‘I HATE these jobs.’
‘Hit and runs?’ Charlotte glanced up only briefly from the map she was consulting. ‘Take the next left, Hawk. McGuire’s Road.’
Hawk slowed down a little. The blue and red beacons of the squad car were flashing but the siren was silent. The lights were enough to warn any other traffic on the dark roads of a quiet rural area.
‘Some bastard clipped someone walking down the side of the road and just kept going.’
‘Maybe he thought he’d hit a sheep or something.’
Hawk didn’t seem to have heard her. ‘Or, worse, maybe he stopped and had a look and then got back into his car and took off.’
‘Panic can make people do things they otherwise wouldn’t.’
‘Ha!’ Clearly, Hawk wasn’t going to find any excuse plausible.
‘I feel sorry for the person who ran over the victim later.’ Charlotte shook her head as she sighed. ‘He had no chance of avoiding a body lying in the middle of the road.’
‘He could have still been alive until that second vehicle got him.’
Charlotte could see Hawk’s knuckles, pale against the dark steering-wheel. She could imagine the tension in his hands…how tight the grip was. She tried to concentrate on the map again. Hawk’s hands were becoming an obsession.
Ever since he’d kissed her—three days ago now—she had been at pains to avoid any length of eye contact or the temptation to watch his mouth when he spoke, but that meant her gaze invariably settled on his hands. Charlotte would recognise those hands in isolation anywhere now, and she could have drawn them quite accurately from memory had she any inclination to do so. She knew the length of his fingers, the shape of his nails, that scar on the third knuckle of his left hand that looked like a tiny fork of lightning. She knew the way they moved when he picked something up, the way they held a pen and the way Hawk used them to massage his forehead when he was ill at ease about something. She also knew, thanks to that shoulder massage and…and that kiss, the sensations those hands were capable of evoking in her.
And that was driving her nuts. It had only been a massage. The kind of physical contact any friends, or colleagues, could indulge in. OK, the kiss had been more than that. A hell of a lot more but Charlotte knew beyond a shadow of doubt that there was still a lot she didn’t know about what those hands could do. For three nights now she had done her best not to imagine what sensations they might conjure up by touching her breasts, stroking that spot on her inner thighs or actually…
‘Have they moved the body yet?’ The question came out very abruptly but Charlotte had to keep her mind on the job somehow.
‘Not yet.’ Hawk’s response was equally terse. ‘They’re waiting for us to check the scene.’
‘We’re not too far away, now.’ Charlotte was keeping her gaze and her mind firmly on the map she held. ‘We should be there in ten minutes or so.’
It didn’t help that it was nearly 10 p.m. and the call from home which meant they would be spending extra time together had been unexpected. It was a forty-minute drive at high speed into an isolated rural area. The return trip at normal road speed would take a lot longer but it was still not far enough away to warrant having to stay overnight close to the scene.
The thought that it could have been had been disturbing enough when the call had come in. Sometime, probably in the not-too-distant future, they would be stuck overnight in some motel. The opportunity to satisfy her curiosity would be there again and Charlotte was beginning to seriously doubt any ability she had to resist the temptation.
And why should she? They were both adults. They were both quite capable of knowing what they wanted. And what they didn’t want. If they wanted to play—out of sight or knowledge of anyone who might disapprove on a professional level—then why not? Did Hawk still want to? Charlotte had been so careful to avoid any communication, spoken or otherwise, that could be misinterpreted she had no idea what Hawk might be thinking. She had been very definite that nothing was going to happen between them when she’d walked out after that kiss, and he’d said nothing in the last few days to make her think that her edict was about to be challenged in any way.
Surely Hawk hadn’t given up that easily?
Only three vehicles marked the whereabouts of the fatal incident but the flashing beacons of the local police officer’s car made it visible several kilometres down the long, straight road. Hawk was aware of a vague sense of disappointment in locating the scene. If only this job had been a bit further away, they would have had to stay the night somewhere. Hawk would have given rather a lot to add another thirty kilometres or so to their journey at that point. The thought of how different things might have been gave him cause to suppress a small smile.
Charlotte had been so busy being careful to avoid giving him any encouragement for the last three days, she had made it as obvious as a neon sign that she was thinking about him just as much as he was about her. If she had carried on as normal, he might have given up any hope of winning this challenge. If she’d been able to brush that kiss aside and not let it make any difference to the way they interacted, then he would have known she wasn’t interested. Charlotte probably imagined she was playing it cool but Hawk was quite sure that the effects of that kiss had lingered on both sides. He was perfectly confident in his opinion that it was a matter of when and not if—but it wasn’t going to be tonight, dammit!
Another vehicle could be seen approaching from the opposite direction, a sleek, dark station wagon that had to be a hearse. The reminder that the covered shape they could see as Hawk pulled to a halt was the innocent victim of a hit and run was enough to pull his mind back to the job at hand. This was no time to indulge in any fantasies of what he would do if…no, when, he got Charlotte into his bedroom. No doubt the drive home would be harder to cope with but for now it was easy to file the whole issue under the same category as other pleasurable activities for out-of-work hours. Like squash and target shooting. They had an unpleasant job to get on with here and the sooner it was completed, the better.
It was easy enough to begin with.
‘I’ll see what information I can get about the injuries to the victim,’ Charlotte offered. ‘Unless you want to?’
Hawk shook his head. Charlotte was far more qualified than he was to make sense of whatever she found out. He stayed where he was to continue the discussion with the local police officers.
‘Where’s the driver who called in the incident?’
‘Down at Maggie’s. He’s having a cup of tea.’ The senior constable was fishing a notebook from his pocket. ‘His name’s Ivan Colleridge. We’ve got all his details and a statement, here.’
‘That he didn’t see anything. He slammed on his brakes after the bump and then didn’t think to shift it before he ran for help.’ He waved a hand at the stationary vehicle still on the road on the other side of the victim. ‘It’s lucky nobody ran into his car when he went off and left it like that.’
‘There was no coverage for his cellphone here,’ the junior officer added.
Hawk had already noted another set of brake marks. On his side of the victim. Whoever had clipped the pedestrian had at least made an attempt to stop. Had that been before or after the impact? Hawk returned his gaze to his companions.
‘Who’s Maggie?’
‘Maggie Shaw,’ he was informed. ‘She used to be a nurse. Mr Colleridge went in to use her phone after the accident and she came out to see if she could do anything. She says Jim was stone cold. She reckons he’d been dead for quite a while.’
Hawk just made a mental note of the information. Charlotte would probably be able to estimate time of death. He could see her out of the corner of his eye. The cover had been removed from the body and Maggie was wearing gloves, obviously checking the injuries being described by the paramedics holding torches beside her. The crew of the hearse were standing at a discreet distance, their trolley prepared and their protective gloves and plastic aprons reflecting a glimmer of the faint moonlight.
‘We’ll need to talk to them both,’ Hawk said.
‘They’re not far away. Maggie’s house is just up the road a bit. Huge old house—one of the original homesteads around here. She runs a homestay business these days. Bed and breakfast, you know?’
Hawk nodded. ‘Did she notice anything unusual earlier this evening?’
‘She reckons she heard something. And her dogs were kicking up a bit of racket about eight o’clock but she’s rather hard of hearing and she was a bit upset herself after finding Jimmy.’
‘The victim?’
‘Yeah. His name’s Jim Patterson but everybody calls him Jimmy. He’s a bit of a local character, really. He’s got himself into more than one scrape over the years and this won’t be the first time he forgot to fill up and ran out of petrol on his way back from town.’
‘He’d forget his head if it wasn’t screwed on.’ The younger officer’s grin faded rapidly after an admonishing glance from his senior colleague.
‘So where’s his car?’
‘About two kilometres down the road. You must have passed it.’
Hawk blinked. Had he been so preoccupied with thoughts of the woman sitting beside him that he could have let a major piece of evidence like that go unnoticed? And why hadn’t Charlotte spotted an abandoned vehicle? What had she been thinking about?
‘Easy to miss,’ the local police officer said kindly. ‘It’s well onto the verge and it looks like a wreck, anyway.’
‘You sure it’s Mr Patterson’s car?’
‘Oh, yeah. I had to write him out a ticket for not having a warrant only last week. He said he forgot but I’d reminded him more than once in the last three months.’
‘And the petrol tank is empty?’
‘Yep. His petrol can’s on the side of the road in the grass. We haven’t moved anything. Want me to show you where it is?’
‘Thanks, but I’ll find it. The fewer people walking around the scene the better from now on. There could be other important evidence that shouldn’t be disturbed.’
‘There’s only been me and Will, apart from the ambulance guys. And Mr Colleridge and Maggie, I guess.’ The officer looked sideways to where the staff from the funeral home were transferring the body to the hearse. ‘And them,’ he added slowly. He shook his head sadly. ‘Poor old Jimmy. Place won’t be the same without him. ‘’Specially the pub.’
‘Did he drink a lot?’
‘Nah. That was where he went for company. He could nurse the same pint for hours.’
‘Unless someone bought him one,’ his colleague added. ‘Then he’d finish his own in a flash.’
Hawk made another note. If the victim had been intoxicated he might well have wandered away from the safety of the wide grass verge. Not that that could excuse the driver who had hit him initially for not stopping to render assistance. It was not just illegal to leave the scene of an accident. It was downright immoral and Hawk was determined that the offender would be brought to justice, no matter how difficult that might prove to be.
Charlotte had marked the position of the body carefully before it had been removed.
‘He definitely wasn’t killed by the second vehicle,’ she informed Hawk. ‘Track marks over both legs but it was the chest and head injuries that were fatal.’
‘How long ago?’
‘I’m no expert. I was talking about it with the paramedic who filled in the “life extinct” form, though, and we think it was at least a couple of hours ago.’
‘There’s a petrol can in the long grass over there, apparently. He was on his way to get some fuel.’
‘So where’s his car?’
‘We passed it a couple of kilometres back from the scene.’
‘Did we?’
Charlotte’s eyes were wide as her gaze caught Hawk’s, and his resolve to keep his obsession well away from the job went out the window. Even in this dim light the flash of guilt in the depths of her eyes let him know that she had been preoccupied for exactly the same reason he had been. He tucked that piece of information into the mental file that should be remaining firmly closed as he turned to go and locate the position of the petrol can. It could be the most important clue they had in relation to whether the driver of the offending vehicle had seen the victim before hitting him.
‘Just once,’ he found himself muttering under his breath. That would be enough to stop himself getting distracted like this. Just one night with Charlotte Laing and he could get her out of his system, he was sure of it. This was a physical obsession. He knew he’d never be able to compete with the ghost of Jamie Forrest and he didn’t want to. It made Charlotte even more attractive in a way.
Hawk had no desire to make himself vulnerable to the emotional tentacles a long-term relationship sent out. He just wanted to satisfy his curiosity, that was all. She was so unlike any woman he’d ever known. All he needed to do was prove it was not really so different between the sheets and he’d get over it. It was the curiosity that was eating him alive. Wanting to know what it would be like.
Wanting Charlotte.
He could have found out tonight if only they’d been a bit further out of town. Shame the car was maintained so well. No chance of them running out of petrol like poor old Jimmy. Although there was always the kill switch under the dashboard which prevented the car being started even if the keys were left in the ignition. Would Charlotte think to check that if they were last on scene and the squad car refused to start?
Probably. And it was pointless to scheme in any case. The scene would have to be protected overnight and they were close enough to the city for assistance to be despatched if it was deemed necessary. Hawk’s breath was expelled in a heavy sigh as he sprayed fluorescent paint around the petrol can to mark the piece of evidence and then straightened to see what Charlotte was up to.
They spent another thirty minutes on scene and Charlotte was excited by the latest evidence the beams from their powerful torches had revealed.
‘There’s heaps of pieces from an indicator light. Have you checked the second car?’
‘It’s not damaged.’
‘Look!’ Charlotte held up a piece of coloured plastic, using the beam of her torch as a pointer. ‘This bit’s got part of a serial number.’ The torch raked the rest of the scattered shards still lying on the tarmac. ‘If we can find the rest of the number, it’ll give us the make and approximate year of the vehicle we’re hunting for.’
‘We can’t search properly until daylight. We’ll have to leave everything as it is until then.’
The reminder that they needed to drive back to the city was unwelcome. They should be staying—at least close to the scene. Like at a motel…Charlotte bit her lip and tried to concentrate. On the job, she told herself firmly, not on inventing some reason to detain them.
‘But that’s wasting time. This car might have a broken windscreen as well as the indicator light and they’ll need to stop and get that fixed. If the victim was hit with enough force to smash the light it could well have knocked off a side mirror as well. Let’s keep hunting, Hawk. A mirror would give us the colour of the car and we could have garages warned to keep a look out.’
‘There’s not many garages open after midnight. We can’t do anything more right now. We might well ruin some evidence by stomping all over it in the dark.’
Charlotte’s acceptance of the inevitable was grudging. ‘The scene needs protecting, then.’
‘The local guys have got that covered.’
‘Oh. So I guess we’re heading back to town?’
‘No. We’re going to talk to Maggie.’
‘The nurse, right?’ Ivan Colleridge had already returned to the scene, spoken at length to the police and been taken back to the city by another police vehicle. His own car would have to be examined the following day by forensic experts before it could be completely cleared of having caused the fatal injuries to the victim. ‘It’s getting a bit late, isn’t it, Hawk?’ Charlotte checked her watch and tried not to sound too pleased at the delay. ‘It’s nearly 1 a.m.’
‘She’s expecting us. She runs a B&B so she’s probably used to being disturbed at odd hours.’
A B&B was almost the same as a motel. Charlotte found herself almost hoping that the squad car would refuse to start when Hawk turned the key, then they would have an excuse not to try and get back to town that night. But it started first go, of course, and that was probably just as well. This was simply a physical obsession and she had to find a way to cope with it and move on.
It was time she moved on. Time to see whether it was possible to add that missing dimension to her life. It wasn’t being disloyal to Jamie. Charlotte could be quite certain that Jamie wouldn’t have remained celibate if she had vanished from his life. And maybe Hawk was right. Maybe he was the perfect partner to start with. He wasn’t going to push her in any direction she didn’t want to go. He didn’t want any kind of long-term relationship. And he hated kids. Look at the way he’d reacted to Cam’s news. Only yesterday he had announced that he wasn’t going to make any attempt to get to the States for the wedding, which was only a few weeks away.
This was purely physical and it didn’t need to be a big deal. One night would be enough. Just finding out whether she was capable of physical satisfaction again would let her know that she was taking the right path here. She was sure Hawk would oblige, providing the circumstances were right. And he was an ideal candidate quite apart from his aversion to involvement. He was probably very good in bed. With everything he had going for him, he must have clocked up plenty of practice by now.
The circumstances weren’t going to be right tonight, however, and Charlotte followed her partner up the steps and onto the verandah of the large old house with a weariness of spirit that was suddenly competing with the increasing tiredness of her body.
Maggie Shaw was certainly expecting the visit.
‘Do come in,’ she urged, after they had introduced themselves. ‘I’ve got a nice hot cup of tea waiting for you. You must be exhausted.’ Pushing half-moon spectacles back into position on the bridge of her nose, she immediately dislodged them again by shaking her head. ‘Such a terrible job you have to do but I suppose someone has to.’ She peered at Maggie. ‘I wasn’t expecting a young girl like you, though, dear.’
‘Thank you for seeing us, Mrs Shaw. We’ll try not to take up too much of your time.’
Maggie didn’t appear to have heard Charlotte. Shadowed by two obedient border collies, she led the way through an impressively tiled foyer, past a gracefully curving stairway and down a hallway that led to a vast kitchen where an ancient coal range sat surprisingly juxtaposed to the latest in European cookware. She still hadn’t stopped talking by the time she ushered Hawk and Charlotte onto chairs around a scrubbed pine table.
‘I mean, he was pushing seventy, I suppose, but there was still a lot of life in Jimmy. He was supposed to come and help me with my redecoration next week. I’ve had all six bedrooms emptied so I can get them repainted. Goodness knows how I’ll cope now. Still, I expect I’ll manage somehow.’
‘So you’re on your own here at present?’ Any hope of finding a witness who might be able to help in the investigation faded.
‘Presents? It’s far too soon to start thinking about Christmas.’ Maggie glanced up from her task of pouring hot water into a silver teapot to catch two blank expressions. ‘Sorry. I’m as deaf as a post. You’ll have to speak up a bit, dear.’
Charlotte caught a faintly amused glance from Hawk as she raised her voice. ‘You don’t have any guests staying at the moment?’
‘No. Nowhere to put them until I get the painting done. Except for the old sod cottage in the orchard and that’s not to everybody’s taste. Very original but quaint. There’s two bedrooms but only one loo and it’s a long walk from the main house in the dark.’
It sounded rather inviting to Charlotte. She avoided meeting Hawk’s eye as she gratefully accepted the steaming china cup of tea.
‘How was Mr Colleridge when he was here?’ Hawk asked.
‘Who?’
‘Mr Colleridge. The man who came to use your phone.’
‘Oh…Ivan. He was in a dreadful state, poor man. And who wouldn’t be? He thought he’d just killed someone after all. So did I, to be honest, until I realised that poor Jimmy had actually been dead for quite a while.’ Maggie peered over her spectacles. ‘It’s a long time since I was a nurse but I do remember what dead bodies are like and he wasn’t…fresh, if you know what I mean.’
Charlotte nodded and disguised the twitch of her lips by taking a sip of tea.
‘It’s not as though Jimmy was a pillar of society or anything but he was one of us. He probably wouldn’t have remembered to turn up to help me next week but we liked him despite his faults. He didn’t deserve to die like that.’ Maggie pushed a plate of home-made biscuits towards her guests. She clucked disapprovingly a moment later but it wasn’t due to her offering being declined. ‘It’s such a dreadful thing to have done, isn’t it? To hit someone and simply drive away. I can’t understand it at all. I do hope you catch whoever did this.’
‘We intend to,’ Hawk said grimly. ‘We’ll be back first thing in the morning to carry on our investigation.’
‘Oh, you’re not going to drive all the way to town at this hour, are you? That’s ridiculous. You’ll have no sleep at all to speak of.’
‘We’re used to it,’ Charlotte assured her. ‘We’ll manage.’
‘But you don’t need to,’ Maggie protested. ‘I can’t offer you any of the good rooms but the cottage is perfectly habitable.’ She smiled at Hawk. ‘You and Mrs Hawkins would be quite comfortable.’ Hawk’s expression made her blink. ‘You are married, aren’t you, dears?’
‘No.’ Hawk and Charlotte’s hurried response was simultaneous.
‘Really?’ Maggie blinked again. ‘Funny, I thought you must be. You seem so…’ She clicked her tongue. ‘There I go again. Mad old Maggie.’ A cheerful smile appeared. ‘There are two bedrooms in the cottage. Are you friendly enough to share a bathroom?’
Charlotte kept her eyes resolutely on the plate of chocolate-chip biscuits. She could feel her heart racing uncomfortably. Here it was, an unexpected opportunity being offered. Nobody would have to know what actually went on in that cottage. Except for her and Hawk.
‘Of course we are.’ Hawk’s voice sounded a trifle strained and he cleared his throat. ‘It does seem more sensible than driving home for a few hours’ sleep, doesn’t it, Charlie?’
This was it. If she didn’t want time alone with Hawk, with all the possibilities that presented, then she would have to say something. Now.
‘Mmm.’ As an articulate response it really didn’t rate but the effect was startling.
‘That’s settled, then.’ Maggie beamed. ‘I’m so glad I can do something really useful. I’ll find some towels and show you the way.’
Hawk said nothing aloud but the look he gave Charlotte spoke volumes. She found her knees curiously weak as she stood up to follow their now bustling hostess.
The cottage was a delight. The thick walls, low, beamed ceilings and soft lighting from imitation hurricane lamps gave it an instantly welcoming feel. Hawk and Charlotte wandered around again after Maggie had finally left, having given firm instructions to come up to the main house for breakfast. Not that there was much to explore. A small living room with an open fireplace, a tiny bathroom and two bedrooms, one of which had an old, single brass bedstead while the other was almost entirely filled by a beautiful, wooden four-poster bed. A double bed. Charlotte was still admiring the detailed carving of flowers adorning the posts when she realised that Hawk was repeating what he’d said.
‘I said, which bed do you fancy?’
Charlotte grinned. ‘There’s not much of a contest, is there? I’d like this one.’
Hawk’s gaze caught hers. ‘So would I,’ he said softly.
Charlotte had to bite her lip to prevent a nervous squeak escaping. Hawk was standing very close to her. She could feel the heat his body was generating. Or was it electricity? Something had instantly charged the atmosphere to an almost unbearable level of tension. She had to say something.
‘Shall we toss a coin?’
Hawk didn’t appear to share any of her nerves, and why should he? The question had already been asked after all. She’d had her chance to back out when Maggie had first suggested they stay in the cottage together.
‘Maybe we could share.’ And Hawk smiled as his gaze still remained locked on hers.
The eye contact seemed to go on forever but Charlotte couldn’t look away. She was mesmerised. She remained completely immobilised as Hawk reached out and traced the outlines of her face with his fingers. The contact left a trail of fire across her temple and cheekbone, then down the side of her nose. Charlotte closed her eyes and sighed softly at the touch on her lower lip. Unconsciously, her lips parted, allowing her tongue to touch the gently exploring finger.
Now it was Hawk’s turn to pause and emit a soft sound of need. The hesitation was only momentary—a punctuation mark as his lips took the place of that solitary finger. Lips as gentle as the touch of his hand had been until, again, Charlotte used the tip of her tongue in response.
She had to wind her arms around Hawk’s neck then to steady herself under the passionate onslaught of the kiss. And even that measure was inadequate. Charlotte could feel his hands slipping beneath her shirt, sliding up the bare skin of her back, keeping her upright as she stumbled backwards. A flash of that fantasy of Hawk pursuing her and pinning her to a wall surfaced, and now Charlotte knew that it was definitely unwillingness rather than inability that made her powerless to prevent what was happening. And this was so much more exciting than any fantasy.
Not even such a lengthy abstinence could take the credit for making her body respond with such aching intensity. Charlotte had never known it was even possible to feel like this. A groan of pure relief escaped as she felt the clasp of her bra released and Hawk’s thumbs grazed nipples that had hardened into what felt like raw nerve endings. It was too much. And it wasn’t nearly enough.
Charlotte found her fingers fumbling with the buttons of Hawk’s shirt and the buckle on his belt. She had to know how far this could go. It was totally new territory for her. His touch was awakening parts of her body she hadn’t realised existed. It was not so much like two bodies connecting as like finding her whole self for the first time. A being capable of experiencing a pleasure greater than anything Charlotte could have dreamed of.
No bed could have looked more inviting than the softly draped four-poster bathed in the warm glow of the old-style lamp, but it could have been an ancient mattress in the corner of a shed for all Hawk noticed. He couldn’t wait a second longer. By the time he had stroked and kissed all of Charlotte’s clothing aside, there was nothing more he could think to do in the way of foreplay.
So he did what he’d wanted to do for what seemed like forever. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the nearest available surface that could provide cushioning for the kind of sexual release his body was screaming for. Looming over Charlotte on the bed, however, the desperate need abated just a little. The sight of her pale, slim body framed by the long tresses of her dark hair was so extraordinarily beautiful Hawk had to pause and catch his breath.
He had to slow down. Had to make sure this was as good for Charlotte as he knew it was going to be for him. She deserved that much consideration for the trust she was showing in him right now. He was the first in a way. The start of a new life for Charlotte. Hawk’s gaze had travelled as far as Charlotte’s face to find huge, dark eyes fixed on his face. Her expression mirrored precisely how he was feeling himself.
‘I never knew it was possible,’ she whispered, ‘to want someone this much.’
And suddenly there was no need to slow down. No chance to try and be gentle and considerate. That could come later. Right now, Charlotte wanted this as much as he did. Just as fast. Just as hard. And just as passionately. Charlotte’s cry of ecstasy only a short time later was almost matched in volume by Hawk’s, and it was several minutes before either of them could speak.
‘How deaf do you reckon Maggie really is?’
‘I hope she’s very deaf.’ Charlotte caught her lower lip between her teeth as she smiled. ‘Otherwise she’d know what was going on despite this cottage being the other end of the orchard.’
‘We’d better be a bit quieter next time, then.’
‘Next time?’
Hawk paused just long enough to kiss Charlotte. Twice. ‘Are you trying to tell me that wasn’t worth repeating?’
‘Oh…no.’ Charlotte’s mouth curved in mischievous lines beneath his. ‘It’s just that we’ve got work in just a few hours. Some sleep might be a good idea.’
‘I have a much better idea.’ Hawk slid his hand upwards from where it rested on Charlotte’s belly. He cupped the small, firm breast he had been smitten with on the first moment of discovery and the sigh he gave as he lowered his lips to her nipple was one of pure contentment.
‘Mmm.’ Charlotte bent her head as she pressed her lips to the top of Hawk’s head. ‘You’re right,’ she murmured. ‘This is a much better idea.’
A tiny part of Hawk’s brain registered the fact that he was now making love to Charlotte Laing for the second time. There was a tiny alarm bell sounding to remind him that once was supposed to have been enough. Hawk silenced the alarm without a moment’s hesitation.
Once could never be enough. Not when he’d found his perfect physical match. So…he wanted some more.
So what?