Dangerous to Her by Virna Depaul

ridiculous feeling of betrayal at Judge Butler’s actions, her concern for Tony and her unexpected reunion with Dom. Her eyes stung and she blinked quickly, desperately trying to hold back her tears. “I—I don’t know if I can give you what you’re asking for, Dom.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shook her head, feeling like a fool.
    She gasped when he hooked a finger under her chin and gently nudged until she looked at him. “I can accept that. For now. But how about dinner? Can you give me that much, at least?”
    “I don’t know—” she began, but he talked over her.
    “I’ve wanted to try the Mexican place nearby. You had plans with Linda, so your daughter’s with someone else, isn’t she?”
    “Yes, she’s spending the night at a friend’s. But—” Biting her lip, she hesitated. She suddenly felt as if the answer to his question was going to have a huge effect on her life. It’s just dinner, she reasoned. She wasn’t going to date him. Or marry him. Or sleep with him.
    Was she?
    The heated look in his eyes indicated he knew the treacherous path her thoughts had taken. Obviously encouraged, his hand slipped under her hair to cup her neck and slowly massage the back of her scalp. She bit her lip to keep from moaning.
    He wanted to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes and knew her yearning was reflected in her own eyes as well. “I—I—” She stopped, not knowing what to say, just knowing it should be “no.”
    “I love the wetness factor, you know.”
    She swallowed hard. “Wetness?” she squeaked.
    The desire in his eyes flared into something so hot, so intense, that it should have incinerated her. Instead, it made her gravitate even closer to him.
    “Definitely,” he murmured, leaning down until his breath ruffled the hair next to her ear. His thumb pressed into some secret spot that only he’d ever found, and she couldn’t stop the soft, breathless moan that escaped her.
    “That’s right. You know you want it, baby.”
    His words jolted her. Seemed so out of character that she pulled back to see his face.
    Confusion made her brows furrow.
    Along with the heat was now amusement. A small smile tipped his lips.
    “You do, don’t you? Mild, medium, hot. Red sauce. Green sauce. But my favorite is mole. Have you ever had mole sauce, Mattie?”
    “Mole?” Eyes narrowing, she shoved him away. He laughed outright, and her annoyance was tempered by the sight of him expressing such joyful exuberance even if was at her expense.
    She didn’t let him know that, though.
    “Why don’t you take your mole sauce and—” she began.
    “Oh, come on. You should have seen the look on your face. Besides, we both know if I told you what I really want, you’d be running for your car before the words were out of my mouth.” He sobered, his eyes dropping to sweep her body before landing unerringly on her mouth. Raising his hand once more, he caressed her jaw. “I don’t have to tell you what I want, Mattie. Because you know what it is. And you want the same thing.”
    The throbbing heat of desire was back so fast it made her dizzy.
    They’d had their chance, she reminded herself. And it had ended in disaster.
    Yet, she was reluctant to let their fragile reconnection end.
    What would it hurt, she thought, for them to talk? Dinner wouldn’t change things. She still had no intention of telling him about Jordan. Maybe she never would. But she could at least give him the chance to change her mind, right? So while she didn’t say yes, exactly, she said the next best thing. “I’ve never tried mole. But maybe…maybe it’s time I did.”

    As Dom escorted Mattie to the little Mexican restaurant three blocks from the courthouse he wondered if he shouldn’t just make an excuse and veer her back toward her car instead. That little interchange they’d just had had almost knocked him off his feet. He’d seen the same struggle on her face that he’d been having—the temptation to take