Recognition in a split second. Brodie’s walk. Unmistakable. A loose-limbed, relaxed amble. He was as beach-blond as he’d always been. Tanned. Wearing sunglasses. Boat shoes, jeans, pale blue shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to the elbows. And a tattoo—an anchor—on the underside of one forearm.

Scott remembered that tattoo. He’d been impressed by it. And a little bit jealous. Because Knights didn’t get tattoos—and yet when he’d seen Brodie’s he’d wanted to be the kind of guy who did. Not that he couldn’t have had one—then or now. But deep down he’d always known it wasn’t his thing. It was the rebelliousness of a tattoo that had appealed to him, not the reality of ink in his skin. Everything about breezy, laidback Brodie had appealed to Scott—who was the exact opposite.

He knew the instant Brodie recognised him from the slight hitch in his stride. The sunglasses were whipped off, the eyes widened, a smile started…then stopped. Replaced by wariness. Then the sunglasses were shoved into the pocket of his shirt—Brodie was not the kind of guy to hide behind sunglasses or anything else—and Brodie walked on, heading straight for them. He stopped at their table.

‘Scott,’ he said.

‘Brodie.’

Okay, it was all a bit ridiculous. Scott. Brodie. Kate would be coughing up her name in a minute. Maybe the barista would pop out and give them a Dean.

Scott laughed—couldn’t seem to help it. And he had the satisfaction of seeing surprise replace the wariness. It felt good.

‘Join us for coffee?’ he asked.

‘Sure,’ Brodie said, recovering from the surprise, and snagged a spare seat from the next table.

Kate reached out a hand to shake. ‘I’m Kate. A…’ Tiny, tiny pause. ‘A friend of Scott’s.’

Brodie smiled as he took her hand, said nothing—but Kate blushed.

She flicked a glance at Scott, then back to Brodie. ‘I’m a friend of Willa’s too. And Amy’s.’

‘Ah, you’re that Kate.’

‘Oh, dear, you’re not going to make a lawyer joke, are you?’

‘Fresh out of lawyer jokes, sorry!’

‘Well, isn’t that a breath of fresh air?’ she said with another of those flicking looks. At Scott, then Brodie.

Scott felt the sting. So he’d made one lawyer joke—just once! That didn’t put him ahead of Dirty Martini Barnaby in the woeful pick-up line competition, did it?

‘I’ll go and get the coffee,’ Kate said. ‘What’ll it be, Brodie?’

‘Black. Same as Scott.’

Nod. Smile. And she was off.

‘Girlfriend?’ Brodie asked, once Kate was out of earshot.

Scott crossed his arms over his chest. Shook his head. ‘Nothing like that.’

Pause. A long one.

Okay—they were back to ridiculous.

Time to suck it up and move on.

‘Are we going to get all girly and talk about things?’ Brodie winced. ‘God, I hope not.’

‘Right. Good. Great.’

Arms were uncrossed. His hand held out. Brodie took it. Shook.

‘That’s it?’ Brodie asked.

‘Well, let’s see…’ Scott frowned, looking as if he was thinking deeply. ‘We were best friends. A girl who never loved me—a girl I didn’t really love—fell for you. I punched you. You got an attack of nobility and took off. She stayed and was miserable.’ He shrugged. ‘I’d say between the three of us we royally screwed that up. It’s sure felt screwed up for the past eight years, and I’m kind of over everything about it. So, yeah—that’s it. From my perspective at least.’

‘I’ve missed you, you know—you bastard.’

‘Hey—we’re not getting all girly, remember?’

Brodie laughed. ‘That’s why I added the “bastard”.’

‘Yeah, well, “bastard” doesn’t make it any less girly.’

‘Still an uptight control freak, then.’

‘And you’re still…what? King of the hair braids?’

‘The sisters have outgrown the braids.’ Brodie shuddered, but he was laughing too. ‘Thank God.’

Slight pause. But not uncomfortable.

And then the question just came out of Scott’s mouth, as though it was just…time. ‘So, have you seen her?’

‘No.’

‘Do you want to?’

Long pause. ‘Eight years,’ Brodie said.

And somehow Scott understood the world in those two words. ‘Okay, enough said. But just so you know—it wouldn’t bother me. Not any more.’

Brodie jerked his head backwards towards the cafe counter. ‘Because of Red?’

Brodie looked over Scott’s shoulder, saw Kate coming towards them with a coffee-laden tray. That rolling walk. So damned sexy.

He blinked. Swallowed a sigh. Shook his head. ‘That’s just an…arrangement.’

Kate arrived, distributed the coffee. Sat down. ‘So, how’s the luxury yacht touring business?’ she asked Brodie. ‘In Queensland, right?’

‘I should warn you,’ Scott broke in. ‘Kate’s main goal in life is to steal a boat and sail off on an adventure—except she can’t sail.’ He smiled at Kate, expecting her to share the joke. But she merely looked steadily back at him.

Brodie was smiling at her too, and she did smile at him—and Scott found himself gritting his teeth. A contract. Just a contract—and this is why.

‘Well, Kate, I’m down for a couple of weeks,’ Brodie said. ‘I’ll take you sailing. Unless…?’ He glanced at Scott. ‘Are you going to teach her?’

Scott shook his head quickly. ‘I sold my boat.’ He looked at Kate; she was still smiling at Brodie. Just a contract. ‘She’s all yours.’

He caught—just—an infinitesimal flinch, the blink of hurt on Kate’s face, and wanted to call the words back. But it was too late. Her smile went megawatt—straight at Brodie. And Scott wanted to claim that wide, gorgeous mouth of hers right there and then, in front of Brodie and everyone else in the vicinity. Screw the no-kissing rule.

‘If you’re still here next Saturday, Brodie, I’ll take you up on that,’ Kate said, and then she was tossing back her macchiato—and that had to burn her damned tongue. Not that you could tell from the next blinding smile she beamed at Brodie!

Brodie and Kate discussed timing, swapped numbers, while Scott sat there like a statue—ice on the outside, volcano on the inside.

And then Kate put some money on the table and Scott had to grit his teeth again. Because—come on!—couldn’t he even buy her a damned cup of coffee?

The contract. Fifty-fifty. No, you can’t buy her a damned coffee.

‘Work calls,’ she said, all cheery and unconcerned. ‘Bye, guys. See you Saturday, Brodie.’

Gone.

Brodie looked at Scott, who had yet to take a sip from his fresh cup.

‘Are you insane?’ Brodie asked conversationally.

Scott laughed, and if it had a slight edge of insanity he wasn’t going to acknowledge it. ‘Tell me about your business,’ he said instead.

When Kate got back to her apartment she was so furious—and disillusioned, and…and hurt, she couldn’t think straight.

God, she hoped Scott hadn’t seen the hurt.

Not that Scott, who didn’t get hurt, would ever understand it. He’d just think she was piqued. The way he had last night just because she’d finally taken a stand and told him not to turn up today.

Well, that had sure worked!

And she really must be a pathetic nymphomaniac. Because she’d been so glad to see him when she should have been annoyed. So very glad…right up until he’d told her he hadn’t signed up for deep and meaningful.

Nobody signed up for deep and meaningful. It just…happened.

But not, apparently, to Scott.

Well, what had she expected? That two weeks of rock-your-hormones sex would somehow make her special? That the guy she was sleeping with might want to teach her to sail rather than palming her off on someone else? That he might actually introduce her to his friends so she didn’t have to introduce herself, when she didn’t have the remotest idea how to categorise their relationship for public consumption? That he might, somehow, claim her as someone just a little bit special?

The way she wanted to—

Ooohhhh.

She shuddered out a breath as reality hit her like a truck. She wanted to claim him. Mine, mine, mine.

Great! Just freaking great. Because Scott had made it pretty clear this morning that he was reading from a different script—and it wasn’t a romance. To Scott she was a collection of body parts, transferable to his friend for any non-bedroom stuff!

She’s all yours!

Well, quid pro quo. There was a legal term for Scott to mull over.

If she was nothing but a collection of body parts to him then he would be nothing but a collection of body parts to her.

Scott Knight: Kate Cleary’s stud.

No more kissing. No dates that weren’t really dates. No unscheduled drop-ins. No fireside chats. Nothing except sex. Only twice a week, because she was no longer in a negotiating mood. Starting with a Play Time that would fry his nether regions!

Before she could think twice she grabbed her phone, pulled up Scott’s number and got texting.

Play Time. Tuesday. 9 p.m. Ellington Lane.

That would shock him. He’d be sitting there with Brodie, never dreaming she’d text him so soon after that dismal coffee catch-up. He probably expected her to be lying face-down on her bed, crying into her pillow because she was piqued. Well, he could just—

Ding.

Text message. She grabbed her phone. Opened Scott’s text message.

Roger that.

With a smiley face.

A…a smiley face?

Now, you see—that was why he wasn’t the right man for her.

Or maybe why he is.

‘Yes, thank you, subconscious. Not helpful.’

Scott was champing at the bit as he approached Ellington Lane on Tuesday night.

He had no idea what fantasy Kate had dreamt up to carry out in this dingy, narrow, deserted laneway, but hopefully it didn’t involve his murder—because Ellington Lane certainly looked as if it regularly saw a dead body, and Kate surely must want to kill him after Sunday.

He wasn’t even certain she was going to turn up, given she hadn’t bothered answering any of his thousand calls since then.

But he was here waiting anyway—he who never had sex in public places—so hungry for her he’d do anything.

He was going to make tonight so damned good for her. Use his body to show her he didn’t mean what he’d said—because clearly he couldn’t trust his malfunctioning brain to choose the right words.

He still couldn’t believe he’d said it. She’s all yours. Just because she’d smiled at Brodie and he’d wanted to grab her and demand she stop. Because she was his, his, his, and she was supposed to smile at him—got it?

God, he was a moron! You’re mine—so go with that guy instead, why don’t you?

He deserved to be standing here, lust-starved and desperate, in an ill-lit, deserted alley, wondering if she’d turn up, shivering at the thought of what she’d do to him, and just…well, longing for her.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

And suddenly there she was.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

SCOTT’S HEART LURCHED as Kate took one step. Stopped.

She was backlit by a street lamp just outside the lane. Standing with her legs slightly apart, looking tough. Tight pants, high boots, hands on hips, wearing some kind of cap.

She started walking towards him—very slowly, very deliberately. Halfway, he could see she was wearing a police uniform—but a sexed-up, skintight version.

His mouth went dry—so dry that when she asked, ‘What seems to be the problem?’ he couldn’t answer.

And then she was in front of him, and he could smell tuberose, and he wanted to throw himself at her feet and beg.

‘Not talking?’ she asked, and there was a snap in her voice. ‘Then I’d say you’re up to no good. Turn around, hands wide on the wall.’

He did as he was told.

She kicked between his feet. ‘Spread ‘em.’

He spread ‘em with alacrity, and then breathed out a long, silent sigh of surrender as she plastered herself against his back.

‘So… Are you behaving yourself?’ she asked, and chuckled, low and breathy, right in his ear.

‘Yes, Officer,’ he said—or at least he tried to, but it came out as a half-strangled gargle.

‘Now, why don’t I believe you? What’s in your pockets?’

‘Nothing.’

‘I think I’ll check for myself.’

Next moment her hands were diving into the back pockets of his jeans.

‘Condom,’ she said. ‘Not exactly “nothing”. Not soliciting, are you?’

‘No.’

‘No what?’

‘No, Officer.’

‘I’ll hold on to this,’ she said, and he imagined her sliding the condom into the back pocket of her tight, tight pants.

‘Right. Let’s check your other pockets,’ she said.

And her hands were there, digging into his front pockets, making his heartbeat go off like a cracker as she ‘accidentally’ nudged against the erection straining fiercely against the denim.

‘All clear,’ she breathed against his ear. ‘So—why don’t you just tell me what you’ve been up to so I don’t have to keep searching?’

‘But I’ve done nothing wrong, Officer.’

‘So let me ask you, buddy: do you know the meaning of the term ignorantia juris non excusat?’

Oh, God. God, God, God.

‘No. But it sounds…sexy.’

‘Well, it’s not sexy,’ she said, despite the fact that she was unbuttoning his jeans, sliding his zipper down, sliding her hands inside, over his erection, squeezing, stroking. ‘It means ignorance of the law is not an excuse.’

He groaned.

‘Am I hurting you?’ she asked.

‘No. No, Officer, you’re not hurting me.’

‘Then why are you groaning?’

‘Can’t…ahh… help it. Sorry. J-Just what law am I ignorant of?’

‘The law that says you’re not allowed to bribe a police officer.’

‘But I’m not,’ he said, just as her hands went beneath his underwear, cool and silky and freaking wonderful. Another groan slipped out. Could a man die of lust? Because he was on the way.

‘Then maybe you should think about bribing me, so I’ll let you off the hook.’

‘Um… Um… Um…’ Seriously, his brain was fricasseed.

‘Something that doesn’t involve a condom, since I’ve confiscated that,’ she said.

‘Um…’

‘Turn around.’

He turned fast enough to give himself a corkscrew knee injury. Reached automatically for her.

‘No touching an officer,’ she barked. ‘Just stand there. Stand there and take it like a man.’

Before he knew what was happening she’d shoved him against the wall. And then she was on her knees in front of him, dragging his jeans down, just low enough to free him. Holding the base of him with one hand, cupping his balls with the other, she licked the very tip of him. Delicate, fluttery…gradually moving down the shaft, back up, down, then up. Alternately kissing and licking. Gradually increasing the pressure of her tongue, her lips.

He wanted to touch her hair, but she’d wound it up under the police cap. And looking at that cap as she worked on him was getting him more excited than he’d ever been in his life.

She tilted her head back, replaced her mouth with her hands, looked up at him, parted her lips, licked that heavy top lip…and with a quick, wicked smile closed her mouth over him.

Scott let loose with a whole string of groaning cries as she sucked him, using her lips, her tongue, her teeth, even the roof of her mouth. Stretching him, laving him, devouring him. Her hands were moving everywhere her mouth wasn’t until he was half insane with need. He felt the orgasm building, clawing to get out.

And then she did something with her tongue, and he looked down at the police cap, caught a glimpse of pale skin as she angled her head and her mouth performed a twist he’d never experienced before, and it was rushing at him.

‘Kate! Kate, I’m going to come!’ he said in urgent warning.

But she just kept right on going, shifting so that her hands were gripping his hips, keeping him inside her mouth, and he thought for a moment he was going to pass out with the pleasure of it. She kept up the pressure right through his explosion of a release, as his hips jerked under her hands and he spilled himself to the point of exhaustion.

And then she got to her feet. Looked at him as she licked that top lip again. ‘So, whatever you were doing tonight before I caught you—’ as though she’d just written him a ticket ‘—don’t do it again.’

And then she turned, started walking away.

Scott couldn’t believe, at first, that she would just leave him like that—but she kept going.

‘Kate!’ he called out, pulling up his jeans.

Stop. Turn. ‘It’s Officer Cleary.’

‘I’ll come with you. I owe you.’

‘Is that another bribe?’ She shook her head. ‘Now, you see, that’s why I don’t associate with criminals.’

‘But—’

‘You’ll receive a message from the station in a few days, once I’ve cleared your name, and then we’ll see.’

She turned again, walked briskly down the lane. And was gone.

He finished tucking in his shirt. Feeling both incredibly sated and hugely unsatisfied.

Because she was gone. Without having let him touch her once.

Gone. Just like Sunday morning.

Gone.

One thing Scott knew was that he wasn’t a fan of this ‘gone girl’ thing. He was going to have to let her know he didn’t appreciate her just leaving. Like, bang, leaving.

Even if it was essentially what he’d done to her on Saturday night—and without giving her any kind of release at all. But he’d had a reason. Self-preservation! Her? Tonight? What possible reason could she have had?

Bang. Gone.

Nope. He didn’t like it one bit.

The next day Scott left two phone messages for Kate.

Her response was to text him back.

Play Time. Thursday. Your house. 7 p.m.

He swore long and loud. Play Time was all very well, but he wanted to talk to her. That interrupted conversation from Sunday morning was still heavy on his mind and he wanted to fix it. Because things didn’t feel…right.

He tried to call her again—she didn’t pick up. So he called her office, spoke to Deb. Received the message that Kate was interstate, working on a child custody case.

‘And it’s a messy one,’ Deb told him. ‘So you’ve got no chance of getting hold of her and please don’t try. She’s…’

He could feel the hesitation. Teetering, teetering…Go on, tell me, tell me. But no.

‘Look, just leave her to it,’ Deb said, and hung up.

He found himself hanging on to the phone, reluctant to let it go. As if it was some line of communication he didn’t want to snap.

Which was just plain stupid.

He forced himself to disconnect.

He worried about what Deb had said. ‘She’s…’ Just the one word. Hesitant, hanging, worrying.

She’s…what? She’s…not interested in you any more? She’s…having a meltdown? Having a biopsy? Eating chicken for lunch. What, dammit? What?

He paced around his office, needing to speak to her, knowing he couldn’t.

Focusing on the first thing that had popped into his head—that she wasn’t interested in him any more—calmed him a little. Because if that were true she wouldn’t have sent him that Play Time text.

And they had a contract—which might be stupid but at least meant that even if she was over him she still had to see him for another week and a half. So he had time to work on her, get her back onside. Time to make the sex so phenomenal she’d be sorry she didn’t have a clause demanding seven nights a week instead of a lousy two.

Starting Thursday, when he saw her again. At his house, this time. In his bed.

He never brought women home, because…well, because. But Kate…?

He sucked in a breath as the image of her in his house shimmered in his head.

Would she like it?

In his bed?

How would she look there?

Not that those thoughts were germane! The germane thing was that it would be the perfect opportunity to gauge whether the wattage of their sexual attraction needed to be amped up. Although, frankly, much more wattage might just finish him off.

A new image popped into his head. Kate on her knees in that dark alley, going down on him. Refusing to allow him to touch her. Just leaving him there.

Okay, so he hadn’t calmed down.

He wouldn’t be calm until he spoke to her. Until he knew what was going on with her.

He wouldn’t be calm until she was calm.

Because he knew, knew, she wasn’t calm. He’d heard the worry in Deb’s voice. A child custody case. The kind that hit Kate the hardest. She would be stressed. And…and grieving. Interstate—on her own. With nobody to hold her and tell her it was going to be all right, even if it wasn’t. Just to be there. With her—for her.

And then he stopped himself. She had a family to turn to. A large, loving family. She didn’t need him.

Sex. No strings. That was what they had. She’d made that plain by responding to his voicemail messages with a text. She was going through hell…but for him she offered Play Time. Because that was the deal. He’d teased her that she was falling behind on the fantasies, so she was dishing them up. Twice in one week. Any man would want that. Phillip the aged barrister would be thrilled with that.

Scott found that his hands had balled into fists and determinedly unclenched them. Flexed them. Took a deep, calming breath.

Better.

It was no good getting bent out of shape over Phillip. Over Play Time. Or over Kate being alone dealing with hell. No damned good.

So he would take Deb’s advice. He would wait until Thursday. He would see what fantasy she came up with. He would respond sexually.

And that would be all.

CHAPTER TWELVE

KATE TOOK EXTRA-SPECIAL care getting ready for Play Time on Thursday. Her hair was swinging loose, artfully dishevelled, and she had on her favourite red lipstick—which was fine for today because there would be no kissing.

She was wearing her sexiest underwear. Nude mesh and lace, complete with suspender belt—and she’d gone for ultra-sheer black stockings as a contrast. Achingly high black stilettos. A taupe trench coat, tied but not buttoned.

That was it. Not one thing more. Perfect for the role she was playing.

A role that would not involve any of those pesky deep and meaningful fireside chats.

Scott would be happy about that. And, frankly, she was happy about it too. Having spent two soul-destroying days fighting to get her client’s little boy back, ‘Kate Cleary’ deserved the night off. Tomorrow she would take up the legal cudgels again—but tonight, Kate wanted to be someone else.

When Kate arrived at Scott’s house in East Sydney she had to recheck his business card to make sure she had the right address—because she was standing in front of an old church. She’d already guessed Scott’s house was going to be special, if Silverston was anything to go by. But this was something else. She couldn’t wait to see inside.

No! She caught herself up. She wasn’t a starry-eyed girlfriend, about to get a guided tour of her boyfriend’s architectural wonder of a home. Scott—who hadn’t even invited her here—was probably in there pacing the floor, hating the idea of her invading his private space. So she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being interested.

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