Good Girls Don't

TESSA PUT HER HANDS on her hips and made a slow turn, watching herself in the bathroom mirror. The shirt was perfect. Vivid blue and draped just right so that it looked entirely modest even though the neckline scooped low. She leaned slightly down to be sure she was showing just the right amount of cleavage—a lot. Perfect. Luke Asher had only seen her in Levis and T-shirts. Hopefully he’d like skinny jeans and high heels even better. She knew her ponytail made her look like she went to the U, so Tessa had quickly blown out her hair and left it down. She added some red lipstick to top off the look, then gave her reflection a nod.

Jamie was working the bar tonight, and Eric was closing up with him, so she didn’t have to worry she’d run into one of them. And that was a good thing. She had enough to worry about.

As she’d expected, Roland Kendall hadn’t been at his office. She’d had no idea what she was going to say to him, anyway; she just needed to know which cover-up to enact. Was it a matter of swearing Jamie to secrecy and hoping that Monica Kendall never told a soul? Or was it DEFCON level 5, wherein she pulled off the miracle of calming down an angry father while simultaneously convincing him to go through with the deal and forget he ever saw a thing?

It would be difficult, but she was sure she could pull it off. Hadn’t she convinced the principal not to call Eric that time she’d been caught skipping class to go river rafting? Hadn’t she gotten Jamie off a yearlong academic probation without even a hint to Eric that anything was going on? If she could handle the public education system, surely she could handle one sixty-year-old businessman. His daughter was a grown woman, after all. Maybe Roland Kendall wasn’t even upset.

It was a foolish and stupid hope, and that’s exactly why she’d called Luke Asher. She couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. She’d go crazy. Five minutes into her drive home from Denver, she’d been close to hyperventilating. Luke had been the only thought strong enough to distract her.

And she hadn’t been able to shake the appeal of his quiet strength. He was a man who needed nothing from her. No emotional tiptoeing. No complicated negotiations. No pretense of sweet temper and sisterly innocence. Whatever Luke was interested in, it was something he might want from her, but not something he expected.

Ignoring the brief thought of how pissed her brothers would be if they knew about the men she’d dated, Tessa gave herself one last review before she switched off the light and walked out of her room. Her heels snapped against the old wood floors of the house. The floors needed refinishing, but every time she considered it, she decided it could wait another year. This was the house they’d all grown up in. It was the house where her parents had raised them. Every scar on the oak was a story, and she didn’t want to let those stories go.

She wanted everything to stay the same.

Entering the living room just in time to hear the hum of a car pulling up to the front curb, she bit back a smile, then waited for the knock on the door before walking toward it. She hadn’t listened to all of Eric’s advice about boys—in fact, she’d ignored most of it—but she had found him to be right about some things. Men liked the thrill of the chase … almost as much as women did. So Tessa tried to encourage a good give and take. She might ask a man out, but she wouldn’t rush breathless and smiling to the door. She might let him get to third base on the first date, but then she might not answer his calls for a week. It kept things interesting, and that was just the way she liked it.

Though when she opened the door it was damn hard not to grin in nervous excitement. Luke looked like he had stories to tell and things to teach her. His black hair had the slightest unruly wave to it. His brown eyes were dark as chocolate, but hard with sadness. His body was hard, too, and lean. He’d changed out of his work clothes, and now wore black slacks and a pale blue shirt. His eyes traveled down her body so quickly that Tessa would’ve missed the glance if she hadn’t been watching for it. He was good.

“You look great,” he said.

“Thank you.”

“Where would you like to eat?”

“Why don’t you surprise me?” she suggested as she locked the door behind her. “Take me to one of your favorites.”

She could feel him watching her, but when she turned around, she didn’t catch even a flicker of his eyes. Yeah, he was good. Some sort of cop skill, maybe.

And a gentleman. When she walked down the porch steps, Luke put his hand under her elbow, and he didn’t even accidentally brush her breast with his fingers. Still, a sizzle crept up her arm where his skin touched hers. The pads of his fingers were slightly rough and made him seem that much more intriguing.

He opened the car door and when she slipped in it smelled like leather and … perfume?

“Did you just finish another date?”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he got into the car. “Excuse me?”

“It smells like perfume in here.”

“That’s from my partner. Maybe her soap or something.”

“Oh, your partner is a woman? The pregnant woman?”

“Yes.”

“Is that weird? Having a female partner?”

He cleared his throat. “It’s not weird, no. She brings stuff to the table that I don’t have.”

Tessa smiled. “I’d hope so.”

“I meant, you know … perspective. Questions I wouldn’t think to ask. Plus, some witnesses or victims are more comfortable dealing with her. It works great.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

Frowning as if she’d insulted him, he pulled out onto the narrow street. “I’m not sweet.”

Boys. Tessa leaned toward him and lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s okay, Luke. Despite what you’ve heard, men can be sweet and hot at the same time.”

“I see,” he said. “Good to know.”

She couldn’t quite tell if he was blushing, but he was staring hard out the windshield, very carefully not looking at her. Tessa waved at a neighbor who jogged past and felt very glad she’d called Luke. He had a bad-boy aura she found appealing, and yet he was a polite police detective who had no problem working with women. In other words, the guy was smoking hot. She might have to break her third-base rule for him. Though it’d always been more of a gentle suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule. A girl had to keep her options open.

Luke finally spoke. “I was surprised by your call.”

Not a question, but an opening. Tessa made a sound that was equally noncommittal.

“Jamie seemed clear that you wouldn’t be interested in a guy like me.”

“Oh, I think what he was making clear was that he wouldn’t want me to show interest in a guy like you. And why is that?”

“Why is what?”

“Why did he feel compelled to warn you off, aside from you being a man? Are you dangerous?” Oooh, just saying it aloud formed a hot weight low in her belly. Clearly he was dangerous enough to turn her on and make her forget her problems.

“No. He thought I was checking you out.”

“And were you?”

Luke pulled up to a stoplight, and this time he turned the full force of his dark gaze on her. His mouth quirked up into a half smile. “I think I’d better plead the fifth.”

“Isn’t that an admission of guilt, Detective?”

“Legally, it’s a neutral position.”

“Oh, but it’s morally damning, isn’t it?”

“Morally?” His deep brown eyes sparkled and the weight in Tessa’s belly melted all over her insides. “Oh, yeah,” he said softly. “Morally, it’s a big problem.”

Tessa made a point not to giggle like a schoolgirl, but it was a close call. No wonder Jamie didn’t want her dating Luke. They’d gone to college together, and her brother had likely seen girls drop their panties at the first hint of Luke’s smile. His features were a little harsh. His jaw a little too cruel looking, but the sparkle in his eyes transformed him into a charming rogue. Tessa was glad her tight jeans would keep her panties firmly in place … for a few hours.

She waited till she was sure her voice wouldn’t squeak before she spoke again. “So what will you do when she has the baby?”

Luke seemed to choke on his breath. “What?”

“Your partner? What will you do when she’s on maternity leave?”

“I’ll work by myself,” he said brusquely. “That’s all.”

“Is it a sensitive subject?”

“No.”

No. And that was it. Interesting. Maybe he was worried she wouldn’t come back. Or maybe he thought she shouldn’t. Either way, he changed the subject. “Any more news on your employee files?”

“Honestly, it looks pretty good. Thanks to the security systems at the human resources firm I pushed last year.”

“You sound triumphant.”

“Eric doesn’t like change,” Tessa said, glancing out the window as if lightning might strike at such an understatement.

“Interesting. That’s a classic oldest-sibling issue, I think.”

“Oh, he’s got issues,” she started, then she noticed that Luke was slowing to turn into the parking lot of one of Tessa’s favorite restaurants. The little Mexican café had a patio that was shaded by mature aspens and provided the perfect place to sip the best margaritas in town. “Good choice,” she said approvingly.

“Sounds like this was a test.”

“One of many,” she answered with a smile that was all challenge.

Luke raised an eyebrow and turned off the car. When he got out and circled around, Tessa waited. He opened her door, and when she stood, she was only inches from him.

He tipped his chin down so that their faces drew even closer. “I wasn’t sure I was your type,” he said softly, draping his arm over the open door. “I thought you’d made a mistake asking me out to dinner.”

“Oh? Have you changed your mind?”

This time, he didn’t bother to hide the way his eyes dipped down her body. “You look different tonight. Less like …”

“Your friend’s little sister?”

The sexy quirk of his mouth widened into that wicked smile. “Yeah.”

“Good. Because I already have two brothers, Luke. I don’t need another man around asking me to be a good girl.”

Luke’s eyes dilated, his lips parted, but he stepped back so quickly that her hair shifted forward in the breeze he created.

“I’m glad I don’t remember you as a kid,” he said.

“Yeah,” she said with a big smile. “Me, too.”

Oh, it was going to be fun playing this game with him. Lots of fun. And good Lord, if she didn’t need fun, who did?

APPARENTLY TESSA DONOVAN didn’t want to be a good girl. Not anymore. And not with him.

Luke couldn’t get the thought out of his head as they shared dinner and drinks and exchanged stories about their lives. Luke had been raised by a single mom in various apartments in Denver, and Tessa had grown up here in Boulder in the same big house she lived in now. He couldn’t quite imagine that kind of continuity. He’d never lived in an actual house his whole life. He and his wife had owned a condo a half mile from the beach in L.A., but he wasn’t about to bring that up.

Still, he seemed to remember that not everything had been wine and roses for the Donovan family. “Your parents passed away when you were young, right?” Another thing he couldn’t imagine.

“I was fourteen.”

“What happened?”

“They were driving in the mountains at night. There was a rock slide, and they drove head-on into a boulder. It was quick, at least.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago, and we had one another. That’s one reason my brothers are so protective. Eric, especially. He had to take over raising us.”

“That’s pretty amazing.” And so damn touching that it resurrected Luke’s guilt about going out with Tessa, adding another awful layer to it. She was an orphan. Great. Sure, she looked sexy as hell tonight in her heels and tight jeans and that damn shirt that flashed an intriguing amount of cleavage whenever she leaned forward. But that wasn’t the real Tessa. The real Tessa was a sweet orphan girl in a T-shirt and a ponytail who deserved to find a little stability in her life. She’d had it rough enough without a man like Luke around.

She leaned forward, and the mounds of her breasts made another brief appearance. Jesus, her skin looked soft and sweet.

“So,” she said, “you lived in Denver and then you came here for school and never left?”

Yikes. He really didn’t want to talk about his life in California. But avoiding the question would only draw more curiosity. “My first job as a police officer was in L.A.”

“Wow, was that scary?”

“Scary?” He was distracted by her mouth. It made a little O of surprise and she leaned farther forward. Her mouth … her cleavage … Luke found himself thinking some very dirty things about Tessa Donovan.

“Scary!” She gestured and her breasts pushed up. He swallowed. Hard. “Big-city scary.”

“I was shot, if that’s what you mean.”

“Shot?”

Uh-oh. He’d gone too far. Tessa jerked back in her chair and the view disappeared. And now he was just sitting there with a lap full of regretful lust. He never talked about being shot. Her cleavage was a damned menace.

“Oh, my God! Where were you shot?”

“In the shoulder. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“How did it happen?”

“A bullet came through a wall. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s all.”

“Oooh, you’re so stoic and manly about it.”

Luke felt his scowl tip up into a smile. He reached for his margarita. “Oh, yeah? You like that?”

“I sure do. Come on. Don’t tell me that story hasn’t gotten you laid a few times.”

Lime juice burned like hell when it went down your windpipe, and that was knowledge Luke could’ve happily lived without. As he coughed, Tessa lifted her own margarita and winked. “You probably practice that sexy damaged-cop thing in the mirror.”

“Excuse me?” he choked out.

She waved her fingers toward his chest as she took a delicate sip. “I’ve got you all figured out, Detective Luke Asher.”

“Have I already suggested that you watch too many cop shows?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I do. I hope you’re not refusing to play along.”

At that moment, Luke was pretty sure he’d play whatever games she wanted. She thought he was sexy. And damaged. Maybe if he told her how screwed up his life was she’d get off on it. Then again, maybe this was a sign that she was naive and sheltered and he should really back off. After all, he’d seen enough screwed-up cops to know there was nothing appealing about them.

But the bill came, and Tessa asked, “Are you ready?” and Luke found himself saying yes. Yes, he was ready. But ready for what? Even as he stood and pulled out her chair and followed her out of the restaurant, his brain was telling him to end this here. She was too young, too sweet, too related to protective men. He did not need more complication in his life. Then she took his arm, and her hip bumped his. A breeze blew her hair toward him, sweeping it along his shoulder, and the scent of her shampoo drifted through him. She smelled … delicious. Like a treat that would be really, truly bad for you. Luke found himself thinking of kissing her neck and dragging his mouth down the neckline of that shirt. He thought of pulling it down farther and devouring her.

Christ, he wanted to strip her naked and have her for days.

He opened her car door, and Tessa winked as she got in, as if she knew what he was thinking. But surely not. She was flirting, not giving him the green light to jump her. She probably had no idea of the kinds of filthy things men fantasized about.

Luke shook his head to try to clear it. A girl like Tessa Donovan wasn’t looking to fall into bed after one date. Which was good news. Because he clearly had no willpower where she was involved.

By the time Luke settled into the driver’s seat and started the car, he’d talked himself down to a reasonable state. Her cleavage wasn’t in view. Her hip wasn’t touching his. Luke’s libido was under his control again. And then she touched his thigh. Just laid her hand on his thigh as if she had the right to do that. Holy shit, this girl had no idea what she was doing to him. There was an incredibly short distance between the nerves of his thigh and the nerves of his cock.

“That was fun,” she said, sliding her hand up an inch higher before she slid it right back to her side of the car. The air in the hot car felt cold against his thigh now that her hand had deserted him.

He inhaled very slowly. “Yeah, that was fun,” he said with a casual smile.

Her gaze dipped to his mouth, and she smiled, as well. “Would you like to—?” A high-pitched tune interrupted her words with cruel timing. Tessa cringed and reached for her purse.

Would you like to what? Scowling, Luke put the car in gear and pulled out as Tessa glanced down at the phone. She bit out something that soundly strangely like, “Oh, balls.”

“Did you just say ‘balls’?” Luke asked.

She turned a look on him that seemed to accuse him of complete insanity. Shaking her head, she put a finger to her mouth to shush him. Embarrassment fell over him in a scalding wash. He’d just said balls to this girl.

“Hey, Jamie,” she said into the phone, and Luke felt another rush of heat. He’d promised Jamie he’d stay away from Tessa; now Luke was holding his breath in the seat beside her.

“She called?” Tessa asked, turning her head to face the window. “Okay. Do you think I should call her back …? Well, someone has to talk to her. She didn’t say anything in the message?”

Luke unashamedly listened in, but he couldn’t hear Jamie’s side of the conversation. He’d gotten a weird vibe from these two at the robbery call, not to mention this afternoon. There was a tension between them that they were pretending didn’t exist.

Tessa made a couple of affirmative noises before telling her brother she’d call him later. She was quiet when she hung up, any hint of flirtation gone from her body language. Luke tried to let it go, but he was a cop at heart.

“Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah!” she said too brightly. “Just brewery stuff.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Are cops always so suspicious?”

Yeah, she was lying through her charming teeth. “You don’t have to tell me, Tessa, but it was obvious to me that you and Jamie were hiding something at the brewery this morning. Does it have anything to do with the robbery?”

“What?” she breathed, her voice weak with shock. “No, of course not.” Now there was honesty in her eyes.

“I didn’t really think so or I would have pushed it at the scene. So do you want to talk about it?”

She wasn’t flirting with him anymore, but somehow Luke found that he liked her even more now. Her eyes were soft with worry, and he could see pale gold flames streaking through her green irises. Her mouth was still pink and beautiful, and her teeth pressed into her lower lip as she considered his offer. Her teeth. Her lip. The tiny indentation she made with the pressure. The hint of moisture that glistened against the pink …

A car horn blasted the air, and Luke looked up in utter shock. He was stopped at a four-way stop sign, and there were two cars behind him. Real smooth, Asher.

But Tessa didn’t seem to notice, thank God. She was too busy frowning down at her hands. “It’s not my story to tell. Suffice to say that I know something I don’t want Eric to find out about. It’s family stuff.”

“I understand.” Oh, boy, did he.

“It’s no big deal,” she insisted. But clearly it was. She stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, staring out at the gingerbread houses of the street. It was strange to think of her living in one of these big old houses by herself. Yet somehow it fit her perfectly. He could picture her wearing one of those frilly aprons while she baked cookies and—

“Oh, shit!” she yelped, ruining the pretty picture he’d painted. “Eric is here.” Instead of caressing his thigh again, her hand slammed into his chest. “Stop!”

He followed her wide-eyed stare to the sight of her place three houses down. A pale gray SUV sat at the curb, glowing under the streetlight.

“I’m sorry. He comes by pretty often. He’s probably looking for dinner.”

“Oh, I—”

“Don’t drive up! Just let me out here.”

“Tessa … this is a little weird.”

“I know. I’m sorry! But I had a good time.” She reached for the handle before stopping abruptly and turning back to him. “A really good time.” The girl was quick as a damned thief, and before Luke knew what she was up to, her fingers touched his jaw, and then her lips touched his mouth. Without giving him even a second to respond, Tessa was out the door and waving as she hurried up the narrow sidewalk. But Luke was sure she’d transferred that tiny hint of moisture from her lip to his. He certainly convinced himself that he could taste her. And sure enough, the sweet taste stayed with him for hours.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE NEXT MORNING, Tessa smiled and waved at Eric as he walked past her office door. As soon as he disappeared from view, she leaned over her desk, nudged the door shut with an outstretched hand and picked up the phone. “Answer,” she ordered Jamie as the phone rang, but it went to voice mail after one ring. Granted, it was only 9:00 a.m. and she wouldn’t normally call him this early, but he hadn’t returned her call last night. She didn’t bother leaving a message. She’d already left three. Jamie was probably passed out in some girl’s bed while his phone beeped helplessly from the pocket of his jeans.

She cursed him for his ability to so easily forget his problems, even as she fondly considered how she’d tried to forget her problems last night. Damn Eric for interfering. Her brothers were seriously cutting into her private life. But at least Eric had suspected nothing more than a girls’ night out when she’d strolled in the night before.

Before she could pick up the receiver again, the phone rang and Tessa snatched it up. “Hello?” she said desperately.

“Hey, Tessa! It’s Wendy. I got your message about the break-in.”

She liked the temp waitress a lot, but Tessa still slumped in her chair at the sound of her voice. “Oh, good. I know you haven’t worked in a few months, but your information was still on the computer.”

“I already called the credit agencies to check in. Like you said, an alert has been placed on my name and Social, so I think it’s all good.”

At the sound of male voices, Tessa craned her neck to see through the glass window in her door. Eric was talking to Wallace in the hallway.

“You need anything else?” Wendy asked.

“Oh, are you still planning to fill in for us in the barroom this summer?”

“Absolutely. It’s just that this course load is killing me this semester.”

“No big deal. You’re welcome back anytime, Wendy.”

She hung up just as Wallace started gesturing in angry jerks. Not an unusual scenario. The man was a genius, and like most geniuses, he was temperamental. Deciding that Eric would be occupied for a few minutes, Tessa dug out Roland Kendall’s number and tried his office one more time.

“This is Tessa Donovan again. Is Mr. Kendall available?”

“I gave him your message yesterday, Ms. Donovan. I’m sure he’ll be in touch soon.”

Tessa stuck her tongue out at the receptionist’s voice, then nearly bit it off when the office door snapped open. Tessa threw the phone into its cradle before she realized it was Jamie.

“Oh, Jamie. Thank God. Why didn’t you call me back? If you want me to talk to Monica, then—”

“Did you go out with Luke Asher last night?” Jamie demanded.

“Um … What?”

“Eric said you were out with someone last night and you wouldn’t say who. Was it Luke?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It was him, wasn’t it? I saw how you two were looking at each other.”

“Jamie, seriously. I’m twenty-seven. Cut it out.”