Hitting The Mark

by Jill Monroe

  A moment later, she felt Eric’s hands at her shoulders. “Looks like I have to go downstairs. A pit boss issue.”

  Had to be big if the pit boss wanted him down there. She was surprised by the wave of disappointment she felt at the news. She didn’t consciously allow herself to depend on someone who could disappoint her. Somehow Eric had slipped in. “I’ll get my things.”

  “Stay here if you want,” he ventured, turning her to face him. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Spend the night. It’s late, and I don’t like the idea of you driving alone to your apartment.”

  Danni grew warm and tingly, not from the heat of his hands on her body, but from his words. Few people had cared about her well-being the way Eric did.

  She should feel ridiculous. A grown woman who’d been on her own for years, taking pleasure in the protector role Eric had adopted. After all, she’d shown she could take care of herself. But Eric had been like that since their first date. She remembered him checking her door to make sure it was locked.

  Usually, she’d distrusted that kind of behavior, but now Danni liked it. She welcomed the rightness of it. Lovers should want to take care of each other. Protect one another. She felt that way about him.

  She stretched on her tiptoes and gave him one hot kiss, loving the taste of him. Relishing the sensation of how nice it was to be familiar with the texture of his lips, but knowing she had a lot more to explore about this man. “I’d like to stay,” she said.

  A wicked gleam entered his brown eyes. “After that kiss…I’ll hurry back.” They walked hand in hand to the bed, where she settled with the room service meal in front of her. She watched Eric change clothes as she finished her sandwich. With another kiss, she was alone in his suite. Welcomed by him. Trusted by him. It was a great feeling.

  And she made a vow that she wouldn’t snoop.

  ERIC SHOVED HIS HANDS into his pockets and made quick time to the elevator. He was in real trouble here. This went way beyond casual. He was really starting to like Danni. He’d never expected to fall for her.

  That phone call from downstairs couldn’t have come at a better time. He needed to get back on track. An unruly drunk tourist causing a disturbance was far preferable to having to face what was going on in his personal life.

  Personal life? He didn’t have a personal life. He had work. He had female acquaintances. And he had more work.

  Maybe after this stint was done. Maybe…

  No. He was here to do a job. And that was all it would be. Could ever be.

  11

  ERIC TRIED TO WAKE HER UP with a kiss. She snuggled deeper into the pillow. Morning person Danni was not. Then her fuddled brain realized this was Eric. Trying to wake her up with a kiss. She rolled over and smiled. His beautiful brown eyes snapped into focus.

  Danni reached for him, wanting to bring his big body down beside her. He resisted her attempts to draw him into the warm bed. “You have class this morning.”

  And with those words she shot straight up, her gaze searching for a clock. How could she have stayed the whole night? She’d completely sold out to sleep. Didn’t even remember him coming back to bed.

  “We have enough time to take a shower,” he said in a tone that would corrupt any nice girl. Which she wasn’t.

  She stopped her frantic search and met his eyes instead. “We?” she asked, her body instantly reacting to his words. She noticed Eric still wore the clothes he’d dressed in last night before he left.

  “Poor baby, you had to work all night,” she said, loving the concern she felt. Concern for a lover was normal after all, and she was really loving all aspects of normalcy.

  Strain tightened the skin around his eyes. “There were some details to work out,” he said.

  “All good now?” she asked.

  His gaze left hers as he stood. “It’s all on track again.”

  Danni surged to her knees, twining her arms around his neck. She wanted to get his mind off of business and back on, well, business. “So, you were saying something about a shower…” She let her voice trail off as she licked the spot under his ear she knew he liked. A lot.

  His arms surrounded her, and he hauled her closer up against his chest. “I’ve been thinking about soaping your entire body.”

  Her skin became tingly. “I’m feeling really, really dirty. Especially my breasts. They’ll need a lot of soap.”

  His brown eyes darkened, and he swooped her up into his arms and carted her into the bathroom. Danni shoved his shirt off his body as his hands drew sighing responses from her. Soon she had him naked and wet beneath the steam of the shower, and Eric got her very, very clean.

  Afterward, she sat revived and cross-legged on his bed wearing her floral skirt and shirt from the night before. She’d have just enough time to stop by her apartment and change. But first she’d have to tackle the tangles from her hair using his comb. She’d have to discreetly tuck a bottle of conditioner into her purse. Just in case something like this ever happened again.

  Eric sat down beside her, and Danni looked up because his body felt tight beside her. Like every muscle he possessed was tensed.

  “It occurred to me that you were stuck in here last night,” he said, his expression neutral, his tone offhand. “I made you a keycard, in case something like that happened again.”

  He held out the piece of plastic toward her.

  “A keycard to your room?” she asked, probably sounding as silly as she felt asking something so obvious. Even though excitement raced through her, she was so, so surprised.

  He nodded, making a liar of his nonchalant demeanor from before. “Only if you want it.”

  Danni smiled, taking the key from him. “I’d like that. You’re a fast mover,” she said, her tone light and teasing, despite the fact that they’d moved into the realm of commitment.

  “Believe me, I’ve never moved this fast,” he said, chagrined.

  She dropped the comb, her gaze seeking out his. “Really?” she asked. Her heartbeat quickened. This was important. Why did this feel like one of the most important questions of her life? Five days ago she’d never even known this man. Today she couldn’t imagine beginning her day without thinking of him. It was crazy.

  He caught her chin, tipping her face upward. “Yes, really,” he said, his expression telling her it was the truth and even he seemed surprised by it.

  Eric lowered his lips and kissed her. She found his kiss not a sexual, I’m-about-to-have-you-right-now kind of kiss, but one of promise and frank candor. I like you. I want to spend my time with you.

  Then his tongue caressed the seam of her lips, and that frank candor added I crave you.

  Eric broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, the sound of their breathing the only sound. “Now go,” he said. His voice once again held a teasing edge. “You have class, and between work and your hot body, I’m exhausted.”

  She laughed and then slid off the bed. Eric lifted the covers and settled between the sheets with a sigh. Danni slid into her shoes, grabbed her new keycard, and with a kiss turned off the light.

  “Good night.”

  She felt his gaze on her all the way to the door.

  CASSIE GLARED at her watch, and knocked on Danni’s apartment door again. Danni was late. Strange, since Danni was notorious for always being on time. Probably a side effect from her incarceration all those years ago.

  Cassie was about to drag out her cell phone when Danni breezed up the staircase, despite dragging her steno case along with her. Her best friend practically vibrating happiness, cheerfulness and…and…Cassie could barely think it. Like a woman in love.

  Danni came around the corner, and the smile said it all. Definitely a woman in love.

  “Tell me you haven’t slept with him?” Cassie asked her, dreading the answer. If Danni had, she’d have broken nearly every Kiss…But Confirm rule Cassie stressed in her book.

  Danni’s eyes widened and pink tinted her cheeks. “How did you kno
w? Is it that obvious?”

  Cassie nodded. “Even having been found out, you still have that big smile on your face.”

  Her friend grew flustered, dropping her keys. “Can we wait to have the safe sex talk inside, Mom?” Danni joked, trying to sound frustrated, but clearly not.

  Bending, Cassie retrieved the keys, and unlocked the door, and the two entered Danni’s apartment.

  They’d found this furnished efficiency apartment together. Danni couldn’t afford much on her waitress salary, and with no furniture to speak of, the place had been perfect. Over time, Danni had discovered she possessed an eclectic style. Cassie liked how Danni managed to make a combination of the modern funky prints on the walls, animal skin throw pillows and Americana sofa circa 1960 work.

  Cassie plopped herself on that sofa now. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  Danni set her steno machine case on the black-and-chrome retro table in her kitchen. “We didn’t plan it. It sort of happened. I was pointing out an advantage gambler, and the next thing we’re pinned against the wall in his suite. We’ve only known each other a week. Do you think that’s too fast?”

  Horrendously. “No,” Cassie lied.

  “I mean, I know what you’re going to say. I broke your rules. Minimum of three months before sex. Nothing less than a full background check.”

  “Google is a girl’s best friend,” Cassie said, the cynicism coming out loud and clear.

  Danni pulled her steno machine from the case and began to type. “I don’t even care that I don’t know where he graduated from high school or even anything remotely personal about him. Last night was just so right. Has been from that first time I met him.”

  “Wait a minute. You’re not transcribing our conversation? I hate it when you do that.”

  “You hate it even more when you have to read drills to me. I’m falling behind in my machine shorthand class. I was less than seventy percent accurate today, and I can’t pass at that rate.”

  “Okay, but all potentially embarrassing conversation will be from you.”

  “I’ll give you the paper when I’m done. You can burn it.”

  Cassie nodded. “Back to Eric. What was he like this morning?” That was the true test.

  If possible, Danni’s smile widened. “He gave me the key to his suite.”

  In all the years she’d known her, Cassie had never seen Danni so happy. Why was Cassie being so mean? She reached over and patted her friend on the hand. “Actually, you’re lucky when things happen that easily.”

  Danni let out a deep breath, as if she’d been nervous to tell Cassie everything. She was being a bad friend. Danni had turned her life around—she deserved some happiness. Cassie gave Danni a big smile.

  “This is the first time I’ve ever been truly honest with a man. Not only did he not reject me, he’s encouraged me.”

  “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Okay, you have my official approval.”

  Danni laughed. “For that, I’ll even make you dinner later. Tell me how everything went with Dirk.”

  Cassie slumped against the sofa.

  “That bad, huh? How’d he look?”

  Cassie swallowed. Her first love looked better than ever. Damn him. “Great,” she said.

  “That’s too bad.”

  “He should have looked bad. Been married. Anything.” She began to fidget with the black fringe from the sofa pillow.

  “Now this is sounding interesting,” Danni said, able to keep typing, converse and never look in Cassie’s direction. “Are you still attracted to him?”

  Oh, God, yes. “Maybe,” Cassie hedged. At this her friend looked up. She met Danni’s eyes. “He said he still thinks about me. Has never forgotten me.” The jerk.

  “Hey, that’s great.”

  Cassie’s answer was silence.

  “Isn’t it?” she asked, still not returning to her typing.

  Cassie knocked a magazine onto the floor, and she took her time picking it up. Avoidance. When had she taken up that trick? Danni just glared at her expectantly.

  “You know that love you have when you’re seventeen. It’s so pure and earnest, and you think you’re going to die if you don’t have that person. And then they love you back and it’s like a whole new beautiful world awakens filled with rainbows and sunshine and birds singing.”

  “Come to think of it, I noticed the birds singing this morning.”

  “Well, back away friend because one day Prince Charming says maybe it’s time we should see other people. Just to make sure. And then he comes home with his new slut girlfriend, and you’re too heartbroken to remember your sex tape.”

  “Was he the one who put the tape on the Internet?”

  “He says not, and I believe him. In fact, he’s going to search out who did it. He told me that last night in my backyard.”

  “Backyard? I thought you were meeting him at a restaurant.”

  “I did, but later he came by to tell me he would find out who put the tape up on the Internet.”

  Danni returned to typing and raised an eyebrow. “And for that he had to tell you in person. What’s going on here?”

  Cassie sank her forehead on her hands. “I don’t know. For a moment last night, all I could think of was how easy it would be to kiss him. Be with him. We used to fit. A near perfect match, in fact.”

  “The sex I saw on that tape didn’t really…match.”

  “We’d both been virgins learning together. Given the chance, we would have worked that out in time, too.” Which made Dirk’s assertion that he was better at lovemaking all the more tempting because no one had ever turned her on, touched who she was the way Dirk had.

  Immediately her skin remembered every touch, every caress, every emotion this man ever gave her.

  He’d said he was better at it now. Her body suddenly wanted to find out the truth. She sucked in a breath. “He says he still wants me. And for a moment, I wanted him, too.”

  “Then try to remember that you’re a woman. He’s a man. You both want to hook up. Forget everything else and hook up.”

  Cassie shook her head and glanced at Danni. “It’s not that easy. He hurt me like nothing else ever did. I feel like I should punish him over and over and over.”

  “Have you thought that maybe that’s not the most healthy path for you to follow?”

  “No, and I’m not going to. My first book was based on the premise of finding a healthy relationship while still hating the person who broke your heart.”

  Danni’s face turned hopeful. “So, maybe you can have a relationship with the person who can mend your heart. Write a new book.”

  Wasn’t there a saying about happy in love people being the most annoying? “I don’t want a relationship with him.”

  “Then we’re back to the hook-up scenario. Use him for sex.”

  “Oh, those are famous last words. Half my clients end up hooked permanently with the man they were only going to use for sex.”

  “Then use him for closure. Whatever. You still obviously have him in your system.”

  “I thought you were going to feed me,” Cassie said, ready to try avoidance again. But to tell the truth, that closure system cleanse scenario didn’t sound half bad.

  12

  THE WAY ERIC FIGURED IT, Danni would probably have two reactions to his offer. No and hell no. In fact, that’s what he would like her to say. What he feared was that she would say yes.

  They were back to Sunday night because of her work schedule at the diner. He’d love to get her out of that job.

  “You look beautiful,” he told her as she met him at the fancy Italian restaurant in the hotel.

  Danni smiled, and glanced down at the wispy black dress with the cutouts. Cutouts that gave him a flash of hidden skin whenever she moved. The woman could drive a man crazy.

  “Thanks. I had to borrow the outfit from Cassie. My wardrobe doesn’t extend to simple black slip dresses.”

  There was her honesty again. For the first tim
e Eric felt guilty. Why, he didn’t know. He had a job to do. Emotions didn’t factor into work. He’d been careful. Yet, reluctance was there.

  “I got you something,” he said to break him from those unproductive thoughts.

  Her smile widened, and she leaned forward in anticipation. “Are there any sweeter words than those?”

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black ID cardholder and lanyard. It matched his. She looked up at him in confusion.

  “I’ve lined up some consulting work for you at the casino, if you’re interested. It would give you better hours than at the restaurant.”

  This late evening date wasn’t the first time they’d had to work around her schedule in the last week. They’d seen each other every night since he’d given her his key. Eric pushed the cardholder across the table toward her.

  “What would I be doing?” She fingered the lanyard string as if she didn’t know how to react. Had he made this proposal too soon?

  “Walking the casino floor. Writing down your observations. Maybe a few sessions with the pit bosses.”

  She took a deep breath. “Ahhh, to never fill drink orders again. Never balance five salad plates at a time. No more cranky, hungry customers. I could almost tap-dance on the dinner table.”

  He felt the need to warn her off. “On the other hand, being in a casino, surrounded by dozens of tempting money-making opportunities…” His words trailed off, letting her fill in the blanks.

  “Hmm,” she said, a frown marring her forehead. He almost willed her to say no. But then, he had to make things work at the casino.

  “You’d also have to work on a one-on-one basis with me,” he said.

  “Sounds pretty rough.”

  He winked at her. “I think you can handle it.”

  “I’ll turn in my notice tomorrow.”

  He nodded, not wanting to acknowledge his disappointment. He’d fully expected her agreement all along—the offer was too good. “We’ll have to get pictures for your name badge. But I want you to hide it at first so that you look like an ordinary gambler. I want to see if security notices anything.”