Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst

  Kate rose to her feet and gave him a hard look. "Slade, this is Robert. I need to take him out. The bathroom is down the hall to your right."

  In amazement, he watched the dog glide on his cart toward the yard, the wheels spinning madly where his back legs should have been. He had no idea those things had even existed, let alone see a dog use one.

  Slade quickly used the bathroom, then stepped out onto the front porch and joined them. Robert seemed able to complete his business under the tree, then broke into a canter, running round and round the tree trunk. Kate's laughter echoed in the chilly wind.

  "What happened to him?" he asked.

  Her shoulders stiffened. "I found him half dead on the side of the road. Thrown from a car. Vet thinks he managed to crawl out of the ditch and then was hit a second time, crushing his back legs."

  "And you saved him?"

  She lifted her face up. The moonlight soaked her skin, illuminating it to the sheen of a pearl. Those pale pink lips pursed in the timeless symbol of a kiss. "No. We saved each other. I just helped get him the medical care he needed to stay alive. He deserved someone to believe in him."

  He studied the stubborn tilt to her chin and wondered about her secrets. Why would a vibrant, beautiful woman such as her need saving? Something was locked up there he wanted to unbox. The lawyer in him screamed with the challenge of delving deeper. "Why? He wasn't your dog in the first place, right? Didn't the vet suggest you put him to sleep with those types of extensive injuries?"

  The barriers dissipated as red-hot anger flared to life. She leaned in, her white-gold hair a hellish halo around her head. "Putting him down would have been the easy road, right? No medical bills, no responsibility, and no mess. Maybe people deserve more than what's easy. Maybe there are too many imperfect people out there, with disabilities and problems no normal, sane individual would ever want to take on." Her eyes glittered, and her pale skin flushed. Her voice trembled with the depth of her emotions. "But maybe we'd be worth a chance. When I looked into Robert's eyes, I saw more than a dog with a disability. I saw a beautiful spirit who needed someone to give him a chance, who'd been heartbroken so many times in the past but had enough courage to take a shot on me. He was willing to try one last time and trust me." She blinked as if fighting tears. "I didn't care about the money or the time or the sacrifice. Because what I got back was so much more. You don't need to be thrown away if you're partially broken. Robert made me believe again, and I don't care how stupid you think I sound."

  Slade locked down on every impulse burning through his body to yank her into his arms and kiss her. To once again feel the burn of her skin, the softness of her mouth, the muskiness of her scent. He was humbled at the gift she'd given without any knowledge. Another layer shifted, settled, and revealed a piece of her inner core. This woman fought for what, and who, she believed in. She was a fierce mama bear who protected her dog and believed in the goodness of a soul. Her magnificence floored him, but she needed time to process what she'd admitted. And he needed time to regain his balance.

  "I don't think you're stupid," he said softly. "I think Robert's gift in this life was meeting you. I think he's a lucky son of a bitch."

  A flicker of surprise lit her eyes. She paused for a moment before speaking. "He is technically a son of a bitch, isn't he?"

  "Funny." He tugged at a stray lock of her hair. "Can I have that bottle of water now or are you kicking me to the curb?"

  Her lip quirked. "One bottle."

  The wheels whirred as Robert followed them inside. Kate removed the cart, freshened his water, and turned. "Bacon or peanut butter?"

  Robert barked twice.

  "Ah, a change-up tonight. Good choice." She plucked a peanut butter dog treat out of the bag and gave it to him. With a gentle motion like he took it from a baby, Robert closed his teeth around the treat and dragged his legs behind him to settle on the woven mat.

  "Did he really understand you?" Slade asked.

  "Sure. I ask him questions all the time. We have a code; one or two barks will be his choice." She opened the refrigerator and gave Slade a chilled bottle of Poland Spring. "It's a long drive back."

  He took a long swallow, wiped his mouth, and grinned. "I know. Mind if I sit for a few? I'm tired. Wouldn't want to endanger my life and fall asleep at the wheel."

  She snorted. "You're good. Maybe if you use that famous charm on Hannah you'll end up in a serious relationship. In love. Happy."

  "Maybe. You called me hot in the car. Now you admit I have charm, huh?"

  She blew out a breath, grabbed a bottle of water for herself, and headed into the living room. Slade followed and noted the character inside the house matched the outside. It was small, but held a cheery yellow love seat, worn recliner, massive entertainment center, and braided throw rugs over cherry hardwood floors. The curtains were delicate lace, and colorful artwork adorned the walls. One bookcase took up an entire wall from ceiling to floor. Piles of books fought for space with framed photos, strange ceramic vases, and an assortment of tiny full-bellied Buddhas.

  Slade tried to be casual as he wandered toward the bookcase, intrigued by her reading habits. Damn, her DVD collection was respectable, with a bunch of comedies slanted more toward males, and some great HBO history series. "I like your place."

  She remained standing at a respectable distance. "Thanks. It suits us. Why are you still here?"

  He cocked his head. "Why are you always trying to get rid of me?"

  Kate seemed to choose her words carefully, "Because I don't want you to get any ideas. About us. My job is to find you a satisfying, fulfilling relationship with someone else. I don't want you to lose sight of the goal."

  He took a step forward. "What if I told you I have my goal clearly in sight?"

  The connection between them surged like a live current. The air thickened, and she seemed to struggle for breath. She threw her hands out like she attempted to ward off a stalker. "N-n-no. This is one big test you set me up to fail. You want to expose me as a con artist, remember? You intend to save your sister from my evil clutches. Fine. But you have to prove my intentions, and so far you've been quite lousy at living up to your part of the contract. Seducing me is only a way for you to show Kinnections doesn't work. You're a master mind gamer and I'm not about to be your next victim."

  He should have been mad by the insults. Instead, he had the craziest urge to laugh and lunge at her. Slade paused in his approach to give her a moment to settle. "Not giving yourself much credit, are you? What if I told you I don't want to keep ignoring the attraction between us? Why set me up with another woman when we may be good for each other?"

  Her eyes widened in pure horror. "W-w-we're complete opposites. Unsuited for any type of long-term relationship. Trust me, I saw your requirements, and I'll never fit the bill. Besides, I told you over and over I don't date clients."

  "Funny, I think we fit rather well. And as much as I respect your business principles, I think this thing between us is getting in the way of me finding the right mate. I'm blocked and I need your help."

  Her mouth opened, then closed on an outraged squeak. "I may be the typical blonde, but I've been around the block a few times. And that doesn't mean sleeping around. More like a ton of men trying to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge by assuming I'm stupid."

  "I'd never insult your intelligence, Kate, and you know it. We have a problem that can be easily solved. We're attracted to each other, so how can I have an open heart with Hannah or any other woman if I'm stuck on you?"

  "I'm n-n-not attracted to you!"

  Her rock-solid composure was finally shot. Slade enjoyed a moment of satisfaction before his closing argument. "Lie. I bet if I put my hand on you--in you--I could get you to shatter in minutes."

  "Arrogant lawyer."

  "Confident. Maybe if you didn't electrocute me when we kissed, I'd believe you."

  She remained stubbornly silent. Slade eased in another step, not taking his gaze from her face. Her breathing ha
d turned to short little pants, as if imagining what he would do once he closed in. He vowed she'd find out. "Did you ever think why you felt the need to deceive me with Robert? I'm a bit embarrassed I fell for the old trick. Very cliche. Almost like believing a woman is a man by her nickname. But you obviously felt the need to protect yourself from me. Why?"

  She seemed to simmer with pent-up temper. "I like my privacy, and you were poking around in my life too much. You're a client. No more, no less."

  "Another lie. You're scared to be alone with me, but this fear is getting in the way of business. We're two grown adults with a strong sexual attraction. Let's spend the night together. You say we're not suited for long-term. Fine. But don't we owe it to each other to try?"

  Her gasp broke through the room. Robert lifted his head, studied them both, then dropped back to the mat. "Are you propositioning me for a one-night stand? Sorry, counselor, I'm not interested, though the argument was well presented."

  He pitched his voice low and eased in another step. "Aren't you tired of running? No one gets hurt and all we gain is pleasure. And I promise you great pleasure, Kate. I'm not a selfish lover."

  "So says every man on the planet," she sneered.

  "I'll enjoy backing up my words with actions."

  She shook her head and let out a strangled laugh. "How about I just take your word for it? My job is to find you a long-term mate, and I intend to do it. I'd like you to leave my house and we'll agree to wipe this whole conversation from our minds."

  Slade gathered his forces and made a risky decision. Retreat with the idea firmly planted in her mind? Or push the physical connection so she couldn't deny it? A delicate balance was in play and the wrong move could lose his case.

  He made his decision.

  He placed the water bottle on the table, drew himself up to full height, and slowly closed the distance between them.

  She stood her ground to the last minute when panic seemed to hit. Eyes wide at his obvious intention, she hurriedly stepped back until her back hit the wall and it was too late.

  "I don't want to forget this conversation," he said softly. He moved slow and deliberate, reaching out to calmly stroke her hair, enjoying the way the silky strands lifted and jumped under his touch. He used his voice to wrap her in a cozy blanket of security.

  "Don't t-t-touch me."

  "You're not afraid of me, are you, Kate?"

  She lifted her chin and spat the words out. "Don't be ridiculous. I've dealt with bigger snakes than you."

  His lips quirked and he kept stroking her hair with gentle motions. "Good. I don't want your fear. I can't seem to get you out of my head. I keep thinking about that kiss. Have you thought about it?"

  "No."

  "I have. Every single night. Wanting more."

  She gave a tiny moan and seemed to try and muster the energy to fight him. Slade didn't give her the opportunity. He placed both hands on her bare arms in a firm grip so there was no barrier between flesh to flesh.

  And then it happened.

  Slade expected a slight tingle, but the explosion between them rocked his sanity. Burning heat raced through his palms and burst in his gut, as if the simple touch set off a crazy array of currents that blazed one by one. Her slight cry told him she felt it too, and immediately his brain shut down in a raw urge to arouse, possess, pleasure. His dick swelled to full staff and the blood thickened in his veins, driving every rational thought from his head.

  This time, he was prepared. This time, he let the energy take hold and flow through every cell. Her scent swamped him, a delicious hint of sugar and musk that rose to his nostrils and made him want to stamp and snort like a Thoroughbred about to mate. Those gorgeous blue eyes darkened, and her pale pink lips opened as she fought for air, the stab of her nipples tempting him through the delicate silk. Her body shook and trembled, but he already knew it wasn't fear, but the knowledge she couldn't hide any longer.

  "No," she moaned, in one last attempt to deny him.

  He lowered his mouth and stopped inches from hers.

  "Yes. Oh, yes."

  HIS LIPS COVERED HERS.

  Kate drowned. From the first sizzling touch, everything she'd been fighting to believe, to understand, fizzled away. She was ripped to the bare bones of a shaking need and lust that refused to be sated.

  His mouth was the perfect combination of delicious heat and greed that devoured hers. She opened for him without hesitation, and his tongue swept inside to take it all. He tasted of mint and cognac and chocolate. He used his teeth to nip at her bottom lip, soothed with his tongue, and dove deep to uncover every hidden secret she tried to hide.

  Kate clutched at him, digging her nails into his shoulders, and he pressed his body against hers for full contact. She groaned with sheer relief, needing his firm strength to hold her up as her knees gave out. His hips cradled hers, his erection notched between her thighs, and a rush of liquid warmth pulsed between her legs. She tried to shift to get closer, to ease the empty ache that was slowly tearing her apart.

  She'd been with other men on various physical scales. She may be a technical virgin, but considered herself adept in all the ways of lovemaking and foreplay, engaging in creative and intimate ways to satisfy one another. But never had she been completely overtaken by a fierce lust to mate: to rip off her clothes, climb on top, and bury his cock deep inside her wet channel. He feasted on her lips, then trailed downward to lick and bite her neck while his fingers worked up the hem of her dress to her waist. Kate thrashed her head from side to side, hitting the wall, not able to verbalize the reactions her body was experiencing. As if he knew, Slade cut through any conversation with pure action. Her dress hit her hips, and he jacked her up higher against the wall, hooking her leg high on his hip so she was spread open. His hands quickly reached around to unzip her dress until the front fell forward, exposing her black lace bra. His warm palm cupped the weight, rolling the nipple around and around, then gently pinching it between his thumb and forefinger as he watched her face.

  "Oh, God!" The twist of pleasure/pain shot straight to her pussy. Her skin tightened and her breasts swelled, demanding more of him, everything he could give in every capacity he could give it to her. Slade lowered his mouth and licked her nipple through the rough lace, pulling the fabric taut so the hard tip rubbed and poked against the barrier. He never let up the frantic pace, as if driven by the same crazed lust she experienced. His fingers trailed along her inner thigh in a sensual threat that covered her skin in goose bumps.

  "No more lies." The front clasp of her bra clicked open and her breasts sprang free. Cool air rushed over her prickling skin, and Kate let out a cry of relief, arching against him for more of his delicious tongue and teeth. "Tell me you want me. Now."

  He sucked on her nipple, and his fingers danced over the thin fabric of black panties. She dripped with need, her clit so swollen Kate thought the slightest rub would set her off to orgasm. What was she doing? Dear God, he was a client, and all wrong for her. She fought off her body's reaction with a fierceness of sheer survival, knowing if he dipped her under the seething surface of sex she'd never come up for air again. Hell, she'd never want to.

  "We can't do this," she moaned, at the same time another shudder racked through her. His index finger traced the swollen mound, playing with the edge of elastic that held all her secrets. "It will complicate everything. Let's talk about this like rational businesspeople."

  His soft laugh hit her ears the exact time his hot breath streamed over her aching, swollen nipple. "I'm not doing my job if you're still talking business." He lifted his head and gazed directly into her eyes.

  She sank into emerald depths so hot they turned to molten gold, full of power and masculine demand that battled past all barriers and smashed them to pieces. The raw need carved in his features told Kate she was past the point of no return, that this man was meant to claim her, all of her. She sucked in her breath, poised on the pinnacle of a massive change that terrified her to the core.
"From the moment we met, I've been imagining your face when you come, my fingers inside you, my tongue in your mouth, my dick buried so tight in your heat we don't know where one of us ends and the other begins. I'm tired of being denied you. Now, come for me, Kate, show me what you've been hiding from me all this time."

  She stared with helpless fascination, entranced by his voice and his words, and then his mouth crashed over hers and his fingers hooked under her panties and plunged.

  He swallowed her cries, refusing to let her fight her response, using his body as a weapon to get her to give him everything he commanded. His thumb rubbed her swollen clit the same time his fingers thrust inside her clenching channel. His tongue battled hers, won, and claimed his bounty while his hips rocked back and forth, the dueling rhythm of his body and his dick and his fingers pushing her fast toward the edge until--

  Kate screamed as the orgasm took hold, pleasure shattering in waves and breaking her into tiny pieces. He whispered her name in triumph, helping her ride out the orgasm to the maximum effect, gentling his touch but coaxing every last shudder as she slumped against the wall in complete surrender.

  He nibbled on her swollen lips, pressing kisses across the line of her jaw and her neck. His arms held her tight and she felt wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and security, as if her body sensed he'd keep her safe, hold her, take care of her in a way no other man before him could ever attain. Kate let the odd thought flow past her, too far gone to even worry about the eventual fallout when her brain clicked back on.

  "Magnificent," he murmured in her ear. "I could watch you orgasm for hours, challenging myself to bring you to climax in a thousand different ways." His erection pressed against the damp barrier of her panties. "I want to take you to bed and fuck you so many times you forget every man before me. That's how crazy you make me, Kate Seymour."

  "Yes." She held on tight and gave him what he wanted. "Yes."

  He let out a vicious curse. His jaw clenched, and he seemed to lock down every muscle, as if fighting for control. "But not tonight."

  She blinked, trying to cut away the fog. "Why?"