The Lady Has a Past (Burning Cove #5) - Amanda Quick Page 0,53
gaze. He got the feeling that she was once again trying to get a fix on him; trying to read his mind.
“Is Mr. Cage unable to take his gaze off me because he’s afraid that when I am out of his sight I will jeopardize his investigation?” she asked, her tone suspiciously polite.
“That, too,” he admitted. He walked slowly toward her and stopped a foot away. “But mostly he can’t take his eyes off you because you are . . . unpredictable. Complicated.”
She nodded very somberly. “Unpredictable is good. So is complicated.”
“A mystery,” he said.
“Oh, yes, I like being a mystery. I like it very much.”
She set the jar of night cream aside and turned away from the stack of violet boxes to face him. She lounged back against the table and, stretching her arms out to either side, gripped the edge with both hands.
“I could say the same about you,” she said. “You’re complicated. Mysterious. You are, however, becoming a little more predictable.”
“Help me out here—are we still quarreling, or have we started flirting?”
“You’re not sure?”
“Unlike you, I have a hard time with the nuances of social interactions of this nature.”
She gave him a slow, sultry smile. “Give it some thought. With your keen investigative skills I’ll bet you can figure out what’s going on here.”
“You,” he said, “are also dangerous.”
“That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“For some reason I doubt that.”
“It’s the truth. People who meet me always think they know exactly who and what I am—the frivolous, spoiled daughter of a wealthy shipping tycoon. A woman whose only job in life is to marry well, provide a couple of heirs to the family fortune, and host charity galas. But I don’t plan to do any of those things. Would you like to kiss me?”
“Yes,” he said. “But under the circumstances that probably would not be smart.”
“Maybe not, but it would be unpredictable and complicated and mysterious.”
“And dangerous.”
“Definitely,” she said. “At the very least we might be able to resolve the biggest question that currently confronts us.”
“What question is that?”
“A kiss might help us decide if we want to have a full-blown affair when this case is over.”
Everything inside him was tight and hard. The atmosphere was charged and intense. He was standing on the edge of a cliff looking down at the crashing waves of a storm-tossed sea. There was no way to know what dangerous currents were waiting for him beneath the surface. He realized he didn’t give a damn. He was going to dive in and take the risk.
He clamped his hands over hers, trapping her against the table. He leaned in very close.
“I already know my answer,” he said. “But if you’re not sure—”
“Not yet.”
He covered her mouth with his own, intending a slow, exploratory kiss; a kiss that would allow him to maintain control. He had to move cautiously, because it was clear now that she was not the woman he had hoped to find in Burning Cove. Yes, she was fast, single, and reckless, but she was so much more—wildly unpredictable and dangerous. A thrilling mystery. And she didn’t give a damn about his past or his weird talent.
He managed to keep a tight rein on the kiss right up until she yanked her hands out from under his, gripped his shoulders, and gave a soft, urgent cry against his mouth.
“Simon.”
And just like that the kiss spun out of control. His senses—all of them—were caught up in the whirlwind. He gripped her waist, lifted her off her feet, and crushed her against his chest. He wanted to feel every inch of her.
“Touching you is like touching lightning,” he said against her mouth.
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” she gasped. “But I know what you mean. I’m getting the same sensation. I’ve had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, but I have never felt anything quite like this. It’s very exciting.”
“That’s one word for it.”
He deepened the kiss, silencing her. She moved her fingers up to the back of his neck. She was pressed so tightly against him now he knew she had to be aware of his fierce erection. He moved his lips to her throat and inhaled the intoxicating scent.
“Simon,” she whispered.
He groaned and reluctantly raised his head. “I know. We’ve got more important things to do tonight.”
She took a deep breath. “Right.” She pulled herself together and stepped back. Her eyes brightened with anticipation. “You have a new plan?”