have slow reflexes.” He moved toward me and paused when I straightened. “I’ve really put you on edge, haven’t I?”
“It’s not every day that a man takes me down, pins me to the floor, and straddles me without even breathing hard.” I crossed my arms over my breasts. “I’m not some pansy girl, you know.”
“I know.”
“I’ve taken kickboxing lessons for five years.”
“Yes, and trust me I’ll feel the repercussions of those classes for a few days.” His hand drifted to his left side.
“I parked in the parking garage down the street.” I went to the coatrack located near the top of the stairs and grabbed my coat. My fingers curled into the wool briefly, and then I pulled it on.
I wasn’t weak and I shouldn’t have been relieved that he was going to walk me to my car. All of that aside, I was relieved. As far as I knew, he wasn’t the only criminal watching the place and monitoring my habits. How long had I been so lax about my own personal security? Why hadn’t I noticed Mathias watching the gallery?
I hadn’t been a cop for more than six years, yet I’d been more attentive to my surroundings before I was a cop than I could account for now. My job had softened me up in a lot of ways, I knew that. Not being exposed every day to the criminal element had a way of blunting the violence of the world to the average person, and it had done it to me.
For a long time I missed being a cop, but over the years, that feeling had drifted away and left me with a strange sense of relief. Relief that I could go to work every day and not really worry all that much about dying. And that relief had made me stupid and unobservant.
2
I opened my car door and tossed my purse inside. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He glanced around the garage and then shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “I guess I don’t need to tell you that this isn’t the safest place to park.”
“No, I’m aware of it. I’ve complained a few times.” I shrugged. “The city won’t care until someone important gets jacked up in here.”
“Politics aren’t pretty.”
“I know. I try to stay away from them as much as possible.” I crossed my arms over my breasts and looked down at my shoes. “I suppose that Mr. Brooks will be hiring your firm?”
“I’ll be allowed to submit a bid,” he admitted ruefully. “I didn’t expect anything different, honestly. I know enough about James Brooks to know that even when he’s pushed into a situation he’ll make a careful and considered decision.”
I laughed. “Well, he’s also a very frugal man when it comes to the Holman Foundation.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He reached out and touched my face with the tips of his fingers. I wanted to back away from his hand but found myself leaning into him. Craving a man’s touch was foreign to me, and for a few seconds I considered letting it continue. I shivered at the thought and moved away from his hand. “Summer was too short.”
“Yes.” Mathias nodded. “There is something about you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, something that has had me all twisted up inside. I’ve been this way since I saw you for the first time.” He shrugged and looked away from me. “It would help if you weren’t so damn beautiful.”
“I should wish myself ugly solely for your comfort?” I asked, amused by his tone.
“It wouldn’t be for just me. I can’t be the only man you do this to.” He lifted his hand as if to touch me again and then dropped it. “I honestly didn’t know you were still in the building.”
“I know.” I flushed a little; the memory of us struggling on the floor burst forward, and desire slid into my body like an old friend. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been turned on by the mere presence of a man.
Mathias Montgomery was a stranger, yet in a lot of ways he wasn’t. Because of his brother, Shamus, I knew a lot about him and what he wanted for his life. I knew how much time he’d spent in the military and how much he’d changed when he’d finally come home. But hearing about the man and having him stand right in front of me was an entirely different situation.
The idea of him had been attractive. A strong, ambitious man with long-range plans for his life and a deep love for his family. But the idea paled in comparison to the living, breathing man. I wanted this man despite myself and every rule I strived to live by. I didn’t need a complication like Mathias Montgomery. Didn’t need it one bit, but I knew it wouldn’t stop me from indulging in things I had no business getting involved in.
He moved then, closer, and I braced myself. “You’ve already been on top of me once this evening, Mr. Montgomery.”
“And?”
“I’m just saying…” I gasped against his mouth and melted against him.
His tongue pushed against my lips and into my mouth in a rush of sensation that had me grasping his shoulders and pulling him tight to me. He tasted amazing, and each stroke of his tongue against mine sent a river of lust rushing through me. I moaned against his mouth as his hands slid down my back to cup my ass. Even through several layers of clothes, the bite of his fingers excited me.
I hooked one leg around his and snuggled into his body as close as possible. He responded immediately, pressing me against the car and lifting me upward slightly so he could press his cock against me. I shuddered at the contact of that hard flesh, even through all of our clothes, and when he lifted me farther, I wrapped both of my legs around his waist.
I jerked my mouth from his and let my head fall back as his lips drifted down my neck. For a few seconds, I let myself get lost in those soft, amazing kisses. Then I forced myself to release him.
He gave me room to put my feet on the ground and sighed. “If I’m going to manhandle a woman, that’s the kind I prefer.”
I laughed and sucked in a deep breath. “I agree. But you realize that it was a mistake.”
Mathias laughed softly and backed away from me. “Then I plan on making some really horrible decisions about you.”
“Oh yeah?” I watched him take another few steps back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, Ms. Tilwell, that the next time I’m on top of you I’ll be doing a hell of a lot more than trying to please you.”
Silence has never been my friend, but I retreated behind it as he laughed and then strolled away. I was in way over my head. He’d flipped on my hot switch without even really touching me and then he just walked away. Not that I’d really expected him to whip it out and fuck me up against the car.
But, really, a man ought to know when he’s created a situation that requires further attention, and I suppose he did. I really could hardly wait for the next time he found himself on top of me.
Sliding behind the wheel of my car, I
