Carter sucked in a quick breath, and his fingers clenched hers. “Did he ever—”
So focused on Tara, Carter jumped when a throat cleared nearby. Seeing the server with their check, he pulled out his card. Tara excused herself to the ladies’ room while he paid.
He shrugged on his leather jacket, then picked up her wool coat from the booth. The delicate scent of her perfume wafted by, and he inhaled deeply. The idea that her ex-husband might have hurt her physically felt like a punch to his gut. He watched as she made her way back toward him, weaving between the tables. Understated beauty, class, intelligence, and caring. Fuck, I’m so gone for her already. He had never believed in anything more than instant lust. The idea that someone’s heart could already be involved after only knowing someone for a short time wasn’t a concept that he thought possible. As she reached his side, she held his gaze and her smile widened. Yep. Gone. Blowing out his breath, he held her coat while she slid her arms into the sleeves. He settled it onto her shoulders, squeezing before letting go.
With his hand on her back, he guided her out of the restaurant, calling out his appreciation and thanks to Lorenzo. Once outside, he reached down and linked fingers with her again as they slowly walked toward her car.
She turned and looked up at him, placing her palms flat on his chest. Even with the layers of a shirt and leather jacket, he felt her brand on his skin. Sliding his hands around her waist, he pulled her close.
“I had a wonderful time tonight,” she said. “I honestly had no idea if I would. It’s been a rather long time since I’ve gone out on a date.”
He bent his head, stopping a whisper away from her mouth. “Would you be offended if I kissed you good night?”
Her lips curved and her eyes sparkled. “I’d be offended if you didn’t.”
He closed the scant distance and took her lips. Soft and gentle, not wanting to overwhelm her. She sighed gently, and as her lips opened, he angled his head a little more, sliding his tongue into her warm mouth. She tasted of sweet dessert and tart wine. He could not remember the last time he had kissed a woman, caring about the subtle movements of their tongues and wanting to bring pleasure to his partner with a simple kiss.
His cock stirred, and he knew he needed to step back. Tara was not a woman that he immediately assumed would take him to bed. And there was no way she would be a simple fuck. As the kiss continued, he wondered if that last thought would send him scurrying away. But the idea that she would be more than a simple fuck fueled his desire. Finally separating, he sucked in a ragged breath of cold air.
“Wow.” She breathed the simple word and he chuckled.
“Yeah, wow.”
Her tongue darted out and moistened her kiss-swollen lips, drawing his attention to them, once again. “Can I see you again?” he asked. “Not just for work, but I’d like to go out with you again.”
She nodded, her smile even brighter. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.” She glanced at her watch and sighed. “I hate for the evening to end,” she said, her fingers giving a squeeze on his arms for emphasis. “But I really should get home to Colleen.”
The mention of her daughter brought to mind that they had been interrupted earlier. “Tara, before we go, I need to know. Please tell me your ex never got physical with you.”
“Oh, no! He never did anything like that.” A small chuckle slipped between her lips, and she added, “I would’ve never taken that. And, oh, my God, my brothers would have killed him!”
A sigh of relief left his lungs, and he smiled. “Good. It sounds like they’re my kind of men.”
She chuckled again and said, “I’ve never mentioned it. I truthfully wanted to get to know you first. But you probably know my brothers. And our neighbors, for that matter.”
“Oh, yeah? Who are they?”
“My brothers are Detectives Sean and Kyle McBride. And you probably know my neighbors, Detective Brock and Sergeant Brody King, and their dad, Chauncey, the Hope City Police Commissioner.”
Carter blinked, unable to believe his ears. Gobsmacked. That was the word his mother always used when she was completely shocked. And right now, he was completely gobsmacked. It hit him that both Sean and Kyle had started to tell him about their sister when both times they were interrupted. Oh fuck, what are they going to say when they find out I’m dating their sister? And she’s in the middle of my case?
“Hey, are you all right?”
He jerked at the soft touch of her hand on his face and grinned widely to cover up his shock over her family revelation. “Absolutely.”
She lifted on her toes and he readily accepted her invitation, taking her lips again. She melted in his arms and her acquiescence reverberated through him. From his perspective, the kiss became almost desperate. The wild tangling of lips and tongues as his cock stirred, the fear that he might not ever kiss her again hitting him in the gut. Or maybe, if he was honest, a little higher than his gut. Right in his heart.
They separated, and moving as one tightened their hold and pressed together. Her head was tucked under his chin, and his arms were bound around her. Unheeding the cold wind blowing, he closed his eyes and memorized the feel of her in his arms.
They slowly separated, and he opened her car door, assuring that she was buckled safely. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Would it be okay if I called?”
She smiled and nodded. “Colleen and I’ll be at church in the morning, but we have no plans in the afternoon. Just a lazy Sunday at home.”
He tapped the top of her car and stepped back, watching as she drove down the street.
