Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Caleb tightened his grip on her hand. “You shouldn’t blame yourself. It sounds like your ex was a pretty smooth liar.”
“Let’s not talk about him anymore,” Marley said suddenly. “It’s such a beautiful day. I don’t want to spoil it.”
“What do you want to talk about then?”
“I don’t know. Anything. Tell me something. What do you do in New York when you’re not working?”
Caleb scrubbed his free hand through his hair. “Honestly? Not much, really.”
It was true. Now that he thought about it, he rarely took time off. It was one assignment after the next, and when he did have some down time, he usually spent it consulting with other agents about their cases. He and Russ had played poker every now and then, gone out to a bar a few times, but his partner had been a workaholic, too.
“You don’t go out? Ball games? Movies?” Marley prompted.
“Nope. I just work.”
She sighed. “There’s more to life than work, you know.”
“Not for me.”
“Do you ever get attached to people, or are you only attached to your job?”
A wave of discomfort swelled inside him. He’d heard this before, from women he’d had casual flings with, women looking to turn it into something more. Somehow, though, hearing the criticism come from Marley bugged him. So what if the only real relationship he had was with his job? Was it really that unusual?
“My job is all I need,” he said with a shrug.
Marley shot him a knowing glance. “That’s what I thought, too, ever since Patrick took off. I told myself I didn’t need anything or anybody else.”
“And now you need that?”
“Need, no. But I want it.” A smile stretched across her face. “It’s because of you, you know.”
His mouth ran dry. “Yeah?”
“I’m having fun again, Caleb, thanks to you. You reminded me that there are still some good guys left in the world.”
Self-reproach crushed his chest. “Marley,” he started, his voice thick. “I wanted to tell you—”
She cut him off with a kiss. He tried to pull back, but the feel of her lips on his drained all common sense from his brain. As Marley looped her arms around his neck, he curled his fingers over her slender hips and bent down to deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced. His pulse sped up.
“How do you always manage to do that to me?” she said breathlessly.
“Do what?”
“Turn me on so hard, so fast.” She laughed. “You have a gift.”
Caleb took her hand and guided it to the bulge in his jeans. “I think you’re the one with the gift,” he sighed.
He nearly came apart as she gently rubbed his erection. With a strangled groan, he moved her hand and said, “We’re not alone.”
Marley looked around, her eyes widening when she spotted another couple walking hand-in-hand on the beach, as well as three teenagers horsing around in the water a hundred yards away.
She laughed again. “Okay, I guess you can add making me forget my surroundings to the list of things you’re good at.” Her brown eyes sparkled. “Wanna get out of here?”
Hesitation crept up his spine. He knew exactly what they would do if they left the beach and went back to her place, and talking wouldn’t be on the agenda. If they stayed here, out in public, he could fight the temptation to tear her clothes off and muster up enough courage to tell her the truth.
But then Marley kissed him again, and the wave of lust that hit him was so powerful he could barely remember his own name, let alone anything else.
She took his hand and led him toward the narrow staircase leading up to the parking lot where they’d left his car. He followed her blindly, unable to combat the potent force of desire pulling him. When they reached the car, Marley hopped in, her enthusiasm bringing a smile to his lips.
He shut the driver’s door and moved to start the engine, but Marley intercepted his hand. Before he could blink, she climbed onto his lap.
Heat coiled in his belly at the feel of her firm thighs straddling him. “What are you doing?” he choked out.
“What do you think?”
His cock thickened as she unbuttoned her shorts and began to wiggle out of them. All the wiggling succeeded in making him even harder. Fire seared through his blood, his mind turning to mush. All he could do was lean back and let her take control. Tossing her shorts onto the passenger seat, she stroked him over the denim then unzipped his jeans.
A streak of raw lust shot through him. He’d never done it in front of audience, but the notion of getting caught was an odd turn-on. There were no other cars in the lot, but someone could pull in at any moment.
Marley must have considered it, too, because as she slowly drew him out of his pants, she glanced out the window and said, “We’ll be quick. I…I just can’t wait.”