Chapter Six
T hursday afternoon, Amanda sat at her kitchen table, relieved to have the phone screening out of the way, but worried about it at the same time.
Had she spoken too much? Too little? Precisely and succinctly?
What if she came across too prissy? Or dumb?
No. She shook her head and began to pace. She didn’t think she could be prissy if she tried. Hopefully, her true self came through—the teacher who wanted to spark a love of learning in her students, whether through exploring, reading, or listening.
Oh, God. Maybe she was boring.
She blew out a breath and stared at the floor. It was out of her hands now. She’d answered every question, asked a few of her own, dotted all the “Is” and crossed the “Ts”.
No sense in stressing over it.
Too bad she was stressing over it.
Too bad she’d taken the afternoon off instead of just an hour or two. Keeping busy might’ve taken her mind off things.
The loud boom of a car backfiring sent her jumping out of her skin. She took a second to set her hand over her heart and will the darn thing to slow down.
This is the United States, not England , she told herself. You’re safe.
Ever since Lyle Woodard, the headmaster at the private school where she taught in England, had gone missing before the end of the school term last July, she found herself on edge and jumpier than a damn rabbit.
At times, it’d felt like she was being watched. Even stalked. In mid-October, the police had questioned her about her relationship with Lyle. She told them the truth—she’d gone out with him twice in the spring.
Heck, they weren’t even technically dates, just outings—friendly ones—but that was it. There was no spark between them, no chemistry. She often wondered why he’d asked her out the second time, and why she accepted. No, that wasn’t true. Amanda knew why…because she was lonely. Still, they’d enjoyed a nice picnic and she considered him a friend.
During her police questioning, she suggested they talk to his creepy friend, Xavier something. Amanda didn’t know his last name, but the guy always seemed to show up at their outings. And she’d seen him at the school talking to Lyle in the parking lot a couple of times.
After she gave a brief description of Xavier—brown hair, dark eyes, scar by his right eye—the police were apparently appeased. Then in late November, her flat had been ransacked. She’d had enough. Amanda had asked DI Bristol—the detective inspector leading the case—if she could head back to the States. She was done with the situation.
He told her she was cleared but gave her his card in case she thought of anything new and took down her phone number and address of where she was headed. Not wanting to bring her parents into it, she’d given him Emily’s address, hoping it was never needed. After that, she’d immediately given notice to the school that she would not be returning after Christmas break.
Then she’d had to call Emily and ask if she could crash there until she found a place.
Her stomach clenched just thinking about it.
God, she’d hated to do that, not just because she was invading her sister’s privacy, but because she’d technically brought her sister into her mess.
Within two weeks, she’d miraculously rented this two-bedroom brick ranch and had immediately called DI Bristol to update him on her new address. The relief that had washed through her for removing Emily as a point of contact was a welcome flood.
The thought of connecting her sister and Holden and their sanctuary to her mess would always eat at her. Had she known about the sanctuary at the time, though, she would’ve used her parents’ address instead. Not that it was any better.
She blew out a breath with a groan. There hadn’t been a good choice. There also hadn’t been any new updates on Lyle’s disappearance when she’d spoken to DI Bristol.
It just didn’t make sense, and kind of sucked that she didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Both of her sisters knew she’d gone out with Lyle twice, but that was it. She’d kept all the other crap to herself. They had already been worried about her living alone in the UK. There was no need to increase their stress.
A knock rapped on the front door, sending her out of her skin again.
Wondering who could be there for a visit since she was normally working at the preschool at this time, she headed through the dining room then the living room to the front entrance.
Even when she was home, her friends and family knew to knock at the side door in the kitchen that led to the carport.
It was probably someone selling something, although what that could be, she had no idea.
Amanda unlocked the door that she only used to get the mail, then opened it to find her front stoop empty. She frowned and stepped out to glance around.
No one.
Had she imagined the knock?
Unease prickled her spine.
Shivering, she fought down a wave of panic she’d thought she’d left back in London, hurried inside, then shut and locked the door.
What was going on?
Had she taken too long to answer and whomever it was had driven away?
She supposed it was possible. Nothing was improbable, but it always paid to be careful. Remembering her other door, she rushed through the house and kicked something hard across the kitchen floor as she raced to lock her side door too.
Leaning against it, she closed her eyes and worked to get her breathing under control. She was being foolish. Her overactive imagination was kicking in. It was best to think of something else.
She opened her eyes and glanced down to see what had beaten her to the door. Her gaze snagged on a colorful pig-shaped piece of wood.
Noah’s puzzle.
The little boy and his father had been over for dinner last night. Just the thought of them made her smile. Warmth seeped into her chilled bones and brought a calmness she desperately lacked.
She’d seen a lot of her cute neighbor since his equally cute father had kissed her senseless at the sanctuary Sunday afternoon.
On Monday, she’d invited them over for spaghetti and afterward, they’d made masks out of paper plates and put several of Noah’s wooden puzzles together that he’d excitedly brought over.
Tuesday, she’d gone to their house and played superheroes in the backyard, then dined on delicious grilled chicken ala Dante. Amanda liked when he grilled because they were at his place for that, and she got to spend some alone time with the handsome guy after he put Noah to bed.
Their kiss on the couch had turned to two, then morphed into an embrace that was hot and heavy and heavenly…until Noah called down that he needed some water and a story.
After ten minutes had gone by and no Dante, Amanda left, but not before placing a note on the couch stating that they’d “revisit this” another time.
Tonight was Dante’s turn to grill. She was hoping they’d pick up where they left off on Tuesday.
Heat trickled through her as she remembered how incredible it had felt to have his hard, muscular body on top of her as he pressed her down on the couch.
A knock sounded on the door behind her, and she not only jumped, she yelped.
“Amanda? Are you okay?” Dante asked, his voice a welcome relief and soothing balm to her out-of-control pulse.
“Yeah,” she said, fumbling to unlock the door and open it. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere. Come on in.”
Entering her house after she moved aside, he set his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “You sure you’re okay? You’re shaking.”
She smirked. “You have that effect on me, big guy.”
His gaze narrowed. “Good to know, but what’s going on?”
Darn. She’d hoped to keep her stupidity and paranoia to herself.
She shrugged. “A few minutes ago, someone knocked on my front door but when I opened it, no one was around. Unless that was you?”
He shook his head. “Stay here.” He released her and headed back outside. Two minutes later, he returned. “Nothing seems out of place.”
“Didn’t think so,” she said. “I figured whomever it was had left by the time I answered. Or it was a couple of kids playing a prank.”
He glanced at the clock on her microwave. “Yeah, high school would’ve let out by now.”
She nodded. It was half past three. Then she frowned. “Why are you home? Is everything okay?”
As far as she knew, he worked until he picked Noah up at five.
“Yeah. We got done with a security job in Houston a little early today,” he said. “So I came home to kill some time before getting Noah. But when I saw your car in the driveway, I thought I’d pop in and ask how your phone screening went today. You look really nice, by the way.”
Heat flooded her face as it always did when he complimented her. “Thank you. Even though it was over the phone, I wanted to look presentable because it would make me feel presentable.” For that reason, she’d worn a simple wrap dress in a pretty shade of green. “And I think it went well. I asked a few questions and answered theirs in a decent amount of time. Hopefully, they found me engaging and intelligent, and a perfect fit for their school.”
“How could they not? I find you engaging and intelligent.” Smiling, he tugged her close. “And a perfect fit right here.”
She noticed she was slightly shorter without shoes on, and their good parts touched in a different place.
“Mmm…me too,” she said, before his mouth covered hers in a kiss she’d waited two days to taste.
Both of them had mutually agreed not to kiss in front of Noah, which turned out to be smart, given the way her body took control and threw caution to the wind the instant his lips touched hers.
Like now.
Need rushed through her, funneling to all her good parts. She moaned and pressed closer, tugging his shirt free of his pants so she could caress his deliciously hard abs underneath.
He broke the kiss and stilled her hands. “Need to slow things down…before I can’t.”
Her first thought was good, let’s keep going , but then common sense trickled in. He had a son to worry about. And he was probably feeling guilty about his late wife.
What if he hadn’t had sex since she’d died?
Amanda stepped back and nodded, straightening her dress back into place because his hands had gotten a little frisky, too. “Yes. Sorry. Told you that you have that effect on me.”
“You obviously have an effect on me, too,” he said, reaching out to take her hand. “I like you, Amanda. A lot.”
Uh oh…
“I like you too, but I’m feeling there’s a ‘but’ about to make an appearance.”
And, unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be either of theirs.
A smile tugged his lips. “ But, I don’t want to hurt you or lead you on. I have to put Noah first in my life, at all times.”
“Of course,” she said. “I would expect nothing less.”
He blew out a breath and his neck and shoulders relaxed a little. “I just want you to understand where we stood if we took this any further. I put my needs aside to take care of Noah.”
“I understand.” She nodded. “That would mean my needs too. And I completely agree.”
“You do?” He blinked at her. “You’re okay with coming second in my life?”
“Yes, a child’s needs should always come first,” she said. “Well, within reason. If they need a pony, or in Noah’s case—a pig—then I’m guessing you’d table it for future consideration.”
Dante snickered. “Yes, I’d table his need for a pig until he was older and hopefully outgrew that need.” His expression grew serious, and he lifted a hand to brush her cheek with his thumb. “If we go where this is headed, we’ll kind of have to sneak around Noah, and I wouldn’t be able to spend a night with you. That’s asking a lot. You sure you’re okay with it?”
“Yes.” She smiled and cupped his face. “Because you’re worth it. You both are.”
He inhaled and crushed her close, but slowly lowered his mouth to hover above hers. Their breath mingled and her heart rocked hard in her chest as she waited for his kiss with anticipation rolling through her.
Just when she was about to lift up and take what she wanted, he captured her mouth in a kiss that had her curling her toes. And as usual, when they broke for air, she was clutching his shirt and trembling.
Amanda tipped her chin to kiss his jaw. “Dante?”
“Yeah?” His voice was hoarse with the same need flowing through her.
She drew back and met his heated gaze. “Do we have enough time to revisit things before you get Noah?”
He inhaled again, and his hands tightened around her hips. “Plenty of time.”
The doubt and uncertainty disappeared from his eyes, and he used his sexy, rock-hard body to press her against the nearby fridge. “We’ll revisit…twice.”
Then he was kissing her, slowly and enticingly deep, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth as if staking a claim.
Her heart rocked at the notion. Staking her own claim, she brushed her tongue to his, needing to give as much as she took. And she took plenty, running her hands down his torso to the bottom of his shirt to shove it up his body, wanting to enjoy his muscles without restrictions. She needed to feel him. All of him.
Dante released her mouth, and in an unexpected and incredibly sexy move, ripped his shirt off one-handed. Amanda’s mouth literally watered, and she shook at the sight of his smooth, dark skin, and all the delectable muscles and ridges on display before her.
Without wasting time, she ran her hands down his body, loving the feel of his taut abs quivering under her touch.
“Mmm…thanks. I can’t wait to explore every inch of you,” she murmured before leaning in to kiss her way from his broad shoulder to his collarbone.
“I can’t wait to taste every inch of you.” He reached out and tugged at the knot on her left hip, and her dress parted open. “Nice,” he uttered, and his fingers brushed her skin, sending chills down her body as he pushed the dress off her shoulders. It fell to the floor with a soft whoosh. “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”
Standing under his gaze wearing nothing but a white lace bra and matching bikini-cut panties, she felt a little nervous but the heat in his gaze turned that into naughty.
With his gaze still on her, she embraced the empowerment rushing through her and reached behind her back to unhook her bra and slowly tug it off.
“Damn, Amanda,” he said on an indrawn breath. “You’re gorgeous.”
She was also dying and needed him to touch her. Now.
As if knowing, a devilish gleam entered his eyes as his hands finally touched her skin. He glided them over her quivering belly and up her ribs to cup her breasts. The calluses on his hands scraped her skin in a most incredible way.
“Mmm…” She leaned into his touch, encouraging more.
He backed her up against the refrigerator again and before she could squeak out a complaint about the cold stainless steel, he brushed his thumbs over her sensitive peaks and heat instantly replaced the cold.
“My thinking exactly,” he murmured, dipping down to suck a nipple into his mouth.
Gasping at the startling pure pleasure, she thunked her head against the fridge and closed her eyes.
She liked the way he thought.
His mouth was warm, and his clever tongue flicked her sensitive peak while he gently rolled the other between his forefinger and thumb. Need rushed through her body straight to her core, and she clutched at his lean hips, willing him to continue. Doing his mind-reading trick again, he released her nipple to latch onto the other, and she moaned her appreciation.
A second later, he released her nipple, and his talented lips blazed a path up to her throat and jaw. He thrust his fingers through her hair before finally covering her mouth with his for a fast, hungry kiss that aroused a longing she’d never known.
Heat flooded her belly, making her tremble, and Amanda wanted more, needing to make him crazy too. Sliding her hands up to cup his jaw, she slipped her tongue into his mouth, and was rewarded with a low, sexy sound that rumbled in his throat.
She liked that sound. A lot.
One of his hands left her hair and leisurely caressed its way to the curve of her hip and over the top of her panties. Her heart rocked hard in her chest, and when he slowly slid a finger down the middle, rubbing the material against her sensitive flesh, she broke the kiss and gasped.
“You’re nice and wet,” he said against her throat, then without warning, lifted her up and walked over to the island.
This time she squeaked when her heated skin met the cold counter. But her discomfort was soon forgotten as she met his dark, smoldering gaze.
“Time to take care of you.” He tucked his fingertips inside her panties and tugged them clean off.
She should probably feel self-conscious, but Amanda was way past that stage and currently burning with so much need she shook.
“And you.” She skimmed her hands up his perfect body, which was hard and cut but not bulging with too much muscle. No, Dante had an amazing body, and she showed her appreciation by leaning forward to nip at his chest and lick his nipple as she ran her hands over his hot skin, brushing her thumbs across his hard, quivering ridges.
There was nothing messy about this man’s middle.
He grunted and caught her hands. “Not yet. I can’t think when you touch me.”
“Ditto,” she said, then sucked in a breath as he used one of his fingers to lightly trace a path from her knee to her thigh, then repeated the process with his mouth.
“Open up for me, Amanda,” he urged, his breath warm on her skin.
Need tingled through her body in a delicious rush.
The scrape of his chin as he inched closer to where she needed him the most had her automatically spreading her legs.
“Nice,” he murmured against her thigh. “Lay back, relax. We’re both going to enjoy this.
His words combined with his low, hungry tone, nearly set her off.
Easing her back onto the counter, she braced for the cold, but it lasted merely a moment as he trailed kisses to her hip and across her stomach.
“So soft.” He nipped and kissed some more before encircling her ankles with his hands and setting her feet on the counter with her knees bent. Gazing down at her, he sucked in a breath. “Gorgeous.”
He brushed a finger over her center.
Amanda sucked in air. He brushed his large finger over her again then again, and on the third pass, he slid his finger inside.
“So wet.” His eyes blazed with raw need.
That same need rushed through Amanda, and she moaned and clutched the counter. The talented, giving man repeated the processes two more times before removing his finger in an upward motion.
“Dante…”
“Right here,” he said, dipping down to kiss her upper thigh.
Then he licked her.
Amanda gasped and lifted right off the counter. Without missing a beat, he gently pressed her back down while his tongue slipped inside and continued to explore and drive her mad. In less than a minute, he had her panting and moaning, racing toward that blissful edge as he alternated between his finger and his tongue.
Pure magic.
When he upped his pace and did something amazing with his tongue, her world narrowed to how he made her feel—sexy and worshipped.
Heat spiraled through her body, and unable to remain still, she closed her eyes and rocked her hips, matching his perfect pace. The man was so good.
And she was close.
“Dante.” She forced her eyes open, needing to tell him…
“Come for me, Amanda,” he murmured, his gaze so dark it appeared almost black. “Let go for me.”
Before she could respond, he had his mouth on her again, licking and sucking and driving her out of her mind. And when he changed the angle of his stroking finger and sucked her into his mouth, she burst, crying out his name in a low, sexy voice she barely recognized.
It echoed around them as he let her down slowly. He eventually removed his mouth to place a kiss on each of her inner thighs, then her right hip.
“Your taste is amazing,” he muttered against her skin.
Grasping a morsel of strength, she lifted onto her elbows and met his gaze. “Well, you were magnificent,” she told him truthfully. “I don’t understand how you knew my pace and the places…I just don’t understand it.”
Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “Intuition. Connection. Chemistry. Take your pick. We have it, and I just followed it.” His gaze softened. “Thank you for giving yourself to me.”
“I should be thanking you for the amazing orgasm.”
A sexy grin crossed his face. “I enjoyed it as much as you. But we’re far from done.”