by Elle Kennedy
“Fun?”
“Where’s your adventurous side, Anna?”
“I’m not dressed for climbing trees.” Her voice lacked conviction.
“It’s your only way out, you know.” He pulled a face, fear dancing in his eyes as he pointed to her parents’ living room. “Unless you want to go back in there with those sharks, you don’t have a choice.” He gave a mock shiver. “I’ve never seen such an interrogation. When I first arrived I thought I was in the middle of an intervention.”
Anna laughed and Daniel joined in, and in that instant, she felt like the world had been lifted from her shoulders. Honestly, she’d been strung so tight over the last few days it felt so good to laugh, to let go for a few minutes.
“It’s was an intervention,” she said. “A let’s-get-Anna-hitched sneak attack.” She paused to shake her head. “I didn’t see it coming.”
He touched her gold chain, and when his warm fingers grazed her skin, her hands curled in his shirt. Eyes smoldering, he wet his mouth and in a low voice said, “I think they only have your best interests at heart.”
Needing to lighten things up before she went to mush in his arms and remembering how he’d toyed with her mother, she whacked him on the shoulder and he let loose a moan.
“Hey, what’s with all the abuse?” he questioned, faking exasperation. But that exasperation quickly gave way to passion. “You keep it up and you’re going to get a spanking of your own.”
Anna’s breath grew shallow, and she gulped air, trying for normal. “What’s with teasing my mother like that and telling her you wanted me to go to a football game? She’ll be clinging to that for weeks. You know as well as I do that she wants us together.”
Without an ounce of humor in his voice, he said, “So do I, Anna.”
Her insides twisted. Okay, she understood he wanted her physically, the last few days had proven that. But what she wasn’t sure about was why. Because she was the one he couldn’t have? Or had he changed and matured over the years, and like her, knew how good they could have been together?
“Why, Daniel. Why do you want this?”
He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Despite the cold, her cheeks flushed hot and her legs felt a little shaky beneath her. The tender intimate way he looked at her took her breath away. Heaven help her, she was fighting a losing battle here. He was charming, seductive, persuasive—the attraction far too powerful for her to ignore any longer. “Daniel—”
Instead of answering her, he grabbed her hand and tugged. “Come on.”
“Where?”
He gestured toward the huge tree branch that hung over the fence. “We’re going up. I’ll show you the view.”
With unhurried movements, he dropped her hand and grabbed the branch to test it. As he pulled himself up, her glance moved to his perfect backside, enjoying the view from where she stood. Instantly, with her brain on overdrive, she couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe he was right and an adventure was in order. And she wasn’t necessarily talking about climbing the tree.
As she warmed to the idea, she slipped her arms through his coat, zippered it, then grabbed the branch to climb. Her tight jeans protested the movement. “These are my favorite jeans, so help me if I rip them—”
“I’ll buy you a new pair,” he offered and reached down a helping hand.
She scoffed, half-heartedly, aware that she found the situation a little exciting. Not to mention fun and spontaneous. “Couldn’t we be normal adults and use the front door? I’m not really a fan of heights.”
“Nope. The only way to my front door, is through your front door. And since you’re avoiding the sharks…”
He was right, the fence circled the yards, and she wasn’t quite ready to go inside and face another swarming.
“Plus this is a little exciting, don’t you think?” he teased with a wink. “Sneaking into my room late at night.”
In spite of herself she laughed. “I’ve had more excitement watching paint dry,” she lied, masking her enthusiasm. Heck, she didn’t want to make this too easy on him, letting him think he was finally going to get what he’d been after for years.
But deep inside her she was excited. Damn excited. Growing up, Anna had always been a rule follower and had never done anything quite like this before. Being here with Daniel and climbing this tree took her back to her teen years when she used to go to bed and dream about sneaking into his room with him, dream about being the one girl he wanted, really wanted.
She grabbed his hand and he hauled her higher. Once they reached the top, Daniel shimmied his window open, climbed inside, then helped her in.
When her flats hit the floor, she let out a breath. Feeling much more comfortable on solid footing, she shut the window behind her. Daniel flicked on his lamp, and as the warm light bathed the room, she took in the décor. A single bed was up against one wall, a navy blue comforter haphazardly thrown over it. On the other wall, there was an open laptop sitting on a small wooden student desk. Trophies and medals adorned the numerous shelves above the bed, and a football lamp sat on his nightstand.
“Nice room.”
He walked across the floor and locked his door. A fine tingle ran through her. Despite being all grown up, something about sneaking into his room felt so forbidden, and it shocked her how much that excited her.
“It’s a shrine,” he teased. “Mom left it the way it was, hoping I’d come back to it I guess.”
“Now her wish has come true. You’re staying here, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “Just temporarily.” Something strange passed over his eyes—it was the same look he’d given her earlier but one she didn’t recognize—when he went on to announce, “I bought the old Murphy house down by the lake. Now I’m just waiting for my goods to arrive. I never thought they’d sell it, but lucky for me, the Murphys recently retired and moved to Florida.”
“You bought the old Murphy place?” She widened her eyes in surprise. “I love that place.”
Again, there was that odd look. “I know you do.”
She pulled a face. “You suddenly seem to know an awful lot.”
He backed her up until her knees hit the bed, and something in his voice hitched. “I know a lot more about you than you think I do.”
Her heart raced, her body grew damp and needy, and her voice came out a little rough around the edges. “And I think you’re a sweet talker.”
He offered her a cocky grin, and she damn near wilted. “Is it working?”
“No.”
“Then why are your cheeks flushed?”
As his primal essence completely overwhelmed her, she responded, “Because it was cold out.”
“And your body, it’s trembling.”
“Like I said, it’s cold outside.”
In a move that took her by surprise, he pulled her close, anchoring her body to his and she could feel his arousal press against her midriff. His cock felt glorious, hard and primed to go, and it took all her willpower not to moan out loud and rub up against it. As her body burned with desire and pent-up passion, pleasure gathered between her legs. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and in a bold move that seemed to catch him off guard, she ran her fingers over his muscles and could feel strength radiating off him.
Daniel swallowed and his powerful hands shook like a juvenile on his first date as they slipped around her back. “And…what about…your nipples…?” His words came out a broken, choppy. “Are they hard because it’s cold out too?”
His cock pressed against her stomach. “I could be asking you the same question.”
“Is it my nipples you’re talking about, Anna? Or something else?” he teased, his voice a little rusty as he gave her a boyish grin that turned her inside out.
As she enjoyed the sexy banter, he dipped his head, the light from the lamp washing over his face and making him look so sweet and innocent. Angelic, even. When she parted her lips, he drew a deep, sharp breath. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?”
She gave a needy sigh. “What are you waiting for?”
Hidden Desires
Elle Kennedy
Solving a cold case has never been hotter.
Life just isn’t fair. Not only is fashion designer Rachel Foster on the wrong side of a locked dressing room door in nothing but her underwear, her humiliation is worse than public. It’s witnessed by the one man she never wanted to see again: Travis Gage, the man who pushed her sister to suicide.
In a flash, old wounds—and long-forgotten feelings—lie raw and exposed to his hot, desiring gaze.
Seeing Rachel all grown up and sexy jolts Travis with a surge of lust—and the shock of learning she blames him for her sister’s death. His skills as a cold-case detective are exactly what she needs to solve the mystery and lay her sister’s ghost to rest. But first, he has to convince Rachel he’s innocent…and that she can trust him.
And if she winds up in his bed in the process, he won’t be complaining…
Warning: This title contains a sexy cop and a heroine who can’t resist him. Expect some super-hot sex that will have you fanning yourself.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
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Macon GA 31201
Hidden Desires
Copyright © 2010 by Elle Kennedy
ISBN: 978-1-60504-980-9
Edited by Laurie M. Rauch
Cover by Angela Waters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2010
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