His Sheltering Arms

“Sometimes. A little.” Only a partial truth, Erin acknowledged. She was more than a little lonely. She missed having someone to curl up with on the sofa, someone to have dinner with in front of the TV, the physical presence of a man. And, whether she cared to admit it or not, lovemaking.

But she didn’t miss the emotional upheaval or the betrayal or the control. Still, she found herself wondering how far she was willing to go with a man like Zach Miller, a protector, something she didn’t need. And a business associate to boot. But he made her feel alive. Feel things she had suppressed for months. Maybe she could indulge just a little, from a physical standpoint. As long as she guarded her heart.

Zach’s warm breath trailed over her neck, and she shivered. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“Yes.” Liar.

He stroked his palms down her bare arms, from shoulders to elbows, then back up again. She relaxed against him, relishing his gentle touch. The strength he radiated unearthed long-dormant carnal urges. “This is much better than a hot bath.”

He brushed her hair aside and moved his lips to her ear. “Are you sure about this, Erin?”

“No. I’m only sure about one thing. I’m tired of talking.”

“Then answer one more question. When was the last time you were kissed? I mean really kissed.”

Her breath rode out on a sigh. “Too long.”

“That’s too bad.”

He turned her around, and she met his midnight gaze, intense, hypnotic, seductive. As if in slow motion, he lowered his mouth to hers. She responded with a pent-up hunger that matched his urgency. She opened to him, accepted the play of his tongue as it entered her parted lips. The spicy taste of him staggered her senses, and a surge of heat charged through her, settling in places long neglected for lack of time or want.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she should stop. Stop him. Stop herself. But she wanted this. More than she’d wanted anything in a long time. She would consider the consequences later. Right now she wanted to feel, not to think.

Disregarding the blueprint, Zach lifted Erin up and placed her on the edge of the table without leaving her eager mouth. He moved between her legs, parting them. She felt her skirt ride high up her thighs, way past the point of decency. Her mind reeled from the explosive chemistry that had destroyed her ability to reason, made her long for more. Here and now.

To her dismay Zach broke the kiss but kept his hands poised on her stocking-clad thighs and his dark gaze locked on her face. He inched his fingers under the hem, taking away her breath and her last bit of resolve.

“Tell me to stop, Erin.”

The word formed in Erin’s mind, then floated away like a delicate leaf caught in the wind.

Zach plied her neck with brushstroke kisses. “I want you, Erin. Now. So tell me to leave.”

“No.” She barely recognized her voice. She barely recognized herself.

With an animal groan Zach brought her hips forward to the edge of the table, and his mouth back to hers. Her awareness centered on his thumbs lightly stroking her thighs, his intoxicating kiss. The heavy pulse of desire washed her whole body in liquid heat, robbing her of all thoughts and protests.

Madness, she thought. Absolute madness that she would allow this to happen here, when anyone could walk in. But an uncontrollable need had brought them to this point. A place where only passion existed, away from past mistakes. For once Erin wanted to lose control.

Erin registered a sound filtering through the sensual haze. Then from somewhere far off came a rap at the door.

Three

“Erin, are you in there?”

Gil’s familiar voice was ice water, dousing Zach’s ardor. Running on instinct, Zach stepped back and helped Erin from the table. He pulled out a nearby chair and sat, needing to disguise the effect the spontaneous foreplay had on his body. He scooted the chair under the table and straightened the wrinkled blueprint as best he could, a reminder of his total loss of control. Erin Brailey was making him crazy.

In a flash Erin smoothed her dress and sent him a concerned look as she walked to the door. “Come in, Gil.”

Gil Parks stepped inside the room wearing his standard blue suit and an accountant’s expression. “I needed—” His glance went from Zach to Erin, then back to Zach. He pushed his wire-framed glasses up on the bridge of his nose. A knowing smile lifted his lips. “Miller, fancy meeting you here.”

Zach sucked in a deep breath. “Gil, how’s it going?”

“Fine. Don’t get up.”

Thank God for small favors. Zach couldn’t stand if he wanted. Not without losing his dignity.

Zach shot a glance in Erin’s direction. Her lips looked swollen and bruised from heated kisses. The red patch on her chin revealed the first signs of whisker burn. He had done that to her. That fact brought on another rush of excitement. Then came the guilt when he saw that the blush on her cheeks had faded, and she looked pale. His fault, too.

“Am I interrupting something?” Gil asked.

“Not really.”

Erin’s voice was amazingly calm, but Zach realized that only a fool wouldn’t notice her appearance. Gil was no fool, but he was a good friend. Gil wouldn’t say anything to embarrass either of them. Not in front of Erin, anyway.

“Ms. Brailey and I have been going over the security plans,” Zach said, affecting nonchalance.

Gil stroked his bearded chin like a pet. “Ah. Did you get a lot accomplished?”

Erin brushed her hair away from her face with one hand. “Yes, but we’re about ready to wrap it up. What did you need?”

“Actually, I have Zach’s contract. Thought you might want to go over the financial aspects. Since he’s here, I can review it with you both.”

Erin grabbed for her briefcase. “You guys can work it out. I need to get home. Check my messages. Feed the cat.”

Gil’s smile was cynical. “You don’t have a cat, Erin.”

“That’s right, I don’t. But you never can tell when one might show up on your doorstep. I really need to go.”

Zach stared at Erin. The little minx was bailing out on him. “Yeah, you do that, Ms. Brailey. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She strode toward the door. With a hand on the knob, she turned to face them both, but she looked at Zach. “Good night, Gil. And Mr. Miller, thanks for your time. See you around.”

“Have a good night,” Zach called as she headed out the door. “Enjoy your bath.”

Erin sent him a don’t-you-dare look as she closed the door.

Gil’s chuckle echoed in the barren room. “Damn, Miller, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

Zach decided playing dumb might be in his best interest. “There’s not much time to get the security kinks worked out.”

Gil leaned back against the table, arms crossed, legs stretched out in front of him. “Come off it. Erin’s all business. Under normal circumstances she’d insist on going over the contract with a fine-tooth comb. Obviously she’s all shook up. I have the distinct feeling that’s your fault.”

“She’s in a hurry. Probably ready for bed.”

“You both look ready for bed.” Gil laughed again. “You and Erin Brailey. What a match. Sorry I didn’t think of it.”

“You been drinking, Gil?” Zach hated the fact he sounded so defensive. He’d always been good at hiding his emotions.

“Your secret’s safe with me, Zach. But I tell you right now, you’re playing with fire if you’re playing with Erin.”

He’d already been scorched. “How so?”

Gil pulled out another chair and tossed a folder onto the table. “She’s a tough cookie. She comes from money. Big daddy used to be a state senator, and nothing’s more important than his little girl. He probably eats her boyfriends for lunch.”

Zach streaked a hand over his face and cursed his stupidity. “So Erin is the esteemed Robert Brailey’s daughter. What else do you know about her? Personally, I mean.”

“She’s driven, never been married. She did live with some guy for a while, an attorney in her father’s firm. I’d say she’s pretty much married to her work these days.”

That much Zach knew. “Then she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

“No.” Gil’s lewd grin made another appearance. “Are you intending to bid for that job, too?”

“No way.” He didn’t sound all that confident. “I like her, but I don’t do relationships.”

“No, my man, that you don’t. I’ve known that since we were high school freshmen, and you were breaking all the girls’ hearts on a regular basis. But in spite of her father, you couldn’t do better than Erin. She’s sexy as hell. Smart, too.”

“No kidding,” Zach muttered. Yet tonight she hadn’t been too smart. But then how would she know that staying away from him would be the best thing for both of them?

Gil’s chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh. “Looks to me like she has you by the jewels, Miller.”

“Where’s that damn contract?” Zach asked, refusing to admit Gil Parks was right on the money. Erin had him all right, he just wasn’t sure what she intended to do with him.

Erin had no idea what to do about him. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to clear her mind of Zach Miller.

Brushing her fingertips over her collarbone, she recalled the feel of his hands on her. His mouth on hers. Although the ceiling fan whirred above her and she wore nothing more than a frown, she might as well be decked out in a parka. She felt hot, restless, needy.

Rolling over, she buried her face in the satin-covered pillow. What had she been thinking to let things go so far? Better still, what did he think of her now?

She had never experienced such a total loss of restraint. She had never so much as held hands with anyone in a professional setting. Not even Warren. Not that Warren would have ever considered doing something so spontaneous. During their two years together, he had barely touched her in public. They had been professional people living professional lives. Somehow she had fallen in love with him, anyway, or at least she’d thought she had. He’d used that to his advantage, taking what she could give him—more accurately, what her father could give him—and then eventually left her behind when she couldn’t live up to his ideal of the proper attorney’s wife.

Zach seemed different. More down-to-earth. Strong and sensual. A man who knew how to kiss a woman. How to caress a woman. A man in control. The type of man she had vowed to avoid from now on. She needed to be in control.

Still, she itched to get beneath his skin and find out his secrets. After his confrontation with the detective, she had witnessed his anger. Later she’d seen sadness in his dark eyes. Despite his tough facade, she sensed his compassion. Not many men would provide a service to a women’s shelter without garnering any profit for their fledgling company. She wondered if he had some other motivating force. She wanted to find out.

She’d call him tomorrow. Maybe even apologize for her reckless behavior. Truth was, she wasn’t at all sorry. And if she had it to do all over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. That was a dangerous concept. She could stand to lose a lot, namely her heart.

No, she wouldn’t allow that. If anything happened between her and Zach Miller, it wouldn’t go beyond the physical. She did want him, she couldn’t deny that. And apparently he wanted her, too. So what was wrong with indulging in a little physical gratification? They were both consenting adults. And it had been a very long time.

Then something occurred to her. What if Zach withdrew his offer because of what was happening between them? He didn’t look too pleased when she’d left him alone with Gil. Surely he wouldn’t. But how could she be certain?

She couldn’t wait until morning to make the call. She would never get any sleep unless she knew things were okay between them and she hadn’t compromised her plans for the shelter.

Glancing at the clock, she realized it was nearing midnight. But Zach had said he was a night person. If her hunch was correct, he was probably still up.

Midnight came and Zach was still up, in many respects. He’d downed his second cup of coffee in the comfort of his well-worn leather lounger and was starting on his third.

The monotonous tick of the clock broke the silence in his apartment. He considered turning on the stereo and immersing himself in the mournful sounds of a saxophone. But he wasn’t in the mood for music. What he was in the mood for required a more hands-on approach.

Yeah, thanks to Erin Brailey he couldn’t fall asleep even if his mental health depended on it. Luckily he didn’t require much rest. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to get much in the nights to come unless he made a conscious effort to get her out of his system. What that entailed he had no idea.

The shrill of the phone brought him out of his musings.

Damn. All he needed right now was some kind of security crisis that his men couldn’t handle. Then again, maybe that’s exactly what he needed. Something to get his mind off Erin.

He reached for the cordless phone on the end table and answered with his pat, “Miller here.”

“Were you asleep?”

The sultry sound of her voice brought every part of him to attention. He pulled the lounger upright, almost tipping the coffee into his lap. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Erin?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah? Me, neither,” he admitted, although he wasn’t sure why. But for some reason he couldn’t imagine being anything but honest with Erin from now on. Which meant someday soon he’d have to tell her the truth about Andrews. But not tonight.

“I wanted to tell you I appreciate the work you’re doing with the shelter,” she continued. “I also wanted to say I enjoyed this evening.”

When the thought of Erin’s kisses filtered into his brain, he set the coffee cup down on the table. If he didn’t, he’d be in danger of garnering third-degree burns on his bare chest or another strategic area. “Could’ve fooled me, the way you hightailed it out of there.”

“I know. I guess I should apologize for leaving you alone to deal with Gil. Did he suspect anything?”

“Everything.”

Her laugh was warm, sexy. “He’s a good friend. He’ll probably just let it go.”

Not anytime soon, Zach thought, but decided not to mention that. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand.”

“I’m not sorry at all.”

He tightened his grip on the receiver. “You’re not?”

“No. Does that surprise you?”

Hell, yeah. She was full of surprises. “The last thing I wanted was to embarrass you in front of your colleague.”

“I’m not worried about Gil. I just didn’t want you to think this sort of thing happens to me all the time.”

That thought pleased him. “How often has it happened?”

“Never.”

Now he was doubly pleased. “I’m glad.”

Her soft sigh floated through the line. “This thing between us could really complicate matters, Zach.”

“Only if we let it.”

“We still have a business arrangement, don’t we?”

So now he knew why she had called. To make sure everything was okay with the shelter. He understood and admired her concern. He just hoped that wasn’t her only motivation. “Sure. Nothing’s changed with my plans for the shelter. And as far as our business dealings are concerned, we can differentiate between business and pleasure.”

“That could be hard to do.”

If she kept talking to him in that breathless way of hers, he’d be facing a long, hard night. “Let’s take it one day at a time for now. Get to know each other better.”

“Then whatever happens, happens. Right?” She spoke as though she already knew what would happen. Then so did he.

He thought about the conference room, and he realized how hard it would be to keep his hands off her. “Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.”

“Speaking of getting to know each other, have you ever…” She hesitated. “Never mind.”

He was more than curious. “Ever what, Erin? Like I told you before, it’s best to just say what’s on your mind.”

A long silence followed, then she asked, “Have you ever indulged in a safe fantasy?”

That got his attention. Every inch of him. “How do you mean?”

“Talk about fantasies. Over the phone.”

He swallowed hard. “No. Have you?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to. The phone allows you a certain amount of freedom to express yourself. Let go of inhibitions. Don’t you agree?”

“I’ve never thought about it before, but I guess you’re right.” He’d never had phone sex before, either, if that’s what she was proposing. But no one would ever accuse him of not being willing to try something at least once. “I’m game.”

“Out of curiosity, what are you wearing?”

He bolted out of the chair and knocked his knee on the coffee table. Even the shooting pain didn’t hinder the impact of her question. “You want details?”

“Yes. I’m trying to picture you. Where are you?”

He paced back and forth in front of the sofa. “I’m standing in my living room wearing boxers. Dark blue. That’s all.”

“Really?” She sounded disappointed.

“They come off when I go to bed.”

Another long pause suspended the conversation. Although he was wading through treacherous waters, he couldn’t let her off the hook. “How about you? What are you wearing?”

“A satin robe.”

“What color?”

“Lilac.”

“Underneath it?”

“Nothing at all.”

Okay, he’d asked for that. “Are you in bed?”

“Right now I’m sitting on a chaise on my balcony. It’s a beautiful night. Clear. Lots of stars. I can smell the gardenias below my window.”

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