Catch Your Breath

by Shannyn Schroeder

  She was flirting with this guy.

  As soon as she made that simple move, the guy had his opening. He reached up and toyed with a lock of hair that framed her face. He was much too close and Jimmy straightened with the intention of breaking up the intimate party. But then he stopped himself. James was a married man tonight, and Moira was no one to him other than some reporter that he knew casually. Blowing his cover wouldn’t be a smart move.

  Stan starting talking about real estate again and excellent locations for James and Gabby. He acted as though Jimmy had already hired him to find a place. Jimmy listened, at least halfway, but his gaze tracked Moira. She’d left the bar and mingled through the crowd. She stopped and talked to no fewer than five different men. None wore a wedding band.

  When she left the pavilion with one guy, Jimmy had had enough. “Excuse me, Stan, I’m going to take a walk. Save us a spot at your table for dinner, and you can tell Gabby all about your ideas for where we should look.”

  “Will do.”

  Taking his coat off and carrying it over his shoulder, Jimmy hoped to find a breeze to cool himself down. Then he realized it wasn’t the weather making him hot, but Moira’s teasing.

  Once his eyes adjusted to the dark outside the pavilion, he glanced around and found Moira and bachelor number six. He followed from a safe distance. Until the guy slid his hand around Moira’s waist. Then Jimmy picked up the pace until he was almost alongside them.

  “Moira? Moira O’Leary?”

  She stopped in her tracks and turned. Although she smiled, her eyes spoke volumes of irritation. “Mr. Buchanan, nice to see you again.”

  The man beside her dropped his hand from her body and held it out. “Mike Thornton.”

  “James Buchanan.” He returned his attention to Moira. “I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to talk about that interview you wanted to do.”

  She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d given you my card. Feel free to call me at your convenience.”

  He made no move to take the card. “Actually, I was hoping you might have a minute now.” He looked pointedly at her companion.

  “I’ll head back to the party. I’ll see you inside, Moira. Save a dance for me.”

  Once Mike was out of earshot, she asked, “What the hell are you doing?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at the number of people still milling around. He grabbed Moira’s elbow and guided her farther away.

  She struggled in his grasp, which caused her dress to gap and then tighten in all the places that shouldn’t draw his attention but did.

  “Let go of me. What are you doing?”

  When they were safely ensconced in shadows, he released her. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m doing my job. Same as you.” The moonlight peeking through the foliage made her white skin glow. Her chest rose and fell fast; he knew she was getting wound up.

  Well, so was he. “Your job is to flirt with every single guy you come across?”

  “What do you care who I flirt with? You barely like me.”

  Why did she keep going there? “I told you I like you just fine.”

  “Funny way of showing it. You ruined a nice walk I was having with Mike. I don’t need another big brother. I’ve got that covered.”

  He wasn’t looking at her like a little sister right now. In fact, he was having a hard time remembering she was a little sister. “You’re making me nuts. What are you trying to do?”

  She sighed heavily and leaned against the rock outcropping behind her. “My friend Kathy—”

  “Hendricks?”

  “Yeah. She pointed out that the events I attend have plenty of bachelors.”

  Christ. She was taking dating advice from Hendricks? The woman briefly dated Kevin, which didn’t say much about her taste.

  “Then something you said the other day stuck with me. Remember at the block party, you mentioned kissing every guy possible to find the one who would set off fireworks? Well, that got me to thinking. Maybe I was being too selective in trying to find the right guy. So I figured I’d give it a shot. It shouldn’t be a conflict of interest if I don’t write about the guys I date. And I might be able to find the one to make my toes curl—”

  He lost the ability to think. Dropping his coat, he pushed against her, one hand bringing her hips toward him. He braced an arm against the rough rock to keep balance as he lowered himself to align his mouth with hers. His movement caused blessed silence from her except for a quick, sharp intake of breath.

  God, she tasted just like he’d always imagined: like sweet sunshine and smiles. Pushing his tongue into her mouth to seek out hers elicited a moan from her, and it made him want to take more. His hand traveled up her back, pushing her more firmly against him and the softness of her chest pressed against him.

  As her arms twined around his neck and her fingers rubbed his head, he could’ve sworn that he did indeed see fireworks. Like some damn kid.

  He nipped her full lower lip and was about to dive in for more when the sound of laughter behind them caught his attention and he remembered where they were.

  Shoving away as quickly as he’d moved in, he mumbled, “Fuck.”

  “Not quite, but that was a hell of a start.”

  He heard the smile in her voice, along with a hint of I told you so.

  He took a full step back from her. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Just what every girl likes to hear after being kissed senseless. Why not?”

  “You mean besides the fact that you’re Liam’s little sister?”

  “Definitely besides that. Liam doesn’t decide who I date, much less who I kiss or sleep with.”

  He couldn’t think about her kissing or sleeping with anyone right now, even him. Especially him. “I’m supposed to be married, remember ? Fuck. I don’t know how I let you do this to me.”

  “So sorry to be an inconvenience.” Her voice didn’t hold an ounce of apology.

  “I need to get back to the party.”

  “So do I.” She took a few steps away from him until she stood in a pool of light. Her skin continued to glow and her hair was still in place, but her face was flush and her lips kiss swollen. “I’ve had some interesting conversations. You know, if you tell me what kind of information you’re looking for, I can probably find things out for you.”

  Fury crept in quickly and he grabbed her elbow. “Stay out of my investigation.”

  “I’m a reporter. I ask questions. It’s what I do for a living.”

  “I’m not kidding, Moira. Stop playing Lois Lane. Leave it.”

  Again with the snort. “If I’m Lois, it makes you who? Superman?”

  “We don’t know what we’re dealing with. You’ll get your damn story. Stay away from it.”

  “Whatever. I have people to meet.” She turned away to leave again.

  “No more men tonight, Moira.”

  “We’ll see,” she said without turning around. And he was certain she added a bit of sway to her hips just to make him crazier.

  He watched her walk away and took a deep breath. Then he retrieved his coat from the ground before heading back to find Gabby. She was already sitting at a table with Stan, who monopolized the conversation. More daggers shot his way.

  “Hey, sweetie. Sorry I took so long. I ran into a few people and needed to say hi.” He took his seat.

  Gabby didn’t respond except for a raised eyebrow, as if she knew what he’d been doing. Some famous chef prepared dinner, but Jimmy didn’t taste much. And the portions were so small, he was still hungry when they pulled away his empty plate. He carried on conversations half-assed as he kept an eye out for Moira.

  When the band struck its first chords, he looked for an escape. The case was stalled without more information, and he didn’t know if he could continue this charade while Moira flirted. When Stan’s wife pulled Gabby to the dance floor, Jimmy went back to the bar
. Enough alcohol had been consumed that everyone became friendlier.

  Stan had followed him, and if Jimmy hadn’t been sure he had information about the thefts, he would’ve told Stan to back off. Jimmy decided one more beer would be fine and then they could cut out. As he took his first sip, he heard Moira’s laugh. Full-throated and enticing. He turned to see her. Stan followed his eyes.

  “That one has eyes for you,” he said.

  “Hmm ?”

  “The O’Leary reporter. She’s been watching you all night like you’re a chocolate dessert.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Trust me. She hasn’t given anyone a look like that.” He leaned closer to Jimmy. “And if you’re interested, I can say she’d be safer than some you’ll encounter.”

  Jimmy froze. Stan’s words held plenty of implications. Safer how? He wanted to ask, but Gabby came rushing up to him.

  “I need a drink. These women know how to party.” She grabbed Jimmy’s beer and took a gulp. Then she turned to the bar and asked for a glass of water.

  “You almost ready to go, honey?”

  “One more dance.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  She gulped her water and danced off. Stan began a conversation with someone else at the bar, leaving Jimmy to ponder the cryptic message.

  CHAPTER 6

  Moira didn’t know what she hoped to accomplish. Sure, when the night had started out, she had a plan, but Jimmy managed to blow it to bits with a single kiss. And she’d been right. The man could make her toes curl with a kiss. Now she was just playing, and maybe part of her wanted to see if he’d get jealous.

  It was a little childish, but the man ticked her off. He kissed her and then apologized. What the hell did that mean?

  She spent the remainder of her evening collecting phone numbers, but the thought of kissing any of these guys did nothing for her. Especially when she remembered the raw power of Jimmy’s kiss. He was always in control of everything. Just once, she’d like to see him lose control. Even when she annoyed him, he kept his voice, his emotions, everything in check.

  Jimmy stood at the bar with creepy Stan. Stan had to be an integral part of whatever theft Jimmy was investigating. Would it be asking too much for Stan to land in jail? Probably.

  She noticed a gold band on Jimmy’s finger and wondered where he’d gotten it. When he wasn’t holding his beer, he toyed with the ring, the only sign that it was an unusual part of his wardrobe. In the span of him finishing his beer, after Gabby left him, Moira counted three different women enter his space to flirt.

  He didn’t acknowledge it, not the way Stan did. But Moira found it interesting that being married made Jimmy more popular. Why would women go after someone who was supposed to be unattainable ? Was it the chase? Just to see if they could?

  She shook her head and went to find her next bachelor. If Jimmy wanted to believe their kiss was a mistake, that was his choice. She’d find someone who actually wanted to kiss her.

  As she finished her evening, she waved to Gabby and Jimmy, and a nagging thought about all of the flirtatious women grabbed hold of her brain. There was something there—she just needed to find it.

  Hours later, Moira sat up in bed, unable to sleep. At first, thoughts of kissing Jimmy revved her hormones. She couldn’t stop feeling his hands roughly hold her in place. Her mouth remembered the slick, hot feel of his tongue sliding along hers. His hard body pressed against her, his soft, bristly hair brushing her palm, everything leaving her wanting more.

  Then there was the oh-my-freaking-God feeling because Jimmy O’Malley kissed her. She’d never seen it coming, even with their brief encounter in her apartment. With great effort, she pushed all images away. She didn’t know what to do about Jimmy. She’d loved the man more than half her life, but he would laugh at her if she ever confessed.

  She sought something else to focus on and returned to that same nagging thought, like a major breakthrough sat just out of her reach. She needed some caffeine to charge her brain, and then maybe it would come to her. Two a.m. and a pot of coffee gurgled on her kitchen counter while she scrolled through files of photos.

  Something familiar about one of the women who had approached Jimmy tugged at her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t place the woman. She must’ve been a guest at the occasional event, but not one of the regulars. Moira couldn’t put her together with any of the usual guests.

  By the time Moira finished the pot of coffee, she had a nice caffeine buzz going, and she’d flipped through thousands of photos. Every time Moira caught a glimpse of the mystery woman, she was always in the background. Moira had never interviewed her, and her name appeared nowhere in any of Moira’s articles.

  Moira didn’t even know why it seemed to matter so much, but now it felt like a challenge. She made a file of pictures of the woman and then opened the file and spread the photos across her screen. Long auburn hair, always left down and flowing, as if to conceal her face from cameras. She was tall, at least five foot eight, judging her beside people Moira knew. The collage of faces stared at her, and Moira closed her eyes.

  Had she ever spoken to the woman?

  She thought back to the events where she knew the woman appeared. Early on, when Moira first started covering fund-raisers and charity events. One of her first, in fact. Moira’s eyes popped open with the recognition.

  Jimmy had to hear about this. Standing in front of her computer, she looked down at herself. Okay, so a quick shower and change of clothes were in order. Regardless of what Jimmy said about not wanting her, his kiss said different, and she refused to give him fuel to forget her. She checked the time. By the time she was ready, Jimmy would be up. The military had taught him to be an early riser. He and Liam always joked about it because Liam was not a morning person.

  Moira was out the door and in her car before six. The only time she ever saw six in the morning was when she pulled an all-nighter. She made a stop at Starbucks and drove into Jimmy’s neighborhood. She probably could’ve gotten away with calling him, but she had the feeling he’d brush her off if she called. She’d be harder to ignore in person. She parked in front of his house and looked up. No lights were on. She didn’t want to ring the bell and risk waking up his dad.

  She sat sipping her coffee until she heard a motorcycle rumble behind her. Had to be Sean.

  Stepping out of her car, she took a long look at him. “Taking a walk of shame, Sean?”

  “Hey, Moira. No shame here. It’s all good.”

  “Do you know if Jimmy’s up yet? I didn’t want to wake your dad.”

  Sean glanced at his phone. “He’ll be out running. Like clockwork every morning. He’ll turn the corner any minute.”

  He tapped her shoulder and pointed to the end of the block. Sure enough, there was Jimmy running toward them. Sean stepped up on the curb. “I’m off to bed. See you later.”

  Moira followed him and sat on the front steps. Excitement bubbled in her chest. She knew the information she had would help Jimmy. She didn’t know quite how, but her gut was rarely wrong.

  She leaned over and looked down the block. He had slowed to a walk now, arms up, as he cooled down. The T-shirt he wore was wet with sweat and pulled tightly against his chest and around his biceps. She swallowed a healthy gulp of coffee and lust simultaneously.

  He pulled up short when he saw her on the steps. Pulling the earbuds from his ears, he said, “What are you doing here?”

  She stood, swallowed, and focused on her mission, which was not imagining him naked. “I had this idea that kept bugging me last night after the zoo party. It nagged and kept me awake, and I knew if I focused, it would mean something.”

  He released a heavy breath. “What would mean something, Moira? I need to get in the shower.”

  She fumbled her coffee. Pictures of a wet, naked Jimmy were not helping. Then he lifted the edge of his shirt to wipe his forehead. His stomach muscles flexed and her brain shorted. “Uhh . . . I think I have something
that might help your case.”

  He dropped the shirt and straightened. “I told you to stay away from my investigation. You have no idea what you’re doing.”

  She took a slow, deep breath, one she was told would help control her snap temper. “I didn’t do anything to your investigation. But I still came up with something that I think will help.”

  She sucked down the last of her coffee as he stared at her. Lois Lane, my ass.

  “Can I take a shower and then we can talk?”

  “I’ll wait if you buy me breakfast.”

  “Fine.” He jogged past her up the stairs. “You coming in?”

  No, it would be better to keep barriers between her and a wet, naked Jimmy. “Nah. I’ll wait here.”

  He took her empty cup and went inside.

  While she waited for Jimmy, Moira studied the neighborhood. She’d spent most of her life here, but she never thought about how different it looked from this side of the street. It was a different perspective, and she wondered what Jimmy saw when he sat here.

  Her daydreaming was interrupted when Kevin dropped a bag at her feet. “Finally here to declare your love for me?”

  She rolled her eyes. “What are you doing here? I thought you were the only one with his own place.”

  “The laundry room in my building is a mess. I need clean clothes. The real question is, why are you here? Don’t you belong across the street?”

  “I’m waiting for Jimmy.”

  “For what?”

  “I need to talk to him.”

  “You can talk to me.” He hefted the bag over his shoulder.

  She shifted over so he could get by. “You’re the last person I’d want to talk to. I’m still pissed about the water balloon.”

  The bag thumped against the sidewalk again.

  She squinted up at him and waited.

  He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “About that. I’m sorry. I thought it would be funny. I didn’t think about what you were wearing.”