LITMIR.BIZ

      3

      BROCK FOLLOWED Kate into the lobby of the Hartington Hotel, his eyes glued to the sexy sway of her hips. She wore a pantsuit now instead of that skirt, but he could still envision the long, slender line of her legs. The way the silky fabric of the skirt had molded to her sweetly curved rear end. He imagined himself fitting his hands there, her body moving against him…

      He mentally shook himself. Brock had been attracted to women before, but he’d never let it affect his mission. And his mission was simple. He had to get his hands on the skirt. Unfortunately, it looked as if he’d have to get close to Kate to do it.

      That wasn’t part of his plan.

      Whenever possible, he tried to avoid contact with people during a mission. It tended to make things too unpredictable. And potentially dangerous. His normal routine was to research the object he’d been hired to recover, map out a strategy for obtaining it, then leave the vicinity before anyone was the wiser.

      Only nothing had gone right with this particular mission from the start. His research hadn’t turned up an address for Kate, so he’d decided to search the Talavera house for information. Picking the lock on the front door hadn’t been a problem, but the last person he’d expected to find inside was Kate.

      Especially since she was nothing like he remembered.

      When had she turned from a sweet, chubby kid with a crooked smile into a sweet, sexy woman with a luscious mouth that could drive a man wild? Not to mention her big brown eyes, generous curves and legs that went on forever and a day.

      The sight of her had turned him from a coolheaded professional into a man who could barely think straight. He’d almost blown the mission and now found himself in deeper than he ever wanted to be.

      It was time for a new strategy.

      Kate conferred with a clerk at the front desk, then turned to face him. “Looks like we’re full tonight, but there should be a room opening up tomorrow. So I guess that means you’ll have to stay with me.”

      His pulse picked up a notch at the implied invitation. Business, Gannon, he reminded himself sternly. Keep your mind on the mission. He took a deep breath. “Are you sure that won’t be too much trouble?”

      She smiled. “Not at all. I’m in one of the employee suites, so there’s plenty of room.”

      It was a perfect setup. He’d be in the same room with the skirt. As soon as Kate was asleep tonight, he could grab it, then hop on the first airplane out of Seattle. Except…

      She would know he was the one who stole it.

      Usually Brock didn’t give a damn about what people thought of him. But somehow the idea of her believing he was a thief, as well as a liar, unsettled him. When he thought of Kate telling the rest of the Talaveras the story, his blood turned cold.

      But what choice did he have? If he didn’t take the skirt, someone else would.

      He followed Kate to the elevator, which took them to her third-floor suite. The door opened to a tasteful sitting area with a computer desk and fax machine in one corner. A small kitchenette graced the other corner of the room, complete with small refrigerator, microwave, hot plate and sink. Another door led to a bedroom in the back and a luxurious bathroom lay in between.

      “This is nice,” he said, setting his suitcase next to the door.

      “It’s been home for the past couple of months. We’ve been so busy at the hotel, that I’m working most of the time anyway, so it’s handy.”

      He folded his arms across his chest. “Where do you want me to sleep?”

      To his surprise, he saw a pretty pink blush steal up her neck and settle in her cheeks. Was it possible that he wasn’t the only one having erotic fantasies about that king-size bed in the next room?

      “On the sofa. It might be a little lumpy, but it should be long enough for you. I can have some extra linens and pillows sent up.”

      “Sounds good.” Not as good as sharing a pillow with Kate, but a man couldn’t have everything.

      She glanced at the computer. “Do you mind if I check my e-mail, or do you want to go straight to bed?”

      “I think I’ll hop in the shower if you don’t mind.” He didn’t tell her it was going to be a cold one.

      “Go right ahead.”

      Once Kate was alone in the sitting room she phoned housekeeping, then hurried over to the computer desk and sat down. It only took a few moments for the computer to come to life and begin downloading her e-mail.

      Most of the messages were related to upcoming conferences and meetings. But two of them made her sit up in her chair. They were both from Todd Winslow. Kate heard the shower running in the bathroom and did her best not to picture Brock standing under the stream of pulsating water. A naked Brock.

      She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the computer, clicking on Todd’s first message. The opening line made her smile.

      Dear Kate,

      It sprinkled here in Los Angeles today and I thought of you and that lovely Seattle weather. I’ll have to buy an umbrella sometime in the next two weeks. You wouldn’t believe all the things I have laid out to pack for my trip. It’s almost like I’m moving back home. Hey, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.

      Fondly,

      Todd

      It was a typical e-mail from Todd. He made it a point to e-mail her every day now. Sometimes just to say hello. Once in awhile he sent along a joke or told her about a problem he was having at work. Over the past few weeks, his messages had become more personal. He’d mentioned several times how anxious he was to see her again.

      Kate just hoped he had the same reaction as Brock when he saw her in the skirt. Just thinking about that flare of heat she’d seen in Brock’s gray eyes made her heart skip a beat. If the skirt could affect a man as implacable as Brock Gannon, it could work on anyone.

      She clicked on the next message, surprised that Todd had broken his routine and sent her two e-mails on the same day. She was even more surprised

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