“Sure. That’s how this PI business works, you know.” He closed the connecting door and strolled to the small refrigerator. He used the small key to open the door. “I bill you by the hour and then tack on all the little extras. Adds up nicely.”
“Good heavens. I hadn’t realized. That could get rather pricey.”
“Yes, indeed.” Owen removed a minuscule bottle of brandy and paused to examine the label. “Name of the game, I’m afraid.”
“Maybe we should have discussed your fees in more detail.”
“Too late.” Owen splashed the brandy into two glasses. “I’m already on the job. And once I start something, I always finish it.”
Her expression relaxed. “You’re teasing me.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.” She took one of the glasses from his hand. “You know, you’ve been acting a little weird since you agreed to take this case.”
“Maybe that’s because the case is a little weird.” He took a sip from his glass. “First time I ever went undercover as a client’s fake fiancé. By the way, you want some advice?”
She looked immediately wary. “What advice?”
“Try not to get that deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression in your eyes whenever someone makes a reference to our engagement. Sooner or later you’ll blow our cover.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “Good grief. I’m that bad?”
He stared at her full, parted lips. “Maybe you just need to loosen up a bit.”
“Loosen up?”
“Mellow out. Get into the role.” He closed the distance between them with long, slow strides. “Try to become more comfortable with the idea of having a relationship with me.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Relationship?”
“It should feel natural.” He stopped in front of her. “Otherwise you’re going to panic whenever someone says the magic word, engagement.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going to panic.”
“No?” He put his hands on her shoulders. “How will you react if, for the sake of maintaining the deception, I do something like this?”
He bent his head and covered her mouth with his own.
Chapter 3
Amy froze beneath the impact of Owen’s kiss. Just like a deer caught in a car’s headlights, she thought. Owen had been right. The concept of an intimate relationship with him did strange things to her nerves.
But the rest of her body seemed to have no problem with the idea. Owen was kissing her. After all these weeks of her wondering and fantasizing, he was actually kissing her.
Hot excitement flashed through Amy, erasing the momentary paralysis. With an awkward, slightly jerky movement, she wrapped her arms around Owen’s neck and kissed him back with all the bottled-up passion she had been concealing for nearly two months.
Her response appeared to take Owen by surprise. He staggered a little under the gentle assault. But he did not release her. He recovered his balance immediately and began to rain kisses on her throat.
“Amy?”
“Oh, my God, this is amazing.”
“You can say that again.” Owen scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the room to the bed. “When I think of all the time we’ve wasted.”
“Yes, yes, I know what you mean.”
He set her down on the bed and fell on top of her. Her bathrobe had been a faithful friend for years, but it had not been designed to defend its wearer from such treatment. It promptly separated. One of Owen’s jeaned legs found its way between Amy’s thighs.
“Owen.”
“Damn,” he whispered. “This is incredible. You’re incredible.”
Amy was dazed by the waves of passion that were coursing through her. She felt deliciously crushed beneath Owen’s not inconsiderable weight. The heat of his body triggered a series of lightning strikes within her. She could feel the fires they ignited. The flames burned most intensely in her lower body, liquefying all that they touched.
Owen found the pins in her hair and tore them free. “Like honey in my hands.” He seized a fistful of the stuff and buried his nose in it. “You smell so good.”
“So do you.” The realization astonished her. She had never before noticed a man’s smell unless she happened to be standing downwind of one who had failed to use deodorant.
But this unique scent that belonged to Owen was different. Enticing. Enthralling. It did crazy things to her senses. She wanted more of it. More of him.
“Hang on, let me get you out of this thing.” Owen levered himself up on one elbow and tugged at the sash of her robe.
Amy gazed at him, fascinated by the passion that blazed in his eyes. Wonderingly, she touched his hard jaw. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“The delay was my fault. I was going for the subtle approach.” He put a heavy, warm hand on the bodice of the soft cotton gown. His fingers closed gently around one breast. “Don’t ask me why.”
“You feel so good.” She flattened her palm against his chest, delighting in the strength of him.
“So do you.” He bent his head to kiss a nipple. His mouth dampened the fabric of her gown. She gave a small, muffled cry and clutched at his shoulders.
Owen began to tug the nightgown downward. “Amy, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”
Realization burst through Amy’s dazzled senses. “Oh, my God, you’re right. This is all my fault.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the case.” She clutched wildly at her sliding nightgown and struggled to sit up. “Don’t you see? It’s the situation we’re in that’s causing you to act like this.”
“What the hell?” Owen fell to the side as Amy squirmed out from underneath him.
“I thought this was all very sudden.” Amy tugged the lapels of her robe together and grabbed for the sash. Her hands were shaking.
“Sudden?”
“Well, it’s not as though you’ve shown any great interest in me until tonight.”
“Amy, for God’s sake, listen to me. You’ve got this all wrong.”
“I don’t think so.” She glowered at him as she scooted to the edge of the bed. “We’ve known each other for several weeks and you’ve never once indicated that you felt anything other than sort of friendly toward me.”
“Sort of friendly?” Owen was beginning to look mildly dangerous.