In the Arms of Danger

FOURTEEN

Taylor found Cory sitting at the kitchen table after she tucked Meggie into bed for that night. Bent over a piece of paper, he gripped a mechanical pencil in one hand while tapping the fingers of the other hand on the table. She hated how gorgeous he looked as the fireplace glowed behind him. Only the light from the fire illuminated the space. He was too incredibly handsome to be alone in the same room with, that's for sure.

She stepped closer and stopped behind one of the dinette chairs, curling her fingers over the wooden high-back cover. His gaze jumped to hers and held; his tapping stopped. Silence hung heavy and tension sizzled in the room along with the crackle of the burning firewood.

"What..." Her voice rattled so she cleared her throat. "What are you doing?"

"Making a list of suspects. Would you like to join me?"

She shrugged and then slid into the chair next to him. "I guess since you won't be able to do this alone."

He chuckled. "I had hoped you'd think that way."

Leaning over, she glanced at what he'd already written. Under the heading, suspects, only one name had been written. She gasped and scowled.

"How dare you suspect him?"

He c****d his head, sat back in his chair and folded his arms. His eyebrow arched in that all-too-cocky-way. If only she could slap it off him...but then she'd have to touch him. That was not a good thing to do right now. Or ever.

"Well, since Zack is the only person I know who is close to you and your father, I had no other choice but to put his name on the list."

She huffed. "You know Meggie and my father. Why aren't they on the list?"

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. "Probably because Meggie isn't intelligent enough to plan her own kidnapping. Give her a few years, and I might consider it. As for your father..." He scratched his chin. "I don't think so. Why would he want to harm his only daughter and granddaughter? There's no motive, my dear."

She thumped her fist on the table. "What reason would Zack have? Tell me that, Mr. Know-it-all."

Cory sat forward, crossing his arms on the top of the table. His gaze bore into hers. Although hard lines appeared around his mouth, his warm eyes sent out a different message. Either that or the light from the fire played tricks with her vision.

"What's Zack's motive?" he asked. "You tell me. You know him better."

"Exactly. I know him, not you. Because I know him so well, I know he doesn't have a motive." She flipped her hands in the air. "He has no reason to hurt me."

"Let's look at it from a different perspective. What reason would he have for wanting to hurt your father?"

She gasped. "Why would he want to do that?" Her voice rose. "My dad is paying him a lot of money to do something he loves to do."

He shrugged. "Unless Zack wants more."

Threading her fingers through her hair, she blew out a heavy sigh. Impossible! "Zack wouldn't still be working for my father if he wasn't getting paid enough. Have you thought about that?"

"Stay with me on this, Taylor." He pushed away from the table and paced the floor in front of the window. "What if your father made a deal with Zack and didn't follow through? Or maybe he's dealing crooked with a silent partner and Zack wants in on it. Or maybe..."

"Or maybe you've been watching too many crime movies."

He stopped next to her. One hand held to the back of the chair, the other braced the table as he loomed toward her. "Or maybe he's in love with the boss' daughter and is trying to blackmail her father for more money so he can support her living in the lap-of-luxury."

She gasped and covered her mouth. Now she recognized the steely glow to his eyes. Jealousy's ugly monster had its hold on him. Wanting to laugh out loud, she bit her lip to keep from blurting it out.

After taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, she lowered her hand, but still met his stare. "You have a wild imagination."

"I'm going off my gut instinct." His focus dropped to her mouth. "When I saw the way he looked at you while you bandaged his hand yesterday, I knew something wasn't right."

All humor fled from her and she scowled. "Then something's wrong with your sight because the only thing going on between me and Zack is a brother and sister kind of love. That's all."

He shrugged. "Maybe that's not how he feels."

"Well, of course, it is. Don't you think..."

"Tell me, Taylor, have you ever kissed him? Passionately?"

His deep voice sent shivers up her spine. Her heartbeat quickened. Why does he have to stand so near? She should just slap his face and tell him to leave. She should just...

"Have you?" he asked again, his voice huskier than before.

Her defenses crumbled. Although she wanted to argue until she passed out from lack of oxygen, his sexy charisma would always weaken her.

Dejected, she sighed, pushed him back and stood. "A long time ago. I was drunk. He was tipsy." She took over pacing as Cory stood watching her. "We were alone in my room. He'd just carried me upstairs to help me to bed after a night of partying." She shook her head. "I was in my first year of college, for goodness sake. I'm sure you know how girls are at that age."

"What happened?" he asked, coming closer.

Tightness closed around her chest, yet her palms grew moist. The scent of his minty fresh breath mixed with his sexy musk cologne overwhelmed her. If he didn't back away now she may be in big trouble.

"What do you mean what happened? I just told you."

"No. Tell me how he kissed you. I want to know step by step how it happened."

"Why?"

"So I can determine for myself if my theory about Zack being your stalker is right."

Taylor's throat turned dry and she swallowed. If he wasn't so close, maybe she could breathe easier. She took a step away from him.

"I was the one to make the first move if that's what you want to know." She threaded her fingers through her hair. "I was at a party with my college friends. All evening long, this guy had been hitting on me. I was able to discourage him, but for some stupid reason, he kept coming back for more of my insults. Anyway, all of a sudden, I see Zack walk into the party. I knew why he was there. My father didn't trust me, and so he'd sent Zack to watch over me." She shook her head. "He was able to get the guy to finally leave me alone. Some of my friends flirted with Zack, and he, being his charming self, flirted back. He drank a little beer, but I drank more. Finally, he told me I'd had enough. I argued with him, but he picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. I was so tipsy that I just laughed. Of course, that was better than the alternative."

"Which was?"

"Getting embarrassed because my father's bodyguard had been assigned as my babysitter, and he took me home."

"I see." Cory scratched his chin. "Go on."

"Anyway, by the time we got to the house, I was seeing double of everything. I kept tripping over my own feet, so Zack carried me up the stairs to my bedroom."

Cory's eyes were darker, more heated. His closeness suffocated her, so she took another step toward the window. He followed, but thankfully, he wasn't as near.

"Zack carried me to my bed, but just before he reached it, he stumbled on the rug and we both fell on the mattress. With his large body looming over me and his face so close, I... I just felt the urge to experiment. He is a good looking guy. What single, straight girl wouldn't be attracted to him?" She glanced over her shoulder. Cory leaned against the wall, keeping his eyes locked on her. "So we kissed. That was all."

He stepped toward her until the heat from his body connected with hers. Invisible sparks ignited between them, making her heart hammer faster.

"How did he kiss you?" The deepness of his voice sent shivers over her.

"I...I can't remember." She shrugged. "Open mouth, I guess."

Cory drew nearer and dropped his gaze to her lips. "Did you return his passionate kiss?" His hand lifted to her face, his fingers breezed over her skin. "Did he touch you?" He moved his hand to her neck. "Did his caress excite you?"

A magnetic pull lulled her to lean into his hand as it traveled inch-by-incredible-inch down her throat. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, her heart beating in an erratic rhythm. The words denying his questions were on the tip of her tongue. Although she wanted to tell him Zack had never stirred desire in her body, she worried she might tell Cory that his touch had always made her melt.

His hot breath stroked her ear. "Did he?" he whispered.

Although she tried to stop it, a deep sigh escaped her throat. Keeping her eyes closed, she leaned into him until his lips touched her ear. She rubbed her cheek against his and held onto his arms to stop from dissolving to the floor in a heap of passion.

"Cory...please..."

"Tell me."

"No." She turned her face to his, her lips brushing the day's growth of whiskers he used to tickle her neck with. "He never made me feel that way. Never."

Closing the space between them, Cory pressed her against the wall. She hitched a breath to keep from moaning aloud.

"Cory, please."

Crap! What had he reduced her to?

"Please what?" he muttered against her cheek.

She turned her head a little more, her mouth seeking while keeping her eyes closed. Her heart hammered so hard she thought it might break her ribs. She didn't care. Nothing but his kiss filled her mind...the kiss he'd seduced her into wanting.

He moved his head until his forehead pressed against hers. Now his lips were in reach, but he teased her by keeping them just far enough away from her seeking pleasure.

"Please..." she sighed.

His fingers brushed over her shoulder. She licked her chapped lips, but his quick breaths dried them just as fast.

"What do you want?"

"Please...kiss me."