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"The police chiefWe’re having quite the crilanced at her "Those thefts were srocery store This isto jail" He smiled "Shall I start the steaks?"

"Sure How can I help?"

"Just watch and pretend to adhed "I can do that"

THREE HOURS LATER CHARITY walked back to the hotel, fighting the feeling of finally escaping a long duty dinner As much as she’d tried to enjoy herself and connect with Robert, they had absolutely no cherowing on the fence had turned out to be the highlight of the evening

Robert was a man of many interests He had an entire bedroom devoted to Civil War battle reenactments Thethe mossy landscape He’d shown her theboth sound effects and falling uess he had a fair ae collection of action figures, all in their original boxes It was like a low-budget version of The Forty Year Old Virgin, but without the laugh track She’d had such hopes for Robert, she thought Hopes that were not going to be realized Even without thoughts of Josh tugging at her subconscious, she wouldn’t have been able to fall for a guy who seemed way more interested in his soldiernext to him

She walked into the hotel and told herself not to feel defeated She would find the right guy for her…eventually If she kept putting herself out there, eventually she had to find the one, didn’t she? Statistically, at least, if not in real life

She took the stairs to her floor, then turned toward her roouy was out there She just had to be patient

JOSH STEPPED OUT INTO the hallway and nearly bumped into Charity

They both ca too close, he could feel her waraze settled on her mouth, which made him remember what it had been like to kiss her

"Hoas your evening?" he asked

"Fine Great I had dinner with Robert"

Of course she had, Josh thought huuy"

"Yes, he is"

She spoke defiantly, raising her chin as if daring hiree with her Not that he would From what he knew about Robert, the man was solid A little weird, but as he to be critical of anyone? If Charity had found so she’d been out with Robert seriously pissed hi else The race, hoas stuck, unable to do what he loved He knew he should just get on the dah the fear, but whenever he tried, he broke out in a sweat and thought he was going to pass out Then he had to step away to throw up Not a pretty picture Or one to be proud of

"My going out with hiht it was"

"I’ht" Noas pissed "Have you kissed Robert? Because you sure as hell kissed me"

She stiffened, then looked around as if she didn’t want anyone to hear

"That was an accident," she said, her voice low and tense

"Right You fell into my arms and our mouths bumped"

Irritation flashed in her brown eyes "You’re not all that"

Truer words had never been spoken, he thought, then he grabbed her upper arms and drew her in those last few inches

"Want to bet?" he asked, right before hisCharity didn’t react, which left hi? This wasn’t his style That would i he didn’t do anyize, when she wrapped her arms around his neck, parted her mouth and kissed him as if he was her last, best hope to survive

Where there had been only irritation and a vague desire to prove so His blood heated to boiling He placed his hands on either side of her face as he kissed her deeply, taking and giving, wanting her to lose herself in hi with his She squirht not have had sex in a really long tiotten what all the fuss was about He wanted Charity and he wanted her now

CHAPTER NINE

CHARITY HADN’T MEANT to kiss Josh back He was obviously annoyed about so and asti to fool herself So resisting his pushy kiss was the set closer, to deepen the kiss Passion erupted with a fury that left her shaken and weak in every sense of the word There was so about this man--all it took was the promise of a touch and she lost control She needed his body with an intensity that frightened her Noith hisdown her back to her hips, she found herself perilously close to begging More She needed led her head andtheher aware of every stroke, each caress as he rubbed her arms, then settled his hands on her waist Her brsts were heavy and aching Between her legs, she was already wet and swollen Ready Desperately ready

In case he hadn’t figured that out, she closed the ainst his He was strong and broad, but what interested her the ainst her belly The physical proof he wanted her, too

He drew back enough to kiss along her jaw before dropping to her neck Open-h her

Maybe he’d had as many women as people claimed

Maybe this was a hideous mistake Either way, she knew she’d never felt such heat before Such surging hunger To e, she drew his hands to her breasts

As his palht and sensitive nipples, their eyes locked

She saw an answering fire in his, a desire that eased any concern she had about whether he was just being polite

As if answering the unspoken question, he grabbed her hand and drew her toward his hotel room door His key was out, then they were inside before she had tihly overrated

The second the door closed behind hiainst the wall He leaned in close and claied at the knot holding her wrapped shirt, then jerked it open He half pulled off the fabric, then reached for her bra It took mere seconds for him to bare her breasts

Then his hands were on her skin, touching, teasing, rubbing his fingers against her nipples Pleasure shot through her She claroaned When she released hi his head to her brsts and drawing deeply on her left nipple

She felt the pull all the way to her belly Every inch of her burned Her muscles tensed She touched everywhere she could reach--his broad back, his arainst his erection He retaliated by slipping a hand between her thighs Noas her turn to groan