by Jill Sanders
“I remember a few years back hearing about the Realtor who was killed.”
“It’s a job that can easily turn bad. We’re out there, for the most part, on our own, trusting that the people we are meeting are who they say they are. RMR does a great job screening clients, but”—she glanced out the window as they made their way up the canyon—“you just never know.”
“Have you had any close calls?”
“Nope, I’m very cautious. Besides, I have my own added protection.” She leaned closer to him. “I carry my nine millimeter.” The gun always made her feel safer.
“I just bet it’s pink.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She held her chin up high. She was proud of her ability to protect herself.
“Okay, we’ll have to go to the shooting range sometime to see who’s a better shot,” he said.
“You’ll just lose again,” she joked.
“Wanna bet?” He glanced over at her and she felt her heart skip.
CHAPTER TEN
By the time they made it to the Clear Creek Whitewater Park, there were at least a dozen other people getting ready to get in the water. It was a popular drop-off spot. There were even shuttles you could ride to get back to your car once you were done.
“Ready for this?” He pulled out a bag that held two life vests and helmets. He knew the route was under a mile long, but the whitewater rafting was some of the most fun around. He could have taken her up to the mountains where the water was a little more unpredictable, but he didn’t know her skill set, and to be honest with himself, it had been years since he’d been in the water himself.
“I was born for this.” She reached in the back for the two paddles.
It took them a few minutes to get everything to the edge of the water. There was a small training class going on behind them in the calmer waters, but he carried the canoe up to where the course started.
He watched her strap on her helmet and vest, then discard her sandals and set them with all the other shoes. They hit the water a few minutes later, with her riding lead.
Four hours later, they had made the trek over a dozen times and were completely and wonderfully soaked to the bone. He couldn’t remember laughing so much in his entire childhood. He kept trying to keep his eyes off the tight, wet tank top she was wearing. Not to mention her perfect breasts and nipples that looked absolutely delicious.
“What do you say to stopping for some lunch?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at her. He was a little winded from carrying the canoe back up to his car.
“I could eat.” She leaned against the door, taking a couple of deep breaths herself, causing his eyes to zero in and watch the slow movement of her breasts as her lungs expanded. “I’d forgotten how many different muscle groups it takes to do this.” She rubbed her right shoulder, making him wish he could feel how soft her skin was under his hands.
“Just last night, my uncle was trying to convince me I was out of shape.” He rolled his own shoulders, feeling the tightness there. “I’m beginning to believe him.”
She laughed, the low sweet sound sending signals straight to his groin. “Now I remember why I haven’t done this in a while.”
He lifted the canoe back onto the rack with her help.
“How about grabbing some burgers?” he suggested.
He watched her eyes roll with delight. “Sounds perfect.” She almost groaned, and he felt his body stiffen even more when his thoughts turned to getting her to make those noises for a whole different reason.
Luckily, they’d both brought changes of clothes. As Logan took off his swimming trunks in the restroom, he imagined Amy pulling off her wet tank top in the neighboring ladies’ room.
“So, why did you really move back to Golden?” Amy asked, leaning her elbows on the table as they waited for their burgers to be delivered. “And don’t tell me it was to help your uncle out. RMR is doing better than it was when I was hired a few years ago.”
He shut his mouth. “Fair enough.” His mind raced to come up with something that didn’t sound too desperate. The fact was that he’d worked himself into a corner. He had needed to make a change in his life, and upon hearing that she worked for his uncle, it had given him the perfect opportunity to set things straight with her. One of the last items on his life’s list of things to correct. “I guess it was just time. Things were coasting along at CCR, but . . .” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, reminded again of how sore they were. It felt great, though. “I mean, some of my best memories were in Golden. Now that my dad’s gone . . .”
“Oh, I didn’t know your father had passed.” She frowned.
“Just before Christmas.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied.
He shrugged. “The old man and I were never really close. Actually, he’s the reason my mom and my uncle went their separate ways.”
“What happened?” She tilted her head and waited.
“My uncle never really approved of my father. Kevin, my dad, was a military brat, and after spending a few years in the Corps, he thought he knew how he should raise his son . . . by using an iron fist.” He closed his eyes, he could still feel the belt as it landed across his backside.
“I’m sorry.” She leaned toward him in her chair, her hand reached for his.
“I guess it’s one of the reasons why I was so wild in my youth,” he suggested.
“So, you admit it.” Her eyebrows went up and a light smile played on her lips.
He glanced at her in question.
She smiled fully. “That you were a rascal.”
He raised his hand in defeat. “I blame it solely on my old man.”
“It wasn’t your father who threw a string of lit firecrackers in the girls’ dressing room, hoping, no doubt, that we’d all run out half dressed.”
“Imagine my dismay when Mrs. Kaiser came out with the bottom of her sweats burned instead.”
They laughed until their meals were delivered.
“What about your folks?” He glanced at her once he’d wolfed down half of his burger.
“They’re both still alive.”
“Didn’t they divorce a long time ago?”
“Yes, but for some reason, they recently started trying to make it work . . . they’ve actually started going out on dates again. It’s kind of embarrassing now that they’ve started acting like teenagers around one another.”
“Maybe divorce works for them?” He’d never imagined that his own parents’ relationship would have lasted as long as it had.
“When they were married, they fought all the time. Now, not so much. Besides, if they start to drive each other crazy, they just go back to their own places.”
“I’m not sure I could ever have a real relationship like that.”
“Agreed. It is better than Kristen’s parents, though, who seem to go out of their way to touch each other and kiss every time people are around.”
“Too much PDA?” he asked.
“Kristen is always complaining about it.”
“Kristen?” He tried to remember whom she was talking about. Then an image of a cheery, honey-haired girl who had always been beside Amy popped into his mind. “Your best friend from school?”
She nodded and took another bite of her burger.
“What’s she up to?”
“She works at an architectural firm in downtown Denver as an interior designer. She’s been engaged for a couple of years, but her big day is coming up.” She pushed her plate away. “We’re finally going to pick out her wedding dress next weekend.”
He didn’t get where he was today without knowing when it was a good time to change the subject. And, seeing her eyes mist up now, he knew there was no better time to talk about something else.
“So, what’s up between my uncle and Leah?” he asked.
He thought he heard her chuckle at the change of subject, but then she leaned forward and started telling him when she’d first walked in o
n them together.
Not that Logan was afraid of marriage talk, but since the last time he’d almost gone down that road himself and had ended up losing a small chunk of his heart, he liked avoiding thoughts of marriage whenever possible.
In the back of his mind, he kept wondering how his prior engagement would have turned out differently had his fiancée been Amy instead of Bella.
When Logan pulled the car up in front of her townhouse, nerves flew through her. She didn’t know why. After all it was Sunday afternoon, the sun was still warm and bright, and it wasn’t like they’d been on a romantic date, like the night before when he’d walked her to the door and kissed her softly before getting back in his car and driving away.
This time, however, she doubted he’d leave after just a quick kiss. Nor did she really want him to. She’d had fun today. And after talking with him over the last few days, she was beginning to see just how much he’d really changed.
Not only was she enjoying herself with him, she was finding it harder to deny the attraction she felt for him. Every time she found him looking at her, she would almost melt from the heat in his eyes.
“I’d like to check on the family.” He glanced at her plaintively.
“Oh, yes.” She remembered that she now had a room full of dogs to care for. “Come on in.”
He jumped out and rushed around to open her door. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to steady herself as she waited.
As they walked into her townhouse, they heard soft barking.
“Sounds like Daisy needs out.” He went past her and opened the door. The small, dark dog darted through his legs, past her, and out the open door.
“Will she come back on her own?”
“As long as the pups are here, you shouldn’t worry about her going too far.”
She waited with the front door open while the dog did her business in her small front yard area. Logan had disappeared into her guest room, and she could hear the puppies yapping as he no doubt played with them.
When Daisy came rushing back in, Amy shut the door and followed the new mother back into the makeshift nursery.
“How are they?” She walked over and looked into the box and watched the pups start suckling on their mom.
“Great. I can’t thank you enough for letting them stay here for a while.” He brushed his hand over Daisy’s head. Instantly, Amy felt a wave of desire slam into her. She wondered what it would feel like if he touched her with such tenderness.
“Do you want a drink?” She walked back to the doorway of the room. His eyes traveled over her and then his smile took her breath away. Could he tell that she was almost shaking as he watched her?
He followed her into her living room just as she started to pour some lemonade. She jumped when his large hands spanned her waist and spun her around.
“I’d rather have something else,” he said softly. Then dipped his head toward hers and brushed his lips against hers. Her fingers dug into his hair, holding him to her mouth a moment longer as a moan of pleasure escaped her.
“This is what I’ve craved all day.” His fingers dug into her hips as he moved closer, pinning her against her countertop.
She could feel his legs move in between hers and gladly spread her feet so he could get closer. Then, he moved his hands until he was lifting her to the edge of the counter. Her legs wrapped around his narrow hips, his mouth never leaving hers as his tongue darted in to mix with her own. She threw her head back as his lips trailed down her neck, lapping at every nerve along the way. She couldn’t stop her body from wanting, from moving against his.
“Tell me to leave.” He moaned against her skin, his hands brushing the sides of her breasts, sending a shiver up her spine.
She was beyond control and could only shake her head slightly as she ran her fingers over his arms, his chest. Why would she tell him that? What she wanted was for him to carry her into her bedroom and . . .
Just then, her doorbell sounded off in three quick bursts. Kristen. Damn!
Logan glanced up at her, his sandy eyebrows shooting up in question.
“Anyone you can get rid of in under a minute?”
She leaned her head back against the cabinet. “Nope.”
He groaned, then ran his mouth over hers one more time. “Okay, give me a minute.” He took a couple of deep breaths and she stifled a giggle. She needed a few minutes herself.
When she opened her door, Kristen was hidden behind a pile of magazines. “I need your help!” She pushed past Amy but stopped dead in the middle of her living room when she saw Logan leaning against her bar area.
“Oh!” She glanced between them and a slow smile crossed her lips. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“You are,” Logan said, under his breath.
“No!” Amy said quickly and a little more loudly than she should have.
Logan crossed his arms over his chest. Amy couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over the muscles she’d been running her hands over a moment ago.
“I’ll just—” Kristen started.
“No!” Amy broke in. “We had plans.” She reached over and took some of the magazines from her friend. She glanced toward Logan, who just smiled back at her. “I promised Kristen I’d look through these in preparation for our bridal shop appointments next weekend.”
Daisy came into the room and Kristen gasped. “You have a dog!” She quickly set the rest of the magazines in a messy pile on Amy’s coffee table, then rushed over and picked up Daisy.
“Well, Logan has a dog. I’m watching her and her puppies until—”
“Puppies?” Kristen broke in, then rushed with Daisy into the spare room. Logan walked up behind Amy and placed his hands on her hips as they listened to Kristen ooh and aah over the dogs.
He turned her using his hands on her hips. “I’d better let you two have some time.” He stepped closer to her and she felt her body instantly respond. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned down and kissed her until she felt her toes start to curl.
“Later.” She knew she’d have a lot of explaining to do with Kristen after he left.
No sooner had the front door closed, than Kristen was by her side, hands at her hips, her head tilted questioningly. “Spill!”
Amy thought she saw a slight smile on her friend’s lips. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her body down from the onslaught that was Logan Miller.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
All next week Logan found it hard to concentrate every time she was within his sight. He took to using his uncle’s office, since he had a full schedule that week and was hardly there.
Amy kept getting more lovely every time he’d seen her. Monday, she’d worn a sexy cream-colored dress, which had hugged every curve. The deep V ran off her shoulders, dipping low over those breasts he’d gotten his hands on just the day before. She’d worn heels, making her the same height as him. He found the ensemble so damn sexy that he had wanted to pull her into a closet or empty office somewhere to see how quickly he could discard her entire outfit.
That’s when he’d decided he needed to use his uncle’s office for the day. Of course, Tuesday had come along and this time it had been a gray skirt, with a deep-red, off-the-shoulder blouse. She’d covered the blouse with a blazer that matched the skirt, but the second she’d removed it, he’d hightailed it to his uncle’s office to hide behind the desk for the remainder of the day.
Then on Wednesday, they’d been called out to another meeting with the McCormack Group to finalize their offer. Her outfit that day had definitely been his undoing. The entire twenty minutes they sat around the boardroom table, the men in the meeting couldn’t stop staring at her cleavage as the curve of her breasts threatened to peek out of the crisp white blouse. He caught himself growling a warning to the other men.
When they were walking back to his car that evening, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her as he ran his hands over every inch of the tan skirt. Reluctant to release her, he nev
ertheless dropped his arms and opened the door for her.
Her eyes were unfocused, her hair was a little messed up, and the back of her shirt had come untucked from the skirt. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling as she righted herself while he drove back toward their office.
“Do you always dress like this?” He watched her glide pink lip gloss over her bottom lip. Just the simple movement alone was causing his pants to become too tight.
“Like what?” she asked.
“You still carrying that gun of yours?”
She frowned even more. “Always.” She tapped her purse that sat next to her. “Why?”
“How about the Taser?”
She nodded.
“You might need it later.”
When they entered the office building, it was to pounding rain and thunder. He usually loved the summer storms, but this one seemed to only build his mood even more. He felt the air between Amy and him crackle as they stepped into the elevator.
When the doors slid closed he was shocked when she swooped over and pushed him up against the elevator wall. Her glossed lips glided over his, her sweet scent filled his senses as her hands ran over his arms and chest. She’d pushed herself up against him, and he knew he’d be walking funny into his uncle’s office once the doors opened again.
“Tell me that was your last meeting for the day,” he said against her skin as his hands pushed up her skirt so he could feel her bare skin under his fingers.
“All done for the day,” she purred.
“Then why in God’s name are we going back to the office?” He reached over and hit the lobby button as the car came to a halt on the second floor.
She giggled and leaned back as the doors slid open. He was thankful no one was in the hallway, and even more thankful that no one would be riding back down with them.
The second the doors closed, she was back on him, pushing him a little harder against the wall this time as she took his mouth with hers.
“You’re in so much trouble,” he growled as he felt her hike up her skirt to wrap a leg around his calf.