approval spurred her on and she met his bold foray. Tongues tangling, she thrilled to the strength of his muscled arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.
Mistake!
Some rogue neurotransmitter managed to pierce the hazy bubble of lust threatening to carry her away. The warning shrieked through her brain and she fought against the accompanying panic. Frustration joined the party. There had to be a workable solution, because nothing so pleasant could be wrong.
But the damage was done. She pulled back, her eyelids fluttering open to find his passion-darkened eyes gleaming inches above hers.
“We need to add an addendum to our negotiation.” The low rumble of his voice vibrated through her breasts, crushed to his chest.
She swallowed before she could speak. “Addendum?”
“I think we should add some time in bed to that list of get-to-know-you activities.”
Despite the erratic beat of her heart, she couldn’t help but smile, which increased her panic. A man who could ignite her body with a kiss and tickle her funny bone would be hazardous to her equilibrium, and his position with the D.A.’s office made Cooper Reed downright dangerous to the life she’d fought so hard to build. Considering how easily he managed to make her forget that fact, she’d be wise to keep her distance—which wouldn’t be easy, not with the memory of that kiss jabbing at her.
He had just proven his ability to smash through the barriers she threw up. If she didn’t do the smart thing, staying as far away from him as possible, she’d be fighting both Coop and herself, when what she really wanted was to take a chance and see where this explosive attraction between them led.
“Coop.” She dropped her forehead to his chest for just a moment before pressing him back a step. She rested against the bars, grateful for the cage’s support considering the unsteadiness of her legs.
“Rylee,” he echoed, letting her go.
“Like I said, this isn’t a good idea.”
His steady gaze held hers. “You said dinner wasn’t a good idea. But this,” he waved a hand back and forth between them, “this is something else. A woman doesn’t kiss a man the way you just kissed me if she thinks ending up in bed with him is a bad idea.”
“She does if she’s stupid,” she grumbled then rolled her eyes. “And you’re being purposefully obtuse. You know what I mean.”
“What I am being is argumentative. I don’t understand what the problem is, unless you already have a man in your life. Are you and Brian…?”
The absurdity of the suggestion was too much. “Oh,” she snickered. “Brian would bust a gut laughing if he knew you were thinking that. And no, Brian and I are not involved. He’s practically my brother.”
“Then like I said, we don’t have a problem.”
She disagreed, but wasn’t about to squabble with a professional arguer. Anything she might say to make her case would be a waste of breath. She crossed her arms.
“I get what you’re saying about Sil and my father, Rylee. I don’t want them hurt, either. We’ve established that neither of us is interested in a relationship, not in the typical sense anyway. We’re two unattached adults suffering from a case of mutual attraction, and I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t act on that attraction and enjoy each other’s company for a time. With,” he added, raising a hand when she started to object, “an agreement from the beginning that when it’s over, we walk away friends. No hard feelings allowed.”
To enjoy him without worrying about potential, ugly fallout? What a heady temptation. Excitement coursed through her at the scenario he described, her willpower no match for the lure of the untold pleasures shining in his eyes.
No wonder he thrived in his chosen career. The ability to calmly argue his point, combined with those sexy, dark good looks, would sway any jury to his side.
“You sound like a lawyer,” she complained, because she was going to
Mistake!
Some rogue neurotransmitter managed to pierce the hazy bubble of lust threatening to carry her away. The warning shrieked through her brain and she fought against the accompanying panic. Frustration joined the party. There had to be a workable solution, because nothing so pleasant could be wrong.
But the damage was done. She pulled back, her eyelids fluttering open to find his passion-darkened eyes gleaming inches above hers.
“We need to add an addendum to our negotiation.” The low rumble of his voice vibrated through her breasts, crushed to his chest.
She swallowed before she could speak. “Addendum?”
“I think we should add some time in bed to that list of get-to-know-you activities.”
Despite the erratic beat of her heart, she couldn’t help but smile, which increased her panic. A man who could ignite her body with a kiss and tickle her funny bone would be hazardous to her equilibrium, and his position with the D.A.’s office made Cooper Reed downright dangerous to the life she’d fought so hard to build. Considering how easily he managed to make her forget that fact, she’d be wise to keep her distance—which wouldn’t be easy, not with the memory of that kiss jabbing at her.
He had just proven his ability to smash through the barriers she threw up. If she didn’t do the smart thing, staying as far away from him as possible, she’d be fighting both Coop and herself, when what she really wanted was to take a chance and see where this explosive attraction between them led.
“Coop.” She dropped her forehead to his chest for just a moment before pressing him back a step. She rested against the bars, grateful for the cage’s support considering the unsteadiness of her legs.
“Rylee,” he echoed, letting her go.
“Like I said, this isn’t a good idea.”
His steady gaze held hers. “You said dinner wasn’t a good idea. But this,” he waved a hand back and forth between them, “this is something else. A woman doesn’t kiss a man the way you just kissed me if she thinks ending up in bed with him is a bad idea.”
“She does if she’s stupid,” she grumbled then rolled her eyes. “And you’re being purposefully obtuse. You know what I mean.”
“What I am being is argumentative. I don’t understand what the problem is, unless you already have a man in your life. Are you and Brian…?”
The absurdity of the suggestion was too much. “Oh,” she snickered. “Brian would bust a gut laughing if he knew you were thinking that. And no, Brian and I are not involved. He’s practically my brother.”
“Then like I said, we don’t have a problem.”
She disagreed, but wasn’t about to squabble with a professional arguer. Anything she might say to make her case would be a waste of breath. She crossed her arms.
“I get what you’re saying about Sil and my father, Rylee. I don’t want them hurt, either. We’ve established that neither of us is interested in a relationship, not in the typical sense anyway. We’re two unattached adults suffering from a case of mutual attraction, and I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t act on that attraction and enjoy each other’s company for a time. With,” he added, raising a hand when she started to object, “an agreement from the beginning that when it’s over, we walk away friends. No hard feelings allowed.”
To enjoy him without worrying about potential, ugly fallout? What a heady temptation. Excitement coursed through her at the scenario he described, her willpower no match for the lure of the untold pleasures shining in his eyes.
No wonder he thrived in his chosen career. The ability to calmly argue his point, combined with those sexy, dark good looks, would sway any jury to his side.
“You sound like a lawyer,” she complained, because she was going to
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