Where She Belong

S U M M E R

"How can you tell? Is it my accent?" I had been informed that I carried a hint of a Virginia twang, a comment I only encountered after moving to Chicago for university.

He chuckled, and the sound sent a rush of excitement through me, like fireworks. "Not really. It's easy to spot someone from a big city compared to the locals."

"True enough. I’m from Richmond, Virginia. That’s where I grew up."

"Why Cambridge? Not that I don’t appreciate the stunning scenery, but it’s quite a distance from home."

"Simply put, I got a job offer."

That was a bit of a stretch.

Well, not entirely.

"I applied to around sixty forensic positions across the country. Most of the time, I was ignored, laughed at for my lack of experience, or told to come back when I was older. Seriously." As I turned to face him, I couldn’t help but gaze at him like a smitten girl.

He took my words at face value, removing his jacket and rolling up his long white sleeves. His forearms were just as muscular as the rest of him, adorned with black tattoos that resembled vines in a summer garden. For some reason, those tattoos seemed out of place on a man driving a two-hundred-thousand-dollar car and wearing a watch worth more than my entire house.

If I could even afford to buy it. Renting was perfectly fine for now.

He stepped closer, sending another wave of tingles through me. When he reached for the glass, our fingers brushed, and I felt dizzy.

I had to be truthful with myself. I didn’t like this feeling. No man should have that kind of influence over me.

Yet, as I tried to suppress my emotions and that strange longing, my mind wandered to the only intimate pleasure I had experienced in over a year. The mechanism had been used far too frequently.

Maybe I needed a battery-operated vibrator instead. Perhaps I'd purchase one in hot pink that could be used in the shower.

I couldn't believe what I was thinking when I had a stranger in my house. Although I had to admit that Julian didn't feel like a stranger any longer. It seemed as if I'd known him for years.

"Their loss," he said. "Our gain."

He made the statement as if he and his family owned the town. If what Melissa had told me was true, they basically did.

"I'm happy to be here. There is something very special about a quaint town where people know everyone else."

His laugh was followed by a quick wink. "Nice try. The town is quaint as you say, but you'd prefer to be working in a big city morgue where you could get your hands on a dozen bodies a day if possible."

"Well, dissecting a hundred bodies a day isn't possible, but guilty as charged." We both laughed, which erased some additional tension. It was interesting how nervous he could make me. I took a sip of my drink as the laughter died off, even looking away from him for fear I'd expose my thoughts.

My needs.

"You don't need to feel so anxious around me, Summer," he said in a deeper voice than usual.

Oh, lord. He was walking closer, pushing all those tasty buttons and boosting my longing. I shifted by a few inches, sliding downthe counter. He wasn't deterred, suddenly standing right in front of me.

Meanwhile, as every geeky girl did around a hot man, I hid behind a prop. In this case, my drink, taking sip after sip. The marvelous scent of his aftershave had impressed me before. Now it was intoxicating.

So much so I was lightheaded, my chest constricting so much I had to fight to breathe.

His breathing was just as labored as mine as he took my glass from my hand. Every gesture he made was methodical, allowing me to push him away if I wanted.

But I didn't.

Looking into his hypnotizing eyes wasn't possible. I was too lost in the fear of failing myself at this moment. I could tell by the slight thud he'd placed his drink down as well. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking?

"You've been hurt," he said as he placed the tip of his finger under my chin, slowly turning my head.

"Haven't we all at least once in our lives?" Maybe not him. He was as close to perfection as I'd met.

The unwary girl hovering inside reminded me that many times, looks and initial actions could be deceiving.

"How true."

Maybe it was the fact he was much older than I was. Maybe my inclination to trust him to a point was simply because contrary to words I'd spouted off to Melissa, I was very lonely. Or maybemy slow yet growing reason was because he was so damn good looking.

I'd question my reactions and my motives later, but for now, I wanted nothing more than to feel a couple of hours of passion.

I placed my hand on his chest, struggling with the unwavering vibrations flowing from head to toe.

His nostrils flaring, he shifted his hand to my face, curling his fingers and brushing his knuckles lightly across my cheek. I studied his face, savoring his strong jaw and his striking blue-gray eyes. They still seemed luminescent, soulful in a way I hadn't seen before.

He slid the same hand around the nape of my neck, pulling me closer.

"I don't know if this is a good idea." I had about a million reasons why but didn't want to muddy the mood.

"Maybe not. But right now, I don't care. Do you?"

There was no need to think about my answer. "No."

He allowed the single word to answer all those for the evening. As he captured my mouth, he tugged me onto my toes. The kiss was soft at first, but there was a strong sense of urgency in both of us. So much so, I rubbed my hand forcibly up his back, tangling my fingers in his hair.

There was nothing more powerful or alluring than a man who knew how to use his lips. Not just for kissing but for other things as well.

I was such a bad girl all of a sudden. How could I be thinking about something so naughty?

To hell with it. I wasn't that girl on this night.

There was nothing like the protective, comforting feeling of having a powerful man's arms wrapped around you.

The way he rubbed his hands up and down my back was electrifying.

The thought was truly maddening. This man was a stranger, a dark and mysterious savior who'd insisted I have a drink with him. Yet everything about him was intoxicating.

His stunning good looks.

His thudding heartbeat.

The heat of his skin and softness of his lips.

The way he held me.

My stomach twisted as I tried to catch my breath.

The kiss became even more of a passionate roar, a moment caught in time I wished could last forever. Everything about the man consumed me. Instinctively everything about him also screamed of danger. Not that the tiniest and darkest part of me didn't crave the kind of adventure he was offering.

Julian pulled me away from the counter, taking his time lowering his hands until he slipped them under my bottom. As he lifted me into the air, I straddled his legs, able to feel the huge bulge between them. I wiggled my feet, trying to keep from reacting as my shoes slowly dropped to the floor. I felt completely underdressed in comparison to his expensive attire, but I was grateful Melissa had pushed me into purchasing something sexy.

Scrubs and tennis shoes wouldn't cut it for a magical moment such as this.

The kiss was broken, an entirely different, almost possessive gaze pulling me into a tight vacuum. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip roughly, opening my mouth in the process.

Somehow, I had a feeling there was no going back with this man.

On this night I belonged to him.