No Stranger to Scandal - By Rachel Bailey Page 0,20

her?

He turned back to Lucy. “Once you’re inside with the door locked, call my cell. I’ll wait right here till I hear from you.”

“That’s very sweet,” she said.

Sweet? He almost laughed. She wouldn’t be saying that if she knew the thoughts that were currently bombarding him. Thoughts about the things he’d like to do with her, starting with peeling those clothes off her body, piece by piece. Underneath he knew she’d be luscious and petal-soft....

He cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind of its impure thoughts at the same time. It didn’t work. Distraction, that was the key. He needed to say something, preferably about a neutral topic. “Thank you for today—Josh had a great time.”

“I had a good time, too,” she said, her voice barely more than a breath. Her mouth suddenly seemed so close, and he began to lean in before summoning his control and pausing. As she realized his intent, her pupils dilated. The pulse at the base of her throat fluttered like crazy. Still, he held—not leaning in farther, but not able to move away. Her moist, full lips were slightly parted, inviting him. A groan worked its way up from deep in his chest. Desire like this, that consumed, engulfed, had been absent from his life for a long time. He wanted nothing more than to give in to it, grasp it with both hands, to grasp Lucy with both hands and sink into the sensations she evoked in him.

But he couldn’t let his guard down and think of her as a woman. He had an investigation to run and involvement with Lucy Royall would compromise his objectivity. Compromise him. He was ethically bound to keep emotional distance between them.

He clenched his jaw tight and leaned slow, excruciating inches back.

“Hayden?” she asked breathlessly.

He gripped the steering wheel until his fingers hurt, trying to anchor himself to something. “Yes?”

“Were you about to kiss me?”

His heart stuttered to a stop. He should have known Lucy wasn’t the type of woman to let things lie, to choose the sensible path. “There was a moment, before I thought better of it,” he admitted.

“I wish you had.” She said the words softly, but there was no flirtation in them—they were honestly delivered and all the more powerful for it. Desire still tugged hard in the pit of his belly, demanding that he follow through and kiss her, but he couldn’t give in. Wouldn’t.

He muttered a curse and closed his eyes to limit the number of senses being assaulted at once. “Don’t say that.”

“But it’s the truth,” she said, her Southern accent thick. He opened his eyes in time to see her pink tongue peek out and moisten those lips that drove him crazy. “I’ve been wondering what kissing you would be like.”

“Lucy, don’t.” There was a harshness in his voice that he hated, but was powerless to help. He was on the edge; every muscle vibrated with the effort of holding them still. If she pushed much further, he’d consign his ethics to hell and reach for her.

“What sort of kisser are you, Hayden?” She turned in the seat, facing him, pupils large in the dim light. “Soft and gentle? Strong and demanding?”

He groaned and banged his head back on the headrest. Was she trying to kill him? “This can’t happen,” he growled. “I can’t compromise my objectivity.”

“What if I never tell?” Her voice was pure temptation, full of invitation and delicious promise, making his thundering heart thump even harder in his chest. For a moment, he wondered...could he? A shudder ripped through him. Could he? He glanced out the window, seeking a sign, maybe permission.

Instead he saw a fashionable D.C. street, and it struck him with the force of a blow.

D.C.

He was in this town to do a job. He’d been employed by Congress, damn it.

He scrubbed his hands down his face and refocused on what was important, then turned to Lucy to make sure she understood, as well. “I’d still know. And things would be different between us.”

One corner of her mouth curved up into a half smile. “You don’t think they’ll be different after this conversation?”

“You’ll notice I tried to stop this conversation before it started.”

“Oops,” she said and bit down on her lip, looking anything but sorry. “What should we do now?”

“Pretend it never happened.” It was the only option left.

There was silence for long seconds as she watched him with a small line between her eyebrows. “And if I can’t?”

“We don’t talk about