An Offer He Cant Refuse - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,51

hell he was going to stop now - and he'd probably roast in hell or at least under the broiler of his own conscience for it - at least it gave him time to find the practiced lover inside himself, the one who knew how to ease a woman into bed. The lover who did it smooth and slow to prevent any scratches to the surface of his life.

A voice floated from the machine and through the door. "Tea? Tea, if you're there, pick up. It's Eve. The security firm called. There's been a break-in at your office."

Tea stiffened. "Break-in?" she questioned in a frozen voice even as the answering machine clicked off. "Break-in?"

Her eyes moved off his face and into the darkness. "They must think it's in my office," she murmured, sounding faint.

She wasn't making any sense. Feeling a little scared, he figured, and a little startled from having to go from passion to business in the space of a breath. Hell, he was just getting his own breath back. And his sanity, he thought, relief washing through him. Tonight he needed distance, detachment, and with his hands all over Tea and his tongue in her mouth, he'd been speeding in the wrong direction down a one-way street.

"Come on, Contessa," he said, sliding an arm around her shoulders and taking a deep, steadying breath. "I'll drive you over." Even with his big brain functioning again, he couldn't leave her to find her way to her office alone, though he'd be singing silent hosannas all the way that he'd made it past tonight without an emotional scratch.

Her business wasn't far, but the ride was long enough for him to realize that Tea grew tenser with every block that passed. By the time they glimpsed a small crowd ahead, huddled on the sidewalk beside a private security cruiser, she was shivering. He grabbed a front-zip sweatshirt from the backseat and encouraged her to put it on.

"It's baggy, but warm, Contessa," he said, angling into a nearby parking spot. "Come on, honey, wrap up."

She stepped out of the car as soon as he stopped, his sweatshirt a bulky gray paper bag from her neck to her knees. Maybe because she looked like a little kid, maybe because he hated the way the security car's revolving light washed red, red, red, over her face, but something about her made his chest ache.

Ignoring it, he slammed his door shut and grabbed her hand. It was cold and so damn small he took it between both of his and rubbed it as they walked toward the knot of people outside her office.

The circling light flickered across their faces, illuminating some he didn't know, and some he did - Tea's sisters, Eve and Joey, and... Cal? What the hell was The Calculator doing at Tea's office?

A small figure in dark goth-wear and facial piercings ran up to Tea. "It's all my fault," she said.

TeVs feet stuttered to a halt, and Johnny pulled her back against him to keep her upright. Damn, she seemed ready to break.

"Rachele," she said. "You didn't have anything to do with this. It's me. I - "

"Didn't need to bother coming after all," Joey finished, charging over. She glanced up at Johnny, calculation gleaming in the red lights in her eyes. "You can blame Eve for that."

Eve strolled up with an elegant older woman who was Tea in twenty years, minus the mouth-drying curves. "You can blame Eve for nothing," the blonde corrected, shaking her head. "Eve is on your contact list if the security company gets no answer at your numbers and the silent alarm goes off."

The older woman - Tea's mother, obviously - reached out to place her fingers against her daughter's cheek and then her forehead. "Cara, are you sick?"

Tea struggled to break free of his arms and it took Johnny a moment to release his hold. "Not sick, Mom. I'm fine."

The one who was sick was him! Johnny thought, taking a belated step back. Christ, here Tea was, surrounded by family, and he was pretending to be her pillar of strength. But Mrs. Caruso was looking at him curiously, so Magee manners made it imperative he step toward the women again.

"Johnny Magee, ma'am," he said, holding out his hand. "A client of your daughter's. I was with her when the call came."

Cool fingers shook his. "Then thank you for bringing her over." She smiled.

Johnny stared, aware he was holding her hand moments too long. But when she smiled,