His Dark Embrace by Amanda Ashley Page B

as she washed the black powder off the top of one of the filing cabinets. She had heard stories of how difficult the stuff was to remove, but it was even worse than she had expected. Fortunately, the dust was only in the lab and the floor was linoleum and not carpet. When the Cunninghams down the street had been robbed, the crime lab technicians hadn’t been too careful about dusting for prints. The sticky stuff had gotten into the Cunninghams’ carpet and ruined it. Mr. Cunningham, who was a lawyer, had filed a claim against the police department and the city had replaced the Cunninghams’ carpet.
    Sky was in the middle of washing down the doorjamb when Kaiden sniffed the air. “Something’s burning.”
    “What? Oh, no! My cake!” Sky exclaimed. Dropping the rag on the floor, she ran out of the lab and up the stairs. “Darn it!” Grabbing a hot pad, she opened the oven door and pulled the pan from the oven.
    “Looks a little singed,” Thorne remarked, coming up behind her.
    Muttering, “It’s ruined,” she dropped the pan in the sink. “That darn thief! It’s all his fault,” she said, and burst into tears.
    Kaiden reached around her to turn off the oven; then, blowing out a sigh, he drew her into his arms. “It’s only a cake, Sky Blue. It’s not the end of the world.”
    “It’s not the cake,” she wailed. “It’s just ... everything.”
    Drawing Sky with him, Kaiden braced his back against the counter. Unless he was mistaken, the floodgates were about to open.
    “It’s okay, darlin’,” he murmured, “let it all out.”
    And she did. She shed tears for her failed marriage and for her grandfather’s death. She wept because a good man wanted to marry her and she didn’t love him, and because she was afraid Sam was dead. She cried for the mess in the lab, for the cremated cake stinking up the kitchen, and because she didn’t know what to do about her future, her job, or the feasibility of keeping Granda’s house.
    As her tears subsided, she grew increasingly aware of the man who was holding her close. One large hand lightly stroked her back. His breath ruffled her hair.
    Sniffling, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I’m getting you all wet.”
    “I’ll dry.” With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Feel better?”
    She nodded, suddenly self-conscious. She must look a fright, with her eyes and nose all red and swollen. When she would have moved away, his arms curled around her waist again.
    He’s going to kiss me.
    And even as the thought crossed her mind, he was lowering his head, claiming her lips with his. It never occurred to her to resist.
    She went up on her tiptoes, her arms twining around his neck, her eyelids fluttering down as one of her favorite teenage fantasies came to life. Unlike so many other things she had wished for, the reality was ever so much better than the dream. His mouth was warm and firm on hers; his arms held her body close to his. A distant part of her mind, the part that was still functioning, took note of the fact that they fit well together despite the difference in their height.
    One of them moaned, a soft cry of need and longing.
    Just when she realized that that needy purr had come from her own throat, Kaiden put her away from him, then turned his back toward her.
    Sky stared at him. He was breathing hard, his hands clenched at his sides. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder and realized he was trembling. “Kaiden?”
    He blew out a shaky breath. “Just give me a minute.”
    Her hand fell away and she bit down on the corner of her lip, confused by his behavior. She wasn’t an untouched innocent. She knew when a man wanted her. And she for sure wanted him, so why had he pulled away? She hadn’t been with a man since her divorce. Was she so desperate for a man’s touch that she had imagined the sensual spark that had ignited between them like a match striking tinder?
    No, that had been real. Butterflies danced in