could be a hard-ass, but sometimes he made her feel really special in a way no one else ever had.
“See. Boring even when I was ten.”
“Not boring. Tough. You said your Dad left. What caused your parents to split up?”
“Cassie’s illness ripped them apart. I love my Dad but he’s something of a good-time Charlie. When the going got tough, Dad got going. Don’t get me wrong. He stayed in our lives. We saw him every other weekend and a month in the summer but he couldn’t handle serious stuff. He’s still that way at fifty. I don’t think he’s ever going to grow up.”
“You kept everyone grounded.”
“Somebody had to.”
“You’re pretty amazing, Maddie Cooper. You know that?”
His words warmed her to the very back of her heart and she felt her throat tighten. She glanced out the window into the darkness so he couldn’t see the mist of a tear in her eye. It had been a rough day and she was feeling a little emotional.
“Know what else I like about you?” he whispered.
“What?” She smiled faintly. Her cheeks tingled. God, she was actually blushing.
“You’re strong and smart and thoughtful. You can be a little hardheaded at times, but so can I. You have a really sly sense of humor that slaps my funny bone. You’re honest, trustworthy and dependable.”
“You make me sound like a Boy Scout.”
“Believe me, babe,” he drawled and raked an appreciative gaze over her body. “There’s nothing boyish about you.”
Babe. He’d called her babe. She went all whooshy inside. Don’t smile for gosh sakes, Maddie. He’ll think you like his flattery.
Trouble was, she did like it. A lot.
“Are you flirting with me, Agent Marshall?” She slanted him a coy glance that was pure Cassie.
Their gazes locked. Wow-o-wow-o-wow. The heat from his intelligent dark gray eyes toasted her from the inside out. She stared into him, he stared right back.
Everything faded from her mind. Cassie, Shriver, the stolen art. Her past, their future.
Nothing mattered except the breathtaking electricity of the moment. The emotion on his face was intense and knocked her off balance. She saw so many things reflected in those eyes. Desire, confusion, curiosity.
David took her hand.
She wanted to draw back. She should have drawn back, but she was so tired and his hand felt so good that she just sat there, staring at his fingers. He had very nice fingers. Long and strong and comforting.
Watch out! You know better than to trust him. He’s a cop and your sister is a suspect.
He angled his head toward her. “Would you be upset if I was flirting with you?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s not professional of me.”
“No.”
He leaned closer. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Not at all,” she murmured, moving in his direction.
“We really can’t depend on this attraction,” he said, inching his mouth ever closer to hers.
“Absolutely not,” she agreed, her gaze trained on his lips.
“The timing, the situation, it’s all wrong.” He was barely whispering.
“Couldn’t be worse.” She shifted her gaze from his lips to his eyes and her heart almost jumped right out of her chest.
“How’s your headache?” he asked, reaching over to gingerly rub the spot where the coconut had struck.
What was the protocol in a situation like this? Her dating skills were rusty. Not that this was dating, but it most certainly was a sexual attraction man-woman thing.
His fingers, firm but gentle, probed the tender area. She inhaled his warm masculine scent. Using the pad of his thumb, he massaged her temple in a circular motion with light, steady pressure. It felt so good she almost moaned out loud.
“Relax,” he murmured. “Just relax.”
Yeah, right. How was she supposed to relax when her head was practically nestled on his shoulder and those devastating lips were oh so close?
“That’s right, Maddie, let go.”
And the next thing she knew, they were kissing.
She couldn’t say who made the first
“See. Boring even when I was ten.”
“Not boring. Tough. You said your Dad left. What caused your parents to split up?”
“Cassie’s illness ripped them apart. I love my Dad but he’s something of a good-time Charlie. When the going got tough, Dad got going. Don’t get me wrong. He stayed in our lives. We saw him every other weekend and a month in the summer but he couldn’t handle serious stuff. He’s still that way at fifty. I don’t think he’s ever going to grow up.”
“You kept everyone grounded.”
“Somebody had to.”
“You’re pretty amazing, Maddie Cooper. You know that?”
His words warmed her to the very back of her heart and she felt her throat tighten. She glanced out the window into the darkness so he couldn’t see the mist of a tear in her eye. It had been a rough day and she was feeling a little emotional.
“Know what else I like about you?” he whispered.
“What?” She smiled faintly. Her cheeks tingled. God, she was actually blushing.
“You’re strong and smart and thoughtful. You can be a little hardheaded at times, but so can I. You have a really sly sense of humor that slaps my funny bone. You’re honest, trustworthy and dependable.”
“You make me sound like a Boy Scout.”
“Believe me, babe,” he drawled and raked an appreciative gaze over her body. “There’s nothing boyish about you.”
Babe. He’d called her babe. She went all whooshy inside. Don’t smile for gosh sakes, Maddie. He’ll think you like his flattery.
Trouble was, she did like it. A lot.
“Are you flirting with me, Agent Marshall?” She slanted him a coy glance that was pure Cassie.
Their gazes locked. Wow-o-wow-o-wow. The heat from his intelligent dark gray eyes toasted her from the inside out. She stared into him, he stared right back.
Everything faded from her mind. Cassie, Shriver, the stolen art. Her past, their future.
Nothing mattered except the breathtaking electricity of the moment. The emotion on his face was intense and knocked her off balance. She saw so many things reflected in those eyes. Desire, confusion, curiosity.
David took her hand.
She wanted to draw back. She should have drawn back, but she was so tired and his hand felt so good that she just sat there, staring at his fingers. He had very nice fingers. Long and strong and comforting.
Watch out! You know better than to trust him. He’s a cop and your sister is a suspect.
He angled his head toward her. “Would you be upset if I was flirting with you?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s not professional of me.”
“No.”
He leaned closer. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Not at all,” she murmured, moving in his direction.
“We really can’t depend on this attraction,” he said, inching his mouth ever closer to hers.
“Absolutely not,” she agreed, her gaze trained on his lips.
“The timing, the situation, it’s all wrong.” He was barely whispering.
“Couldn’t be worse.” She shifted her gaze from his lips to his eyes and her heart almost jumped right out of her chest.
“How’s your headache?” he asked, reaching over to gingerly rub the spot where the coconut had struck.
What was the protocol in a situation like this? Her dating skills were rusty. Not that this was dating, but it most certainly was a sexual attraction man-woman thing.
His fingers, firm but gentle, probed the tender area. She inhaled his warm masculine scent. Using the pad of his thumb, he massaged her temple in a circular motion with light, steady pressure. It felt so good she almost moaned out loud.
“Relax,” he murmured. “Just relax.”
Yeah, right. How was she supposed to relax when her head was practically nestled on his shoulder and those devastating lips were oh so close?
“That’s right, Maddie, let go.”
And the next thing she knew, they were kissing.
She couldn’t say who made the first
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