Page 92 of Lawton

I froze. So did Chloe.

The sound hadn't been loud, but she'd obviously caught it. She turned to look, scanning the sidewalk behind her. Hidden in the shadows, I saw what she saw – nothing but dry leaves skittering along the pavement.

I held my breath and waited.

After a long moment, she turned forward again and picked up the pace, walking faster, and then breaking into an easy run. I felt my shoulders relax. She didn't look scared. She looked happy.

From inside my fence, I kept pace with her movements. She was running. I wasn't. It didn't matter. I was on the inside. She was on the outside. I had less distance to travel and a good view of her route.

In less than a minute, she'd be reaching my front gate. The gate was open, but I wasn't home.

Not good.

I ducked deeper into the shadows and headed straight toward my house. I skipped the back patio and circled around to the side. I'd just reached the front walkway when something soft slammed into me.

Chloe.

Instinctively, my arms closed around her, saving her from tumbling backward. My arms were steady, but my breath caught. She felt small and warm, and too damn good. My grip tightened, and the silence stretched out until, reluctantly, I loosened my hold, giving her the chance to push away.

She didn't.

Instead, she burrowed closer, making me want to groan out loud. She leaned her cheek against the cold fabric of my shirt, and I felt the warmth of her skin seep into my heart.

"You okay?" I asked.

When she didn't answer, I reluctantly extended my arms and took a step backward to study her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was shallow. Too shallow? I glanced over her shoulder, wondering if there was something I'd missed. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I was coming to see you." Her voice softened. "Like you asked. Remember?"

I did remember. I just didn't think she'd do it. At something in her voice, I couldn’t help but smile. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Unless –" She cleared her throat. "– you don't have company, do you?"

If I did, I'd be tossing them to the curb. "No," I said. "But I'd like to."

She gave me a slow, sultry smile filled with all kinds of sexy. "If you invited me in, I wouldn't say no." She ran a finger lightly up my chest. Her voice grew smooth with a hint of honey. "To anything."

To anything? I stood, waiting for the punchline. Based on the last few days, this had to be a joke, the kind where you wrap up an empty box and laugh when someone learns there's no present. This was Chloe. I wanted her more than I'd wanted anything. I wanted to hold her and kiss her, and hear her whisper my name all night long.

I met her gaze. She didn't look like she was joking.

She stood, still and silent, with her finger still poised at chest. Her touch was light, and I wanted more. But a quick one-nighter wasn't the thing.

I searched her face, wondering what, exactly, she had in mind. And then I noticed something. Her pupils were dilated, and her cheeks were a little too flushed, given the temperature.

I recalled the paper bag that she'd carried in from her car. I didn't want to ask. But for her sake, I had to. "Have you been drinking?"

"Huh?" She pulled back. "No. Well, not much anyway." She paused. "Why? Does it matter?"

I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her that nothing mattered but her. That I'd take her any way I could get her – drunk, sober, dressed up, dressed down, wearing nothing at all. At the image of Chloe naked, my briefs grew tight, and my skin grew hot.

I wanted her so bad I could taste it.

But this was Chloe, not some random groupie looking to score points.

My voice was quiet. "Yes. With you, it does."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"