Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest) - By Carly Phillips Page 0,78

on herself, he did what he should have done last night instead of leaving. He scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the room.

“Hey! Put me down. I have to call Daniella and let her know.”

“Erin already did. That’s her job, remember?”

“Then she needs protection.”

“Which we can’t give her. Her job is off a federal highway and she’s staying with someone who lives outside Serendipity. But she has a restraining order—”

“Which means nothing, and you know that!” She wriggled in his arms, but he held on tight. Damn, he liked the weight and feel of her. “Stop moving,” he said, pressing his lips against her neck and licking her there.

She sighed and let out a soft moan. “If I do, can I call Daniella?”

Mike closed his eyes, realizing so much about her in one short second. “Cara, you can’t take care of everyone. You can’t control what’s going to happen. Sometimes, you just have to let things be.”

She cuddled into him, her actions speaking more of trust than lust, and his heart melted. “Mike?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Can I call Daniella now?”

Mike said the only thing that came to mind. “If I agree, can we end up in bed?”

Fourteen

Cara spent the rest of the week working and remembering the amazing sex she’d had with Mike on Monday afternoon. He’d kept her in his arms, picked up her cell off the counter, and waited as she’d called Daniella, got voice mail, and left a message. Next thing she knew, he couldn’t keep his hands off her—and vice versa. He lay over her, skin to skin, and breathed her in. She felt him inhale and groan, his entire body shaking. Then he made love to her.

She knew the difference. He took control as usual, but the reverence in his touch was different; the way he caressed her with his lips, his hands, his mouth—was different. When he entered her, his gaze drinking her in as he thrust deep, he owned her. She knew it even if he never would.

Now, on Friday, her day off, she could barely concentrate, but she’d promised Alexa they’d go dress shopping for Joe and Annie’s upcoming wedding. Cara wasn’t a girly-girl who loved shopping, unlike Alexa, who enjoyed the whole process even if she didn’t get off work much to indulge. They drove to the nearest mall, twenty minutes away, and Cara let Alexa do her thing. She pulled a variety of dresses for each of them, choosing an assortment of colors, lengths, and shapes. Cara wasn’t big on bright colors, so in between her friends’ choices, she tossed in some basic black too.

After what felt like an endless morning, Cara slid into a black, silky, one-shouldered dress that draped in the right places and that she felt very comfortable in.

“Come out and let me see!” Alexa called from the fitting room next door.

Cara walked into the hall in her bare feet and faced Alexa, who glowed in a short dress covered in gold sequins. “That dress looks fabulous on you!” she told her friend.

“I love it too. I think this is the one. As long as we find shoes and a bag today, I’ll be all set.”

Cara groaned. “I thought we were finished after this.” She looked over her shoulder into the mirror for a full-length glance at her image. Yep, she was happy with this one.

“No. Next we accessorize.” Alexa planted her hands on her hips. “What are you wearing?”

“A dress.” She rolled her eyes at the stupid question.

“Going to a funeral?”

“Hey, that’s not nice. This is a cocktail dress and you know it.”

“It’s a basic black dress, and it does nothing special for you.” After that disheartening pronouncement, Alexa walked around Cara in a circle, and nodded once. “Right. Nothing special. Did you try the red one?”

No, Cara had not tried the red one because she’d stand out at the wedding like a sore thumb. “I could have worn that to Vegas. It’s not appropriate for the wedding. It’s at Joe’s Bar!”

“Yet you love me in this?” Alexa waved her hand up and down the glittering number.

“You’re more outgoing.”

“You’re such a chicken. You want to blend into the woodwork? Why? You’ve got a hot body and a hot guy who’ll want to see it. Go change. I want to see the red dress.”

Cara sighed and headed back into the fitting room. There was no arguing with Alexa when she was in this kind of determined mood. “I’ll never find shoes to match,” Cara called