Part 11 (1/2)

The shadow of a smile on his lips told her he knew what had been going through her mind. ”I meant the gown.”

”I knew that,” she insisted, sounding about as convincing as one of the kids trying to talk his way into another cookie.

”Of course you did.”

”It's...” She tried to remember. The thing had been hanging on a padded silk hanger in her closet since the day she'd bought it. ”Long!” Definitely long. She thought.

”What shade?”

”Shade?”

”Ruby red?” he asked, the voice so silky, the eyes intense. ”Scarlet? Garnet? Is it the soft blush of a rosebud, or the wickedness of a fierce explosion of fire?”

Oh, G.o.d. The man painted pictures with his words. Pictures that formed entire scenarios in her brain.

Annie's whole body quivered, racing to process the sensations battering every inch of her. b.r.e.a.s.t.s tingling and heavy against her s.h.i.+rt, nipples hard and jutting out in demand, arms shaking with the need to twine them around his neck and draw him to her. Every inch of her was affected.

Beneath the desk, her thighs quivered. The fierce explosion of fire he mentioned had erupted between them and it clawed at her, demanding attention. She was aroused and wet, her s.e.x as aware and ready as if she'd been touched by his hands, rather than only his voice. As crazy as it sounded, if he kept on talking like that, her body was going to explode as unexpectedly as it had during her dreams the night before, just from the sultry sound of his whisper.

”Sean...”

He stared at her, certainty of her reaction was.h.i.+ng off him, and for the briefest moment, she thought he was going to act on that certainty. To end the waiting, reach out, take her hand, and tug her across the desk. He'd tear her clothes off, set her on the edge of the desk and step between her shaking thighs. He'd fill her as she hadn't ever been filled. And then, maybe, they'd both be able to think again.

Instead, he did something even more shocking. He slowly rose from his chair and cleared his throat. ”Well, I guess I have all I need.”

To do what? The closet romance-novel reader inside her supplied a sudden, hopeful answer- The closet romance-novel reader inside her supplied a sudden, hopeful answer-to ravish me? Right here? Right now?

He didn't say that. Instead, with a few simple words, he deflated her, confused her.

And completely infuriated her.

”So I suppose we should say goodnight.”

6.

SEAN HAD TO GET OUT of here, now, while-as the old movies said-the getting was good. Judging by the flash of anger in Annie's pretty blue eyes, the ”getting” might of here, now, while-as the old movies said-the getting was good. Judging by the flash of anger in Annie's pretty blue eyes, the ”getting” might not not be good in a few more moments. Because she looked to be building up a head of steam to tell him off. Call him a tease-or worse. be good in a few more moments. Because she looked to be building up a head of steam to tell him off. Call him a tease-or worse.

It was his own fault.

Although he'd intended tonight to be strictly about getting the information he needed, and getting an Annie fix to last him until their trip tomorrow, he'd found himself heading down a very dangerous path with her. One that saw them both veer off the main road of slow, casual friends.h.i.+p they should be on. And completely in s.e.xual desire territory.

What kind of lackwit would ask her questions about what she wore to bed, and how big her bed was?

If he actually planned to do do something about it, that'd be one thing. But he didn't. He'd promised her a third date. And tonight-despite how much he'd like to bend the rules and call it one-didn't count. something about it, that'd be one thing. But he didn't. He'd promised her a third date. And tonight-despite how much he'd like to bend the rules and call it one-didn't count.

Besides, Sean was enjoying this new relations.h.i.+p, the strangeness of being with a woman without the pressures of expectation. He still didn't want to rush things. Though, if he didn't get out of here-now-he was not only going to rush things, he was going to set a new land record for getting a woman naked. Then another one for being inside her before either one of them could even think the words ”we shouldn't,” much less actually say them.

He glanced at his watch, noting now long they'd been talking. It was nearly eleven. They'd been completely lost to time, separated from the world outside. ”We should go. It's getting pretty late. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Staring at him, her eyes widened in shock, Annie collapsed back in her chair.

Don't. Please don't. If she said it-if she put the words out there between them, words like, ”Why the h.e.l.l aren't you tearing my clothes off by now?”-he'd lose all control. He'd have to have her right here in her place of business-a day care center, which should, for any single man, be about as erotic as a convent. But which, at this moment, would serve as well as a five-star hotel with a turned-down, silk-sheeted bed.

Finally, after a long, silent moment, she gave a brief nod and rose. If her chair flew back under her desk with a little more force than he'd expected, he wasn't going to call her on it. Or ask her what was wrong.

He knew knew what was wrong. He was a d.a.m.ned idiot, that's what was wrong. A fool who'd always insisted on opening his biggest present last on his birthday, who still ate every vegetable on his plate before allowing himself to savor the main course. Who'd always believed the best things in life were sweetened when you had to wait for them. what was wrong. He was a d.a.m.ned idiot, that's what was wrong. A fool who'd always insisted on opening his biggest present last on his birthday, who still ate every vegetable on his plate before allowing himself to savor the main course. Who'd always believed the best things in life were sweetened when you had to wait for them.

Waiting might heighten the excitement. But he wasn't sure his heart could take take any more excitement when it came to what was going to happen between him and Annie. any more excitement when it came to what was going to happen between him and Annie.

”Too late, you blew it, dumb a.r.s.e,” he muttered as he left her office. She might have been hot and interested. Now she was not not and angry. and angry.

Sean walked down the short hallway into the large main room, pa.s.sing closed doors marked Nursery and Big Kids Only! The whole place remained shadowy and silent. What little illumination there was began to disappear as Annie turned off her office light. She closed the door behind her, then reached around the corner into another room to flip one more switch.

Now there was nothing but darkness, broken only by the redness of the Exit signs and the glimmer of moonlight easing through the front windows. That was still enough, however, for him to make out the gleam of Annie's blond hair as she approached. And, as she drew closer, the glitter of her eyes.

Her angry eyes.

”Annie...”

”I'm almost ready,” she said as she checked the thermostat. ”Feel free to leave.”

”I'm not leavin' you to walk outside into the night by yourself.” The day care center was in a commercial area, not a residential one. When he'd gone down the block for a drink, he'd noticed every building between here and there had been closed and dark, those in the opposite direction appearing much the same.

”Suit yourself,” she said. ”But you don't have to. I mean, I know it's not like you want want to be here.” to be here.”

Hearing her frustration, and the echo of his own, deep inside his mind, Sean suddenly gave up his resistance. He wasn't going to be able to leave things like this. this. Not a chance could he have her going home thinking he didn't want her. Not a chance could he have her going home thinking he didn't want her.

But before he could say anything-like, ”Let's save time in the morning by just going back to your place for the night”-he felt something slam into his chest. Something small, and, while lightweight, it still stung.

”What the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l...”

Another colorful object zoomed out of the darkness. This time, he reflexively reached up and grabbed it out of the air, quickly realizing he was holding a small, red plastic ball.

”Are you throwing throwing things at me?” things at me?”

”I was aiming for the pit,” she replied airily. ”A few of the b.a.l.l.s spilled out.”

He jabbed an index finger in the air to his right. ”The ball pit's that that way.” way.”

”So my aim's a little off.”

She made a liar of herself by bending over, grabbing another plastic sphere off the darkened floor and winging it at him. Ducking to evade it, Sean honestly didn't know whether to laugh or grab her to make her stop and listen to him for a minute.

When she bent to retrieve another one, his feet made the decision for him. Before she could toss it-probably aiming for his head this time-he charged her.