Tess took another bite of pizza, her silver gaze never
leaving his. "You going to help me out or not? Forbes is
your client, after all." Her voice rose and, again, heads
turned in their direction.
"Calm down. I’d like to live long enough to walk you
home…and maybe get a good-night kiss."
Taking a deep breath, she leaned back and signaled
everything was cool. "You want to walk me home and kiss me
good-night? How sweet."
Her soft tone mocked him, but he didn’t care.
"Like we’re high school sweethearts." She wrinkled her
nose, but her eyes shone with moderate good humor.
"Would you rather I said what I was really thinking?"
Her lashes fluttered briefly, then she eyeballed him
directly. "Maybe. Depends on what you were really thinking."
He lowered his tone a notch. "About pressing you up
against the wall and having my way with you."
For a second, her gray eyes flashed silver.
Damn. He was a goner—as in, he’d gone too far. Said too
much. Too soon.
She leaned forward. "I’ll have you know I don’t engage
in up-against-the-wall, wild animal sex on the first date,
not that this is even a date." Her tone was matter-of-fact,
but her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. Maybe he could still
pull his nuts out of the fire before they went up in smoke.
"A guy can always hope," he said, without a chance in
the world she wouldn’t kick him to the curb. Or have one of
her fellow officers do the honors.
"A guy can hold his breath…until he turns purple."
"I can see I’ve put my foot in it. I’m sorry… But damn,
the sight of your mouth. Your skin. Your eyes. Dammit.
You’re driving me up a wall."
"Another reference to the wall? Would that be the same
wall?"
"Bad choice of words."