Close to Perfect (16 page)

With his gaze still on her, he eased her right foot down, then lifted her left and ran his fingers over her long, slender toes.

Tess giggled and squirmed.

“Uh-uh,” he said, holding her calf as he continued to stroke. “You need to keep still.”

Tess breathed so hard her delicate nostrils flared. “Yes, sir.”

Josh smiled to her crisp cop voice that was completely at odds with that soft surrender.

Her head was already lolling on her shoulders as her eyes fluttered closed; her chest lifted and fell with her now lazy breathing as he traced her toes with his fingers, stroking each, before lowering his head and kissing the tips.

She whimpered, then moaned.

Josh closed his eyes, savoring those sounds that would be only the first of many, when the time was right. He had to keep reminding himself of that before he got too damned excited. This was Tess's day. He would show her a good time, erasing all the bad, to prepare her for the wonderful moments to come.

Josh kissed her toes again, then her arch.

When she was, at last, breathless and weak, he slipped on the other shoe and tied the laces. Pushing to his feet, Josh bent forward at the waist, planted his hands on the arms of her chair, and murmured, “Ready to play?”

Tess's eyes fluttered open. He was so close she felt his male heat and was surrounded by his clean scent. As her gaze traveled his face, Tess saw a small scar near the edge of his right brow that she hadn't noticed before. She liked that scar... she loved him. It was foolish, of course. Even this moment hadn't changed their reality. This was just a job. Jobs never lasted forever. They always came to an end.

But for today, Tess decided she would dream. Today she would hope. “Yes, sir.”

The corners of Josh's eyes crinkled with his pleased smile. After he straightened, he offered his hand, then pulled Tess to her feet and into himself.

Because this was a day of dreaming and hope, Tess softened even more, and was quickly rewarded as Josh pressed his mouth to her neck.

She fisted her fingers into his shirt, needing it as an anchor. She buried her face in his shoulder so that she wouldn't cry out as he left a trail of kisses on her neck, her cheek, her ear.

It was only then that Tess heard tapping sounds in the hall. Someone was here? Someone was coming closer?

“Do you hear that?” she whispered, then moaned as Josh wiggled his tongue in her ear.

“Hear what?” he whispered, while Tess was still trying to catch her breath.

“Those tapping sounds,” she said, then swallowed. “Listen.”

He did, then pulled her right back into himself. “It's just a worker. He won't bother us.”

That was the God's honest truth. Tess heard those footfalls coming to a sudden stop as the guy neared this room, then the sound of that person beating a hasty retreat.

Tess stroked the bottom button on Josh's shirt. “I thought we were going to be alone.”

He pressed his lips to her temple, then murmured, “There'll be even less of them outside on the course. Want to go there?”

“Okay.”

He whispered in her ear, “Aren't we tame?”

“Only at the right time.”

She proved it, too, a short time later, when they were outside.

As Josh stood with his arms crossed against his chest, Tess drove one of the carts around him in smaller and smaller circles as she shouted, “I'm driving—I'm here to protect you, remember?”

Josh looked over his shoulder at her as he shouted, “But who's here to protect you?”

Laughing, Tess zipped that cart past him, turned, then came right back, stopping at his side. She lowered her gaze to his fly and asked, “You coming?”

If she kept looking at him like that, he might. Already his cock and balls ached with frustrated need.

“You're asking for it,” Josh said as he got in on the passenger side.

“That's okay.” She leaned close and murmured, “I can protect myself.”

Before Josh could comment on that, Tess took off down the course. After a moment, she looked to the right, the left, then finally at him. “Where to?”

He gave her an easy smile. “Away from the trees would be nice.”

Tess followed his gaze, then made a sharp left to avoid the trees. “You need some clearly marked lanes here.”

“You've never played golf before, have you?”

“I've never been to a country club before, not even on a police call.” She looked at him. “My thing is dancing, remember?”

That wasn't something Josh was likely to forget. The thought of her succulent body moving in time to the music and into him had fueled many a fantasy that Josh had every intention of seeing come true. “Yes, I remember. Go over there.”

Tess looked to where he was pointing, a broad expanse of green flanked by trees on the right and a pond on the left.

She stopped the cart and viewed the lush surroundings. “What now?”

“We tee off.”

She leaned back in her seat and regarded him.

“What?”

“You like doing this, huh?” she asked.

He did now, with her. “Everybody conducts business this way. It's the law.”

“Yeah, I know. But why?”

Josh shrugged. “All that swinging, swearing, and sweating wears them down before the negotiations?”

“Maybe I should have tried that with Alan.”

“You didn't have to. He was a goner the moment you threatened him with slander.” Josh got out on his side, came around to hers, and took her hand. “Come on.”

Tess's fingers played with his. “Yes, sir.”

After he handed her a driver, then took his own, they went to the tee. “Okay, here's what you do,” Josh said, then explained how to make that first shot.

Tess pulled her wind-whipped hair away from her face as she listened intently and nodded frequently.

“That's all there is to it,” he said. “You want to try?”

“You go first.”

Josh did, making an excellent shot. “That's all there is to it,” he repeated, looking over his shoulder at her.

Tess's gaze was on his ass.

Josh cleared his throat.

She ignored that as her gaze lingered on his ass, then moved to his back, and finally his shoulders, before she lifted her gaze to his. “What?”

Josh suppressed a smile and pointed to where his ball had landed. “That's what you need to do.”

Her brows lifted. “I need to look at that ball?”

He laughed. “You need to hit the ball so that it lands where mine did.”

Tess turned to him. “Not farther?”

His laughter paused.

“So,” she said, “that's all I have to do?”

“You might want to also keep your ball out of the pond.” He pointed. “And the trees.” He swung his arm in that direction. “And if you don't hit me with it, that'd be great.”

Tess's gaze dropped to his groin as she gently swung that driver back and forth. “I'll try my best.”

Josh stepped back.

Tess winked. “Relax. I'm just playing with you.”

Before Josh could respond, she rested the head of her golf club on the ground, took up the same basic stance that he had, and got ready to swing.

“Ah, Tess?”

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. “Yeah?”

“Don't you want to play with one of my balls?”

Her gaze dipped to his fly, her cheeks turned a bright pink, and her shoulders started to shake with suppressed laughter.

“You know what I mean,” he said.

She let out a low, throaty laugh.

Josh rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should just take a few practice strokes, first.”

She pressed her face into her shoulder and continued to laugh.

“The pros do it all the time!” he said.

She bent forward at the waist, one hand on her knee, she was laughing so hard.

“I give up,” Josh said, then put a ball on a tee. “Go on, hit it.”

Tess nodded, but continued to laugh.

“If you can,” he added.

Her laughter slowed, then stopped. She straightened and looked at him.

She wasn't so smug now, though she did look amazing. Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was mussed. If Josh hadn't known better, he would have thought she just finished having some great sex.

Of course, she also looked challenged by his comment.

“Oh, I can,” she said, then got into position, lifted the club, swung, and actually hit the ball.

As it arched in the air, then came back down, Tess squealed and swung that club above her head as if it were a lasso.

Josh hunkered down, protecting his head with his arms. “Tess!”

She looked over her shoulder at him, then up at that swinging club. Bringing it back down, she said, “Sorry.”

Josh straightened. “It's okay.”

She turned to him. “What do you mean it's okay? That was a great shot. This is
so
easy.”

Easy?
“Okay,” he said, “let's see if you can do that again.”

“Let's see if you can. We'll make it the best two out of three.”

Josh laughed. “That's not how we play.”

“You wouldn't be making up the rules as you go along, would you?”

“Not any more than you're making up the ground rules for when we're alone, right?”

Tess regarded him, then put out her hand. “Give me one of your balls.”

Josh grinned. “Sure you really want that?”

Her chest flushed. “I'm a big girl. I think I can handle it.”

Josh had no doubt about that, which made him crave her all the more. As he kept his gaze on her, he pulled a golf ball out of his pocket and tossed it.

Tess easily caught the ball, then turned her back to him as she bent at the waist to put it on the tee.

Josh's gaze dropped to the backs of her seamless thighs. A wave of desire so quickly hit him, he was briefly dizzy. His voice sounded far away as he said, “Now, be gentle.”

Tess's shoulders trembled briefly with suppressed laughter. Shaking it off, she straightened, got into position, swung hard, and completely missed the ball.

“Not that gentle,” Josh said.

She looked at him.

He smiled.

Tess arched one brow, turned back to the ball and swung at it again, then again, and again, but kept missing. At last, she swore in Spanish.

“Now, now,” Josh said, trying hard not to laugh. “Is that any way for you to behave?”

Tess studied the club as if there was something wrong with it. “This is a stupid game.”

“Not if you do it right.”

Her voice got downright frosty. “I did exactly what you did.”

“The first time. But during the next fifteen times? I don't think so.” He moved behind her. “Lower the club.”

Tess looked over her shoulder at him and murmured, “I'm here to protect you, Josh, not beat you up. If I wanted to floor you, all I'd have to do is use my hands.”

Not to mention her mouth and the rest of her body. “Good to know. Now, lower the club to the ground, to the right of the tee so I can show you how this is done.”

Men. Always having to show off. Not that Tess really minded. This could get interesting.

And quickly did as Josh placed his hands on her biceps.

His touch was unexpected and so damned gentle, Tess let the top of that club fall to the ground.

“Good girl,” he murmured.

Her mouth went dry when his hands lingered, hugging her flesh as if he was in absolutely no rush.

“Now, pay attention,” he said.

She nodded.

Josh waited a moment, as if to be certain he had her full attention. Only then did he run his fingers down her arms until he reached her hands, which he then covered with his own.

Tess lowered her head to that. Her breathing picked up, and then her heart raced as Josh eased into her, his stiffened shaft pressing against the seam of her buttocks until there was absolutely no doubt about his arousal.

She swallowed, then lifted her head as Josh rested his chin on her shoulder and turned his face to hers.

“You with me so far?” he asked.

Her gaze slid to his. She nodded.

“Good. Now, here's what you do.” Moving his powerful body into hers and with hers, Josh lifted the club off the ground and completed the swing.

Tess heard the ball being whacked, but had no idea where it had gone. Her eyes were already closed, her lips parting as Josh's chest pressed into her back with each deep breath.

“Want to do it again?” he asked.

“Maybe we should.”

His voice sounded pleased. “Whatever you want.”

What Tess wanted would have been against the law if they had engaged in it out here. Even so, there was no denying the moment as they practiced the swing again and again, until she was dizzier than hell and Josh finally murmured, “Think you have it?”

“I don't know if I'll ever have it.”

He laughed, then unexpectedly eased away. “Go on, swing.”

Yeah, right. She was having enough trouble just standing and catching her breath. Frowning, Tess looked down at the ball and swung the club just like Josh showed her, but still missed.

“I did that right,” she quickly said.

“Looked good to me.”

Tess glanced over her shoulder to see that his gaze was on her butt, the backs of her thighs, her calves, her back, then her butt again.