Dad In Demand

“But not too hard.” His lips curved into a slow smile that made her ache. “I guess it would have been a lot simpler for both of us if you’d just left my name on the list, huh? At least you already know all the secrets in my closet.”

He dropped his gaze to her mouth, and butterflies started a dance in her stomach.

Maybe the sparks flowing between them all evening hadn’t been exactly one-sided. And maybe she hadn’t imagined the leap of desire in his eyes when he watched her. And maybe she had better just put a lid on these fantasies. Somehow Katie managed to laugh. “If that’s your not-so-subtle way of offering yourself so that you can get out of doing the investigations, you can forget it, pal. I’m not buying it.”

“No?” He released her hand and eased his arm around her shoulders in a move so smooth she barely noticed it until his fingers began to stroke her bare arm.

“No,” she whispered.

The swing slowed to a stop. The fingers on her arm had somehow managed to find their way to the back of her neck, where they were working their way up her nape. “Why not?”

“Because. because we’re friends.”

Sean’s fingers sieved through her hair, urging her closer. Katie’s breath hitched. She pressed a hand against his chest, where his heart beat beneath her fingers faster than a stockbroker’s tape. “Sean, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“You’re right. It’s a lousy idea,” he told her, his breath a whisper against her lips. “In fact, it’s a flat-out crazy idea. No way should we do this.”

“I agree,” she murmured.

But knowing they shouldn’t do this didn’t seem quite enough. Katie didn’t know which of them moved first, but suddenly Sean’s mouth was on hers—touching, tasting, taking. All the warnings she had been repeating to herself since he had kissed her the last time simply flew out the window-along with her common sense.

When that first soft kiss deepened, then slid into another kiss and deepened yet again, the blood fired in her veins, and Katie could have sworn she heard bells ringing. Sean wrapped his arms around her while his tongue tempted and teased her to open the seam of her lips, dared her to taste him.

She took the dare. He moaned, a hungry sound of need that sent ripples of pleasure sluicing through her bloodstream. She clung to him as he dove deeper for another taste. Her tongue tangled, danced with his. He tasted like wine, sharp and earthy, like chocolate, smooth and sweet. He tasted like danger and sin. He tasted like magic and dreams. He tasted like Sean. No one could taste like him. No one else could make her feel as he did.

She heard the bells ringing again and reminded herself that she’d given up on wedding dreams. This was Sean—not some prince or white knight come to rescue her from loneliness. She was his friend—not some beautiful princess or damsel in distress who needed rescuing. It was hormones, the moonlight, the wine that had him kissing her like he wanted her, like he needed her, like there was no one else in the world for him but her. She wasn’t Sean’s type, never had been, never would be. She was a smart woman, too smart to believe that any of those things had changed, too smart to let this go on any longer.

But then his hands ran up and down her spine, sending delicious sensations climbing through her, and her traitorous body refused to listen to her at all. Instead she moved closer, asked for more.

He gave her more, kissing her deeper still. When he crushed her to him, pressed his hardness against her, she heard the blasted bells ringing again.

Sean lifted his head, said her name on a groan. Her body was vibrating with desire. She felt like she’d just weathered a tornado and was willing to try it again. Her eyes still closed, she simply held on to him. Thank heavens the ringing bells had stopped, she thought, as she opened her eyes and looked at him.

He cradled her face in his hands, and in the moonlight his eyes were black with need. “Katie,” he whispered against her mouth.

“Sean?”

Katie’s heart slammed to a stop at the sound of a female voice calling his name.

“Sean, honey? It’s Heather.”

Three (#ulink_f7cb7039-d4b1-5f20-8037-422c1c9d9200)

Sean made a strangled noise in his throat at the sound of Heather’s voice. Talk about timing. A shudder went through him. The clip had disappeared from Katie’s hair, leaving thick auburn curls falling about her neck and shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes soft and dreamy. The pink lipstick on that troublesome mouth of hers was gone. She looked like a woman who’d just tumbled out of a man’s bed. The thought sent another jolt of desire knifing through him. Somehow sanity reared its head, and he gripped her by the shoulders and set her away. “Good Lord, what am I doing?”

Katie stiffened beneath his hands, but he didn’t let her go. Drawing another deep breath, he struggled for control. What on earth was he thinking? This was Katie. Katie!

“Sean?” Heather called out again, her voice closer.

“I’m sorry.” He cringed the moment the words were out, but it was too late to take them back. “What I mean is I didn’t plan for that to happen. I don’t know what came over me. Or why I—”

“It’s okay,” she said, scrambling off the swing.

“It’s not okay.” And it wasn’t. Even with only the light of the moon and the deck to aid him, he couldn’t miss the color staining her cheeks, or the way panic had stolen into her eyes. Sean stood and caught her arm as much to steady her as to stop her from running. Because she was poised to run.

“Guess that’s what we get for drinking all that wine,” she said, in a voice as forced as the smile on her lips.

“I’m not sure we can blame the wine. I—”

“There you are,” Heather said breezing through the doorway and out onto the deck with a foil-wrapped dish in her hands. “I rang the bell, but you didn’t answer. Then I saw your truck, and decided to try the door. I thought I’d take a chance and drop by. I never did hear back from you today,” she accused.

“I, um, I’m sorry. I got tied up.”

“Well, I guess I’ll forgive you this time,” Heather said, a pouty look on her face, her thick lashes sweeping down over her baby blue eyes. She swished and swayed her way over to him. “Oh, hello, Katie,” she said, barely sparing Katie a glance. “Would you be a sweetie and hold this for me while I tell this fellow hello?”

Not saying a word, Katie took the dish from Heather and turned away.

His eyes on Katie’s retreating back, Sean barely heard Heather say, “I’ve missed you,” before she had her mouth locked on his.

Removing Heather’s arms from around his neck, Sean cut the kiss short, which apparently didn’t please Heather, but didn’t stop her from launching into a litany about her busy schedule. Sean tuned her out. How was it possible that for the past three months the voluptuous blond aerobics instructor had inspired such lust in him? Looking at her now, in the barely there, white shorts and cropped T-shirt that clearly displayed her ample assets, left him cold. Yet looking at Katie with her long legs and skinny curves had him breaking out in a sweat. It didn’t make a lick of sense.

“Sounds like you really have been busy,” Katie said.

“Oh, I have.” Heather slid her gaze over to Katie who stood next to the table where she had placed Heather’s dish. “How have you been?”

“Fine. I see you’re looking fit as usual.”

“Thanks. I’m conducting six classes a week at the body gym now. You should think about coming. I have one class where we work on muscle tone. You might find a toning class would help you fill out a bit.”

“I’ll think about it,” Katie said, but Sean could have strangled Heather for the remark. What was wrong with a narrow torso and lean curves? They certainly suited Katie.

“Oh, my,” Heather said, spying the wine and cake plates on the table. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“As a matter of fact, Katie and I were having dinner,” Sean told her.

“Oh,” Heather replied, another pretty pout forming on her lips. She slanted a glance to the foil-covered dish on the table. “I didn’t realize you’d made plans. I brought you one of my veggie casseroles. I’d hoped we could share it.”

“Actually, we finished dinner a while ago,” Katie informed her. “And you know Sean.the man’s always hungry. He’s probably ready for a snack already, and the casserole sounds wonderful.”

Heather beamed. “It is very good, even if I do say so myself.”

“Well, I’ll just get out of your way and give the two of you some privacy.” Katie began gathering the wrapping paper and ribbon and stuffing it into the box that had held her gift.

“You don’t have to rush off,” he said.

“I’m not rushing off. I’ve been here all evening, and I’m sure you and Heather have some catching up to do. But thanks, anyway. Dinner was great, and the gift is beautiful.”

“Gift?” Heather repeated. Suddenly alert, her eyes darted like a laser to the music box Katie was carefully packing away. “Sean gave you a gift?”