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I saw the way you looked at Layla the other day, he continued. Her fancy house, white picket
fence, cute little kid. His hands brushed back up from her elbows to her shoulders, leaving sparks of
electricity shooting in their wake. I think underneath everything, you d love to have a nice home with a
happy family.
It was true. As if everything she truly desired was tattooed on her forehead, Travis read her like a
book.
That s not in the cards for me, she said, trying not to sound pitiful, but failing miserably.
One warm hand moved from her shoulder to caress her cheek. Why? Because it would involve
opening your heart and trusting a man?
His touch was like being kissed by an angel. As hard as she tried to hold on to that wall, Travis kept
creeping inside.
What s it to you? she asked, trying to direct the conversation to someone other than herself.
In a voice filled with quiet thoughtfulness, he replied, Maybe I want to be that man.
His words filled her ears as if they were spoken in her dreams. She couldn t imagine any man wanting
more from her than sex, and as much as she tried to discount his intentions, every part of her soul told her
Travis Gage was different from all the others.
But could she trust her soul?
Why would you want someone like me when you can have practically any woman in Chicago?
He paused, tilting his head in a seriously cute way. Yeah, I could hook up with one of the thousands
of women in this city, but honestly, I haven t been interested in anyone since Jess died.
Until now.
He didn t say the words, but she heard them, loud and clear.
And then she couldn t hear anything except for the thud of her pulse in her ears, because Travis
leaned down and kissed her. Unlike their last kiss, this one was anything but gentle. His mouth latched on
hers, his tongue thrusting in her mouth quickly, as if he wanted to make the extent of his need clearly
known. And boy, did she feel that need. Felt it right down to her toes, as his tongue devoured her mouth
and his groin rubbed urgently against hers. He was hard, the thick bulge of his erection pressing into her
belly and eliciting a thrilling wave of desire inside her.
Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with fervor.
She swirled her tongue over his, while her heart pounded against her ribs and moisture pooled between her
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Hidden Desires
legs. Oh God. Why was she doing this? Why did she want this man so badly when her entire life she d
avoided this kind of contact?
Without thinking, she pulled back slightly, hearing herself say, Come inside.
His chuckle tickled her swollen lips. No.
Her eyes blinked in confusion. What?
He took a step back. Rachel, as much as I want you right now, I want more than your body.
What do you want from me then? She met his gaze, questioning, searching, suddenly knowing she
should have asked him this before she d ever thought to invite him inside.
She watched as he drew his brows together in a frown. He appeared as baffled as she felt, as if he too
had never stopped to think about what was happening between them. He swallowed visibly then said,
More than a roll in the hay. You need to believe that.
I do, she said, inwardly flinching at the desperation she heard in her voice.
Maybe, but I d rather wait and prove it to you.
He pressed a hard kiss against her cheek and slid a hand in his pocket. With his other, he led her to the
front entrance of her building. I m trying to get a listing of staff who worked at Chicago General when
Carrie volunteered there.
For a moment, she stood, confused as to what he was talking about, then the kiss slowly drained from
her thoughts. Her sister. The investigation. How on earth did he do that, go from sensual to professional
like the flip of a light switch?
It s not an official case, so I m trying to get one without a warrant, or at least find someone who will
talk to us. I ll call you tomorrow and let you know what I find out.
She blinked, trying to clear the fog from her mind. Okay, she heard herself say.
He bent and kissed her again, lightly, briefly.
Tomorrow, he said.
She punched in the code on the keypad, allowing Travis to open the door. After she stepped inside the
lobby, she turned. Tomorrow.
So, what s up? Suzanna hovered over Rachel as she attempted to sketch some new designs.
Nothing s up, she replied absently, dragging her pencil over the paper.
Oh, really? Suzanna pulled the sketches from Rachel s drafting table. Since when do you design
lingerie like this? She held up a sketch of a sheer lace bustier.
I m just& expanding my market, Rachel defended, snatching the sketch from her hand. She felt the
heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn t typically modest about her new designs, but Suzanna had never turned
them personal, until today.
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Elle Kennedy
Come on. And you ve been whistling all morning. I didn t even know you knew how to whistle.
The burning continued to torment Rachel s cheeks, and now she was growing embarrassed at her own
embarrassment. I m just in a good mood. Can t I be in a good mood?
Suzanna began tapping her fingers on the tilted white laminate. Not without a reason. A small smile
crept across her gloss-covered lips. So, how is Travis Gage?
Dropping the sketch on the table, Rachel stood and began pacing. She hated being questioned, it made
her feel uneasy, as if she d done something wrong. Probably another annoying remnant from the past. Too
many times she d been called into the principal s office to be questioned about her poor grades and the
black circles under her eyes from staying up all night taking care of her mother.
The adults in her childhood had always tried to get the truth out of her, pried and prodded into her life
to figure out if she and her sister needed to be carted off to foster homes. As much as Rachel had despised
her mother, the thought of being separated from her older sister had been terrifying. Carrie was the only
person she could rely on, and to Rachel, that had always meant sucking up the pain of her home life and
pretending everything was just plain peachy.
Now, at thirty-one years old, she still turned to denial when someone applied pressure on her. No
matter how much she loved and trusted Suzanna, talking about Travis and analyzing her own growing
feelings for him only scared her to death.
Her assistant, however, was never one to back off.
I know you met up with him last night, the least you can do is give me some details. Suzanna
grinned mischievously.
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