cell phone onto the sofa and came back to where she was standing, still looking dazed and confused.
She looked up at him, her hands itching to feel his warm skin again, to feel his hard body pressed against hers and know that exhilarating feeling when he kissed her. “What’s the point? I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Yes, you are,” he said and slipped his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Come along. My driver is out front. I’ll see you home.”
Clarissa sat in the back of the limousine snuggled into his jacket. She loved the scent of his cologne that wrapped around her on all sides from the fabric. It was still warm from his body and, while driving back to her cottage, she imagined what it would be like to lay in his arms, his body heat surrounding her instead of only his jacket. She snuck several peaks at him as the street lights illuminated the interior of the limousine but his grim determination only irritated her so she stopped looking.
She longed to argue with him about his last statement, but couldn’t generate enough interest. She was firmly set on her side of the fence, and he was on his. There wasn’t much room to wiggle.
The driver pulled smoothly up to her small cottage and she stepped out, shrugging the jacket off her shoulders, prepared to give it back to him. But he surprised her by getting out behind her and walking her to the door, his warm hand burning a hole in her dress at the small of her back.
At the door, she opened it, never needing keys when she lived on the estate with her father’s security team around. His eyes noticed the lack of a locked door and he scowled. “You don’t lock it?”
“No. Why should I?” she asked, turning to say a crisp goodnight to him but he had other intentions.
“You’ll lock this door from now on, understand?” he told her and walked in ahead of her.
She watched as he walked through her small family room, turning on lights and checking the windows, locking each of them. “Max? What are you doing?” she asked, following him through the cottage.
“I’m making sure you’re alone,” he said and walked into her kitchen, turning on more lights as he went. He checked the other windows and doors in her bedroom and bathroom, locking each of them.
Clarissa stood in the middle of the room impatiently. “Max, I live within my father’s perimeter which is practically Fort Knox. There are guard dogs and security fences all around not to mention the secret body guards my father has watching me around the clock. No one’s going to be able to get in here without one of those security measures being tripped up.”
“Just allow me my little idiosyncrasies, cara,” he said a moment before he pulled her into his arms, holding her close against his body as his mouth covered hers in a thorough kiss that left her breathless once again. Just as suddenly, he released her and walked out the door. With one hand on the door handle, he turned back to look at her, winking as he took in her disoriented appearance. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He shut the door a moment later and she was still reeling from his kiss when she heard the limousine pull away.
Chapter 9
Clarissa wasn’t sure what she was doing. She was going to the ballet with Max but there was no future for them. Why was she wasting her time?
She’d spent the day working on her latest book, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked out the details. The characters were wonderful, funny, intelligent and the man really knew how to kiss, she thought. It was a mystery and the private detective reminded her of Max and how strong he was. Oh, sure, she knew Max was much too busy to solve mysteries or chase bad guys down the street late at night. But he was definitely the hero type. His macho arrogance and bulging muscles would make him any woman’s fantasy hero.
In her frustration and determination
She looked up at him, her hands itching to feel his warm skin again, to feel his hard body pressed against hers and know that exhilarating feeling when he kissed her. “What’s the point? I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Yes, you are,” he said and slipped his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Come along. My driver is out front. I’ll see you home.”
Clarissa sat in the back of the limousine snuggled into his jacket. She loved the scent of his cologne that wrapped around her on all sides from the fabric. It was still warm from his body and, while driving back to her cottage, she imagined what it would be like to lay in his arms, his body heat surrounding her instead of only his jacket. She snuck several peaks at him as the street lights illuminated the interior of the limousine but his grim determination only irritated her so she stopped looking.
She longed to argue with him about his last statement, but couldn’t generate enough interest. She was firmly set on her side of the fence, and he was on his. There wasn’t much room to wiggle.
The driver pulled smoothly up to her small cottage and she stepped out, shrugging the jacket off her shoulders, prepared to give it back to him. But he surprised her by getting out behind her and walking her to the door, his warm hand burning a hole in her dress at the small of her back.
At the door, she opened it, never needing keys when she lived on the estate with her father’s security team around. His eyes noticed the lack of a locked door and he scowled. “You don’t lock it?”
“No. Why should I?” she asked, turning to say a crisp goodnight to him but he had other intentions.
“You’ll lock this door from now on, understand?” he told her and walked in ahead of her.
She watched as he walked through her small family room, turning on lights and checking the windows, locking each of them. “Max? What are you doing?” she asked, following him through the cottage.
“I’m making sure you’re alone,” he said and walked into her kitchen, turning on more lights as he went. He checked the other windows and doors in her bedroom and bathroom, locking each of them.
Clarissa stood in the middle of the room impatiently. “Max, I live within my father’s perimeter which is practically Fort Knox. There are guard dogs and security fences all around not to mention the secret body guards my father has watching me around the clock. No one’s going to be able to get in here without one of those security measures being tripped up.”
“Just allow me my little idiosyncrasies, cara,” he said a moment before he pulled her into his arms, holding her close against his body as his mouth covered hers in a thorough kiss that left her breathless once again. Just as suddenly, he released her and walked out the door. With one hand on the door handle, he turned back to look at her, winking as he took in her disoriented appearance. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He shut the door a moment later and she was still reeling from his kiss when she heard the limousine pull away.
Chapter 9
Clarissa wasn’t sure what she was doing. She was going to the ballet with Max but there was no future for them. Why was she wasting her time?
She’d spent the day working on her latest book, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked out the details. The characters were wonderful, funny, intelligent and the man really knew how to kiss, she thought. It was a mystery and the private detective reminded her of Max and how strong he was. Oh, sure, she knew Max was much too busy to solve mysteries or chase bad guys down the street late at night. But he was definitely the hero type. His macho arrogance and bulging muscles would make him any woman’s fantasy hero.
In her frustration and determination
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