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"You're unbelievable, Qui
"Not yet, but I will be."
"Arrogant. Cocky. Uncouth." She jutted out her bottom lip and glared at him. "I'm thinking of pushing you overboard."
One of his brows arched high, the grin widening. "And I'd take you with me. I think I'd like seeing you in a wet T-shirt."
And then something happened that shocked Audie as much as it did Qui
Qui
She could kick the hell out of a soccer ball, put on a show for the world, make him laugh, kiss him hard-yet her heart was fragile, and apparently, he'd just stomped all over it.
"Jesus, Audie." Qui
Audie brushed away her tears with the back of her hand and stood close to him, melting as his arm wrapped around her waist.
"I was just having a little fun with you. I'm sorry."
She nodded and leaned against him. "I think it just got too close to the truth, is all."
"Which part?"
"Oh, I don't know… the part about me being sexually frustrated, not having the right lover-the part about me looking good in a wet T-shirt."
He tilted back a bit to gauge her expression. They started laughing together and he gave her a friendly squeeze.
"Let's go in," she said.
"You got it, Skipper."
"You actually did good today, Detective."
He looked down at her again. "Really? And here I was thinking I've got a hell of a lot to learn."
Audie smiled sweetly at him and dropped her gaze to his mouth and back up to his eyes. She rubbed his back. "You're doing OK, Qui
Qui
Audie closed her eyes, feeling the wind on her face, the heat of Qui
But she wasn't sure she could handle one more disappointment. She didn't know if she had it in her.
Audie inhaled deeply and felt Qui
Tim Burke wanted arm candy for his political career. Will Dalton wanted to write a book about her and her mother. Kyle Singer wanted to convince the Greater Chicagoland viewing area that he was straight. Russell Ketchum wanted control over the business.
And Audie wasn't quite sure of everything Darren Billings had wanted, but she was sure it didn't require clothing or a college degree.
Something was different about the man she felt so solid against her back. He made her laugh. He could be sweet. He could be blunt. He was tidy. He was sentimental. And the force of his physical presence was overwhelming-a new experience for her entirely-because Qui
He just felt good to her. He felt right.
Audie opened her eyes to the evening light on the water and felt Qui
There was no way to predict all the things he'd ask of her. But right at that moment, it seemed all he wanted was to be with her-just plain Audie-and that was a good place to start.
The sun had disappeared by the time the sails were neatly folded away and the Take a Hint could be tied down for the night. Qui
They carried their gear and walked side by side up the wooden dock. The imposing house loomed in front of them, lit up from the inside and rising high and wide on the crest of the lawn.
The sensation was so soft at first that she thought a moth had brushed against her skin-but it was Qui
"Audie…" He smiled sweetly at her. "I wanted to say thanks for today. And I wondered if I might kiss you."
Qui
His hand swept up along her cheek and came to rest in the soft hair at her temple. She didn't push him away. She didn't turn her face from him. She returned his gaze, and in her soft, dark eyes Qui
"You make me fairly crazy, Homey," he whispered, bringing his lips to hers in softness-such softness-as his fingers played along her cheek.
The gentleness of it stu
She closed her eyes and let him touch her, let him explore her mouth with his lips, her body with his hands. She felt his palm flat at the small of her back, but it didn't piss her off this time. And at that moment, somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she decided that she'd go wherever he was taking her. Maybe not today-but someday.
Audie tilted her head to yield to the tentative requests from his tongue, and the emotion welled up in her belly and spread hot through her, and a helpless little squeak came out of her mouth.
Qui
"Nice kiss, Qui
"There's more where that came from."
The way he gri
Was she willing to get closer to all of him-the little boy's sweetness and the man's needs? Was she willing to try with Qui
"I need to be careful," she whispered.
"I know you do."
"I'm a total failure at this. You saw the list."
"Think positive."
"No. Qui
He laughed softly. "Honesty is good."
She gri
He reached for her hands and held them in his. Qui
"Usually I'm cautious. But with you… " He pulled on her hands. "Oh, hell, Audie. Not with you. Come here to me."
He gathered her up in his arms and she felt him cradle her, protect her, give her a place in the world to stand for a moment, a place where she seemed to fit just fine.
Audie tucked her head into his shoulder and heard the lake stop rippling and the breeze stop blowing and her own heart stop beating. There was only Qui
"Thank you," she whispered. "It's been a long time since someone just… hugged me."