us, they might as well be true.”
* * *
After their slow, wonderful meal, they returned to Chloe’s house.
Quinn eased the gorgeous old car into the space beside the garage and turned off the engine. “Are you up for a walk around the block?”
“Sure.” It was a nice night. “A walk would be great. We’ll work off some of that amazing dessert.”
He followed her inside and waited while she changed into flats. Then off they went, down the front steps and out to the street, where they strolled beneath the silver crescent of the moon.
Their development, Haltersham Heights, had no sidewalks. The houses were set back from the street, among the trees. Quinn stopped at a lot three doors down and across the street from Chloe’s. It had a For Sale sign at the curb with a big SOLD plate stuck on it. The large contemporary log and natural stone house could be seen, windows gleaming, through the trees.
“The sold sign went up a few weeks ago,” she said. “About time. This one’s been on the market for months.”
“I know. I bought it. Got a great price, too.”
She laughed—and then she realized he wasn’t kidding. “Wait a minute. You’re serious?”
“I am.” He put his hand over her fingers, where they curled around his arm. She’d barely had time to enjoy the flare of pleasure at how good his touch felt, when he said, “I bought it before I knew you would be fixing up my house. But it should work out great. We’re closing on this one Monday, so we can move in here next week. We’ll stay here while you renovate the other one—and not to get ahead of myself or anything, but once we move back to our house, you can start on this one. It’s the same story as the other one. Solid construction, but it’s begging to be brought into the twenty-first century. When you’re finished, I’ll sell it.”
She only stared.
“Chloe, your mouth’s hanging open.”
“And why wouldn’t it be? You’re too much.”
“Too much of what, exactly?”
“Well, let’s see. Quinn Bravo, world-champion cage fighter, fitness empire builder, real estate mogul...”
“That all sounds pretty good to me.”
“You must have made a fortune as a fighter, huh?”
“I did all right. The payout for winning a championship fight is a hefty one. And I landed some big-time endorsements, too.”
“I think I’m speechless, Quinn.”
He gave her his high school bad-boy smirk. “You’ll get over it. And the truth is, Prime Sports will never make much money unless my franchise plan pays off. The housing market’s rebounding nicely, though. I can make money in real estate.”
She admitted softly, “Start-ups aren’t easy, and I say that from experience. If you hire me for both of your houses, it will make a big difference for me. I really do need the business.”
“So you’ve got it. Everybody wins.”
She made a low, disbelieving sound. “As simple as that?”
His eyebrows drew together. “Why not?”
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you just because you, um, like me...”
He framed her face in his big, calloused hands. “Look at me.”
“Oh, I am.” She stared straight up into those soft aquamarine eyes and never wanted to look away. “I really am.”
“Are you telling me you can’t do the job?”
She stiffened and answered with heat, “Of course I can do the job.”
He chuckled then. “See? We got no problem here.”
Standing there in the darkness of her quiet street with his warm, rough hands cradling her cheeks, she decided he was right. “No, I guess we don’t.”
He lowered his head, until his sexy, plump lips were a hairbreadth from hers. He had lips like a girl’s, but the rest of him was all man. “I got a request, though.”
She longed for his kiss. Her heart was beating slow and deep. Sparks flared across her skin. And low in her belly, she seemed to be melting. “Oh, God. Anything.”
“Work with my brother’s company, Bravo Construction?”
She made herself focus on what he’d just asked of her—and it wasn’t easy, with those lips of his so close.
Use his brother’s company...
She’d left that possibility open-ended when she talked to Manny. But really, why not? Bravo Construction had a great reputation. She felt confident she could develop a solid working relationship with them. It could be good for everyone. “All right.”
His warm breath touched her lips. The guy was driving her crazy. “I already talked to my sister Nell—just paving the way. Nell says she’ll fit the project in the schedule and they can start work a week from Monday.”
“That’s quick.”
“Yeah. And I like to keep it in the family if I can.”
“I get that.” She tried really hard not to sound as breathless as she felt. “No problem. Bravo Construction it is.”
“Good, then.”
“Quinn...”
“Hmm?” A teasing light shone in his eyes. She realized he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
And she knew that she couldn’t take it anymore. She only had to lift herself up a fraction higher to get what she wanted. So she did. And it worked.
At last, he was kissing her.
* * *
“Chloe...” Quinn whispered her name right into her pretty mouth.
And then he let go of her arms—in order to pull her up nice and close. She tasted so good. Hot and wet.
And all of her, every graceful, sweetly scented inch of her, was so, so smooth.
Worth the endless, twelve-day wait since the last time he’d had his mouth on hers.
He lifted his head an inch. She let out a tiny moan, as though she couldn’t bear not to have their mouths fused together. He slanted his head the other way and drank that moan right off her sweet, sweet lips.
Those slender arms glided up his chest and then her soft hands were stroking his collar, caressing his neck, her slim fingers threading up into the close-trimmed hair at the nape of his neck. He scraped his tongue along the smooth edges of her teeth, pushing deeper, into all that wet sweetness.
