but only because she didn’t want to subje
ct him to her mother’s scrutiny. Beatrice wasn’t anything like Grace. “No. I—”
“Does this include dinner or can we do that on our own afterward?”
Annie felt like she’d fallen down the rabbit hole. Her mother was being considerate and Nic wanted to take her to dinner. And last night he’d kissed her senseless. Tonight maybe she could convince him to do more than kiss.
“I think we can do dinner on our own. If that’s what you want.”
He nodded, his expression showing nothing but his gaze becoming molten. “It’s not all I want, but it’ll do for now. We’ll have to stop by my apartment so I can get some clothes.”
Clothes. No, that perfect body of his needed no clothes, but her mother would probably be shocked if he showed up naked. And a naked Nic would incite a riot on the streets.
Annie forced that thought away before she started undressing him right here in her office. “Let me clean up here and then we can go.”
He nodded again and held up her form. “I’ll finish this for you.”
Grabbing a pen from her desk, he settled onto the couch to work. It took a real effort on her part to concentrate on the paperwork with him so close. Of course, he didn’t seem at all affected as he focused on the form. When he finally got up and said he was going downstairs to check out the security system, she released a ragged breath and sent up a silent prayer for strength.
***
Nic spent most of the rest of the day out of sight.
He’d said he needed to check a few things for the form, but Annie was pretty sure he was checking to see if the building’s security system was up to his standards.
Before she let him go wandering around, she’d introduced him to the twenty girls in residence. Most had taken to him better than she’d expected. Some wouldn’t have anything to do with him and those he carefully avoided. Others were understandably drawn to him. He exuded strength and safety.
Then she retreated back to her office and Nic disappeared.
Of course, that didn’t keep him off her mind and she spent most of the rest of the day fighting to keep her mind on what needed to get done. By the time five o’clock rolled around, she’d only gotten half of the work completed that she’d wanted to and when he stuck his head back into her office to see if she was ready to leave, she sighed.
“Problems?” he asked.
Since the only problem was her lack of concentration because of him, she shook her head.
“We should probably get out of here then.” He nodded his head toward the front door. “I’ve got to stop at my place to get clothes.”
Luckily no one was in the office as he guided her up the back stairs to his third-floor apartment.
“Give me a few minutes to get some clothes and I’ll be right out.”
He left her in the front room, a combination living and dining room. Fully furnished and meticulously organized. Several photos of his family sat on the bookshelves that were also packed with mysteries and thrillers. She hadn’t realized he was such a big reader.
Wandering through the room, she took in all the little bits of him she could find as he banged around in the back. Curiosity finally got the better of her and she took the short hall to the room at the back of the apartment.
Nic’s bedroom.
Heart pounding as if she were doing something wrong, she pushed open the door.
The first thing she saw was his bed.
At least a king, it sat flush against the back wall and dominated the room. Unmade, the rumpled chocolate-brown sheets called to her, made her want to smooth them down then throw him on them and make a mess of them again.
She wanted to see him spread out on those sheets. Naked.
Tearing her gaze away from the temptation they offered, she glanced over the rest of the room. Two matching chests of drawers, walls painted a soothing shade of cream, curtains chocolate brown and thick. A few pieces of clothes lay on the bed, a few lay on the floor by the door to what looked like a walk-in closet. Which is where Nic must be.
Sure enough, as if he’d sensed her presence, he walked out of the closet, bare-chested and wearing a pair of black slacks and an unbuttoned white shirt, a suit coat in his hand.
She swallowed hard. What would he do if she walked over to him and licked her way from one nipple to the other?
So why not just do it?
If she wanted a real relationship with this man, she was going to have to learn to start taking what she wanted as well as giving him what he needed.
Closing the door behind her, she toed off her sneakers and started to unbutton her shirt.
He’d come to a stop at the first sight of her. Now his gaze narrowed and sensed his stillness.
“Annie.” He said nothing else, just her name in a steady tone but his hands had curled into fists.
He didn’t say anything else as she let her shirt gape open to reveal the beautiful lingerie she collected like other women collected shoes. Today’s set consisted of a pale pink, lace-and-silk demi-bra and matching sheer panties. The lace covered but didn’t conceal and her nipples hardened into aching points as his gaze sank to take in the sight. She dropped her shirt to the floor as his gaze flashed back to hers.
“Nic.”
Her hands dropped to the waistband of her jeans but his gaze flashed back to hers as she pushed them down her thighs. The material clung tight so it took a little wiggling to get them off her hips without taking along the string bikinis that matched the bra.
Nic’s harsh breathing was the only sound in the room but he still wasn’t touching her or moving closer. She felt his desire radiating from across the room and she swore it heated the air around her.
Finally, she got the jeans around her ankles. She looked down long enough to make sure she didn’t fall flat on her face when she stepped out of them and, when she looked up, Nic stood only inches away.
But still not touching. And she wanted him to touch her. So badly, she could barely breathe through the tightness of her lungs.
So she took that last step to close the distance between them. She didn’t press against him, like she wanted to do. Instead, she reached for his shirt.
Slowly, she pushed her hands under the material, soaking in the feel of his warm skin before she brushed the shirt off his shoulders. He helped then, rolling his shoulders so the shirt fell down his arms to the floor.
Nic had the most gorgeous chest she’d ever seen on a man, broad and firm, covered by a light mat of black, curling hair. She brushed her fingers against the soft fuzz, mesmerized by the feel against her skin. Then she found his erect nipples and squeezed.
He groaned low in his chest but didn’t move except to close his eyes. His breathing sounded almost tortured now. Good. She wanted him off kilter. Wanted to push him so far he wouldn’t be able to stop because she was tired of waiting.
Slowly, she moved closer, until all she had to do was bend the slightest bit to align her mouth with his nipples. She flicked one with her tongue then blew on it lightly. He shuddered. She licked the other and finally, finally, he moved.
His hands made a controlled glide from her wrists to her shoulders to her head, where he threaded his fingers through her hair. Not tight enough to pull, just enough to hold her in place.
Not that she had any intention of stopping.
Keeping her mouth on his chest, she dropped her hands to his pants and gripped the zipper tab, thankful he wasn’t wearing a belt. Hands trembling against washboard abs, she knew she wouldn’t have been able to navigate anything so complex right now.
Watching her hands, she drew down his zipper, her sex contracting at the sight of his erection straining against the material. Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed his pants over his hips and bent to press a kiss just in the center of his chest. His fingers tightened almost painfully in her hair.
Resting her hands on his hips, she slid her fingers into the waistband of his tented boxer briefs, intending to push them down those strong legs. Instead, he gav
e her hair a gentle tug to make her look up at him.
Desire made sharp planes of his cheekbones and his eyes burned.
“We don’t have time for this, Annie. Not to do it right. And if you put your mouth on me, we’re not going to make it to your mother’s at all.”
His voice rasped over her nerves like sandpaper, causing shivers of reaction throughout her body, but mostly in her core, where she was burning.
Forcing her legs to straighten, she stood on her toes until she could reach his lips. “We have more than enough time and I’m sick of waiting.”
CHAPTER 11
Nic had the fleeting thought that he should stop this before it got out of hand.
Until she kissed him and he lost the ability for rational thought.
She kissed him and the massive amount of energy he’d been expending on resisting the urge to take her down to his bed blew apart.
Now, nothing mattered but taking her. Making her his completely.
Groaning, he tried to rein in his ravaging hunger. Didn’t want to release his inner caveman and consume her in seconds.
Instead, he eased his hands from her hair, grabbed her under her arms and lifted until her mouth was aligned with his. Then he crushed his mouth to hers and released all the pent-up need inside him.
He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting her heat and passion. So hot. So addicting. He wanted to drown in it and enjoy every second.
Anchoring her to him with one arm around her waist, he ran his free hand down her back, coaxing her legs to wrap around his hips. Pressing her wet center against his throbbing cock, he fought the urge to grind himself against her, to rip away her panties and thrust into her.
She didn’t make it easy. Her hands stroked wherever she could reach, making his skin sensitive to her touch while her kiss made his head spin.
Where the hell had she learned to kiss like this?
Didn’t matter. She was kissing him now, with total devotion. She didn’t seem to want to stop and it just might kill him if she did.