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  “How long did he persist?”

  “Pretty much the entire time I’ve worked there, which has been almost two years. There was an ebb and flow to it. He dated plenty, but he didn’t stop asking me out. I never went for a lot of reasons, but mostly because there was something off-putting about him. To me, anyway. He was arrogant and too full of himself. He was a lot like my ex in that he liked to play the field.”

  “Any man who couldn’t see that you deserved the best he had to give was a fool.”

  She blushed and dropped her gaze, and they moved on to other things, talking about everything from travel to cooking to football teams. She was a Baltimore fan. He was a San Francisco fan.

  Angie paid the check—Colt tried to get it but she insisted it was her turn—before they walked out into the cold, late January night. The restaurant sat near the waterfront in a quaint little town and sailboats bobbed on the water. There were street lamps lining a walkway that followed the curve of the bay. The air was fresh and cool with the briny scent of the bay.

  “Can we walk a little way?” Angie asked.

  Colt looked down at her. She had on a scarf and a rust-colored wool coat with her hands thrust deep in the pockets, but she shivered. “Will you be warm enough?”

  “I’m fine.”

  They walked toward the water, then meandered down the path. There wasn’t anyone out there but Colt kept a wary eye on their surroundings anyway. It was ingrained in him to look for trouble. He didn’t question the impulse since it’d saved his life more than once.

  It struck him that he was walking with a beautiful woman by his side, yet he couldn’t stop doing the job long enough to just enjoy himself. He was positive she wasn’t in danger at that moment, but it didn’t matter to the part of him that was always on alert.

  They stopped when they cleared the trees and stared at the fat white moon as it perched above the horizon. Angie’s teeth chattered and Colt put his arm around her to offer some warmth. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into him and he rubbed her arm.

  “You’re freezing.”

  “I’m cold, yes,” she said. “But that’s not the only reason I’m shaking.”

  He glanced down at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. It’s you, Colt. I’m nervous.”

  “Shit, sorry,” Colt said, dropping his arm from around her. “I wasn’t thinking.”

  Angie blinked. And then she realized he thought she was upset because he’d had his arm around her. That it unnerved her because of Tom Walls and the way he’d tried to force himself on her in his garage.

  But Tom Walls was the farthest thing from her mind.

  “You’ve got it wrong, Colt. I like your arm around me.”

  He frowned. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders again. Only this time she turned to face him instead of staying where she was. He looked down at her, his expression wary. She smiled even though the adrenaline rushing through her made the corners of her mouth tremble. And her teeth wanted very desperately to chatter. Part of it was cold, that’s for sure.

  But the biggest part was Colt. His nearness. His rugged masculinity. The fact she wanted to kiss him for real and see what it felt like. She’d spent the entire dinner thinking more and more about what it would be like to have sex with this man.

  And she didn’t hate the idea. At all.

  No, it excited her. Made her shiver and shake with anticipation. She hadn’t been with anyone since Dan. She was ready. Not that she intended to take him home and get naked with him tonight, but she could see a future in which it happened.

  But first she had to kiss him. Or get him to kiss her.

  Best way to do that was ask even though it terrified her. What if he said no?

  “Would you kiss me, Colt?” she blurted.

  His eyes widened. And then they blazed with heat as his gaze dropped to her mouth. “You want me to kiss you? Now?”

  She burrowed into his side. “I definitely do.”

  He drew her against him. He was solid. Big and hard and lean and beautiful. She’d never seen anyone so beautiful as him.

  He put his fingers beneath her chin. They were cold, but she didn’t mind. The sharpness of the cold against her heated skin felt good. Maybe it would cool this flame inside her body.

  “You tell me if you want to stop,” he said, looking at her very seriously.

  She couldn’t help but grin. “How am I going to do that with your tongue in my mouth?”

  He snorted. “Ang, you know what I mean.”

  “I do. I’m just trying to cover the nerves here.”

  “There’s nothing to be nervous about, baby.”

  A shiver rocked her. “There you go calling me baby again. Making me tremble.”

  “Hush, baby,” he murmured before dropping his mouth to hers.

  Angie gasped at the wave of sheer pleasure cascading through her. Colt slipped his tongue inside her mouth and she thought her knees might buckle. Her heart raced and she clutched his jacket with both hands as her spine turned to jelly.

  It was cold outside, but inside she was as hot as if she’d walked into a sauna. Colt stroked his tongue against hers carefully, as if he worried about going too far too fast. She’d never been kissed with such care in her life. Not even by Dan, and she’d been planning to marry him once upon a time.

  Colt was gentle and cautious—and he made her utterly crazy by being so sweet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushed up on tiptoe, and kissed him back with everything she had. His grip on her tightened—and then he groaned and kissed her a little harder, and with a little less control.

  When she pressed herself tighter to him, the bulge of his crotch was unmistakable. He didn’t thrust it against her though. He was very careful not to.

  The bitch of it was that she wanted him to do it. She wanted to feel the pressure of his cock against her mound, wanted to feel the tingles of excitement race through her, feel the anticipation of an orgasm.

  It wasn’t fair to him though. She couldn’t ask for that and not want the rest of it. She did want the rest of it, but she was also worried about going too fast. Spending the night together and then watching him walk away because he’d gotten what he wanted.

  He’s not like that, Angelica.

  She told herself he wasn’t, but it didn’t matter. She was scared of doing too much too soon. It’d been so long since she’d orgasmed with someone else instead of herself, but she was still wary about rushing into it.

  Colt’s hands ran down her back, then up to her shoulders. Gently, he gripped her and pushed her away. Her eyes snapped open to stare up at him. That kiss had been everything. It had rocked her to her foundations. She didn’t ever recall a man kissing her like that.

  Like what exactly?

  She couldn’t name it, but she knew it was special. One corner of his mouth turned up in a grin. “Sorry, Angie, but I have to stop. It’s getting uncomfortable if you know what I mean.”

  She could only nod.

  He skimmed his fingers over her cheek, into her hair, then he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You’re beautiful, Angelica Turner. I want to make love to you so badly, but I know it’s too soon. And I’m willing to wait until the moment is right. Because you’re worth it.”

  He stepped back and took her hand in his. They walked toward the restaurant and the parking lot where he’d left the car. Angie couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Colt didn’t say anything either. When they reached the car, he unlocked it and opened her door for her. Instead of climbing inside, she turned to him and fiddled with the zipper of his jacket. When she could finally look at him, she bit the inside of her lip for a second to keep from babbling about how great she thought he was.

  “I want to make love to you too,” she whispered. “Soon.”

  His gaze sparked. “When you’re ready, let me know. I’ll get on a plane if I’m out of the country. I’ll dr
ive all night to reach you if I have to”

  She believed he would. And for the first time in months, she felt beautiful again. Powerful. In control of her body and her sexuality.

  Because of him.

  Chapter Seven

  Colt drove them back to Angie’s building. His plan was to walk her up to her condo, stay for a while if she let him, then make sure she was in for the night with her doors locked and her alarm on. He’d received no calls from anyone at BDI telling him to stick with her for now, though he would set up surveillance on her building if a call didn’t come. Ian would approve that much.

  Angie had her head turned, looking at the moon. It wasn’t full yet, but it was almost there. When she turned in his direction, there was a smile on her face. “I love the moon. Especially in winter. There’s just something so hopeful about it.”

  “How’s that?” he asked, intrigued. Everything about her intrigued him.

  “Well, everything is dormant. The grass is brown, the trees have lost their leaves, and it’s cold. But the moon cycles around and illuminates everything, and you know the season is turning. Sooner than you think, there will be Easter flowers coming up and warmer temperatures.” She shrugged. “I guess that sounds silly, but when I would stay with my grandmother as a kid, she used to tell me things about the moon and the seasons. It makes me think of her.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “She died thirteen years ago. But she lived in Virginia, in the mountains. She was an Appalachia girl her whole life.”

  “I’m sorry she’s gone.”

  “I am too. I miss her.”

  He understood. “My grand-mère died when I was eleven, and I still miss her. I’m not sure you ever really get over it.”

  “It’s the price of love,” she said.

  He glanced at her, struck by that thought. “I suppose so. You don’t always have a choice who you love, do you?”

  She didn’t take her eyes off him. “Not always, no.”

  He had to turn back to the road or he would have probably pulled over and kissed her at that moment. Just because. Not that he thought he was in love, or that she was—hell, they barely knew each other—but for the first time he could see it happening.

  Colt gripped the wheel and told himself to forget it. Angie needed more. She needed a man who had a regular job, a man who could be there nights and weekends and build a life with her. Not a man who traveled the globe getting into dangerous situations on purpose. Or one who couldn’t be who he was supposed to be.

  When they pulled up to her building, he switched off the engine.

  “I’ll walk you up.” What he really wanted to do was go up and stay all night, even if staying with her meant sleeping on the couch.

  “Thank you. Do you want to stay for coffee?” she added a touch shyly.

  His chest tightened. “Do you want me to?”

  “I’d like to spend more time with you, but I understand if you need to get home.”

  “I have nowhere I have to be right now.”

  Her smile was soft. “Good. I’ll fix coffee, or I think I have some port. Maybe you’ll even approve of the brand.”

  He grinned. “I might.”

  They walked toward the entrance together. Colt held the door for her and then followed her into the building. It was a beautiful brick building, with a central foyer that contained a front desk—staffed with an attendant but no security—couches, and a bank of elevators. He knew there was a gym and spa on the main floor because he’d scoped it out earlier. The building was similar to a hotel, except people weren’t checking in and out.

  “What made you choose this place?” he asked as they stepped into an elevator. He punched in the button for the fourth floor as Angie leaned against the wall, looking sexy as hell.

  Damn, he’d never made love in an elevator before. His balls ached with longing at the thought of thrusting into Angie’s sweet body while holding her up against that wall.

  “Honestly, it was an impulse buy. I’d been saving money to buy a house when I got married. When we broke up, I was so mad I bought this place instead. It’s not quite within walking distance of downtown, but it’s not a long car ride. I can drive, or catch an Uber if I’m going to be drinking or don’t want to fight for parking.”

  “Those are good reasons.”

  She shrugged. “Well, except for the impulse part. What about you? You rented a house not too far from Jace and Maddy. What made you choose that neighborhood?”

  “I didn’t want to spend a lot of time looking, and it was there. Maddy knows the owners. She made the whole thing happen.”

  “Where did you live before that?”

  “Hotels.”

  She blinked. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “But where did you put your stuff? Furniture, clothes, CD collections—that kind of thing.”

  “I have a place in Paris.”

  She seemed surprised. “I didn’t know that. I don’t think Maddy knows it either because she would have told me.”

  “Maddy doesn’t know everything about me,” he said with a smile. Few did. They’d probably be shocked if they knew. Some might even be a little hurt. He hoped not, but it wasn’t impossible. Not if they thought he was only playing at his job.

  The elevator stopped and Colt automatically stepped forward to position himself between Angie and the doors out of habit.

  The doors slid open onto a quiet hallway. Colt went first, leading the way toward Angie’s condo. Farther down the hall, a man in a hoodie stepped out from the alcove in front of Angie’s door. He stopped when he saw them.

  The hair on Colt’s neck prickled. The man turned and headed toward the stairwell with the red EXIT sign illuminated above the door.

  Colt reached for Angie, tugged her close behind him and went for his gun while she gasped in surprise. Something about this situation wasn’t right. The man’s haste. The flash of recognition when he’d seen them coming. The fact he’d been at Angie’s door.

  Colt made a split-second decision. He pushed Angie into an alcove in front of a different door. “Stay here, Ang. I need to follow that guy.”

  He could tell she wanted to argue but instead she nodded. “Do what you have to do. I’ll be right here.”

  “Do you know this neighbor?”

  “Yes. It’s the Coopers.”

  “See if they’ll let you in. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I could just go to my—”

  “No,” he ordered. “Here. Understood?”

  Her skin reddened and he wondered if they were about to have an argument that he didn’t have time for. But she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Thank you, babe.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply before he took off at a run.

  Angie was sitting at the kitchen island with Mary Cooper when her phone dinged with a text.

  Colt: Are you at the neighbor’s place?

  Angie: Yes. Is everything okay?

  Colt: For now. Come to the hallway. I’m waiting for you.

  They needed to talk about his bossiness if it continued, but for now she understood where it was coming from. She’d seen Jace do the same thing with Maddy from time to time. It was all that alpha protectiveness coming out. Could be infuriating, but also sexy as hell.

  Mary was chatting about something that happened at work today when Angie cut her off mid-story. “I’m so sorry, Mary. That’s my, uh, boyfriend. I need to meet him. He has my key.”

  It was a white lie, but she didn’t think Mary needed to know the truth.

  “Oh? Great! I’m so sorry you got locked out. You know you can leave a key here if you like.”

  “I may do that. Thank you.”

  They said their goodbyes and Mary walked her to the door. Angie stepped into the hallway. Colt was waiting for her, leaning against the opposite wall. Mary made a noise that Angie thought was approval.

  Angie introduced them, and Colt turned on the charm. Angie was ready to sma
ck him by the time they were done. Not because she was jealous, but because she wanted to know what happened. He was prolonging the moment when they’d be alone and she could find out.

  After Mary closed the door, Colt pressed a finger to her mouth to stop the question. He led her to her door. Angie’s stomach dropped when he twisted the knob and the door opened. She hadn’t given him a key.

  “Did he break in—?”

  “He tried,” Colt said. “He didn’t succeed.”

  Angie didn’t realize she’d walked inside until Colt shut the door behind them with an audible click.

  “How did you get in?” Her brain was trying to catch up to everything that’d happened.

  “I picked the lock.”

  “But the alarm—”

  “I disabled it.”

  “How in the hell did you do that?”

  “I used your code.”

  Heat flashed through her. “How do you know my code?”

  “Because I guessed. You’re like so many people, Angie. You used your birthdate because it’s easy to remember.”

  “And if I hadn’t?”

  “I’d have jammed the system.”

  “You know how to do that?”

  “It’s my job.”

  If she didn’t trust him, she’d be terrified. Instead, she was happy he was on her side. She swallowed. “That’s scary as hell. And it’s not right either.”

  He gripped her shoulders, rubbed her arms lightly. “Sorry, Ang. I’m not trying to scare you. But it’s possible, and I know how to do it. The guy who tried to break in might have known too.”

  “You should have asked me before you broke into my home,” she said, stung.

  “I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure he hadn’t gotten inside before we saw him. I had to find out, and that meant entering and searching for signs he’d been in here.”

  She sniffed. It made sense, even if she didn’t like it. “You didn’t catch him. Obviously.”

  “No. He had too much of a head start.”

  “Oh my god. Please tell me it was just a random burglary attempt.”