Free Naked Flame by Desiree Holt

across her face as she decided how to answer him. Was she in trouble? Had something bad happened to her?
    â€œActually, I was really good at my job. Even made detective.” She shrugged. “But after ten years and some broken relationships, I decided it might be time for a change.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Truth to tell, I was worn out. Maybe even burnt out.”
    He studied her, waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t, he said, “There’s something else, right? You can tell me whatever it is. I’m the last person to be judging anyone.”
    She lifted a shoulder. “It’s not that. I just don’t like bringing ugliness into a nice conversation.”
    â€œLet me be the judge of how ugly it is.”
    â€œMy last case, we took down a major drug dealer in Dallas. Paco Morales. One of the most vicious ones, as a matter of fact. There were a lot of long days, not much sleep, tense moments. A lot of energy went into building the case and arresting him. And then…” Her voice trailed off.
    â€œLet me guess.” He reached across the table and closed his hand over one of hers. “He threatened you.”
    â€œBig time.” She shook her head. “I’ve had criminals promise vengeance before, but Morales has a wide-reaching organization. I took what he said very seriously. So I decided it was time for a change of scenery and a change of jobs. Right now, I’m considering my options, as they say.”
    â€œI’m guessing Morales is locked up tight?”
    Charity nodded. “He’s in the county jail until they transport him back to the courthouse for sentencing. Then he’ll be sent to Huntsville. Good riddance.” She took a sip of her water. “Let’s not talk about unpleasant things anymore, okay? In fact, let’s get out of here.”
    â€œWhat are you thinking?” Charity looked at Liam, sitting next to her on the quilt. They’d been stretched out, leaning against a tree trunk, for more than an hour.
    â€œI’m thinking how strange it is at my age that I don’t have a place to bring a woman home to. That I’m sitting out here under a tree like some horny teenager and grateful for the full moon so I can see you.”
    She burst out laughing. “You do have a home, Liam. A big one that you share with your dad.”
    â€œExactly,” he grumbled. “I’m thirty-five years old and live with my father.”
    He picked up one of her hands and drew circles on her palm with his thumb. Shivery sensations cascaded through her from that simple caress, making her want the same things she’d wanted when he’d kissed her that afternoon.
    â€œWell, I sure can’t invite you back to the B&B,” she pointed out. “Even if we just sat and drank coffee in the kitchen, we might as well take out an ad in the Hill Country Herald .”
    â€œYou got that right. And I don’t want to take you to a damn motel. That smacks of a quickie, and that’s miles from what I want this to be.”
    They were silent for a moment, his thumb still drawing circles in her palm with a sensuous stroke.
    â€œSo if we had a place to go,” she teased, “what would we do?”
    â€œI’d rather show you than tell you.” His voice was rough with passion as he rolled her to the quilt, one arm beneath her, his free hand cupping her chin. “And then I’d start with this.”
    His mouth was just as seductive as she remembered from the kiss earlier, warm and firm, yet at the same time soft and pliable. He nudged her own mouth open with his tongue and she accepted the thrust greedily. He cradled her head in the palm of his hand, cupping it and tilting it this way and that to give him a better angle for the greedy kiss.
    Her body was on fire, the pulse in her cunt throbbing with the intensity of a jungle drum. What on earth was happening to her? This wasn’t like