Close to Perfect

by Tina Donahue

  She fisted her fingers into his shirt, needing it as an anchor. She buried her face in his shoulder so that she wouldn’t cry out as he left a trail of kisses on her neck, her cheek, her ear.

  It was only then that Tess heard tapping sounds in the hall. Someone was here? Someone was coming closer?

  “Do you hear that?” she whispered, then moaned as Josh wiggled his tongue in her ear.

  “Hear what?” he whispered, while Tess was still trying to catch her breath.

  “Those tapping sounds,” she said, then swallowed. “Listen.”

  He did, then pulled her right back into himself. “It’s just a worker. He won’t bother us.”

  That was the God’s honest truth. Tess heard those footfalls coming to a sudden stop as the guy neared this room, then the sound of that person beating a hasty retreat.

  Tess stroked the bottom button on Josh’s shirt. “I thought we were going to be alone.”

  He pressed his lips to her temple, then murmured, “There’ll be even less of them outside on the course. Want to go there?”

  “Okay.”

  He whispered in her ear, “Aren’t we tame?”

  “Only at the right time.”

  She proved it, too, a short time later, when they were outside.

  As Josh stood with his arms crossed against his chest, Tess drove one of the carts around him in smaller and smaller circles as she shouted, “I’m driving—I’m here to protect you, remember?”

  Josh looked over his shoulder at her as he shouted, “But who’s here to protect you?”

  Laughing, Tess zipped that cart past him, turned, then came right back, stopping at his side. She lowered her gaze to his fly and asked, “You coming?”

  If she kept looking at him like that, he might. Already his cock and balls ached with frustrated need.

  “You’re asking for it,” Josh said as he got in on the passenger side.

  “That’s okay.” She leaned close and murmured, “I can protect myself.”

  Before Josh could comment on that, Tess took off down the course. After a moment, she looked to the right, the left, then finally at him. “Where to?”

  He gave her an easy smile. “Away from the trees would be nice.”

  Tess followed his gaze, then made a sharp left to avoid the trees. “You need some clearly marked lanes here.”

  “You’ve never played golf before, have you?”

  “I’ve never been to a country club before, not even on a police call.” She looked at him. “My thing is dancing, remember?”

  That wasn’t something Josh was likely to forget. The thought of her succulent body moving in time to the music and into him had fueled many a fantasy that Josh had every intention of seeing come true. “Yes, I remember. Go over there.”

  Tess looked to where he was pointing, a broad expanse of green flanked by trees on the right and a pond on the left.

  She stopped the cart and viewed the lush surroundings. “What now?”

  “We tee off.”

  She leaned back in her seat and regarded him.

  “What?”

  “You like doing this, huh?” she asked.

  He did now, with her. “Everybody conducts business this way. It’s the law.”

  “Yeah, I know. But why?”

  Josh shrugged. “All that swinging, swearing, and sweating wears them down before the negotiations?”

  “Maybe I should have tried that with Alan.”

  “You didn’t have to. He was a goner the moment you threatened him with slander.” Josh got out on his side, came around to hers, and took her hand. “Come on.”

  Tess’s fingers played with his. “Yes, sir.”

  After he handed her a driver, then took his own, they went to the tee. “Okay, here’s what you do,” Josh said, then explained how to make that first shot.

  Tess pulled her wind-whipped hair away from her face as she listened intently and nodded frequently.

  “That’s all there is to it,” he said. “You want to try?”

  “You go first.”

  Josh did, making an excellent shot. “That’s all there is to it,” he repeated, looking over his shoulder at her.

  Tess’s gaze was on his ass.

  Josh cleared his throat.

  She ignored that as her gaze lingered on his ass, then moved to his back, and finally his shoulders, before she lifted her gaze to his. “What?”

  Josh suppressed a smile and pointed to where his ball had landed. “That’s what you need to do.”

  Her brows lifted. “I need to look at that ball?”

  He laughed. “You need to hit the ball so that it lands where mine did.”

  Tess turned to him. “Not farther?”

  His laughter paused.

  “So,” she said, “that’s all I have to do?”

  “You might want to also keep your ball out of the pond.” He pointed. “And the trees.” He swung his arm in that direction. “And if you don’t hit me with it, that’d be great.”

  Tess’s gaze dropped to his groin as she gently swung that driver back and forth. “I’ll try my best.”

  Josh stepped back.

  Tess winked. “Relax. I’m just playing with you.”

  Before Josh could respond, she rested the head of her golf club on the ground, took up the same basic stance that he had, and got ready to swing.

  “Ah, Tess?”

  She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. “Yeah?”

  “Don’t you want to play with one of my balls?”

  Her gaze dipped to his fly, her cheeks turned a bright pink, and her shoulders started to shake with suppressed laughter.

  “You know what I mean,” he said.

  She let out a low, throaty laugh.

  Josh rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should just take a few practice strokes, first.”

  She pressed her face into her shoulder and continued to laugh.

  “The pros do it all the time!” he said.

  She bent forward at the waist, one hand on her knee, she was laughing so hard.

  “I give up,” Josh said, then put a ball on a tee. “Go on, hit it.”

  Tess nodded, but continued to laugh.

  “If you can,” he added.

  Her laughter slowed, then stopped. She straightened and looked at him.

  She wasn’t so smug now, though she did look amazing. Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was mussed. If Josh hadn’t known better, he would have thought she just finished having some great sex.

  Of course, she also looked challenged by his comment.

  “Oh, I can,” she said, then got into position, lifted the club, swung, and actually hit the ball.

  As it arched in the air, then came back down, Tess squealed and swung that club above her head as if it were a lasso.

  Josh hunkered down, protecting his head with his arms. “Tess!”

  She looked over her shoulder at him, then up at that swinging club. Bringing it back down, she said, “Sorry.”

  Josh straightened. “It’s okay.”

  She turned to him. “What do you mean it’s okay? That was a great shot. This is so easy.”

  Easy? “Okay,” he said, “let’s see if you can do that again.”

  “Let’s see if you can. We’ll make it the best two out of three.”

  Josh laughed. “That’s not how we play.”

  “You wouldn’t be making up the rules as you go along, would you?”

  “Not any more than you’re making up the ground rules for when we’re alone, right?”

  Tess regarded him, then put out her hand. “Give me one of your balls.”

  Josh grinned. “Sure you really want that?”

  Her chest flushed. “I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it.”

  Josh had no doubt about that, which made him crave her all the more. As he kept his gaze on her, he pulled a golf ball out of his pocket and tossed it.

  Tess easily caught the ball, then turned her back to
him as she bent at the waist to put it on the tee.

  Josh’s gaze dropped to the backs of her seamless thighs. A wave of desire so quickly hit him, he was briefly dizzy. His voice sounded far away as he said, “Now, be gentle.”

  Tess’s shoulders trembled briefly with suppressed laughter. Shaking it off, she straightened, got into position, swung hard, and completely missed the ball.

  “Not that gentle,” Josh said.

  She looked at him.

  He smiled.

  Tess arched one brow, turned back to the ball and swung at it again, then again, and again, but kept missing. At last, she swore in Spanish.

  “Now, now,” Josh said, trying hard not to laugh. “Is that any way for you to behave?”

  Tess studied the club as if there was something wrong with it. “This is a stupid game.”

  “Not if you do it right.”

  Her voice got downright frosty. “I did exactly what you did.”

  “The first time. But during the next fifteen times? I don’t think so.” He moved behind her. “Lower the club.”

  Tess looked over her shoulder at him and murmured, “I’m here to protect you, Josh, not beat you up. If I wanted to floor you, all I’d have to do is use my hands.”

  Not to mention her mouth and the rest of her body. “Good to know. Now, lower the club to the ground, to the right of the tee so I can show you how this is done.”

  Men. Always having to show off. Not that Tess really minded. This could get interesting.

  And quickly did as Josh placed his hands on her biceps.

  His touch was unexpected and so damned gentle, Tess let the top of that club fall to the ground.

  “Good girl,” he murmured.

  Her mouth went dry when his hands lingered, hugging her flesh as if he was in absolutely no rush.

  “Now, pay attention,” he said.

  She nodded.

  Josh waited a moment, as if to be certain he had her full attention. Only then did he run his fingers down her arms until he reached her hands, which he then covered with his own.

  Tess lowered her head to that. Her breathing picked up, and then her heart raced as Josh eased into her, his stiffened shaft pressing against the seam of her buttocks until there was absolutely no doubt about his arousal.

  She swallowed, then lifted her head as Josh rested his chin on her shoulder and turned his face to hers.

  “You with me so far?” he asked.

  Her gaze slid to his. She nodded.

  “Good. Now, here’s what you do.” Moving his powerful body into hers and with hers, Josh lifted the club off the ground and completed the swing.

  Tess heard the ball being whacked, but had no idea where it had gone. Her eyes were already closed, her lips parting as Josh’s chest pressed into her back with each deep breath.

  “Want to do it again?” he asked.

  “Maybe we should.”

  His voice sounded pleased. “Whatever you want.”

  What Tess wanted would have been against the law if they had engaged in it out here. Even so, there was no denying the moment as they practiced the swing again and again, until she was dizzier than hell and Josh finally murmured, “Think you have it?”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever have it.”

  He laughed, then unexpectedly eased away. “Go on, swing.”

  Yeah, right. She was having enough trouble just standing and catching her breath. Frowning, Tess looked down at the ball and swung the club just like Josh showed her, but still missed.

  “I did that right,” she quickly said.

  “Looked good to me.”

  Tess glanced over her shoulder to see that his gaze was on her butt, the backs of her thighs, her calves, her back, then her butt again.

  She rolled her eyes, repeated the swing, then growled, “I did that right.”

  Josh nodded. No way was he going to complain. Each time she swung at that ball and missed, her supple, toned flesh tightened or quivered.

  He might have watched her forever if not for the first drop of rain that hit his cheek.

  As Josh looked up, another drop smacked his nose.

  “Dammit,” Tess said, swinging again.

  “Easy,” Josh said, “it’s an itty bitty ball, not an ax murderer.”

  Tess paused, glared over her shoulder at him, then cursed the ball and continued swinging.

  At any other time, Josh would’ve just let her duke it out with that ball, but not today. Already those two drops had turned into a steady drizzle.

  Tess hardly noticed as she studied the ball, then the club, then tried swinging it again, and again, and—

  “Tess,” Josh said as it started to pour, “that’s enough, let’s go.”

  She continued swinging.

  “Tess!”

  “It’s only rain. There’s no lightning or thunder. This happens all the time.”

  “Yeah, I know, but we’re getting soaked.”

  “So? It’ll be over in no time. Just give me a few more minutes.”

  “You’ve got one second,” he said, then went to her, grabbed the club, tossed it to the side and said, “Time’s up. We’re going. Now.”

  Her head swung to that club, then snapped back to him as Josh leaned down and threw her over his shoulder.

  “Hey!”

  “Quiet,” he warned, then headed for an oak with a wide canopy of leaves. By the time Josh got them under it and put Tess on her feet, they were both drenched and breathing hard.

  She arched one brow. “Quiet?”

  “That’s what I said.” He crowded her with his body until she had to step back. “You’re through arguing with me. Now be nice.”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then lifted to his eyes. In that moment, the world surrounding them grew very quiet, even the pounding rain sounded muffled, far away. The damp air was cooler now and perfumed with the pungent smell of earth.

  Her flesh was scented with female need as she moved into him, wreathing her arms around his neck, kissing him, while driving her fingers through his damp hair to keep him from lifting his head.

  Josh had no intention of doing that or ending this savage kiss. Tess’s need seemed endless, as greedy as his, as she drove her tongue more deeply into his mouth and ground her hips against his, giving his body a taste of pleasure.

  Josh wanted more.

  Holding her to him with one arm, his free hand covered her right breast, then worked that flesh.

  Tess pulled her mouth from his so that she could kiss his throat, his jaw, his cheek, before Josh captured her mouth, thrusting his tongue inside, then deepened the kiss even more.

  It was a moment to dream, to hope, to—

  “Tessie!”

  Her thoughts paused to that faint, aged voice, while her mind tried to understand how that voice could be here, now.

  “Tessie!”

  This time, Josh heard that faint cry. He pulled his mouth from hers and backed away.

  “Oh, hell,” Tess muttered.

  Josh looked at her, then back at a really old guy with white hair, dark-rimmed glasses, and a huge umbrella he was using to protect himself from the shower as he slogged across the course to this tree.

  “Tessie!” the man called again, then waved.

  “Let me guess,” Josh said, “that’s Bonnie and Clyde’s dad?”

  Tess pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Nope. That’s Vic Lopez. Another devoted friend of my father.”

  Chapter Nine

  On the way to the office Tess drove, while Vic rode shotgun, and Josh got to sit in the back.

  Like a little kid he pressed his face against the window, watching the rain, as Vic lectured Tess on good police procedure.

  “Your client should never be in the front seat,” Vic said. “You’re making him a target. You put him in the back. That way, if anything happens, he can sink to the floor and be out of sight, while you take care of business.”

  Josh frowned. As if he would actually allow Tess to put
herself into danger to save his sorry ass? Biting back a comment, Josh looked over his shoulder and met Tess’s gaze in the rearview mirror. Her brows lifted.

  Vic adjusted his trifocals. “You listening to this, Tessie?”

  Her brows lowered. She returned her gaze to the road. “Yes, Vic.”

  “Good. Now in a case like this, the one we have right now, if anything was to happen, I could put down my seat and shield the boy with my body to protect him.”

  Josh turned back to his window as he tried to imagine that, but just could not. Each time his mind saw Vic scrambling over the seat to drape that aged body over his, that nightmare evaporated into something far more pleasant. The sweet scent of Tess’s breath before he had captured her mouth, then the heated fragrance of her skin. The weight of her breast, its aching softness in the palm of his hand. The way her right leg had wrapped around his so that he had no chance of escape. The way her—

  “What was that?” Vic asked.

  Josh’s head snapped away from the window to the old guy, then to Tess.

  Her gaze remained on the road. “Josh was just sighing. Right, Josh?”

  He hoped that’s all he had done. “Uh-huh.”

  “We boring you with our shop talk?” Vic asked.

  “No, sir.”

  Vic leaned into his door, then looked over his shoulder and past the headrest at Josh.

  He could see the traffic behind them reflected in those thick lenses. “Really,” he said, “I enjoy police talk.” To prove that, he threw in a smile.

  Vic regarded him for a moment more, then turned to Tess. “Now, here’s what you need to do in the future.”

  As she endured that lecture, Josh stared at the scenery passing by, barely listening, until Vic said, “I thought we told you all of this at the last game.”

  Last game? What game? Josh worked his mind around the events of these past weeks and knew that Tess hadn’t been out of his presence long enough to go to any game, unless it was after that press conference.

  He leaned forward in his seat. “Did you just say game?”

  Vic swiped his handkerchief across his nose, then looked over his shoulder at Josh. “That’s right. Me, her dad, Hank, and Sammie all play poker every week, except last week when we couldn’t all make it. Tessie always sees to the food—at least since her mom’s been gone—don’t you, Tessie?”

  She sighed. “Yup.”