Garth stared at her luscious ass as she left the room. Anne made sweatpants look damn fine.
“She is so not what I was expecting,” Mark said, moving to stand next to him.
“No shit.”
The other women they’d interviewed had been considerably older and had come across as being shy and somewhat desperate for male company. Charles was a giant moron to have even considered trying this particular con. Garth looked forward to locking up his sorry ass.
“That’s one interesting lady. I think it might be time for me to finally take your advice and pursue a woman who’s over twenty-five.”
“I don’t think so.” Garth scowled at his partner of more than ten years.
Mark laughed. “Give me some credit. The only time Ms. Anne Karmer realized I was in the room was when I was speaking directly to her. She’s only got eyes for you, lucky bastard.” He slapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll wait in the car.”
Garth slowly walked from the living room into the hall as he assessed the basic facts. Anne was intelligent, beautiful and nobody’s fool. She had a great deal of self-respect and guarded her privacy. She’s intensely sexual. The thought sent a jolt straight to his already rigid dick. He couldn’t remember a woman ever affecting him so intensely or so quickly.
If she’d been trying to hide her attraction to him, she failed, delightfully. Her fidgeting had done nothing to conceal her hardened nipples poking against her T-shirt, and he’d had no problem seeing the desire burning in her gorgeous eyes from across the room.
He stopped at the doorway to her office. Anne stood with her back to him in front of the window. A desk with her computer, an armchair and an aquarium on a wooden stand were the only furniture. The framed book covers decorating the wall above her desk were stunning and more than a bit provocative.
“Well, okay then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Chuck.”
He didn’t miss her little shiver as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the off button. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I feel like I need to take another shower,” she answered, turning to face him. “And nice job waiting in the other room,” she remarked while setting the phone into the base on the desk. “He’s meeting me, I mean you, at Carl’s Coney for lunch tomorrow at twelve-thirty. Wanna know why I picked it?”
Her wide grin did funny things to his insides. “Absolutely.”
“At that time, it will be packed. The construction on Main has one of the two driveways blocked. If you don’t want to nab him in the parking lot, you’ll definitely be able to get him as he stands in the front of the restaurant trying to find where I am.”
“Impressive.” In three steps, he was standing inches away from her. “I appreciate you making my job easier.” Garth gazed into Anne’s eyes, briefly scanned the art on the wall again then returned his complete attention to her. “Victoria DeMallen, a strong, feminine name. I like it.”
“Thanks. Coming up with it was almost harder than writing my first book.”
“Which one would you like me to start with?”
“Pardon me?”
Her cheeks took on a most glorious shade of pink, sending him straight to horny heaven. “Connie’s Cops seems a natural choice, but I certainly defer to you, the author, to make a recommendation.”
“I don’t picture you as a ‘reading romance books’ type of guy.”
“What do you picture me doing instead, Anne?”
She ran the tip of her tongue across her lower lip and appeared to be seriously considering her answer. “May I exercise my right to remain silent?”
“Sure. Let me help you out with that.”
Garth cradled the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers. He started out slowly, tasting and teasing until she lightly rested her palms on his hips and let out the cutest little sigh he’d ever heard. He tightened his fingers in her hair, and her lips parted. Their tongues met, and the kiss morphed from wonderful to mind-blowing in an instant. Anne wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her incredible tits into his chest. Garth used his free hand to grasp her ass cheek. She whimpered and dug her fingernails into his back. They devoured each other until they were both gasping for air.
He shifted his stance to make certain she got a clear picture of how hot and hard he was for her. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and snuggled into him. Garth felt the frantic pounding of her heart.
“I’m on tonight and tomorrow until ten then off for three days. What’s your schedule this week looking like, sweetheart?”
She lifted her head and stared at him wide-eyed.
Garth gently brushed his fingers along her cheek. “When was the last time you made out with a perfect stranger?”
“Never.” Anne breathed the word at barely above a whisper.
“Me either.” He recognized relief in her eyes at his admission. “Seems as if the prudent thing for us to do would be to spend some quality time together, don’t you think?” He kissed her lightly on the chin.
“Well, I pretty much set my own hours. What do you have in mind?”
Her cautious response was at odds with her making no attempt to extricate herself from his embrace. “Hmm, waiting to commit until you see if my offer is worthy; very crafty of you.” He hesitated for a few seconds despite knowing instantly what he planned to suggest. “Going to the movies or to dinner are out, way too conventional. How do you feel about a little friendly competition in a casual and playful setting?”
“Go on,” she encouraged, interest obvious in her expression.
“Miniature golfing.”
“Seriously?” Her face lit up with a gorgeous smile. “What in the world made you think of that?”
“Earlier in the summer, Mark and I were staking out a building from the parking lot across the street from a driving range that also had a putt-putt course. I noticed there were quite a few couples without kids playing, and thought it would be a unique outing to share with a lady.”
“You’re right. It is. I’d love to go, Garth. You name the day, and I’m in.”
“Fantastic, I’ll pick you up Wednesday morning at eleven.” Garth hugged her tightly then took a step back. He draped his arm around her shoulder and held her close as they walked out of her office.
“Where’s Mark?” she asked, looking around the living room.
“Out in the car. He was feeling like the third wheel.” Her cheeks turned bright pink. “Damn, you’re priceless,” he said, staring into her hazel eyes. “Steamy romance author, kisser extraordinaire, blushes at that comment? I’m fascinated.”
“Oh great, being mildly entertaining and relatively interesting I can handle, but maintaining your fascination may be out of my league.”
“I highly doubt it, sweetheart.” Garth brushed his lips against hers, knowing if he kissed her the way he wanted to, Mark would be waiting longer than he’d bargained for. He reluctantly removed his arm from her shoulder and opened the front door.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, as soon as I can.”
“I really wish I could be there to see Chuck’s face when you slap the cuffs on him; what a dirt bag.”
“You are going nowhere near that restaurant,” Garth stated firmly.
“Yes, sir,” she replied with a salute and a grin.
“I love a woman who knows how to take orders.”
Chapter Two
“The entire drive over here was pure torture due to my pondering why I’ve been summoned at four o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon with no more explanation than, ‘Something has happened. I really need to talk. I bought ice cream’.”
“You live less than two miles away,” Anne noted as she led the way into her kitchen. She watched Ellen, her best buddy, survey the table.
“Oh dear God in heaven, you made chocolate sauce and coffee, too? Are the police involved?”
“As a matter of fact, they are.” Anne raised her eyebrows and smirked.
“Get out of town!” Ellen exclaimed, pulling out a ch
air and sitting down.
Anne joined her at the table. She removed the lid on the pint of cookie dough ice cream then handed Ellen the scoop. “So yesterday—”
“Whatever is going on started yesterday, and you’re just calling me now?” Ellen interrupted.
“Hold on, there’s a good reason.” Ann poured the coffee.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Ellen replied, loading up their bowls then drizzling a generous amount of chocolate sauce on top of each serving. “Start talking, abridged version first please.”
Ellen had been good-naturedly making fun of Anne for twenty years regarding her penchant for drawing out the shortest of stories to epic proportion.
Anne inhaled a loud, dramatic breath. “Winery Chuck is a criminal. One of the detectives on the case, Garth Slaiter, could star in my books. I called Chuck and set him up. Garth kissed me senseless. We’re going miniature golfing tomorrow morning at eleven.”
Ellen gaped at her. “Swear you’re not making this up.”
“Cross my heart.” Anne ate a giant spoonful of ice cream.
“Then a thousand apologies; I want to hear every minute detail.”
An hour later, the ice cream carton was empty and Anne was just reaching the end of her tale. “So, wanting to be able to give you a complete accounting of events, I didn’t call you until I talked to Garth today. He said arresting Chuck went without incident, and that he cracked under their interrogation at the station in record time. I find that terribly anticlimactic, don’t you?”
“If they’d had to wrestle him to the ground after a tasering, it would have paled in comparison to the spectacular, lust-induced interlude you shared with the arresting officer.”
“I know, what the hell, right?” A wave of nervous excitement had butterflies dancing in her tummy. “When was the last time I whipped a studly man into a sexual frenzy at first sight? Wait, oh yeah, that would be never!”
“Which is why this situation is so wonderfully romantic and a complete no brainer. You want him, he wants you. Go get your freak on with the detective.”
“Doing just that is all I’ve been able to think about since he walked into my living room. However, the term trollop keeps running through my mind.”
“Oh my God, who uses that word anymore?”
“It’s actually tamer than some of the others I’ve thought of.” Anne took a sip of her stone-cold coffee.
“Well, stop it,” Ellen said firmly. “Let’s stay in the twenty-first century, shall we?”
“This whole thing is so far out of my wheelhouse, Ell, you know that.”
“Yep, I sure do.” Ellen collected their bowls and took them to the sink. “You called me over here. Get ready ‘cause I’m about to drop some serious pearls of wisdom.” She returned to the table.
“Lay ‘em on me.”
“It’s because throwing caution to the wind where men are concerned isn’t your normal way that makes this situation so special. Something about this guy caused you to let down your guard a hot second after meeting him. Trust your initial reaction, Anne. Don’t over think this. Have fun. If engaging in activities of the naked, dirty kind is what you want to do, you damn well better go for it, because if you don’t, you’ll always wonder what might have been.”
“You’re the best.” Anne hopped up out of her chair. “My confidence is increasing already.”
“Then my work here is done.”
“No, not yet. I’m suddenly feeling the need to hit the mall to purchase alluring undergarments and a new pair of jeans.”
* * * *
“How’d you get yours to stay up there?” Anne asked, watching her purple ball roll back down the steep incline for the second time.
“It’s all about control,” Garth answered as he moved to stand behind her. “You have to give it enough power to get up the hill, but not so much that it hits the back wall.” He pressed against her, slowly sliding his hands down her arms until they covered hers on the handle of the club. “Like this.”
Anne was grateful Garth guided her movements because all she wanted to concentrate on was his strong, hard body wrapped around hers and the subtle, spicy scent of his cologne. She almost missed seeing the ball go straight into the hole; almost.
“Go us!” Anne announced gleefully, turning in his embrace. Garth kept hold on the club with one hand and her hip with the other. Her heart fluttered.
“Oh, good, I get credit for it, too?” he asked with a devilish smirk.
“No way, mister, I’m already down two shots, and I don’t like to lose.”
“Then tighten up your swing, sweetheart.”
Garth gave her a little pinch then headed up the incline. Anne took her time following him. He looked damn fine in his black T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. She was a great appreciator of the male ass, and his was to die for.
Being that it was a Wednesday morning in September, they were the only ones on the course and able to play at their own pace, which was turning out be an extremely leisurely one. There was as much chatting and flirting going on as there was golfing. She’d been a jittery mess when Garth had picked her up, but he’d put her at ease instantly, and now Anne was having more fun than she’d had in ages.
“How long have you been a detective?” She retrieved her ball from the hole and stood aside.
“Thirteen years, but I’ve been a cop for almost twenty-five.” He sank his putt.
“So you went into it right out of high school?”
“Nope, I did six years in the Marines first.” He casually took her hand in his as they went to the next green. “I’m forty-nine.”
“Thanks, trying to do the calculations in my head was giving me a tick.”
“Ask me anything you want, Anne. One of the reasons I decided this was a good choice for our first time out together is because it gives us the chance to talk and get to know each other.”
“Okay, you’re not married or anything, right?”
Garth stopped dead in his tracks. “I wouldn’t be on a date with you if I were,” he stated firmly.
She hadn’t meant to insult him, but his somber expression and tone made it clear she had. “Oops, sorry, my relationship baggage is showing. Charlie wasn’t my first dating disaster.”
“You can always count on honesty from me, and I’ll never do anything intentionally to hurt you.” He gently squeezed her fingers. “I’ve been married twice. My first wife and I split when our son Greg was eight; he’s now a senior in college. My second marriage was a mistake from the start and short in duration, two facts I’m not at all proud of. We’ve been divorced for six years.” He let go of her hand and motioned her to begin play on the next hole.
Garth’s openness was incredibly refreshing, extremely appealing and put her more at ease to talk about her own life. “At the ripe old age of twenty, I had a two-year-old daughter and an ex who was more interested in finding himself than working to pay child support.”
“Damn, I can’t even fathom how difficult that must have been for you.”
“It certainly wasn’t a walk in the park, but my parents helped a lot and so did friends. Bethany’s on her own now and one hell of a young woman.” Anne hit her ball with purpose.
“I bet she is. Look at her mom.”
Anne flushed at his praise. “Thanks,” she replied softly. “So what do you like doing when you’re not ridding our fine city of crime?”
“Fishing and building things are tops on my list of enjoyable activities.”
She was grateful when he rolled with the flow instead of commenting on her abrupt subject change.
“When the housing market tanked, I was able to buy an incredible, five-acre parcel on a small lake north of Lapeer. The house is structurally sound despite being over a hundred years old, and I’m restoring the interior one room at a time.”
“That sounds more like work to me.”
“Naw, tearing down shit so I can fix and build new shit makes me very happy, and a big part of the fun
is in sourcing the materials. I’m doing my best to use recycled or repurposed supplies whenever possible. I’m planning to retire from the force next year and can’t wait to have time to concentrate on my hobbies.”
“Can I offer a piece of unsolicited advice?” she asked while sending her ball deftly around a water hazard.
“Please do and nice shot,” he added.
“I was the office manager for a crazy-busy pediatric practice until nine months ago. Even though I have my writing and all sorts of other things to do, I still sometimes miss the structure and stimulation of interacting daily with other people. I can’t imagine what it will be like for you when you leave the stress of having your life on the line.” Anne started her next swing.
“Perhaps I can provide you with a different kind of structure and stimulation.”
If they’d been playing on real grass, Anne would have dug a giant divot. Instead, she stumbled forward due to the force in which the head of her club hit the solid ground many inches away from her ball. Mercifully, Garth rushed forward, catching her before she face-planted.
“That stroke counts,” he said, pulling her flush against him with one arm.
“Yah, on your card, cheater,” she replied, slapping him on the shoulder with her free hand.
“Cheater? What rule did I break?”
“The one that says a player can’t shock another when they’re in the process of taking a shot.” She tried to frown but couldn’t hold it as his lips twitched up.
“I’m unfamiliar with that one. Do you have the rulebook on you, by any chance?”
Anne heard his club hit the ground before he rubbed his palms along the front pockets of her jeans.
“Nope, not here,” he said quietly.
His hands moved scandalously lower on her abdomen. Anne let her club slip from her grasp and grabbed onto his upper arms. Garth reached behind her to the pockets on her butt, slipping his fingers inside. She wrapped her arms around his neck and met him halfway when he leaned in to kiss her. As with the first time, his mastery of her mouth had her wet and wanting instantly.
Pleasuring Anne Page 2
