by Linz, Cathie
“Aren’t you working?”
“I’m off-duty today.”
“So your pulling me over . . . ?”
“Was not an official act and no doubt broke at least a dozen regulations.”
“I don’t plan on filing any complaints. So you want us to go to your place? Just for conversation?”
“If that’s all you want.”
“We’ll see.” Skye wasn’t about to promise anything yet. But she figured the fact that he was willing to take her to his home was a big step. A few minutes later, they walked into Nathan’s apartment. Skye gulped. “You live here?”
“Yeah.” Nathan dropped his keys onto the empty kitchen counter and secured his weapon before turning to look at her. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She looked over his shoulder into the empty fridge. “You’ve got beer and pickles.”
“Yeah. I’m not home much. I work a lot.”
“Uh-huh. I don’t need anything to drink at the moment, thanks.”
“Me either.” He closed the fridge and ushered her toward the living room and his pair of leather recliners. When she was seated, he said, “I don’t welsh on bets. I still owe you ten truths about myself. So here goes. I’m a White Sox fan. I’m no good at decorating. I like Heineken beer and Angelo’s half-sausage, half-pepperoni pizza with everything on it. I’ve used my job as an excuse to avoid having a life. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
When he paused, she said, “That’s six.” She got out of her recliner and went to him, settling on his lap and curving her hand along his square jaw. “You owe me four more.”
He gently tugged her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder. “I counted five, so I owe you five more.”
“I was counting your statement about not welshing on bets as one of your truths. So you’ve got four to go.”
Nathan stared down at this unpredictable, outspoken, rebellious woman and realized how lucky he was to have found her. His road to discovering he loved her had been a bumpy one. He’d made mistakes. But he’d also made progress. He’d reached out to her. And he’d finally moved on from his old life. Several days ago, he’d removed the boxes of household goods left over from his marriage and donated them to a Gulf Coast charity that Sister Mary had recommended.
And now he had Skye here. After his blunder last night, he hadn’t known if this moment would come. But he hadn’t been about to stand still and let any more time go by without having her by his side. So he’d taken immediate action. And here she was, cuddled against him.
Not that he thought he was on easy street. He knew he had to work hard to regain her trust. “Okay, four more truths. I’m constantly amazed by you. I love the way you dance and have no idea how you are able to move your hips the way you do. I will never forget the way you danced down Barwell Street the night you won the lottery. And I know how deeply I hurt you last night by saying what I did, but don’t know how to make it up to you.”
“You’re making a damn good start,” she noted unsteadily.
Nathan tipped her face up to his and kissed her. As always, it was hot and passionate. But now, tenderness also played a huge part. He gently wooed her with his lips, and when she finally parted her own, he didn’t immediately entangle her tongue with his but instead built up to that point with little nibbles and seductive licks.
“We’re not rushing things this time,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Mmmm.” She unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off his broad shoulders.
“We are not rushing things,” he vowed, even as he lifted her sweater over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra.
They left a trail of clothing on the way to his bedroom.
His bed was big. And soon it was very rumpled, as they rolled around on it with reckless abandon.
Kneeling before her, Nathan drew her forward, draping her legs over his shoulders and licking his way up her inner thigh, licking his way to paradise. Her heels dug into his shoulders as he launched her clear to the Milky Way.
“Where did you learn to do that?” she gasped when finally able to form words once again.
There was a hint of wicked humor in his brown eyes that she hadn’t seen before. “I heard this rumor about you, me, and something to do with the Kama Sutra. So I did some investigating.”
“I want to do some investigating too,” she murmured, changing positions so that he was prone and she was perched atop his thighs, frankly admiring his very aroused male anatomy. “Do you have a name for this fella here?” She ran her thumb over the tip. “Mr. Happy? Mr. Big? The Private Investigator?”
“You choose.”
“Mr. Big seems to suit just fine. Look, he likes that.” She caressed him more intimately now. “How about you? Do you like that?” She looked Nathan in the eye.
“Should I speak to your mother?”
“Huh?” Skye was momentarily speechless. “About Mr. Big? No, I don’t think that will be necessary. She told me all about the birds and the bees a looooong time ago.”
“I meant, to ask permission to court you.”
“Is that what you call this?” She stroked him again. “Courting?”
“I’m serious.”
“I can tell.” She gave his anatomy an approving look.
He grabbed her hands and held them. “This is more than sex. I love you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. Trust me, I know how I feel.”
“You’re thinking with Mr. Big now.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Are you going to finish what you started, or just talk about it?”
Despite Nathan’s vow not to rush things, when she tempted him while putting on the condom for him, he growled deep in his throat and rolled so that she was beneath him. One powerful thrust and he was in, setting a seductive tempo that had her clenching around him as her orgasm hit her hard and strong. Seconds later, he stiffened, shouted her name, and collapsed in her arms.
Afterward, she cuddled against him in an orgasm-induced glow. “Do you realize that this is the first time we’ve ever done it in a bed?”
“Do you realize how much I love you?”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “You don’t have to say that.”
“I mean it.”
Skye sat up, refusing to listen to him.
Nathan caught her arm. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not running away from this.” The next thing she knew, he had her secured to the wooden slats on the headboard of his bed with a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs.
“Do I want to know where you got these?” she said. “Have you used them before?”
“They’re brand-new. A gag gift for Cole’s brother at his bachelor party, but I never got around to giving them to him.”
He knew she could get out of them anytime she wanted. She read that much in his expression. She could also read his dogged determination to make his feelings for her known.
“I love you,” he said. “Why is that so hard for you to believe?”
“Because I’m nothing like your perfect wife.”
“I know that. She’s my past. You’re my future.”
Skye shook her head, tears threatening, afraid to believe him.
“I’m not sure how a woman like you got to be a woman like you, but I love the woman you are. So, stop being difficult and say, ‘Yes, Nathan darling, I do believe you love me, and I love you, too.’ ”
“You know I don’t respond well to orders,” she reminded him, blinking back a teardrop or two at the sight of him looking at her as if she were his entire world. No one had ever looked at her that way before.
“How about pleading and begging?” He nibbled his way around her mouth.
Her voice got huskier. “That might work.”
He lowered his head to her breasts, where he sucked her nipple into his mouth and did the most amazing things, almost making her come again right there on the spot.
“Yeah . . . that . . . works,” she pa
nted.
“You’re a very mouthy woman. I figure you need a mouthy man to keep you happy.”
“You don’t talk much.”
“I don’t have to. Actions speak louder than words.” He shifted his mouth to her belly, licking his way around her navel ring before heading lower.
And then she was a goner. Her mouthy man was giving her pleasure like she’d never known until she’d met him.
She slipped out of the handcuffs to reach for him.
Much later, she propped her hands on his chest and gazed down at his face. “How do you know this isn’t just sex?”
“Because it’s something more. It’s something here.” He shifted her hand until it was right over his heart. “And here.” He moved their joined hands to her breast, over her heart. “Scary, I know. Believe me, I know. But the greatest rewards come from the things that scare you the most.”
“So you’re one of my greatest rewards, huh?”
“You’re certainly my greatest reward. You’ve brought hope back into my life.”
“The kite and the anchor,” she murmured. At Nathan’s quizzical look, she added, “Something Sister Mary told me. That you grounded me, providing me with an anchor so I didn’t scatter into a million pieces, and that I gave you hope so you could learn to fly again.”
“Sister Mary is a wise woman.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty awesome . . . for a nun. And you’re wicked awesome . . . for a lawman.”
Six weeks later . . .
“Tonight’s the night,” Nathan said.
“Yeah, I know. I thought it would never get here.” Skye stared up at the Tivoli Theater’s brilliant marquee. Instead of REOPENING SOON, it read grand OPENING TONIGHT.
“Are you nervous?”
“No. Are you?”
He laughed. It was a sound she heard often these days. And appreciated every single time. Ditto for the humorous glint in his eyes and the crinkles at the corners. As for his dimple, well, she was a huge fan.
Skye loved this man. She still found it amazing. And him, too. Aggravating at times, to be sure. But still amazing. And always wicked awesome.
“You ready for the big night?” he asked as they walked into the lobby.
“Abs-o-tively.”
“Been hanging out with Wally again, huh?”
“He’s a natural behind the concession stand. Listen, do you hear that?” She tilted her head toward the auditorium.
“Is that . . . ?”
“Yes, it’s Jerry playing ‘Stairway to Heaven’ on the four hundred and fifty-pipe organ he tuned and restored. Sweet, huh?”
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
Skye looked down at the vintage red dress she was wearing, a throwback to the fifties, when the Tivoli was still in its heydey. “You’re just glad that I’m not wearing my belly-dancing costume.”
“I rather like that costume.”
“I know you do.” She wore it for him often.
“Do you have any more interviews to do?”
“Sue Ellen is handling the press.”
“I can’t believe that Sue Ellen got the folks at Carpet World to donate a red carpet for the opening.”
“No hassle in the castle tonight,” Algee said, coming up to them, a huge smile flashing across his face. “Looking good.”
“Yes, you are, as always,” Skye teased before hugging him. “Thanks again for arranging the ‘History of the Comic Book’ exhibit in the lobby.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you for letting the kids in the comic-book project display their artwork here.”
“And I should be thanking you for doing a fund-raising event here next weekend for the no-kill animal shelter,” said Cole, looking good in a suit and tie.
“I see you dressed up for the occasion tonight,” Nathan said slyly.
“And I see you dressed down,” Cole shot back, pointing to Nathan’s jeans and black T-shirt.
“Hey, I’m wearing a jacket.”
“Be still my heart.”
Angel and Toni came hurrying across the lobby to meet them. “I’m so glad we finally got the water element working,” Angel said.
“Dragon!” squealed Toni, pointing to the water fountain before leaping into Nathan’s arms.
“I’m just glad you got rid of that awful naked Adonis fountain that Sue Ellen unearthed at the flea market,” Nathan said to Skye. “Where did that thing end up?”
“In front of the Regency Trailer Park, I believe.”
“They’re starting to line up outside,” Lulu called from inside the ticket booth. “Nancy and Sister Mary are first in line. No, wait, they just let Fanny cut in front of them. And behind them are Owen and Violet, holding hands.” Lulu snapped her gum. “Looks like Coach Spears has got the entire football team out there too.”
“We handed out flyers at Maguire’s Pub to tell them about the opening here tonight,” Luke said.
“And I posted a flyer at the library,” Julia added. “Here and in Serenity Falls.”
“Is that a Pop-Tart in your mouth?” Angel demanded.
Julia clenched her teeth and shook her head.
“A limo has just pulled up outside,” Lulu announced.
“Angelo’s Pizza delivering by limo now?” Cole asked.
Adam and his wife waved at them before skipping the line and coming inside. “I thought we’d come see what all the talk was about.”
“I thought I’d never get here!” Sue Ellen patted her Mae West wig in place, then stared at them with disapproval. “Why aren’t you guys in costume? Nathan was supposed to dress as Batman, Algee as the Incredible Hulk, and Skye as Wonder Woman.”
“We never agreed to that plan,” Nathan said.
“I’m glad to see that Toni, at least, dressed appropriately.” She nodded her approval of Toni’s princess outfit, complete with tiara and yellow Paddington Bear rain boots. “But those boots just don’t go with that outfit. She should take them off . . .”
“I bite,” Toni growled as Sue Ellen reached for her footwear.
“Fine, then.” Sue Ellen quickly backed away. “Be a fashion blunder.”
“Aren’t you going to comment on my outfit?” Lulu asked, swirling to show off her black metal-studded miniskirt, boots, and bowling shirt.
“I’ve given up on you,” Sue Ellen said before catching sight of Adam and his wife, both of them impeccably dressed. “Mr. Kemp!” She made a beeline for him and shook his hand. “Listen, I know about some great real estate in this area that I think would make a perfect investment for you. Have you ever thought of purchasing a double-wide trailer?”
Skye shook her head. “Okay, places, everyone. It’s time. Where is Tyler?”
“Hiding out in the projection room, checking the equipment,” Angel said.
“Smart man,” Nathan noted with a grin.
“Wait!” Skye said suddenly.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Skye looked around at her family and friends before letting her gaze rest on the man she loved. “This is just one of those perfect moments I want to memorize for the rest of my life.”
“It’s just the first of many,” Nathan promised her. “Now, let’s open those doors and kick some butt. You ready?” He held out his hand.
She took it and twined her fingers through his. “Bad girls are always ready . . . for anything.”
“Including love?”
“Especially love.”
Turn the page for a special preview of Cathie Linz’s next novel Big Girls Don’t Cry Coming soon from Berkley Sensation!
Broke and skinny beat out broke and chunky every time. Leena Riley was convinced of it. She should know. She was a size sixteen, plus-size model in a Twizzle-stick, size-zero world.
How ironic that now she was down on her luck, she was forced to return to her down-on-its-luck hometown of Rock Creek, Pennsylvania. Leena hadn’t been back since she’d left for the big city of Chicago at eighteen and honestly
hadn’t missed the place one bit.
Things had changed . . . a little. The Tivoli Theater was open again. The nail salon and comic book store were new additions. And there was a new vet in town. Looking for a receptionist. Leena pulled the help wanted sign out of the window as she strolled into the animal clinic.
She needed this job. It was this or work the graveyard shift at Gas4Less. Rock Creek wasn’t exactly a hotbed of financial opportunities.
But the vet’s office appeared to be a hotbed of total mayhem. Leena ducked as a parrot dive-bombed her while a beagle howled in the corner accompanied by a yowling cat in a carrier. Another cat, the biggest one Leena had ever seen, hissed from atop a metal file cabinet while a pair of wiry terriers yelped at the pissed-off mega-feline from down below.
The situation called for drastic measures. No problemo. Her sister Sue Ellen was the Queen of Drastic Measures so Leena instantly knew what had to be done. Putting two fingers in her mouth, Leena let out an ear-piercing whistle that made cabs on Chicago’s Mag Mile squeal to a stop beside her.
The room instantly fell silent. Realizing that would only last a second or two, Leena spoke quickly. Her dad had done a stint in the Marine Corps and had never lost his drill-sergeant voice. She mimicked him as she barked out orders. “Okay, terriers and owners outside. Beagle and owner in there.” She pointed to an empty exam room. “Parrot, come here.” She held out her hand and—miracle of miracles—the bird obediently flew onto it with a flurry of feathers. “Cats, as you were.”
A tattoo-covered older biker dude in a leather vest and jeans moved forward. “Thanks for catching that old buzzard!”
“This your parrot?” Leena asked.
“It’s a friend’s. Mrs. Trimble asked me to bring the stubborn buzzard to see the doc here for a checkup. She’d have my ass if he flew out the door or something.”
“Why isn’t he in a cage?”
The senior citizen biker dude shifted awkwardly from one booted foot to the other while guiltily pointing to the cage. “I . . . uh . . . have a hard time seeing creatures jailed.”
Leena calmly opened the cage door and carefully set the parrot inside. “Keep the cover over the cage if you have trouble looking at him.”