Todd came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her

“That was nice of you, babe, but never thank me for telling the truth. You can feed me,” he added pointedly. “Especially if you plan on taking advantage of me again.” He let go of her just enough to move her hair out of the way so he could kiss her neck, which he did with great skill and desire.

“You’d better stop that if you plan to eat, because I can assure you I have plans for you,” she said in a sultry voice.

He turned her around so they were facing each other and he pressed the lower part of his body into hers. “On second thought, I can wait a little while longer for food, but I still need to eat. Have you ever made love in a kitchen?”

MELANIE SCHUSTER

attributes her love of writing to her love of reading. She was lucky enough to be born to parents who were avid readers and she learned to read before she started school. She is still a voracious reader of all genres, that is, when she’s not on deadline! When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, shopping online for rare books, making jewelry and sewing. She also loves to cook, and is working on a very special cookbook based on her novels. She lives in Michigan with her very sassy and slightly spoiled dog, Sadie.

Chemistry of Desire
Melanie Schuster

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dedicated with love to Evette Porter

and ShaShana Crichton. Thanks for everything, always.

Dear Reader,

For all of you who wanted to know more about the delectable Todd Wainwright from Model Perfect Passion, this one’s for you! And it will also answer any questions you had about Ayanna’s grumpy sister, Emily, from A Case for Romance. Emily was a grouchy, antisocial workaholic who got a whole new outlook on life, as well as a new appearance, thanks to her BFFs. But it might have been a bit too much of a change for a man who already thought she was perfect from head to toe. He was already attracted to her, but the new version scared him off. Love and understanding, along with communication, conquer all for this seemingly mismatched couple.

Thank you all for the prayers and love you’ve been sending my way. I love and appreciate all of you more than I can say.

Stay blessed!

Melanie

I Chronicles 4:10

Many thanks and much love to my ride-or-die readers

and friends. Thanks for believing in me

and supporting me every step of the way.

A special thanks to Betty, Louise, Kimmi-Kim, Nicole,

Patsy, Pam and “Miss Begina”. No one can do it all

without a support system and

you ladies make my hard road much easier.

Love you all!

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Prologue

The hallway of the middle school was quiet, much quieter than it was during the normal school day. There were only a few students left taking part in after-school activities. Two girls were lingering outside the gym, eavesdropping for all they were worth. One was tall and rail thin, and the other was so short she could have been in elementary school. They were standing as still as possible and listening to every word being spoken in the gym, which wasn’t hard because the words echoed loudly in the corridor due to the poor soundproofing.

The first voice was the coach of the girls dance team, Mrs. Carter. “Emily, you need to find another after-school activity. You’re just not suited for dance.”

A second voice chimed in. This time it was the assistant coach, Mrs. Johnson. “You just don’t have the feminine grace to succeed in dance. You would do better in soccer or basketball, something like that.”

“I don’t understand,” Emily said, her voice clear but slightly shaky. “I can do all the dances and I don’t forget the steps. I know all of the moves we’re supposed to do, so why can’t I dance?”

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” Mrs. Carter said condescendingly. “I’m sure you thought you could do this because your older sisters were such lovely dancers, but this just isn’t for you.”

“But I can do it,” Emily protested. “I can show you.”

Mrs. Johnson cut in. “We’re not trying to hurt your feelings, but our decision is final. Get your things and get on home. Think about something else you’d like to participate in, because you’re not getting on the dance squad. You are so different from your sisters, it’s like night and day. They’re so petite and graceful, and you’re just not. Face it, dear—you’re just too big and clumsy-looking for this. Find another activity.”

The two girls looked at each other with anger and indignation. Emily was their best friend, and nobody had the right to be so mean to her. They heard the door to the locker room forced open as Emily went to get her things. They also heard the two women continue to talk to each other.

“I don’t know how that girl could be related to Attiya and Ayanna. They got all the beauty in that family, and that’s the truth,” said Mrs. Carter.

“They took after their mother,” Mrs. Johnson agreed. “That Emily looks like a big ol’ bear next to them. It’s a good thing she gets good grades, because she has nothing else going for her. It must be hard being the big ugly one in a pretty family.”

“Too bad for her,” Mrs. Carter agreed. “Turn off the lights and let’s get out of here.”

The two girls waited until the lights went out in the gym before running into the locker room to get their friend. The teachers left by the side entrance and didn’t even notice that Emily was still in the locker room. The girls got there just in time to see Emily wiping away angry tears.

“I’m not going out for the dance team,” she mumbled. “I’m not going out for anything. I’m going home.”

“Don’t listen to those old bats,” said the short one, who was named Alexis. “They’re just old and senile, and they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

The tall one, named Sherri, agreed. “You should tell your mother and get them suspended without pay, because they have no right to say those things to a student. It’s discriminatory.”

They were trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t really work. She’d been hearing the same kind of things from people since she was a little girl. Nothing she ever did was good enough, because she didn’t look like her sisters. It wasn’t her fault that she was tall and sturdy instead of little and gorgeous. So she was done trying to be like them. From now on she was going to be the smartest girl in the family, since she couldn’t be anything else. And she had something else to look forward to, according to Sherri.

“Don’t worry about it, because tomorrow I’ma put a worm in their desks. That’ll fix the old hags.”

Emily was surprised that she could laugh, but she did. They all laughed together as they left the building and started the long walk home.

Chapter 1

“Do you think she’ll cuss us out?” Alexis sounded more amused than nervous as she checked the contents of her shopping bag.

“Probably. But she needs to vent to somebody or she’ll pop. It’s our duty to annoy her enough to let it out.” Sherri was always practical, down-to-earth and fearless. And she would probably need all of those characteristics to deal with their BFF today. She turned off the ignition and reached into the backseat to get the bag she’d brought. She turned to Alexis with a face of determination. “Let’s get it over with. Emily’s had her panties in a knot for weeks, and it’s past time that we find out why. Get out of the car.”

Alexis frowned. “If she wanted us to know what’s been bothering her, she’d have told us. She’s entitled to her privacy,” she pointed out.

“Get out of the car. She doesn’t need privacy, she needs her girls. Out!”

They finally made it to the green front door of the cottage. It was a perfect little jewel of a house. Emily had done almost all the renovation work herself, and the results were spectacular. Alexis looked ready to bolt, but Sherri grabbed her arm with one hand while she rang the bell with the other. “Girl, if you make me drop this bottle of wine, I will hurt you,” she threatened.

Luckily, Emily answered the door before mayhem could ensue. She had been exercising from the looks of her; she was wearing workout clothes that bore large sweat patterns around the neck and the armpits, and she was wiping more sweat from her face. “What a surprise,” she said dryly. “So what is this, an intervention?”

Sherri sucked her teeth. “Yes, it is. And it wouldn’t be necessary if you would just confide in your best friends like a normal woman. Move out of the way so we can come in before we drop this stuff.”

Emily didn’t budge. “What stuff? Is it edible?”

Alexis nodded vigorously. “We brought you dinner, and it’s hella good.” Emily moved out of the doorway so they could enter the house. As Alexis walked past her, she whispered, “Sherri made me ambush you. This was all her idea.”

Sadly, Alexis had never really learned how to whisper, so Sherri heard every word. “I’ll get you later. In the meantime, let’s eat,” Sherri said cheerfully. “We’ll set the table while you go shower, Miss Emily.”

“Fine, if you’re gonna gang up on me,” Emily mumbled, but she really didn’t sound angry. She actually sounded a little relieved, but only someone who knew her very well would have noticed.

In a short time the ladies were sitting at the table in the breakfast room off Emily’s kitchen. It was spotless, as was every room of the house. The walls were pale green, matching the green-and-white ceramic tile floor. All the trim was black, matching the black and stainless steel appliances and the black table and chairs. The chairs had seats covered in green-and-white-patterned fabric that matched the café curtains in the windows that surrounded the seating area.

“What are we eating?” Emily asked. “Not that I care, of course. You know I’ll eat anything.”

“I brought some chicken salad and rolls and brownies,” Alexis told her.

“Brought out the big guns, huh? You’re really trying to make me talk, aren’t you?” Emily put a big helping of salad on her plate and took two of the crusty homemade rolls. Alexis made astounding chicken salad, and Emily could never get enough of it.

Sherri poured her a glass of pinot grigio. “Yes, this is a bribe. It’s come to that, Em. You’ve been acting like a different person since you took that trip to Hilton Head in September and we want to know why. You have been avoiding us, and when we do manage to get in touch with you, you’re in a nasty-ass mood, the one that scares most people off. We’ve been friends since grade school, and you can’t scare us off,” she said. “But there has to be a good explanation for your errant behavior, and we want to know what it is. Time for you to share, sister.”

Emily looked at Sherri and then at Alexis. The three of them had been friends forever. They were really the only people she was close to, outside of her family. All of them were pretty, but they couldn’t have been more dissimilar. Emily was tall and bronze, with long, thick black hair that she never did anything to, other than keep it clean. She was in perfect shape, thanks to years of yoga, cycling and karate. Nothing fussy or girlish about her, but she was a very busy woman. Head of the biochemistry department at University of South Carolina, her schedule was loaded with academics as well as community service. She had too much on her plate to mess around with cosmetics—at least that was her excuse.

Alexis, on the other hand, was petite with chocolate-brown skin, and her hair was always chic. Since she was a much sought-after cosmetologist, her hair was her advertisement; it had better be fly. Sherri was even taller than Emily and very striking. She was very fair-skinned with short red hair, and she was always fashionably attired even though she was as busy as Emily, if not busier. She was a doctor with a practice in family medicine, and she was also a single mother. But she would still take the time to put on a little makeup and some jewelry, two things that Emily ignored. Despite their differences in appearance and demeanor, they were truly close and always would be. When good things happened to them they celebrated, and when bad things happened they commiserated. What they didn’t do was hold out on each other the way Emily was doing.

“You know we’re not just being nosy,” Alexis said. “Well, Sherri is, you know what a busybody she is. I’m truly concerned about you, sweetie.” Her pious tone ended in a shriek as Sherri pinched her arm.

Emily was considerably mellower after her delicious dinner. “Look, if it’s gonna keep you two from maiming each other, I will tell you why I’ve been in such a pissy mood for the last month. As you already know, I went to Hilton Head the week after my summer science camp. But what you don’t know is I had some company while I was there.”

“Who?” Alexis and Sherri spoke in unison with wide eyes.

“This will go faster if you don’t interrupt. And might I add you look like owls when you do that? Okay, so this is what happened,” she drawled.

Chapter 2

September

Hilton Head Island

It was a perfect fall day. The SUV was humming along the road, the sky was cloudless and blue and the music was blasting from the speakers. Todd Wainwright was feeling more relaxed than he had in months. When he saw the bright blue mailbox that was his landmark, he turned into the driveway. It was a long driveway that went up a slight incline, and there was a big barnlike garage at the end. He chose not to explore the garage, stopping instead next to the house, where he turned off the ignition and tried to stretch. The drive from Chicago had taken hours, and his long limbs were feeling the strain. He got out of the Expedition so he could get the kinks out of his body and take a look around at the same time.

The house was everything he was told it would be. It was beautiful, spacious, secluded and near the water. The house sat far back from the road and was surrounded by trees, mostly pine. He removed his sunglasses and took in a deep breath of the enticing scent of the sea and the fragrant scent of evergreen. For once he had listened to his friends and family back in Illinois, and he was glad he had. It was his brother’s idea that he take some time off. It was his sister-in-law’s notion that he needed to go out of town and his friend Ayanna had given him the keys to her family’s vacation home on Hilton Head Island.

“You’ll love it down there,” she’d assured him. “Daddy was an architect and he not only designed the house, he built it himself. It’s right on the beach, and it’s kinda secluded so you’ll get some rest and relaxation. My mother is in Africa right now and my sister Emily is off with her youth camp, so you can run around naked all day if you want to,” she had teased him.

Todd had laughed and said he might just do that. Now, as he looked at the greenery surrounding the modern but rustic-looking home that awaited him, he grinned. Maybe running around without clothes was a possibility. The stitches were out and there was no reason to stay covered up anymore. Besides, Ayanna had said something about an outdoor hot tub that had sounded pretty good. He didn’t bother to get his bags. He decided to take a look around and get his bearings first.

The exterior had a porch that extended around three sides. In the back there was a deck with a broad overhang that protected the hot tub Ayanna had mentioned. Todd had mounted the stairs and was standing on the deck when he realized the back door was open. The screen door was closed and locked, but the wood-and-glass door that opened into the kitchen was wide open. He sorted through the keys on the ring he was holding and found one that was labeled for the kitchen screen door. He opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, announcing himself so that he didn’t scare whoever was in the house.

“This is Todd Wainwright, a friend of the family. I’m invited to use the house so I have keys,” he said in his low, mellow voice.

He didn’t get an answer, so he kept moving through the downstairs, looking into the great room that adjoined the kitchen, the living room and the media room. The house was even better on the inside. Everything was paneled in gleaming oak. The living room had a cathedral ceiling, and all the rooms had black ceiling fans that looked elegant instead of kitschy. The furnishings were simple and casual, yet the rooms exuded a touch of elegance. It looked like a layout from a House Beautiful magazine, but lived-in.

Todd kept walking around, repeating his original statement a couple of times but still getting no answer. He was at the foot of the stairs when he thought he heard something. Climbing the stairs to the second story, he continued to try to alert anyone who might be in the house. “I’m not a burglar, I’m not a pervert, and I was invited here by Ayanna. I got in with the keys she gave me,” he said in a soothing voice, or what he hoped was soothing. He heard water splashing and followed the noise to what appeared to be a bathroom. The door was open, and the warm moisture in the room was heavy with the scent of flowers. And standing in the bathtub covered with creamy foam was Ayanna’s sister Emily—naked as the day she was born, singing at the top of her lungs as she swayed under the spray of a handheld shower.

Todd’s heart leaped to his throat and stayed there, lodged right next to his Adam’s apple. He wanted to say something to let her know he was there, but he couldn’t get a word out. He’d met Emily on a few occasions, but he couldn’t currently make sense of what he was currently staring at. Her golden-brown skin gleamed with the droplets of water cascading over it. She had an amazing body, now that he could see it without clothes. Her back was to him, and he could see the perfect globes of her behind, her firm thighs and her long, curvy legs. Her long hair was full of shampoo, and she was using the shower attachment as a microphone. He’d never heard a version of “Single Ladies” as off-key and tuneless as the one Emily was wailing, but her beauty more than made up for it. Todd knew he had to get out of there fast or things would get real ugly.

He backed out of the doorway and silently made his way back downstairs. Damn, that was close. He couldn’t have explained his actions in any way that would have made sense. He knew that Emily would’ve been angry and embarrassed about being spied on. And she’d have been completely justified, too. He knew better than to sneak up on a woman like that, even if it was an accident. Once she dried off and dressed, he could explain everything to her. In the meantime, he decided to sit on the porch and enjoy the breeze for a few minutes. He took a seat in one of oversize chairs with comfortable, thickly padded seat covers and propped his legs on a matching ottoman. He fell asleep almost at once, lulled by the soft wind and the chirping of the birds in the trees. He would have stayed that way for a long time, but a strange voice made his eyes pop open.

“Sir, do you care to explain why you’re here?”

The first thing Todd focused on was a tall South Carolina state trooper who was watching him intently while he repeated his question. “Sir, I asked you why you were here.”

Now that he was aware that the man’s partner was also present, Todd answered him. “I was invited to stay here by the owner of this house.”

“Well now, that’s a funny thing. The owner of the house is the person who called us and reported a B&E. She doesn’t seem to know you.”

“There’s been a big misunderstanding. I’m a friend of Ayanna Walker, uh, her married name is Phillips now. Anyway, she gave me the keys to the house and said no one would be here. But her sister Emily is home, and I was just waiting for her to come downstairs so I could let her know I was here.” His words sounded bungled and inane even to him, but he figured it was better to tell the truth.

“Okay, sir, that sounds plausible, except for the part about your being a friend of the family, because Ms. Emily is the one who called us and she claims to not know you.”

Just then a female head popped out of the door. Emily was fully clothed with her still-soapy hair draped over her shoulders in long tight ringlets. Her long-lashed eyes peered at him with suspicion. “Todd, is that you? When did you cut your hair?”

In a short time all the misunderstandings were ironed out and the troopers left, although the younger man was still giving Todd the side eye. Emily had felt totally foolish when she realized that it was indeed Todd and not some random stranger who had invaded her home. She had thrown on clothes hastily as she was calling 911 and was now attired in faded denim shorts with frayed edges and an equally faded T-shirt, complete with holes from years of wear. Her feet were bare and she should have looked like a typical tomboy, but she didn’t. She looked quite sexy, as a matter of fact, but she wouldn’t have believed it for a minute. Emily was much too down-to-earth to categorize herself as any kind of femme fatale.

“Well, come on in,” she said. “You want some lemonade or sweet tea?”

“Sure.”

They went into the kitchen and she poured him a glass of lemonade, offering him some fat sugar cookies to go with it.

“I’m really sorry,” Todd said again. “I had no idea you were here, or I wouldn’t have come. In fact, if you tell me where there’s a hotel, I’ll get out of your hair.”

Emily ignored his comment and looked at him intently. “Speaking of hair, you never said why you cut yours,” she pointed out.

Todd ran his hand over his head, which was shorn down to his scalp. The last time she’d seen him, he’d had long braids that came way past his shoulders. Now he was almost bald with a shadow beard and moustache.

“I cut it because I met a patient who was starting chemo. She came into the emergency room during a crisis, and I treated her before she was admitted. Cutest little girl you ever saw,” he added. “Anyway, she knew she was going to lose all her hair, so I told her I’d shave my head so we’d match.”

Emily smiled. “That was really sweet of you. What did she think?”

Todd laughed. “I went to see her after I did it, and she said I looked better with braids and I wasn’t handsome anymore.”

Emily laughed, too. “You can’t beat kids for being honest.” She might be honest, but she’s wrong. You still look good to me, she thought.

Todd was looking around the kitchen as she was looking at him, examining every inch of his tall, muscular frame. She blushed as he had to repeat his question, since she was in her own little world when he spoke.

“I asked if there was a hotel nearby. I don’t want to get in your way,” Todd said.

“Todd, don’t be silly. There’s plenty of room here. Ayanna said you were welcome and you are. She thought the place would be empty because she’d been so busy with her family that she forgot that my camp was last week. We have four bedrooms and two and a half baths, so it doesn’t make sense for you to go to a hotel. Just go out to your car and get your things,” she said briskly.

“If I’d seen your car I wouldn’t have used the key to get in,” Todd said ruefully. “I probably just should have waited until I heard you come downstairs or something, instead of just coming in.”

“That’s because my car is in the barn. And if you hadn’t come in you wouldn’t have been able to see me in the bathtub, would you?”

Her tone was both casual and naturally seductive, so much so that Todd choked on his lemonade.

“Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you heard me upstairs. How did you know I saw you?”

His face got red as she gave him a knowing smile and answered, “Because you just told me. Go get your stuff and I’ll take you to your room.”

Chapter 3

Alexis couldn’t take any more. “Wait a minute, wait a minute! You’re telling us that the man saw you naked? Butt naked? A strange man saw you with no clothes on, and he’s still living? Why didn’t you beat the crap out of him?”

Emily shrugged. “He’s not a strange man. He’s a good friend of my sister. He was a groomsman in her wedding. Don’t you remember me telling you about him?”

Sherri and Alexis looked at each other before looking back at her. “No,” they answered, once again speaking in unison.

“I must have said something about him,” Emily countered. “He’s a real nice guy, very handsome, a doctor. Very down-to-earth, too. Are you sure you don’t remember?”

“If he was all that, why didn’t you get with him when you were in Chicago?” Alexis asked pointedly.

“I don’t ‘get with’ guys, Alexis. That’s not my deal. Besides, he was with someone,” she answered just as pointedly.

Sherri was shaking her head. “I’m going to forget the naked part for a hot minute, but we’re going back to that. If you know the guy and you like him, why did you call the cops on him?”

“I told you, I didn’t recognize him! I knew him as having long braids, and they were gone, remember?”

Sherri got up and went to the drawer where Emily kept odds and ends and came back to the table with a notepad and a pen. “I’m going to have a lot of questions when you get through, so I’m taking notes. Alexis, try to hold it in, chick. We need to get the rest of this story before we react.”

Alexis moaned dramatically and made a horrible face. Sherri raised an eyebrow and stared her down. Alexis pouted, but the grimace melted away immediately. “That’s a good idea, Sherri. I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. Okay, what happened next, Em?”

Emily looked totally composed as she watched Todd go out to his car to get his luggage, but nothing could have been further from the truth. After the morning she’d had, her heart was still going like a jackhammer. Her whole world had been turned upside down in the past hour, and she was trying desperately to look as if it was no big deal. But that was going to be really difficult. From the moment she’d met him, Emily had a secret passion for Todd. She’d never shared this information with anyone, especially not him. And now here he was live and in person under her roof. She should have pointed him to the nearest Marriott when he said he’d stay at a hotel, but no, she had to tell him to stay with her. Clearly, she wasn’t in her right mind; she was just still rattled from the events of the day.

The moment she’d realized there was someone in the house, she’d gone into panic mode. She’d been singing loudly while she was standing in the bathtub, but she’d caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye that scared the hell out of her. It was a man, a big bald man. She tried to remember if the rifle her father had kept was upstairs where she was or downstairs in the closet. Downstairs, it’s always downstairs, she muttered. Without bothering to dry off, she got out of the deep tub and tiptoed to her bedroom, leaving the water running so she wouldn’t alert the intruder that she’d left the bathroom. Throwing on an old pair of shorts as she reached for her cell phone, she hastily called an old friend of her dad’s who happened to be a state trooper in the area. Thankfully he’d been on duty and told her he’d be right there. By the time she’d tossed on a T-shirt, she could see him pull into the driveway behind the strange vehicle that was parked there.

After she tiptoed down the stairs and listened to the man and his partner interrogate the stranger, she realized it was Todd, the man she’d met in Chicago when her sister Ayanna had gotten married. He was tall, intelligent and very funny, as well as fine as hell. When she finally came out on the porch to face him, it took her a few seconds to recognize him because he’d cut off his long braids. He looked like Shemar Moore now, or at least as close to Shemar Moore as she was gonna get. His long lean body was still as sexy as she recalled, and his voice was still as captivating. And he was right here with her on Hilton Head. For once, Emily wished that she had less intellect and more sex appeal, but there was nothing she could do about it now. When Todd returned to the back porch, she held the kitchen door open for him as he carried in a large bag and small duffel.

“I hate to keep repeating myself, but I can easily stay at a hotel,” Todd reminded her.

“And I hate to keep telling you that you’re perfectly welcome to stay here. Unless you find my company repulsive or something,” she replied. “Ayanna obviously just forgot when I would be here. Even if she’d remembered that I was going to be here, you’d still be welcome. This place is way too big for one person. Come on upstairs and pick out a room so we can get your things put away,” she said nonchalantly, as though having a super-fine man drop in on her was an everyday occurrence. Which it wasn’t, not by a long shot.

She didn’t wait for him to answer; she just started walking to the back stairs that were next to the kitchen. Sucking in air so she wouldn’t appear out of breath, which she was due to the faint masculine scent that drifted from Todd, she walked down the hall to the bedroom next to hers.

“You can have your pick of rooms. Daddy wanted this place to hold all of us, plus guests.”

The room held a king-size bed, a dresser and armoire, a wide padded window seat and a big comfortable-looking chair. Her mother had decorated it in soothing shades of green, and it looked as posh as a fancy hotel but much homier due to the oak floors and walls. Todd looked around with a satisfied smile. “This is great, Emily. I can’t believe your father built this place himself.”

“Well, I helped a little. I thought about going into architecture at one time, but science was my real calling.” She felt her cheeks grow hot as the shyness that usually overtook her when she was talking to a good-looking man arose. “Okay, I’ll let you get settled. I have to get the shampoo out of my hair,” she said as she felt the ends, which were getting crispy from the dried suds.

Todd grinned as he saw her fingering her long ringlets. “This time I promise not to spy.”

A hot flush raced over her, but this time it didn’t reach her face. Rather, it lingered in the most intimate part of her body, and for some reason the feeling wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. It was kind of exciting, which made her back out of the room with a quickness. “It wouldn’t do you any good, buddy, because I’m locking the door.”

Todd’s laughter followed her down the hall as she hurried to finish her shower properly.

The day ended much better than it had begun, especially the part with the police raid. After Todd got his things put away, he took a shower in the bathroom that was located safely down the hall from the one Emily was using. He tried valiantly not to think about what she was doing in the other bathroom, but it was impossible. Now that he knew what she looked like under the loose, often baggy clothes that she usually wore, his whole perspective of her had changed. He’d always thought of her as ubersmart, funny and cute as hell, but now he knew the real deal. Emily was a true banger with brains, and it was a dangerous combination. To punish himself for the lustful turn his thoughts were taking, he turned the water to full-on cold, but it didn’t help a bit. The erection he’d gotten from thinking about Emily doubled in size in pure defiance.

“Thanks a lot, friend,” he mumbled as he turned the water off. “That’s just what I need. I’ve already spied on the woman, and now I’m entertaining thoughts of lust. You need to calm down before you make me do something I’ll regret later.” Although he couldn’t imagine regretting anything he did with Emily. She was so different from the airheaded sexpots he usually wound up with. Anything that transpired between him and Emily would be pure pleasure. He had just finished toweling himself dry when his cell phone rang. He groaned when he saw the number on his caller ID, because it belonged to a woman he had no desire to speak with ever again. He ignored the phone and finished his grooming so he could see what Emily was doing. Whatever it was, it was bound to be as interesting as she was.

Emily took a last look in the mirror before going down to the kitchen. She’d gotten all the shampoo out and put on the leave-in conditioner her sister had forced on her the last time they were together. Makeup and other girly things weren’t high on Emily’s list of priorities, but she finally agreed with Ayanna on conditioner and a few other basics like clear lip gloss. Her wardrobe was still more functional than feminine, though. She had a vast array of T-shirts and knit tops that she wore with denim for leisure and khakis for work, but that was about it. Even now she was wearing shorts and a tank top with a pair of flip-flops. She looked clean and plain. If she had on some cute earrings or something it might help upgrade her image, but she didn’t bring any with her.

“What you see is what you get,” she said with a slight frown. She tossed her long, heavy hair over her shoulder and went down to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could make for dinner. The refrigerator door was wide open and she was inspecting the contents when Todd’s voice startled her. Two tomatoes hit the floor as he asked if there was anything he could to do to help.

“You can quit sneaking up on me! I’m going to put a bell on you,” she said with a frown. “Learn to make some noise when you come into a room.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you, again,” he said with the dazzling smile that made her weak in the knees. “How about I take you out to dinner to make up for it?”

“Well, I was going to make something, but if you want to eat out, we can.”

“Wait a minute, you’re offering home cooked food? Maybe I should think this over. How good of a cook are you?” He leaned against the counter and continued to show her his dazzling white perfect teeth in his devilish smile.

It was her turn to smile as she answered him. “I cook by the decimal system,” she replied.

“I’m not familiar with that,” he admitted.

“I can make ten of most things. Ten kinds of cake, ten kinds of sandwiches, ten kinds of salad, you get my drift. I cook basics, like chicken. But I know ten ways to fix it.”

“That’s, um, different.”

Emily shrugged. “Everybody should know how to feed themselves. Ten seemed to be a good number to master. Anything less is boring and anything more is superfluous. So I can fix eggs ten ways. Same with potatoes, tomatoes and just about anything else.”

Todd laughed. “Practical and creative, a woman after my own heart. And as much as I’d like to sample some of your decimal kitchen stylings, I’d be less than a gentleman if I didn’t take you out. You do like seafood, don’t you?”

Emily made a little face. “I love it, but I’m not really dressed to go out. And I can’t go change, because I didn’t bring anything fancy with me. I don’t actually own anything fancy, except the dress I wore in Ayanna’s wedding,” she said with a hint of defiance.

“So? You look fine to me, and I wasn’t thinking about anything fancy. I kinda pictured a dive bar with good food and ice-cold beer. Is there anything like that around here?”

Emily grinned. “If that’s what you want, I have just the place for you. Let’s go.”

“This is just what I had in mind,” Todd said approvingly. “Good music, cold beer and great food. And the atmosphere is perfect.”

They were seated next to the windows that ran the length of the long, narrow dining room of Fishy’s Roadhouse. The walls and floors were of the same weathered wood. The tables were a mixture of old wood and fifties Formica, with worn vinyl chairs. Old license plates and Burma-Shave ads were on the walls, along with stuffed fish and other oddities. A big jukebox was near the bandstand, and “Use Somebody” by the Kings of Leon was playing. The staff wore bowling shirts and jeans, and the total effect was laid-back and cheerful. The food was exceptional, and they had polished off a pile of crab legs and lobster with corn bread, coleslaw and fries. They had also shared a huge slab of pecan pie with Fishy’s homemade ice cream.

Todd was enjoying himself tremendously. Emily was totally unselfconscious while she ate, and she ate like a real person, not like the women he dated. They were the salad brigade, women who avoided carbs and red meat and desserts, all the things that made life worth living. Emily had a beautiful body, and she seemed to treat it very well without starving herself. In his experience, a woman who enjoyed the pleasure of eating enjoyed other pleasures as well. From what he could see, Emily was a very sensual lady in all ways. She had a heart-shaped face with rich brown skin that looked as if it would be soft and smooth to touch. Her thick eyebrows were natural, like her eyelashes. That was one of the things he really liked, the fact that she wasn’t plastered with makeup. And her smile was just as sexy as she was, with big dimples that bracketed her full, moist lips.

“I’m glad you like this place. I come here all the time when I’m on Hilton Head,” she told him. “It’s really good in October when the stone crab claws are in season. You can only get them in Florida, but the owner has a relative there and he gets some a few times during the season. They’re wonderful, my favorite food.”

“How often are you able to get to Hilton Head?” he asked.

“Not as often as I’d like. When I’m not at the university, I’m still busy with community work, like my summer science camp. Or I’m going somewhere else to work. I was in Haiti after the earthquake. I was in New Orleans after Katrina. I never know where I’m going to be,” she said. “Recreation gets pushed to the back of the line when it comes to my schedule.”

Todd was impressed but curious. “What do you do when you’re working in disaster areas? How does your background in biochemistry lend itself to, um…?”

Emily smiled at the way Todd was struggling to word his question. “Don’t worry. I’m not experimenting on people or anything. Not too many people know that I’m a medical doctor as well as being a Ph.D. I volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. I usually spend my vacation traveling for the organization.”

“Dang girl, you put me to shame,” Todd said with obvious sincerity. “Okay, I don’t understand how a woman like you is still single. Are you sure there isn’t some big jealous guy who’s gonna come looking for you and try to split my skull? You are probably the most accomplished person I’ve ever met,” he said with eyes full of admiration.

Emily gave him a slight side eye. “That’s the kind of question a woman would ask, Todd. You sound like you don’t know much about your own species. When has career accomplishment ever been a criterion for male attraction?”

Todd looked surprised at her blunt tone. “Well, now that all depends on the man. Some men like prime rib and some like burgers,” he began.

Emily held up her hand as she rolled her eyes. “Really, Todd? You’re comparing me to meat? I think we need to go home so you can have some quiet time. You’re venturing into some real scary territory,” she said with a smile.

Todd returned her grin with one of his own. “You’re right. Let’s get out of here before I put my other foot in my mouth.” He left a generous tip and they departed. Even though he’d been warned, he had to make an additional comment as they walked to the car. “I stand by what I said. You’re the whole package, Ms. Emily, which is why I can’t understand why you’re single.”

She groaned and shook her head. “Why is marriage supposed to be this big prize? Why is it like the most important thing in the world for a woman? I could ask you the same thing, you know. You’re not married, so what’s up with that?”

Todd had to smile as he put his arm around her shoulder. “That’s a good question, and I’m going to give you a good answer as soon as I think of one.”

“You’d better think hard, because I have a well-honed B.S. detector built into my head,” she cautioned him.

“Duly noted. I’ll never try to get over on you in any way,” he vowed.

“Don’t even worry about it, Todd. I wouldn’t let you get over on me anyway.”

Chapter 4

The rest of the evening was a lot of fun, as well as being a revelation for Todd. When they reached the house, they were still bantering back and forth about a number of things, and Todd discovered that Emily had a wicked sense of humor. She also had great taste in TV, as far as he was concerned.

“We don’t bother with cable since we’re not here daily, but we have lots of DVDs. Do you like True Blood? I’ve got the box set,” Emily told him. “The first two seasons.”

“That show is the only reason I got a DVR,” Todd said reverently. “Well, not the only one, but one of them.”

Emily handed him the DVD with a smile. “You’ve got good taste in TV. That bit of good taste just about makes up for the meat thing. I’m going to make popcorn.”

Todd watched her cute behind and long shapely legs as she went to the kitchen, and he smiled. He was putting the disc into the player when his cell phone rang. The sight of the name on his caller ID made him frown, and he quickly pushed the Ignore button.

“Screening calls? She’s not going to like that,” Emily teased him.

Todd got up from the couch and took the large tray she was carrying from her hands. “Maybe you need to have a bell on. Okay, I get the sneaking up thing. I promise I’ll stomp from now on. Thanks for the popcorn. Now can we please just watch True Blood?”

“Just ignore my question, that’s fine,” she said with a laugh. “I love this show,” she added, adroitly changing the subject.

“So you’re really into supernatural stuff?”

“Absolutely. I like paranormal, sci-fi, horror, espionage and action, anything like that.”

“No chick flicks? I thought most women liked them. My sisters love them,” Todd said.

Emily made a face. “I think my mom might have some here, but it’s not a genre I’m particularly interested in.” She picked up the remote and pushed play.

“You’re an interesting woman, Emily Porter.”

“Yeah, that’s what they tell me.”

Emily couldn’t remember when she’d felt so good. Nor could she recall the sofa being so comfortable. It was a big, cushy wraparound sectional, but tonight its cushions felt sensational and they smelled good, too. Her eyelids felt curiously heavy as she leaned in closer to get a good sniff of the heavenly fragrance. It was fresh and masculine and it certainly wasn’t Febreze, but it smelled familiar. It smelled just like, like Todd. Her eyes opened wide and she realized that she’d been curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder, sniffing him like an eager puppy. Heat flooded her face as he looked down at her.

“You’re back with me, huh? I thought you were out for the night,” he teased.

Emily sat up and tried to disentangle herself from Todd’s long arms, but he didn’t seem too eager to let her go. She gave a final tug so that she was able to put some space between their bodies.

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked grumpily. She felt her hair and sighed when she realized she had bed head. Running her fingers through it, she gave his T-shirt a look. “I didn’t drool on you, did I?”

Todd laughed; a low, sexy sound. “No, you didn’t drool. You started getting quiet, and the next thing I know you had nodded out. You missed the second disc in its entirety,” he informed her.

“You should have shaken me or punched me or something,” she said.

“First of all, that’s not how I would treat a lady, ever. Second, I was enjoying it. Your hair smells good and you’re nice and warm.”

Emily felt heat surge up again at his words. It wasn’t just because she was embarrassed; it was because she was aroused. She’d dreamed about him on more than one occasion, and the experience of having him so close to her in real life was wreaking havoc with her senses. The fact that he was looking at her with such a sexy expression on his face wasn’t helping, either. If anything, it was making her temperature rise faster than she could handle, and she reacted the way she normally did when confronted with the unfamiliar: she snapped at Todd.

“Yeah. I’m going to lock up and I’m going to bed. Good night,” she said irritably. She stood up on feet that were uncharacteristically unsteady and winced as Todd stood up to support her. His strong hands encircled her waist, and she had to bite her lip to keep from saying something she’d regret for life.

“Wait, I’ll go with you. I think I locked the doors, but you can show me how to do it right. This is a beautiful place, but it’s so far off the main road. You should get a dog for protection,” he said as he walked with her to the front door.

Emily checked the heavy locks to make sure they were both secure. “This is a very low crime area and I can take care of myself,” she said grumpily.

Todd didn’t seem put off by her tone in the least. “Everybody thinks that until something happens. They think they can handle anything and they get caught off guard, just like you did today,” he reminded her.

She stopped walking so abruptly that he bumped into her. She unlocked a tall walnut cabinet in the hallway just outside the kitchen. It was her father’s gun safe, and the contents were intimidating, to say the least. There were two rifles and two shotguns, and cloth-lined drawers held his handguns. Emily deftly removed a handgun and closed the door to the safe.

“My dad was a hunter and he taught me how to shoot when I was quite young. I still go to the range every other month just to make sure my skills are what they should be. I normally keep one in the nightstand, but I forgot to take one out when I got here. That’s good news for you, because you would have had this little thing pointed at you instead of having a conversation with a couple of nice, reasonable officers,” she informed him with an evil smile.

Todd reached over and took the gun from her so quickly she didn’t have time to react. “I don’t like guns. You need a big dog.”

Emily didn’t know whether to be outraged at his calm demeanor or turned on by his utter masculinity. She took a stab at outrage and crossed her arms to commence the verbal beat-down that was her usual weapon with macho-acting men.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m trained and licensed to carry that weapon, and it belongs to me. How dare you…” Her voice trailed off as he politely put the gun on top of the gun safe.

His hands came down on her shoulders, and he tilted her face up to his. “I’m sure you’re just as capable with a handgun as you are with everything else, but I still don’t like the idea of you coming here by yourself and relying on an arsenal for safety. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Emily.”

She was afraid her knees were going to buckle. He was looking at her with utter sincerity and concern, two things she wasn’t used to seeing in a man’s eyes. Clearly she was out of her element here, but her traitorous body was actually enjoying the way he was making her feel. Her eyelids started to close and she prepared herself to feel his mouth against hers.

“Let’s finish locking up so you can get to bed. You look a little sleepy,” Todd said.

Emily turned quickly and made sure the kitchen door was locked, as well as the windows she’d opened earlier. She showed Todd how to use the house’s alarm system, and once everything was secured, they went upstairs. Her heartbeat had returned to normal and she was calm enough to speak in a casual manner.

“Good night, Todd. I hope you’re comfortable. If you hear anything in the morning, it’ll just be me. I leave the house at about seven to run.”

His face brightened. “Can I join you? I usually use a treadmill for convenience, but I love to run outside.”

“If you want to, but I get up at six-thirty,” she cautioned him.

“Not a problem. Sleep well.”

Her hand was on her doorknob as she looked up at him. “You, too. Sleep well, I mean.”

Without warning he leaned down and took her mouth with his for a lingering kiss that rocked her to her very soul.

“Now I will,” he said.

Todd might have slept soundly, but Emily was having a very difficult time in her room. Ever since Todd had kissed her she’d been dizzy. His lips were hot and smooth and strong, and she’d never felt anything like them in her life. She wasn’t a virgin and she’d had some pleasurable sexual experiences in the past, but they paled in comparison to the thrill of Todd’s kiss. It was unexpected, sweet and hot as fire, and she could still feel it as she tossed and turned in bed.

She had stripped off her clothes as soon as she got into her room, changing into an old plaid cotton robe that she’d had since college. It was big and baggy and utterly hideous, but she needed to be completely covered because she needed a shower right now, preferably a cold one that would shock her back into her right mind. After bundling her hair up into a knot, she waited until she was sure Todd was in his room for the night and she slipped out into the hallway and scooted to the bathroom. Turning the water on full blast, she lathered her body from head to toe, trying to put out the fire Todd had lit.

Why did he kiss me, she wondered. And why didn’t he do it again? He didn’t have to stop; they could have kept on kissing until morning as far as she was concerned. Better yet, they could have just kissed their way into her bed. She was honest enough to admit that she’d desired him since the day they’d met, way back when Ayanna got married. They were introduced at the wedding rehearsal, and she could still recall every detail of their meeting. Everything was engraved in her memory, from what he had on, how he smelled, what his skin felt like as they shook hands to his beautiful smile. She’d had an instant attraction to him, but she was far too self-conscious and shy to make her interest known.

Her feelings about Todd would have remained a secret forever if he hadn’t turned up on her doorstep. But he had, and in a few hours he’d gone from being an abstract desire to something else. What that something was, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t possible to put a name on it. He’d seen her naked, she’d called the police on him; they’d had a nice dinner and watched a DVD until she fell asleep in his arms. She’d waved a gun in his face, and he kissed her good-night. As a first day together it was interesting, to say the least. What would tomorrow bring?

She licked her lips and experienced the same vestigial thrill she’d been feeling since Todd had kissed her. Whatever came next, she vowed she’d be ready for it. Opportunities like this came only once in a lifetime and she wasn’t going to waste it.

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