Risking It All: The Proposition / The Dare / The Favour / The P.I. / The Cop / The Defender

Natalie pulled the lollipop out of her mouth. “But he was rattled when we walked in the room. And furious.”

“Because his men botched the job.”

“Or because something happened on his estate that took him by surprise, something that he wasn’t in control of. That would piss him off.”

She had a point. He’d given it some thought himself, but he wasn’t convinced. Chance studied her as he rinsed his razor under the running water. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was pure Natalie, something tightened around his heart. When the job was done, he was going to miss working with her, pitting himself against the sharp mind of hers. He was going to miss her. Period.

“Carlo didn’t like it at all when he thought we might leave.” Pausing, she pointed the lollipop at him. “I didn’t appreciate that little improvisation either. It wasn’t part of the plan.”

He shrugged. “I have trouble sticking to plans. I wanted to see his reaction.” He recalled hers—the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Would she miss working with him? Miss him?

“Rachel…”

“Hmmmm?”

As she met his eyes, he watched that total concentration shift to him. If he told her the truth now—that he’d known all along she was Natalie Gibbs—he might be able to convince her to go.

“What is it?” she asked.

As he played with a strand of her hair, he knew that he wasn’t going to tell her—for the same reason that he hadn’t pushed the issue in Carlo’s office. In spite of the danger, in spite of everything, he wanted her with him for as long as he could have her.

“I want you,” he said.

The tiny line appeared on her forehead again. “We should nail down details for tonight.”

“Okay.” He hung up his towel and turned to her. It was then that he noticed the line of dried blood on the top of her foot. “You didn’t tell me that you were hurt.”

She glanced down. “I’m not. It’s just a scratch.”

Chance plugged the sink and turned the faucets on. “That defense strategy didn’t work for me.” He paid no heed to her grumbled comments as he drew her feet into the water.

“Ouch.”

“I thought it was only men who were babies.” Ignoring her little huff of breath, he lifted the injured foot out of the water, placed the sole in the palm of his hand and began to massage soap gently over the scratch. It was merely a scratch, he discovered, but there was more than one.

“I can do that,” she said.

“Yes,” he agreed amiably as he slipped a soapy finger in and out between her toes. “But why don’t you tell me what you believe would be a good plan for tonight?”

“I think we ought to…”

“Yes?” He ran a hand up her calf to the back of her knee.

“Since there are two safes…we should…”

Watching her, he moved his fingers up the inside of her thigh. “We’re not sure there are two safes.”

“There are. I’m sure…you’re distracting me.”

“Really?” He traced his fingers back down her calf and rinsed her foot. “You’re the most focused person I know.”

“Two safes…two people…the most…efficient way to handle it would be…”

Her last words had come out in a rush, Chance noted as he lifted her foot and pressed his mouth to the scratch. He heard the quick catch of her breath. And when he turned, he saw the mix of desire and confusion in her eyes. It struck him then that he’d never once taken the time to seduce her. Oh, he’d made love to her, but it had always been fast and hot. Wonderful in its own way, but… He watched her eyes darken as he ran his tongue along the scratch, then took one quick nip at the arch of her foot.

“Chance, I…”

“You were saying that the most efficient way to handle it would be to…?” Lowering her foot, he leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers.

“I can’t think when you…do that.”

“How about this?” He traced her lips with his tongue. “You taste like cherry lollipop.” Then he shifted his attention to her other foot. This time he ran his hand up to the inside of her thigh and let it linger there. “You were saying…?”

“You’re making it…hard to think.”

He was going to make it impossible. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he traced little patterns on the inside of her thigh and savored the quick catch of her breath.

“Why are we always in such a hurry?” he asked.

Her lips were parted, moist and stained cherry-red. He leaned in for another sample. Heat shimmered. The moment it threatened to flare, he drew back.

“No.” The plea came out on a sigh.

The sight of her, aroused and at his mercy, excited him in a way that hadn’t happened before. Watching only her eyes, he skimmed his fingers higher up the inside of her thigh until he could touch the lace of her panties. This time he intended to go slowly. “Tell me more about your plan.”

Natalie sucked in a breath and wished that she could gather her thoughts just as quickly. There was some important point that she had to make. But she couldn’t quite grasp hold of it.

“Or you could just let me touch you,” Chance said.

She shuddered as his fingers traced the lace on the edge of her panties. She waited, shuddering again in anticipation of when they would slip beneath the thin silk and enter her. But they didn’t. They merely traced the same path over and over.

Sensations moved through her. And they were so new—nothing like the flash and fire he’d always ignited in her before. This was…softer…sweeter, and her blood felt as if it had turned thick as honey.

“I love the feel of your skin.” His hand moved down the inside of her thigh to her knee and then slowly back again. He repeated the process on her other thigh.

She could have sworn that she was floating. Ridiculous. She was still sitting on the counter. She could feel the hard press of it against her bottom and the heels of her hands. But what Chance was doing to her with just his hands made her feel as if he’d magically levitated her several inches above the counter.

That was ridiculous. And she should put a stop to it. She opened her mouth, intending to do just that when he drew her feet out of the sink and shifted her so that her back was propped against the mirror and he was standing between her legs.

He pulled her shorts off and dropped them on the floor in one smooth move.

“Open your eyes.”

She hadn’t even been aware that she’d closed them, but she did as he asked. She would have done anything he asked.

“I want to touch you here.” He ran one finger down the silk of her panties until it rested against the center of her heat.

She shuddered as a wave of pleasure pierced her, weakening her. Helpless to do anything else, she watched him, waiting, wanting.