Still, pressed together as they were, she undoubtedly knew the reaction she’d caused. And she didn’t show the slightest signs of relenting.
Well, as they said, no good deed goes unpunished. And he intended to punish her in the most erotic of ways. Before she could protest, he withdrew his finger and leaned in close. He heard and felt her startled intake of breath as he pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Right here,” he murmured. “This little twitch. But I think I can take care of it for you.”
“You can?” More breath than voice, her whisper tickled his ear. “How?”
“A unique new therapy. Surprise therapy.” And with that, he pressed his mouth hard against hers, taking advantage of her surprise to dip his tongue inside and taste her sweetness. She responded greedily, her arms going automatically around his neck, her mouth opening further to allow him better access.
Rational thought abandoned him. Somewhere, in the thinking part of his mind, he knew he should be rejoicing. He’d set out to seduce this woman, and so far he was right on target. But he didn’t care. Not about the mission. Not that she was mortal. Not about anything except losing himself to her.
Oh, yes. Belt or not, this woman had definitely bewitched him.
“Mmmm.” Even to her own ears, Tracy’s low murmur seemed dreamy. She was far gone, and she knew it. “If this is the appetizer, I’m not sure I’ll survive the main course.”
He pulled back just slightly, but from the look in his eyes, she knew Hale didn’t enjoy the increased distance between them any more than she did. “Maybe we should stop. I’d hate for you to fill up before we get to dessert.”
“I guess that depends what’s for dessert.”
“Pure, hot decadence,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss the side of her neck.
Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back, giving him better access. “Decadence, huh? You certainly know the way to a woman’s heart.”
“Sweetheart, that dish is my specialty.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what Deena and Lane said.” She spoke the words with a chuckle in her voice, but he seemed to tense anyway, and she wondered if she’d struck a nerve. Presumably, he was afraid she wanted some sort of long-term commitment. An honest fear, she supposed, since that’s what most women wanted.
But right now, she didn’t. She was having too much fun exploring her growing newfound confidence. Plus, the thought of anything permanent with Hale ... well, really. She was just flattered he wanted her for now. Even if she had fantasies of something longer-lasting, she knew it wouldn’t really happen. Just because he did something nice for her by buying the car kit, didn’t mean they were establishing any sort of relationship. He was just being kind. Considering she was just Tracy and he was
Hale
—the object of desire for women all over the world—forever was pretty much out of the question. Wasn’t it?
“So, where are we going?”
He stroked her cheek. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Amused, she said, “I can wait. I’m patient.” Then, lifting herself on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “How are we going to get there?”
“We’re walking.”
Walking
? In Los Angeles? No one walked in Los Angeles. “We’re not near anything. Where are we walking to?”
“The Century Plaza Hotel.” He held out his arm for her. “I thought I’d buy you a drink.”
Oh, that sounded good
. “I can handle a drink.”
“Can you handle a walk?”
“Sure.”
The hotel was just up the road from the mall, across the street from the twin towers that had housed the pretend offices of Remington Steele years ago. Tracy supposed that if the neighborhood was good enough for Pierce Brosnan, it was good enough for her.
She and Hale strolled in comfortable silence until they hit Century Park East. Feeling devilish, she took his hand.
Not exactly a wanton action, but it made her feel bold and provocative nonetheless. When he squeezed her fingers, it made her feel light-headed.
As they approached the hotel, a doorman opened the ornate glass door, and they walked through into a lobby of tasteful opulence. “You have a room here? I’m impressed.”
“Well, tonight I have a room here.”
She cocked her head. “Tonight?”
“Tomorrow I’m in a house—
your
house. Remember?”
She laughed. “Right.” Then she swallowed as the situation hit home. She was alone with Hale in a four-star hotel. The situation was the ultimate in decadence ... and was delightful.
He nodded toward the lobby bar. “Why don’t you grab us some seats while I check my messages.”
She agreed, and quickly headed off in that direction.
Hale arrived at the table she’d procured at the same time the waitress returned. “Champagne, please,” he said. “Dom. Put it on my room tab.”
Tracy started to argue—a bottle of Dom wasn’t exactly cheap—but then she managed to keep her mouth shut. If this man wanted to buy her champagne, she was going to let him.
The small, round marble table provided almost no buffer between them, and when she scooted her chair closer, her breath caught as her knee bumped against his. Instinctively, she started to pull away, then felt his hand close over the thin cotton material of her sundress. For a fleeting moment, she wished she’d worn a miniskirt.
His fingers traced a circular pattern on her knee, and she lost herself to the sensation until somewhere in the back of her brain she realized he was talking.
Oh. Words. She squinted, trying to will her mind to listen.
“—about being an animal trainer.”
Work stuff. Small talk. That was good. She could talk about work on autopilot and still let part of her brain get lost in the wonder of his touch.
“I love it. I told you. I’ve always loved animals. And I’ve always loved Hollywood, too. My grandmother was an early film star—Tahlula Tannin.” Hale nodded in recognition, and she continued. “Anyway, when my grandmother was older, she starred in a sitcom that had an animal cast. Mel worked for the company that did the training, and I hung out on the set.”
“So that’s how you met Mel?”
His fingers were still stroking, and it took her a second to realize it had been a question. “What? Oh! Yes, in a roundabout way. I went and worked for a vet for a while, then for another local company that trained animals. Last year, when Mel bought Paws In Production from her boss, she hired me. We’d been friends, but once we started working together, we became even closer.”
Stroke, stroke
. The man’s touch was driving her crazy. She gnawed on her lower lip, fighting the urge to leap over the table and demand more.
“She sounds like a good friend.”
“Oh, she is. Once my grandmother died, I pretty much just had Mel.”
“You and your grandmother were close?” The stroking stopped, and Tracy mentally breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to get her thoughts to return to a state of semi-normalcy.
“Oh, yeah.” She’d tried to describe her relationship with her grandmother before, but never managed to find words adequate. “She raised me, you know. She was Mom and Dad and best friend all rolled into one. She let me get away with murder in some ways even while keeping me on a strict leash in the important ones.” She blinked back fresh tears. “Sorry. The whole thing makes me sentimental.”
“Don’t apologize for loving your family.”
The smile she flashed him felt weak, but her whole heart was in it. “My grandmother was wonderful.” Leaning sideways from the table, she pointed to her belt, wanting to explain her grandmother’s odd gift to this man. “This was hers. I found it recently.” She shrugged. “That’s why I’ve been wearing it so much lately.”
Instead of looking bored, Hale seemed genuinely interested. “It’s beautiful. Antique?”
She nodded. “I should probably frame it. Maybe in a shadow box or something. I’m stupid to wear it; I couldn’t bear to lose it. And I guess it must be worth something, since that guy you saved me from wanted it. Maybe it’s real gold.”
“Your grandmother willed it to you? Interesting legacy.”
“Even more interesting since I just found it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was in a box in the attic. All the specific stuff mentioned in her will was inventoried by the lawyers. But this wasn’t in the will. I mean, it was, since I inherited everything that didn’t go to anyone else. But it wasn’t a specific bequest.” She frowned, remembering the engraving. “And there was a message, so she definitely meant for me to have it.”
Hale’s blue eyes were bright as he leaned closer. “A message?”
“Yeah. Like a riddle. Something like, Be careful what you wish for. And it was addressed to me.” She shook her head, not intending to get lost in that quagmire again. “Not like my grandmother at all. She was very up-front. Riddles weren’t exactly her thing.”
“Interesting.” He stroked her hand. “Why don’t you let me borrow it for a few days? I know some people in the antique business. Maybe they can give you some information about it.” He looked deep into her eyes. “And you know you can trust me. I’ll take good care of it.”
Tracy hesitated. She
was
curious about the belt. If Hale knew someone who could tell her its history, or even what it was worth, it might be a good idea to let him take it.
Her hand slipped to her waist, and her fingers closed over the clasp. But she couldn’t bring herself to unfasten the thing.
Odd
She tried once more. Again, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Sorry,” she finally said, not quite sure why she was hesitating, but willing to trust her instincts. “I just can’t bear to part with it. Its value to me is sentimental, you know.” She grinned, feeling a little foolish. “That, and it seems to give me a jolt of confidence. Pop psychology, you know.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s nice of you, but no, thanks. I’d rather keep it close to me. I’d be devastated if it got lost.”
He nodded, though he looked a little disappointed he couldn’t help. “I understand.”
“What I really want is to know the story behind her message, and I don’t think you can help me there.”
“Probably not,” he admitted. “There must have been things about your grandmother’s life you weren’t aware of.”
“I suppose.” She munched on a pretzel as she considered the proposition. “When you get right down to it, I guess, everyone has secrets. Don’t you think?”
“I know they do.”
She leaned closer. “Yeah? Well, what are your secrets?”
“I already told you the biggest one.” He grinned. “I’m a superhero.”
A laugh escaped her. “Sorry. I forgot.”
“Forgot?” His face morphed into an expression of mock-offense. Then he held up an arm and flexed his muscles. “How
could
you forget?”
“Hard to believe, I know.”
They laughed together for a moment until his eyes turned serious again. “So, you lost your parents when you were young?”
She nodded. “I barely remember them.”
“Me, too.” One shoulder moved in a shrug. “My mom. My dad’s still around.” He took her hand. “It’s not easy.”
She blinked back a tear, surprising herself. “No, it’s not.” But she was glad he understood. Somehow it made her feel closer to him.
“It was just you and your grandmother for a while... then you and Mel?”
“Pretty much.”
“No boyfriends to turn to?”
She met his eyes, but couldn’t bear to hold the gaze and ended up looking down to where she was methodically shredding her cocktail napkin. “No. Nothing serious. Well, one. Walter. You know, from the coffee shop. But it didn’t last.”
“You dumped him.”
“Hardly. He quite unceremoniously walked out on me.”
“Really? I can’t imagine that. But good riddance.”
At that, she had to grin. “Yeah, well, even if you don’t believe me, I’ve never exactly been a male-magnet.”
“You don’t need to be a magnet, Tracy. All you need to find is that one guy.”
“Sometimes that’s harder than it sounds.”
The waitress arrived and poured them each a glass of champagne. Hale held his up in a toast, his eyes soft and warm. “To the successful conclusion of your search.”
Although she managed to stay calm and sip her champagne after they clinked glasses, Tracy’s mind was going a million miles an hour.
Did he mean good luck concluding her manhunt in the future? Or did he mean now?
Him
. Hale. That he was the conclusion of her search?
She didn’t know, and she tried not to let her eager little brain latch onto the second possibility. She had such lousy luck with men. Always jumping to conclusions and getting hurt. First Walter. Then Leon. She stifled a shudder. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake with Hale. This was a fling, and that’s all it was.
And with a fling she was more than justified in making the first, bold move.
Leaning across the table, she took his free hand. “Thank you for the champagne. And for rescuing me. And for inviting me out tonight. It’s been a truly adventurous day.”
Above the table, he squeezed her hand. Below the table, his fingers urged the thin material of her dress up, leaving her knee and the top of her thigh exposed. She stifled a gasp as his fingers slipped down, softly grazing the sensitive spot beneath her knee.
“What if I told you the adventure wasn’t quite over?” he asked, his voice low and inviting. “Would that be good? Or bad?”
She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. He hadn’t said so in words, but she knew exactly what kind of adventures he was talking about. And at the moment, she couldn’t think of one single thing she wanted more.
“It would be good,” she whispered, willing her voice to work. “It would be very, very good.”
Hale breathed a sigh of relief.
So far so good. The only question now was how did he parlay seduction into Tracy’s agreement to give him the belt? So far, he’d just assumed that getting close to Tracy would be sufficient. Certainly he’d never had any trouble in the past getting what he wanted from women he seduced. Yet, somehow, this was different. Tracy Tannin had a core that he liked, even respected. And that was something new.
He still wanted to sleep with her, sure. He wanted that desperately. But the mission wasn’t a factor at all. There was a desire he felt, born of more than sexual attraction or devotion to duty. And that realization left him reeling.