Excerpt of Caught in the Act by Lori Foster

Rain drubbed the window sluggishly, but Mick Dawson could
still see out, still see all the different people milling
around the colorful umbrellas and hats. He was so intent
on watching for her he listened to the conversation with
only half an ear. But then, half an ear was the most
required when his friends got started on that particular
topic.

“See that gorgeous blonde?” Josh Marshall said
deliberately baiting as usual. “The one who just came
in? She’s wearing a push-up bra.”

“Is that right?” Zack Grange kept his tone dry. “How
can you tell?”

“I know women.” Josh’s reply held an overdose of world-
weary cynicism. “And I especially know women’s
breasts.” He added, “At your age, I’d think you would,
too.”

“Yeah, and at your age,” Zack retorted, “I’d have thought
you’d outgrown your adolescent obsessions.”

The three of them sat in the corner booth at Marco’s, a
casual Italian restaurant they’d first discovered five
years ago. It was central to where they worked, in the
downtown area.

They came often, more so every year, it seemed, until now
they met almost daily for lunch and often for dinner,
too. None of them was married. Josh remained a
confirmed bachelor, Zack was now a widower and Mick…well,
Mick hadn’t met the right woman. His criteria were
strict, but to his mind, marriage was forever. He’d seen
the worst quite often, marriages made in hell and
sustained with sarcasm and cheating and drink. He’d also
witnessed that elusive best, unions overflowing with love
and trust and support. No way would he settle for less
than what he knew could and should be.

Because of their different jobs-each of them stressful-and
their lack of romantic ties, meeting at Marco’s was about
as close to a domestic routine as they three men ever saw.

The restaurant served as a place for celebration-a
promotion, a new house, whatever came up that seemed
celebration worthy. They also commiserated with each
other, as when Zack’s young wife had died and he’d wanted
to retreat from life, not seeing anyone, not doing
anything except coddling his little girl. Or after Mick
had gotten shot in the leg and missed several weeks of
work, making him edgy.

Mick’s life was all darkness and threats and caution.
Ugly. Except here at Marco’s, and with the people he
trusted-his two friends, his family.

No on else. At least, not yet.

No women had ever snagged his attention long enough to
build a trust, certainly never for anything serious.
Until now.

Now he was intrigued.

“Mick, tell this fool that breasts don’t lift to the sun
like a flower.” Josh laughed at his own jest. “If
they’re damn near touching her chin, she’s wearing a push-
up bra.”

Mick glanced at Zack and grinned, “Josh is an idiot where
women are concerned-including his insane fascination with
breasts, which I agree, he should have outgrown years ago.”

Josh shook his head in a pitying way. “Men do not
outgrow their fascination with breasts. You two are just
weird.”

“A real woman,” Mick told him, “would chew you up and spit
you out.”

“A real woman?” Zack asked, feigning confusion. “You
mean someone with an IQ higher than ten? Why would Josh
date anyone smarter than he is?”

Josh said, “Ha-ha. You’re just jealous.” He grinned
and added, “Besides, the ladies have better things to do
with their mouths when they’re around me. Chewing is
definitely out.”

All three men laughed. “So,” Josh said, “if you two
abnormal specimens aren’t turned on by a woman’s breasts-
which should be soft and natural, not shoved heavenward-
then what does it do for you?”

Mick groaned. “Didn’t we have this discussion back in
high school?”

“Yeah, but it’s still interesting.”

“Bellies,” Zack blurted.

Josh raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

For the moment, Mick felt content to just listen.

“I love a woman’s belly.” Zack leaned back, smiling to
himself. “Not all muscled up the way some women want to
do these days. Just a nice soft smooth woman’s belly.”
He nodded, confirming his own conclusions. “Very sexy.”

Josh considered that, then nodded, too. “Okay, I’ll give
you that one. Bellies are hot. But not belly button
rings.”

“No,” Zack agreed. “A good belly doesn’t need
decoration.”

“What about you Mick?” Josh prodded. “Long legs? Great
ass? What?”

Mick took another bite of his BLT, almost by rote, not
because he was hungry. He considered his reaction when
he’d seen her for the first time. What had he noticed?
What had caught his eye and kept him so interested, to the
point he almost felt obsessed?

He glanced out the dim window again. It was a miserable,
dank July day, breezy, with fat purple clouds hanging low
in the sky.

She should be coming along any minute now.

He’d noticed her at his old neighborhood. He’d been
there to rent out the upstairs apartment of the building
he still owned, the same building he’d once lived in as a
child. There were a lot of…unpleasant memories for him
there, along with a few special ones. He kept the
building as a reminder to himself that his life had
changed, he had changed, but he was still a product of his
upbringings.

Evidently, she rented from the building next door, because
she had come down the walkway to the street and headed
toward the post office, letters in her hand. It worried
Mick, because no one traipsed around unprotected in that
area. To call it rough would be a gross
understatement.

But there she’d been, strolling along without a care. He
hadn’t hesitated to follow her, making certain she
remained safe, enjoying the back view of her as she
strutted along, her stride long and sure and almost cocky.

The sun was blistering hot that day, shining down on her
blue-black, shoulder-length hair, hair so silky it
appeared fluid when she moved. Soft, light blue eyes
looked beyond everything and everyone, including Mick, as
if a great distraction held her. He’d been nearly
spellbound by her tall, willowy body with its incredibly
long, slim legs and broad, fragile shoulders.
Strangely enough, even when she came back out of the post
office and went past him, again oblivious to her
surroundings, he hadn’t noticed her breasts. Al his
attention had been on her face, with its strong jaw,
straight nose, and pale eyes.

Mick wondered for an instant what Josh would think of his
oversight.

Because he wanted to meet her, wanted to get to know her
and have sex with her until he passed out from sheer
exhaustion, he wasn’t about to discuss her with Josh or
Zack. So he merely shrugged. “It’s a combination of
things, and it’s different with every woman.”

Before either Josh or Zack could respond to that obscure
reply, Mick saw her. Blindly, he laid his sandwich aside
and twisted in the booth to better see out the window.
Regardless of the drizzling rain, the gray sky, he’d
expected her. A little rain wouldn’t chase her inside.
No, not this lady. She jogged every day around the same
time, the same place. Or at least she had for two weeks
now. It felt like fate, seeing her first in an area he
owed property, and then here again, where he routinely
visited.

Zack being a reasonable sort, hadn’t complained much when
Mick had made him move so he’d have the window seat.
Josh, though, was unreasonable, always. Outrageous
bordering on obnoxious. He’d demanded, all with laughter
and taunting grins, for Mick to admit who he was watching
for. Mick had refused but now it didn’t matter.

The second he shifted his attention, going on alert, Josh
noticed.

“Aha! There ya go, Zack. I think we’ll get to see this
mystery lady any second now.”