Losing Control - By Robyn Grady Page 0,49

She'd been impressed by the scar on his shin caused during the cave-in by a dislodged dartboard.

By Friday, he was prickly over the fact Brandon and Judge had nothing new to report. However, Brandon passed on in private that, despite her many vices, Eloise was clear of any suspicion. That spooky maid was cleared, too. Come lunchtime, Cole was settled behind his desk, working on more tweaks to that massive, frustrating, football league contract, when Taryn swept into his office and put a pamphlet on his desk.

Grinning, Cole sat back. She was a cross between angelic and sexy in that crisp white linen dress that, to his mind, could have benefitted from an inch or two less length around the hem. Calculating back how many hours it had been since they'd last kissed - last made love - he collected the pamphlet and looked it over.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A new park opened not far from here." She came around to his side of the desk. Her perfume teasing his nostrils and testing his resistance in a work setting, she tapped a picture on the sheet. "There are paddleboats."

He nodded. "Okay."

Her blue eyes flashed and a big smile spread. "Then you'll come?"

"Come where? When?"

"To paddle with me. Now." She checked her wristwatch. "It's lunchtime. I vote foot-long hot dogs."

Shunting the pamphlet aside, he chuckled. Taryn was a mile away from the aloof woman he'd met three weeks ago. Of course, she would never lose that poise; a person either had class or she didn't. And, God knows, he would love to ditch and go play for a couple of hours. But he'd been slack all week. He'd even slid across some duties for Roman to take on full-time. But he couldn't hide forever from his responsibilities. He had an example to set.

"Sounds tempting," he said, "but I ought to get this contract sorted."

She leaned back against his desk's edge. Her palms set flat behind her, shoulders raised, her skirt lifted that ideal inch or two.

"The work will still be here when you get back," she reasoned with a silky tone, and he flicked a glance at the open office door. Maybe they could enjoy some hands-on time now without needing to leave the building.

After easing out of his chair, he stood before her then leaned in until his hard thighs pinned hers. His palms anchored on either side of hers on the desk, he closed his eyes, grazed his chin lightly up her cheek then murmured in her ear.

"I think we should lock the door."

When her hand came up and fingers twined through his hair, every pulse point in his body started to tick and, soon, throb.

"You spend too much time indoors," she told him while he tasted the satin curve of her neck. "Let's get some sunshine. It's a gorgeous day."

"And later?"

"Later you can finish with that contract."

He pressed in more. "What contract?"

She laughed. "You have some casual clothes here, don't you?"

As his hand slid over and scooped around her back, the best he could do was grunt his affirmative.

"I do, too," she said, then sighed. "We'll change, go paddle some boats and then..."

He drew back slightly. "Couldn't we do the 'and then' part first?"

She pushed against his chest and he let her shift him away. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

He took from those hypnotic lips a lingering kiss. "I'll be there in five."

They drove to the park. For a Friday - a workday - it was packed. Guess it was a combination of the good weather, he mused, a novel array of food vendors and the curiosity of a new place to take the kids. Or your lover.

He paid for thirty minutes in a paddleboat, but, willing to pay more and give their legs a fine workout, they spent an hour on the lake. If ever he thought about that contract, or his father, Cole told himself to chill. They were headed back to her place for the "and then" part, after which he'd get back on top of things, but when they were almost at her address, he decided to check his cell for messages. Just to be safe.

He had parked in her drive, which was looking quite familiar these days, and Taryn was already out and scooting up to open the front door. Cole opened his messages and was bombarded by a stream of recent texts and voice mail. As he went through, his gut sank lower and the sense of dread swelled until he wasn't