Wooed by You

by Sophia Knightly

  Linc whistled softly. "Those photographs are amazing. It's a shame she can't do it full-time."

  While Isabel wiped off the counter tops, Linc took out the garbage. When he returned, she said, "Thanks. I dread taking out the garbage at night.” She gave a delicate shudder. “Every once in a while I run into a big possum scavenging for food."

  "I could take out the trash for you every night, if you’d let me," he murmured. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss on her temple. "God," he growled softly, "you feel so soft and smell so good."

  A tingling warmth suffused Isabel's body. Being in Linc’s strong arms made her melt as her breasts intimately nestled against the hard planes of his chest. Her insides ignited with a flare of pure lust. She could barely think, let alone breathe with his arms snugly around her.

  "Let me into your life, sweet baby," he coaxed, his voice warm and provocative in her ear.

  Every nerve in her body was so acutely sensitized to him, she could feel her resistance crumbling. Struggling to catch her breath, Isabel stepped back and looked down to gather the remnants of her tattered wits. When she lifted her gaze to his, she didn’t feel any stronger, only desperate for him. "Didn't I agree to let you accompany Suzie on the field trip?"

  "I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no. She is a real heartbreaker," Linc said ruefully. “You made the right decision, honey.”

  "Maybe, but you will be considered a friend of the family, and I'm going to tell Suzie that tomorrow morning. I'm also going to warn her that you are not a substitute daddy for her."

  Linc's jaw tightened as he lightly rubbed his thumb over her mouth. "Tell Suzie I'll fetch her early Thursday morning. Thanks for dinner. You're a terrific cook." He looked deep into her eyes, but didn’t kiss her. “Do you feel this?”

  “What?” she asked breathlessly.

  “The fire and passion between us.”

  Isabel nodded and lowered her eyes from the blue blaze in his eyes.

  He growled low in his throat, sending shivers through her. “Yeah, me too. You can run, but you can’t hide from it, sweet baby. I want you to think about that long and hard,” he said, his voice a guttural rasp.

  He turned and left, his swagger that of a man on a mission.

  Isabel remained at the door a long time, clutching the door handle as she watched his car lights vanish. Linc's body heat and powerful strength had cloaked her like a woolen blanket on a cold winter night and now that he’d left, she felt chilled and very much alone.

  She closed the door and headed for Suzie's room on wooden legs. After tucking her in and kissing her good night, Isabel glanced at the rocking chair where she had nursed Suzie as an infant and read her bedtime stories when she was older—the same chair where Linc had held Suzie and patiently coaxed her into taking her medicine.

  She studied Suzie's little face in repose. If Linc went with her on the class trip, she would grow even more attached to him. Could she keep him at a distance much longer? She was weary of fighting an uphill battle of emotions that drained her soul to the core.

  Tonight, Linc had let her know in no uncertain terms that he wanted her. He hadn’t kissed her, but his sexual heat had seeped into her bones and left her in a quivering state of chaos and intense longing. He was large and formidable, a man’s man who made her pulse race and her whole body ache with longing.

  She was falling hard, realizing it for the first time when he had helped her care for Suzie. His calm, confident support had meant the world to her. She closed her eyes and cherished the memory of him sitting with Suzie on his lap, his strong arms providing refuge for her tiny form. Her heart swelled remembering how he had succeeded in getting her to drink the Pedialyte with gentle persuasion.

  Linc genuinely cared for Suzie. It touched Isabel deeply, yet it frightened her. He was going to break down Isabel’s defenses and lure her in the most intimate way. She shivered at the eventuality of it…and the unbearable pleasure it would bring.

  Isabel wrapped a shawl around her and went outside to sit on her backyard porch. She looked up at the black sky illuminated by millions of tiny stars and let the cool, peaceful air heal her frayed nerves.

  She loved her land and her trees, and she wished she could push away all her reservations and share with Linc the complete pleasure they brought her. The serenity of her land could provide peace and comfort for him even in the worse of circumstances. A safe haven. That’s what her home and her love could give him—a harbor from his dangerous life...if she let him in her heart.

  It was time to face her fears. The inevitable prospect filled her with the kind of crazed excitement she felt before boarding Thunder Mountain, the formidable rollercoaster at Disney World. There might be plenty of ups and downs, but in the end it would be a helluva exhilarating ride.

  Chapter 11

  Linc arrived at Isabel's house the following evening and presented her with a cashier's check made out to the Tropical Paradise Nursery along with a document.

  "What's this?" she asked.

  “A promissory note. Read it," Linc said, looking pleased.

  Isabel sat beside him at her kitchen table and read the note carefully. When she reached the end, she drew back and gaped at him. "Is this a joke? You actually had someone type this up?" she demanded, her face burning.

  "Don’t get huffy. It’s not a big deal, honey,” he said calmly.

  “For you maybe,” she muttered. “Who came up with these outrageous terms?” She handed it back to him with a derisive snort.

  “They’re not outrageous.” Undeterred, Linc said, “Let me recap the fine print. In the event you're unable to pay back the loan within one full year, you agree to marry me. That's all."

  "That's all?” she mimicked sarcastically. “That’s blackmail…and…and medieval!" She slapped her hand on the table emphasizing her words. He was mocking her and she wouldn’t stand for it. That’s what she got for trusting him and getting her hopes up. Sure, he was offering to lend her a crazy amount of money, but his terms were unacceptable and unrealistic. How on earth could she pay back three hundred thousand dollars in one year?

  "I have to have some assurance you'll pay me back," he said, and she caught the faint lift at the corners of his lips.

  “Ah, so you’re not serious. You’re teasing," she said. “I see your tomcat grin.”

  “I’m not teasing and I’m no tomcat. There’s only one beautiful kitten in my heart.”

  Hearing him put it that way, how could she stay annoyed? She should have been appalled, but a wily idea came to mind, making her feel better. If he wanted to play games, she’d play along. It was too good to be true. A loan of such magnitude at only one percent interest. Unheard of!

  “The new irrigation system will have us prospering beautifully in the springtime," she boasted.

  "Good, then you’ll have no problem signing. You must agree the terms are generous," he said casually.

  He was offering her a loan at far lower than prime, with no risk to the nursery…just her freedom. Marriage indeed! She caught his smug grin. He was enjoying his scheme a little too much.

  "I already have several large orders to fill," she said, narrowing her gaze at him. "I see it amuses you, but you know what? I’m going to sign your note, and you know why? I can always sell some of my land to get out of this absurd agreement."

  “Suit yourself.” Linc shrugged and indicated the last line on the promissory note. "Sign here."

  She took several moments to reread the terms before signing her name at the bottom. "I hope you don't want this notarized,” she warned, squinting at him.

  "That won't be necessary." Handing her a copy, he kept the signed one for himself.

  She studied him curiously. "How do you have so much money to spare, Linc? I know it’s a tacky question, but why do you work as a detective with that kind of money?"

  His smile vanished and his eyes hardened, reminding her he was a career cop—and a tough one at that. "I’m a detective because i
t's rewarding. The satisfaction I get from arresting a criminal doesn't compare to any career I know. I never had to use any of my father's money to achieve my goals, though I inherited the bulk of his estate."

  ''What about your mother?"

  "Dad only left her a trivial amount. I've made sure Mom owns her own house and has enough money for her needs, plus luxuries."

  Isabel wasn't surprised. Linc was a man of honor and would care for his mother with fairness and decency. She remembered what her mother often said. Good sons make terrific husbands, Isabelita.

  ''I'm going down to the Keys this weekend to follow up on a case I've been working on for months," he said. "I probably won't see you until next week when I come to fetch Suzie for the field trip."

  Isabel chewed her lower lip and tried not to sound anxious when she said, “Please be careful." His life was spent fighting crime, darkened by violence and guns—the very things she abhorred and shunned as a pacifist. Yet Linc was so endearingly tender with her and Suzie, he’d taken her heart hostage, and she was powerless against it. He’d become a fever in her veins; one that enforced detachment could not cure. She’d tried fighting the intense attraction to him every inch of the way and it hadn’t worked.

  "I'm always careful,” he said firmly. He took her hand and kissed the center of her palm, his lips warm and wet against her sensitized skin. "Is Suzie asleep?"

  “Yes,” she breathed, inhaling sharply as erotic tingles shimmered inside her. His glowing eyes held her spellbound.

  "Good," he growled, gathering her close. He burrowed his face in her neck. "God, I've missed holding you like this." He ran his hands through her hair and lowered them to the indentation of her waist.

  Isabel leaned into his heat and went pliant as his hands curled over her hips. They stood locked together in blissful silence. With astonishing yearning, she welcomed the slow and thorough strokes of his hot hands on her curves. He kissed her eyelids, the tip of her nose and her cheeks, and then ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. She instantly opened for him and his tongue glided inside. Intense pleasure washed over her as a ragged moan rose from deep within her and whooshed from her trembling mouth. She burrowed into him, wanting to get as close as possible, seeking his loving and receiving it greedily.

  Linc tasted and explored the recesses of her mouth, sucking her lips and tongue, his large hands clasping her hips possessively and anchoring her against his aroused sex. Her legs went boneless. Her body quivered and her loins moistened as she stroked his broad back, loving the way he hunched forward, intent on pleasuring her.

  Aching for fulfillment, she wanted him to go on forever, but he pulled away and watched her with hot, heavy-lidded eyes. "I can't keep you at a distance much longer," he ground out, his voice gruff as his hands stiffly fell to his sides.

  Isabel’s lips felt as swollen and puffy as her throbbing feminine parts. She inhaled a shaky breath and nodded, dumbstruck by the potent lust zipping through her like lightning.

  The weekend turned out to be cool and rainy, and to dispel her restless mood and constant fretting over Linc’s safety, Isabel decided to do a thorough housecleaning. Her former housekeeper, Sarita, was working in the nursery now beside her husband Javier, maintaining the many trees and plants in containers and in the groves.

  They had never been this shorthanded. It was mid November and Isabel shuddered to think of what would happen if a freeze were to hit. Generally the winter months in Miami were slow and not as demanding as the spring and summer months, but one freeze could wipe out everything.

  She recalled how unprepared they had been for the last freeze. When the temperatures had plummeted on that fateful night, their equipment hadn't had the capacity necessary to irrigate their trees continually and efficiently throughout the night. Freeze damage had attacked all their crops and they'd suffered a colossal loss. Isabel and Olga had worked nonstop since to recoup it. Thankfully, they’d been able to secure a government loan to replenish their crops, but it hadn't been enough to buy new equipment.

  Isabel smiled, feeling infinitely grateful and optimistic about her business. For the first time all year, she felt the heavy financial burden lift. With Linc's generous loan she could purchase the needed equipment and wraps for her trees. The promissory note she’d signed came to mind and she reminded herself it wouldn’t be binding. She had all year to figure that one out. For now she’d enjoy the respite.

  Linc arrived at Isabel’s door early Thursday morning and when she opened the door, it hit him how much he’d missed her. While on the mission, he had forced her out of his thoughts, his mind fixed on the job. But now all he wanted to do was crush her to him and make passionate love to her. She looked soft and feminine, wrapped in her pink robe with her glossy black locks tousled over her shoulders and tumbling down her back.

  "How was your trip to Key West?" Isabel asked, her slumberous eyes watching him warily.

  Linc removed his sunglasses. "Don't ask. There was a major screw-up," he said, disgusted. His crusade to bust the multi million dollar cocaine ring run by the Honduran drug lords had taken another unexpected twist. The anticipated drug drop-off hadn't taken place in the Keys as expected, and they hadn't been able to arrest anyone. The perps were convoluted, cunning and lethal. It was a painstaking process to annihilate them, and Linc was reluctant to place his men repeatedly in unnecessary jeopardy. There had been too many deaths already associated with the Figueroa family.

  Isabel’s eyes narrowed as she checked him out from head to toe. “Sounds pretty bad, but you look great.”

  Linc smiled. “Thanks, honey. It wasn’t bad, just frustrating. Is Suzie ready?"

  “Is the sun bright? Is the sky blue?" Isabel retorted, chuckling. "Suzie has been up since six trying to decide what to wear and how to fix her hair."

  "Like mother, like daughter," he murmured, thinking Isabel looked enticing, her mouth plush and rosy and her exotic eyes glowing. ''You look delicious. Good enough to eat, baby."

  Isabel smiled, her cheeks flushing prettily. “Suzie is finishing up her breakfast.” She hurried past him in a flurry, and he followed her into the kitchen.

  "Hey, Sweetie." Linc picked Suzie up and kissed her chubby cheek. ''You look pretty," he said, setting her on her feet.

  "Thanks," Suzie replied, her round little face delighted. With her beribboned ponytail bobbing, she twirled for him in her pink and white striped top and pink leggings. Putting her hands on her hips, she angled her head and posed. “Do you like my new outfit? Abuela gave it to me.”

  “Very much,” he boomed, grinning at her shameless pandering for compliments.

  “Yay!” She bounced up and down. “Can we go now?"

  "Sure.” He waited for Suzie to kiss Isabel goodbye, wishing he could draw Isabel in for a long, deep kiss. Instead, he had to settle for the mild peck Isabel gave him on the cheek. Taking Suzie's tiny hand in his, he led her to his car.

  Later that afternoon, Linc relaxed on the cotton couch in Isabel's family room, nursing a cold beer. He sat with one foot crossed over his knee and his arm casually draped behind Isabel's shoulders. Suzie was busy in her bedroom, feeding Sparkle and telling it about the Seaquarium.

  "I'm exhausted. This was harder than a regular day at work," Linc grunted with a wry grin.

  Isabel chuckled and shook her head. "Poor guy. Was that the first field trip you've been on?"

  "A few years back, I gave a tour for a class of third-graders at the department. That's about the extent of my experience with field trips."

  "How was Suzie? Did she behave?"

  "She was great. Better behaved than most of the kids who seemed to be on sugar overload."

  "Good. Did you behave and follow the teacher's rules?" she teased.

  He paused. "Well…we got separated from the group when Suzie wanted to go to the gift shop. Her teacher wasn't very pleased when she did a head count on the bus and couldn't find us," he admitted, his face proof of the insult his dignity had endured.

&nb
sp; Isabel giggled, imagining Linc being scolded by Suzie's teacher. "Oh no. Now you’ll have to serve detention.”

  ''How was I supposed to know I had to stay with the group the whole time? That woman is a real taskmaster."

  “Really? She seems pretty chill to me.”

  "Not today. I wasn't the only one who got separated from the group. Amanda's father got busted for staying behind to look at the sharks again."

  Isabel shook her head. "Men. You’re all alike. Why do you have such trouble following rules?"

  A smug smile teased his lips. "Because I like making the rules. I shouldn't have told you about it. Don't think you can hold this over my head," he warned, shaking his finger at her.

  Isabel laughed. "Sounds tempting. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

  "I did. But now it's your turn for an outing. I want to give you a day you won’t forget." Linc smiled slowly, revealing strong white teeth. His blue gaze seared into hers with stark desire and Isabel's pulse raced at the sensual promise in it.

  “Oh?” she said, raising her brows.

  "I want to take you out on my sailboat Saturday. Can you arrange for Suzie to stay with your mother all day?"

  "Sure. I love sailing," she said, excited over the outing. "What time should I be ready?"

  He chuckled. "I like it when you agree so readily. I'll come by at seven in the morning."

  "Sounds wonderful. It's been such a long time since I went out on the bay. I'll pack a picnic the night before," she offered.

  "Don't go to any trouble. We can pick something up on the way there. Bring a dress to change into and we'll go out for dinner," he said. ''You can get ready at my apartment."

  "I don't know if I’m ready to go to your place," she replied with a coy smile.

  A masculine challenge sparked in his knowing eyes. “Afraid I might seduce you, honey?" he drawled, licking his lips.