Free Born to Be Wild by Donna Kauffman Page A

happening? I’m not … I mean, I don’t usually …”
    “You don’t usually jump men in your car?” The banter came naturally to him, but he had to work at the casual tone. He didn’t want to say anything serious because he might screw it up, yet he couldn’t just joke around with her. What he was feeling was no joking matter. Not this time. For the first time.
    “No, I don’t,” she answered with a hint of sexy confidence he hadn’t seen before. “Well, not on Saturdays anyway.” With studied nonchalance, she blew on her fingernails then held them out in front of her for inspection. “I usually reserve car sex for alternate Tuesdays.”
    Zach almost choked, then burst out laughing. “Damn, and here I was thinking I was going to be able to live out my autoerotic fantasies with you.” He pulled her close and whispered, “You busy this Tuesday? I’ll rent a limo.”
    Now it was her turn to laugh, making it impossible for him to resist taking another kiss.
    “I don’t know what we’re doing,” he whispered, pulling her head down to his again. He kissed her softly, gently, her responding moan followed closely by one of his. He pulled back while he still could and rested his head on the back of the seat. “Actually, I’m really enjoying what we’re doing,” he admitted. “Best business meeting I’ve ever had.”
    He pulled her to him and kissed her again, wanting to drag out the moment, to keep her off balance, keep her wanting more. He tasted her lips, her chin, her throat. Her arms circled his neck, and she returned his attentions. They were quickly lost again, the teasing kisses swiftly consumed by hungry ones.
    Many seconds later, Dara pulled away. Their gazes caught and held, the silence only disturbed by their deep breathing. He lifted his hand and traced her cheekbone. She let her fingers weave into the hair against his neck. The silence spun out as they continued to stare at each other.
    It hit him how infrequently, if ever, he made true eye contact with a woman. And when the bond went both ways … It was an amazingly intimate act. He’d never felt quite so open and vulnerable. Going stark naked in public would have been easier.
    A tentative smile crossed her lips, but faltered a bitwhen she spoke. “Zach, about this … whatever it is we’re doing.” Her smile strengthened when he raised his eyebrows. “I’m serious. I think we should discuss it. I’m not sure if this is wise. Especially if I’m going to be working with you”—she raised her hand at his questioning look—“however briefly. We have to set some boundaries.”
    “I don’t do real well with boundaries, Dart.”

FIVE
    Dara started to talk again, but Zach cupped her chin and pressed his thumb gently against her lip. It quivered at his touch. “And I think we could set all the boundaries we wanted to and it would be a wasted effort.” He rubbed his thumb back and forth. She gasped. “Be honest, Dara. Don’t you?”
    She sighed, blowing warm, sweet air against the pad of his thumb that he felt all the way to his toes.
    She leaned away. “I guess I just can’t figure out what it is you want from me. Besides the obvious,” she added at his incredulous look.
    He wondered if she’d asked herself the same question. He was trying hard not to. “Do we have to make a list? Analyze the whys and hows? I know you’re a responsible, sensible person and, while you probably have a hard time believing it, so am I.”
    Her lifted eyebrow spoke volumes about her feelings on that subject. Zach had to laugh. He’d dated his share of women, some from different countries, different cultures.The one similarity was that most of them were as seduced by what he did for a living as by him personally. He’d never spent too much time trying to separate that perception. After all, the end result was the same, right?
    But now … well, he knew Dara was turned on by him. Lord knew, the feeling was intensely mutual. But he