Free Black Ice by Sandy Curtis Page B

she realised that his honesty and determination would have earned him respect.
    He began to unbutton his shirt, strong fingers working steadily while he looked straight at her. Not pausing to pull the shirt from his jeans, he undid his belt buckle, then the jeans stud. He didn't hurry, but his fingers didn't hesitate as he pulled down his zip.
    Kirri tried to stay in control of her seesawing emotions. As Daniel slipped the shirt from his shoulders and the jeans from his hips, she cursed the impetuous nature and quick tongue she had inherited from her father. It had landed her in quite a few predicaments over the years, and as Daniel hooked his thumbs in his black briefs she suspected this might be the biggest one of all.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    'So you think this is just a co-incidence? This Kirrily Smith brings Brand home from the hospital, turns up again this morning, drives him to the police station, the shopping centre, then takes him home and stays with him for a couple of hours. All because she saw him get knocked down yesterday?'
    'Perhaps she's one of those Good Samaritan types,' Brett sneered.
    'Or perhaps she found out how wealthy he is and thinks she's on to a good thing,' came the derisive reply.
    'Maybe she's discovered his thing is pretty good anyway.'
    The silence at the other end of the mobile told him his humour was unappreciated, but that gave him a perverse sense of satisfaction. 'At least I enjoy sex for its own sake.'
    'Only because I hauled Harry off you. If he'd been allowed to finish what he'd started -'
    'All right. I know.' Brett shuddered at the memory of meaty hands roughly grabbing his narrow, adolescent hips, forcing him to bend over … Those same hands groping between his thighs … Sweat began to pour down his face.
    'What are they doing now?'
    Brett sighed, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. 'Brand's still at her place. It was easy following him, he's obviously got a lot on his mind .'
    His inference was ignored, and the response was, as usual, back to business. 'Obviously the peanut oil hasn't worked yet. You did remove the syringe?'
    'Yes.'
    'Good. Well, there's still a chance. Give it a day or two, but if you see an opportunity -'
    'I know. Phone you before I put any plan into action.'
    This time the silence was different, and Brett could imagine the smile of approval and satisfaction.
    Â 
    Kirri's instincts warned her she should tell Daniel to stop. Already her body was reacting to the revelations of his leisurely strip-tease. She hadn't known she could be turned on by the sight of a man's body to the extent her mouth actually watered.
    The words that formed in her mind were lost as he pushed his briefs down, one agonisingly slow second after another. Her knees locked with the effort of supporting her suddenly boneless legs as he straightened up, his gaze never leaving her face.
    She searched for something to say that might convey the confident, controlled attitude she was far from feeling, and tried not to stare at the thick length outlined by dark curls. Determinedly, she focussed on the bruising on his thigh, then her gaze dragged up to meet his, and the passion she saw there finally loosened her tongue.
    'No wonder the condom broke,' she whispered. Then her words registered in her mind and she knew the blush that swept her neck and face must be the same shade as her hair.
    In a valiant attempt to regain control of the situation she said 'I see you have an all-over tan. Do you go to a solarium?'
    His lips twitched a little, as though he was trying not to smile. 'Nope. I'm always this colour. That's one thing I inherited from my mom.' The smile broke out as though he couldn't help it. 'We don't get a lot of sunshine in Seattle. There's too much rain. It gets so bad we wear t-shirts that say "We don't tan - We rust".'
    Kirri smiled in spite of herself. Daniel had used humour to help reduce her embarrassment and she was grateful for his sensitivity. Then he said, 'Have you