Dean's List

saved her.

Hilary's thin lips formed a rarely seen smile. 'A-plus, Mr. Jefferson.' Then she crawled over them both and left the vehicle without a word of thanks to their chauffeur.

Dan slipped into the vacant seat and covered his hand over Leigh's. 'My place is only about a mile or so,' she said softly.

'Daisy, right?' Greg asked.

Leigh fought the urge to roll her eyes and bit off a smart-ass comment. 'That's right.' Then she spied Dan glowering holes through the back of Greg's head and giddiness welled up inside her once more.

Within a few minutes, Greg pulled to a stop in front of her house, an exact duplicate of every other house on the street with the exception of the house numbers-tan stucco, sand for a front yard. Yep, he'd given himself away with that small error. Leigh wondered how long it would take the three remaining teachers in the SUV to piece that together.

Greg barely let them clear the vehicle before he took off again, their thank yous swallowed by his exhaust.

'He been stalking you?' Dan asked.

'Let's just say he's been persistent,' she said with a sigh, and pulled her keys from her tote. 'You planning to kick his ass?'

'Thinking about it.' He pulled in a breath and reached for her keys. 'May I?'

Leigh relinquished the ring. 'How do you know which one fits? Or were you going to keep poking until you got one in?'

He clutched his side in silent laughter. 'You nailed me. That is my style.'

'Thanks for the warning.' She snagged the duffel strap around his shoulder and tugged him up the cement walk. 'I'll make sure to provide you with a little extra guidance when we progress to that point.'

'Which will be soon, right?' He let her lead him.

'Oh, yeah. Real soon.'

'Isn't this the part where you play coy with me? Tell me you appreciate my help, but that I'm really not obligated any further and I can call a cab?'

Leigh stepped aside to give him access to the door. The motion-activated light overhead came to life. She'd yet to release his bag. 'I would never play coy.'

'I know. Me neither.' Dan thrust the key into the lock on the first try.

'How-'

He dangled the keys. 'It's the only Schlage key on the ring. I…deduced, based on the skills acquired in my many years as a criminal investigator.'

'Well'-Leigh danced her fingers up to the nape of his neck-'then maybe you won't need any specialized guidance after all.'

He slipped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her to her toes. 'A friendly hand is always appreciated… and never refused,' he finished in a whisper.

Leigh grinned. 'Never say never.'

'My feelings exactly.' He pushed the door open and swung inside with Leigh firmly in his grasp. The man really knew how to take a woman's breath away.

He held her suspended for the space of too many heartbeats, watching her face, her lips. God, he was hard! Everywhere! Was he waiting for a signal from her? Mustering control? Debating the whole thing? What-

Hot lips cut off the rambling dissertation. Such a soft kiss, firm, determined, yet not intrusive. As if he knew she'd needed something to silence her thoughts. Who knew so simple a kiss could be so overwhelming? Leigh let go of the moan she'd intermittently fought all night.

Dan deepened the kiss, nibbling her lips this time…once, twice. Over and over again. Leigh kissed him back, hungry for more. He drew in a deep breath through his nose, grunted, then slipped his tongue between her welcoming lips. Her knees buckled. That arm locked around her waist kept her upright. When the kiss finally ended, her head buzzed, her body sang. Any other man would have had her panties off and be fucking her bent facedown over the couch by now.

Another breath pulled his shoulders back. He combed his fingers through her hair, and she could feel the energy shimmering from him. Feel the demanding pulse in the erection wedged between them. And yet he waited.

Dan adjusted the duffel strap on his shoulder and turned her toward the room. Leigh kept her gaze on his face, searching for clues and hints of what to do, or what might happen next. A broad smile momentarily scattered the lust banked in his eyes.

'I love this. It's absolutely beautiful!'

She could tell he meant it, too. She thrilled at the knowledge. 'With all the beige houses surrounding me, I needed some color.' It existed everywhere one looked-emerald greens, ruby reds, golden yellow, purples, and blue. Somehow, she'd made it all work.

'Looks homey and comfortable, too. Like the sofa and chairs are waiting for you to sink into them after a hard day. Welcoming and peaceful. Soothing.'

'Not too soothing, I hope,' she said.

Dan cocked his head to one side as if thinking it over. 'Nope, still locked and loaded. Waiting for a cavewoman to club me and drag me off to her lair since she's already lured me away from the safety of my own village.'

Leigh laughed. 'And here I was waiting for you to storm my battlements.'

'In that case…' He ducked and tossed her over his shoulder.

She squealed. 'Not exactly what I had in mind.'

'Oh?' He twisted his head her way. 'You were going to carry me?'

'Very well.' She feigned a beleaguered sigh. 'Carry on. You can use your keen investigative skills to find my lair.'

He skimmed his free hand over her ass. 'Getting sassy now, are we?' Hard circles brought heat rushing to her pussy. 'There's a cure for that you know.'

Leigh's breath caught. 'Are you offering me a friendly hand?'

'Perhaps? Do you need one?'

She couldn't answer. Too many doubts swarmed her head. A sharp swat shocked an 'Oh' out of her and yanked her back to the moment.

'Answer, please,' he said. 'You never play coy, remember?'

'I remember,' she replied breathlessly, all the while fighting the need to squirm against his rigid shoulder and find some relief for the growing ache between her thighs.

'Do you need a friendly hand?' he asked again.

God help her, she wanted another swat badly. 'I need many things, Dan.'

There was a beat of silence, then… 'I know, sweetheart, and I'm going to do my best to see you get them all.'

A thousand questions, a million doubts, fear and craving both gnawing at her gut. Indecision.

Dan eased Leigh to her feet, but his arms still held her close. They were at the threshold to her room and she'd never realized they'd been moving. He shifted and tossed his duffel into it. The bag landed with pinpoint accuracy at the foot of her queen-size bed, but Dan made no move to join it.

'Every journey begins with a single step, sweetheart. Every step you and I have made over these years has led us here, equals. Man and woman. Journeys are meant to be savored. They aren't a race.'

Leigh slowly shook her head. 'I…I don't know what that means.'

Her palms rested on the mesas of his pecs. She could feel his heartbeat in sync with hers, his erection pounding with as much intensity as her clit.

Dan cupped her ass, rubbing circles briefly before girdling his hands around her waist. 'Lead me in the direction you most want and need, and I'll take it from there. The decision must always be yours. Saying no won't drive me away…unless that's what you really want.'

'Goldie's rule…when in doubt, retreat?'

He smiled and slid his hands to the sides of her breasts. 'Yes. And don't forget, when all else fails, take a nap.' His thumbs brushed over her breasts, calming and exciting her at the same time.

'Never miss an opportunity?'

'Never. Unless, of course, it's superseded by the when-in-doubt rule. But there's one more…' He nuzzled his