LITMIR.BIZ

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In the center of her back just above the swell of her butt, it looked as if she had a small tattoo, but more likely it was a birth-mark. He couldn’t imagine that Ms. MBA would have done anything so whimsical or foolish.

      They got outside and the blast of hot, humid air made him think again about why he’d chosen to return to Houston. Granted, he generally didn’t work outside much anymore, but the heat could be brutal when he did. Damn, he wished Pop would consider retiring. What kind of hold did the Whitfords have over him?

      Tori hesitated and turned to him while pushing the hair away from her face and off her neck. “You’d think I’d be used to this heat by now.”

      “You’ve been away,” he murmured, more interested in the graceful curve of her neck. Normally he liked long hair, but he wanted to see hers swept up. Off her neck and the slope of her shoulders. “Where to now?”

      Her startled eyes met his. “Tonight?”

      Shit, he should have known. “Yeah.”

      “I can’t tonight. I only meant for us to have a drink. I have a—” She glanced at her watch. “I have to be home within the hour. My mother has plans for me.”

      “Ah.”

      She narrowed her gaze. “You think I’m making that up.”

      “Actually, I think you’re chickening out.”

      Her brows rose. “Tomorrow night. The Westin Hotel at the Galleria. I’ll be there by seven.”

      He dug in his pocket for his keys and led them in the direction of her car. “I’ll make the reservation.”

      “I’ll take care of it.”

      He smiled. “Under Whitford?”

      That wiped the smug look off her face. She nibbled her lower lip. “How about…?”

      “Use Conners. I have nothing to hide.”

      They arrived at her car and she turned to face him, her chin lifted in defiance. “I’m not going to debate my desire for privacy with you.”

      “Good. That’d be a waste of time.” He slid an arm around her waist and hauled her against him.

      Her mouth opened in surprise and he took full advantage by slipping in his tongue. Her body tensed and then she touched her tongue to his, her ample breasts pressing against his chest as she slid her arms around his neck.

      He deepened the kiss and she moaned softly, working her talented fingers into his hair, over his scalp. Cupping her bottom, he pulled her against his erection. She wiggled seductively.

      The parking lot was dark and jammed with cars and he thought about opening her car door and laying her down right there. He got as far as the door handle when the nearing sound of laughter stopped him.

      Slowly he released her, moving his hands to her hips, gentling the kiss and finally stepping back. She seemed reluctant, but then lowered her hands to her sides and sagged back against the car. One of those two-seater foreign jobs, he realized. No good for what he’d had planned.

      They said nothing as the laughing couple stumbled past them. Tori softly cleared her throat. He shifted, trying to adjust the snugness of his jeans. The jangle of keys drew his attention. She’d pulled them out of her purse.

      “Thanks for the sneak preview,” she said, her mouth curving slowly, her gaze lingering on him as she opened her car door. “I look forward to tomorrow night.”

      She slid inside, her long, shapely legs molded by the tight denim, holding his attention captive. Reluctantly he closed the door. She started the car and the automatic window smoothly slid down.

      “Tomorrow night,” he said, and thought about kissing her again but stepped back instead.

      “Around seven, right?”

      He nodded. “Under what name?”

      Her mouth lifted in a mischievous grin. “Lady Chatterly.”

      The tinted window slid up, obscuring her face, and then she drove away, leaving him in the parking lot with a smile and a hard-on.

      TORI MUTTERED A CURSE when she pulled into the driveway and saw the parlor lights on. Of course her mother could have gone to bed and just left them on for her. It was after eleven.

      Another light flickered on and Tori sighed as she navigated the circular driveway around to the east garage where she kept her car. She had a good mind to wander out into the garden and make her mother come out and look for her. No way would she put up with a grilling over where she’d been all night. Tomorrow, after she went to the office, no matter how many appointments were on her calendar, she was looking for an apartment.

      She could have come home immediately after meeting with Jake. She’d had a half hour to kill before she had to show up at the center. But if she’d gone home for the thirty minutes, she would have had to face her mother’s annoying questions.

      It was weird to be living at home after being away for seven years. Had she really been that subservient in her youth, or had her mother’s domineering gotten worse? Maybe she figured if she could tame Mallory, whipping Tori into shape would be a cinch.

      Even Jake had thought Tori had run home to placate her mother. Of course Tori had also led him to that thinking. She didn’t know why she hadn’t been honest with him, except working at the center, and answering their hot line was something very personal for her. And the truth was, she didn’t know Jake.

      She laughed to herself as she pulled the car into the garage. She didn’t know him…she just wanted to sleep with him. Oh, God…

      The door had barely closed behind her when she heard her mother calling from the parlor. Tori thought briefly about running up the servants’ stairs but decided not to aggravate her mother any further.

      “I’ll be right in, Mother,” she called and stopped to get a diet Coke out of the fridge. She grabbed an apple, too, since she hadn’t eaten dinner.

      She took a deep breath, reminding herself to be patient as she entered the parlor.

      Her mother purposefully looked at her watch, still on her wrist, even though she had already changed into a satiny peach robe. “Where have you been?”

      “Why?”

      Her mother’s brows arched. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you since you’ve been away, Victoria, but your attitude is most unattractive.”

      Tori sighed. “It’s only eleven-fifteen.”

      Her mother stared in silence for a moment, gave Tori’s jeans a disdainful look and then said, “You’ve been at the center again, haven’t you?”

      “And that would be a problem?”

      “For heaven’s sake, Victoria, we give them enough money. You don’t need to actually—” She made a sweeping gesture with her hand.

      “Get my hands dirty?”

      “You know what I mean.”

      “Yeah.” Sighing, Tori popped open the can of cola. “I think I’ll take this upstairs with me.”

      “Victoria.”

      She stopped, turned around.

      “Do not forget about dinner tomorrow night.”

      “Tomorrow night? Where?”

      “Oh, Victoria.” Her mother stood, and then turned to plump the pillow she’d been leaning on. “At the Club.”

      “You didn’t tell me about that.”

      “I most certainly did. We’re meeting the Kimballs at seven. They’re very important clients of your father’s.”

      Tori’s heart sank. “I would have remembered…”

      “Not

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