but not right now, which is, you know, normal. Once everyone knows that you belong to him, he’ll stop pumping out those pheromones. It’s a natural part of the process of mating.”
“Yes,” I agreed quickly, the spark in the darkness becoming clear. “Mom, I have a huge favor to ask.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Of course.”
I found Graeme in his office, and even though I needed him to come with me, I couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the way the cut of his suit accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. Even from across the room, I could feel the strength and power radiating off the man. He was breathtaking.
Standing near the double doors that led out onto yet another private balcony, he was framed in moonlight, and when he saw my reflection in the glass, he turned to look at me.
“I wanted to give you and your mother some privacy before I returned.”
“Which is great, and thank you, but so ya know, she’s crazy about you.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Is she?”
“Yeah, my whole family is.”
He crossed his arms as he gazed at me. “Your whole family?”
“Yep. Everyone. Especially me.”
“Especially you?”
“Listen,” I rushed out, because even though I wanted to stand there and flirt with him, I didn’t have time. “The second we get home, I would love to come back into this room and have you fuck me against the glass door, but right now I need your nose.”
Instant scowl. “You say the most confusing things at times, are you aware?”
“This won’t be the most confusing, promise, but will you come with me please?”
“Of course,” he agreed, striding toward me. “Let me call Izzy, and I’ll have her bring––”
“No. I got it covered. My Jeep’s right outside.”
“You can’t be serious,” he deadpanned, looking horrified.
“C’mon, it’ll be great. It’ll be an adventure.”
“And that’s a good thing?”
Ten minutes later, I was thinking he might not be enjoying how fast I drove and took corners in the city. The deduction came from the fact that he had one hand on the dashboard and the other on the Jesus handle as I navigated us back to his cousin Remy’s house in Highland Park. For most of the ride, he remained silent, unable, it seemed, when he felt his life was in peril, to banter with me. Finally, when we were almost there, he took a deep breath.
“Explain,” he ordered, white knuckling the door handle as I took a tight corner. “For the love of—you’re going to roll us.”
“You’re very preoccupied with my driving.”
“Because I’d like to live long enough to marry you.”
I scoffed. “You’re not gonna die, and I’m not gonna flip my Jeep. The only car I’ve ever rolled was Ambrose’s Porsche, and technically, it was more a jump than a roll anyway, since it landed in a tree.”
It took a second. “Pardon me?”
“It’s a long—see, it was a small tree, and there was a ramp, but that’s not important,” I explained. “The takeaway is that I lived, and so did Ambrose, so yanno, it’s fine.”
Slight whimper from him. “Who generally drives, you or Detective Massey?”
“We take turns.”
“You lie,” he accused me as I rolled to a stop in Remy’s driveway. “He drives. I bet he even drives your car, doesn’t he?”
I grunted and got out, not bothering to lock it, and walked around the front to wait for Graeme. “Can you hurry up?”
It took him a moment to stop clutching things, another to unfold his long legs from the passenger seat, and he was a bit unsteady when he was finally on his feet beside my car. “I do believe I may very well vomit,” he informed me, and I had to admit he did look a little green around the gills.
“I don’t know anyone who can sound so imperious as they announce they’re gonna spew in the driveway.”
“As if I would void the contents of my stomach in a driveway,” he snapped at me. “I would have the decency to do so in the bushes.”
The man being flustered was crazy hot. He was so proper and polished and dignified, and here he was glowering at me and getting defensive about where he was going to puke. I could fall so unbelievably hard for him.
Rushing over, I took hold of the lapels of his Ralph Lauren Purple Label double-faced cashmere topcoat, lifted up on my toes, and kissed him.
It was quick, but I made sure he felt it, and he licked his lips when I broke the kiss to