LITMIR.BIZ

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slammed the door after him, went around to the driver’s side and got in. After she had the key in the ignition and the engine snarled and screamed to life, she leaned back in her seat with a sigh.

      Sam waited for her to put the car in gear and when she didn’t, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” She’d told Fuller she wasn’t, but she was stubborn enough to lie about it. He should have checked for himself.

      That thought brought a shudder of excitement. Not a good idea. Not at all.

      She stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t drive and hold my dress up too.”

      “Ah.” Forcing nonchalance, Sam shrugged and said, “Hey, I’ve seen every female part there is, hooters included, so unless you’re unique in some mind-boggling way, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it.”

      Appearing stunned by such an outpouring of nonsense, she said, “Fine,” and dropped the torn material. It fell completely below her breast.

      Oh Lord. His nonchalance obliterated, Sam swallowed hard, looked away from her bra and how her nipple poked against the silky material. He did what he could to distract himself. He tried thinking about the job he’d just done, the repeat performance he had to put in tomorrow. He considered all the endless paperwork. He even tried thinking about Pete. It didn’t help.

      His aching body and splitting head should have been enough to keep him off track, but there was no suppressing those pesky sexual urges. Whenever Ariel was around, they got a stranglehold on his libido.

      “Let’s play some music.” Sam fiddled with the radio while she pulled off the side street and into the denser flow of traffic.

      “Sure. Help yourself.” Irony filled her tone since he’d already located an oldie station and turned up the volume to listen to, “Ohhhh, love to love you baby…”

      Speaking loud to be heard over Donna Summer, she asked, “Mind if I come up for a minute when we get to your place?”

      The way she said that, so casually, put Sam on edge. “Why?”

      “Don’t look so suspicious. I just thought I could find some way to fasten my dress, maybe a safety-pin or something. I know you have a house, but I live in an apartment and who knows how many people will be around when I pull up. I don’t want to flash the neighbors and I don’t want to start a lot of gossip.”

      He didn’t want her flashing the neighbors either. As long as he got her in and out of his place in a hurry, it’d be okay. He could hold off that long. Maybe. “I have a sewing kit you can use.”

      “You’re so gracious.”

      “Graciousness is hard to find when my head is splitting, thanks to your tackle.”

      She stopped at a red light and turned toward him. “And here I thought you were so macho. Let me have a look.”

      Without his permission she caught his left ear and turned his head. “Ouch,” she said in sympathy. “It looks like you’re bleeding a little.”

      Reaching to the back of his head, Sam located a lump, and a spot of blood. “Damn.” No wonder his head hurt so much. “It’s fine,” he lied. When she started to protest, he said, “Green light. Let’s go.”

      They were cruising right along, going about forty miles an hour when she suddenly said, “They were right, you know.”

      He’d been so busy trying to ignore her warm, softly scented body beside him, her words caused him to start. “Who’s that?”

      “The other officers.”

      “Fuller and Isaac?”

      “I suppose. You didn’t introduce me so I don’t know their names.”

      She made it an accusation, setting his teeth on edge. “It was hardly a social affair, if you’ll recall.”

      Silence reigned until he said, “All right, I give. What were they right about?”

      Without him realizing it, they’d left the main road and were now in the suburbs, close to his moderate house.

      She turned down his tree-lined lane. “You getting laid. That is”—she hesitated, peeked a look at him, then forged on—“if you want to.”

      Several things happened to Sam at once. His stomach bottomed out, his eyes widened, and his dick gave a proud salute.

      Well hell. What was she up to now?

      Chapter Two

      The silence was enough to squash her. Ariel didn’t want to look at Sam again, not when her first glimpse had shown him to be anything but interested. Horrified, yes. Shocked, yes. But not interested.

      Unfortunately, whenever he was around, she couldn’t seem to not look at him. From the day she’d met him, he fascinated her.

      It wasn’t just his awesome physique that drew her, though that was pretty eye-catching. He was tall, muscular, mean, and lean. He had the attitude of a man in charge, spoke as if he expected to be obeyed, and had confidence down to a fine art.

      And it wasn’t just his incredible, look-into-your-soul blue eyes, so different from his brothers’. Sam had inherited his mother’s eyes, while both Gil and Pete looked more like their father with chocolate brown eyes. They all had inky black hair though, and thick lashes. They were all handsome—just in different ways. Gil was sophisticated, suave. Pete was fun-loving and playful.

      Sam was all basic male, rough-edged and rugged and keenly capable of handling any lethal situation.

      He was also a pretty nice guy, though his gruff manner and burdening responsibility often hid that fact. Best of all, he was a bona fide hero through and through. When his family needed him, he stepped up to the plate without complaints. On the job, he did what had to be done to make things right. His brothers looked up to him, his mother depended on him, and his fellow officers respected him. He was like Superman only real. And sexier.

      Finally, with an uncertain laugh, Sam said, “Come again?”

      Ariel cleared her throat. His tone of disbelief didn’t exactly bode well, but she’d made up her mind. “You know when I said I went to the bar to be sure?”

      “Yeah, right. Sure there wasn’t anyone else—whatever the hell that means.”

      “It means I wanted to be sure there wasn’t anyone else who appealed to me. But there isn’t. That’s the third bar I’ve been in this week.”

      A thundercloud would appear passive next to his darkening expression. “You’ve been hanging out in bars?” His teeth actually clenched, fascinating her. “Do you have any idea what’s been happening around the area bars lately?”

      She hadn’t, but judging by what he’d done tonight, she assumed some muggings were taking place. Because she didn’t want a lecture, she just shrugged.

      His eyes turned red.

      To pacify him, she pointed out her other visits. “I’ve also been to two nightclubs, the grocery, the park, and three concerts. Sorry, but there is no one else who appeals to me.” She drew a long breath and admitted the stark truth. “You’re the only one.”

      At that moment, Sam looked to be choking on murderous intent.

      “Say something.”

      He didn’t, he just sat there, steam coming off his head while his face colored and his fists curled. Ariel honestly didn’t know if he fought the urge to take her or strangle her. Not that she was afraid of him. Never.

      Sam protected people—he didn’t abuse them.

      Because she and Pete had stopped by his house once, she knew where he lived. She pulled into the blacktop drive and turned off the car. She didn’t at first look at him, not when it felt like he was frying her with his gaze. When she

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