"Well, I don't know a lot about the animal rescue world, but from what I can tell, whatever they're paying you can't be nearly enough for how much heart you pour into saving each one of those cats and dogs."
"We're all called to make a difference in the world. This is my way," she said simply and sipped her wine, her eyes tracking him with a hint of confusion.
Keep on course.
And he found himself actually wanting to get to know her better. Staying in the chair and finding out more about Megan wasn't such a hardship. "What made you choose this line of work?"
"I've always loved animals."
"But it must be more than that."
She eyed him over the rim of her glass. "Most people accept the simple answer."
"I'm not most people."
He stared back, waiting even though he wanted to close the space between them and lay her down along that sofa. He burned to cover her, kiss her. Take her.
"Well, while other girls were reading Little House on the Prairie or Nancy Drew novels, I devoured everything I could find on animals, their history, how to care for them, how to train them." The more she spoke, the more she relaxed on the throw pillows piled on the corner of the sofa. "I had these dreams of going to the big dog shows with my pup Snickers. I watched the shows over and over again so I could train him to do all the moves."
She was so buttoned up and proper, all about the rules, he hadn't expected such a quirky story from her. He wanted to know more. "What happened?"
Megan rolled her eyes and lifted her glass in toast. "Somehow I missed the memo that the dog show was just for purebreds."
"What kind of dog did you have?"
"A Jack Russell-Shih Tzu mix. Absolutely adorable and somehow unacceptable." She shook her head. "Wrong."
"I'm sorry you didn't get to have your big show with that pup."
Her gaze narrowed to a steely determination he'd seen before, except he'd been the cause of her ire then.
"Oh, I made sure Snickers still had his moment in the sun. I trained him to ride a skateboard, made a video and sent it into the Late Night show. Imagine my mom's surprise when they contacted us. I went on the show. And my dog was famous for a week."
He leaned back with a chuckle of admiration. "If you did that today, you'd get a reality show."
"You could be right."
"You were famous for more than a week. I remember that story now...."
"I ran the talk show circuit until my fifteen minutes of fame was up."
He blinked in surprise. "Somehow I didn't guess you were a limelight seeker. I envisioned you more as the studious type, the crusader in a more conventional way. Now I see where Evie gets her showmanship."
She laughed. "We've never really spent enough time with each other to form opinions."
"You must have been fearless." His mind filled with images of her as a child, as quirky and incredible as little Evie. "Most kids would be scared to put themselves in front of the camera that would broadcast them to the whole world."
"I was hoping my father would see me." She sipped her wine and stared into the flames crackling in the fireplace.
"Your dad?" he prompted.
"My biological father wasn't in my life. He made child support payments and sent a birthday card with a check each year, which puts him one step ahead of Evie's dad, who hasn't so much as bought her a pair of shoes." She cleared her throat. "But back to my father. I know he saw the show because he mentioned it in my next birthday card. He'd noticed, but it didn't change a thing." She shrugged. "I found out later he was married. I worry about Evie, since her father's chosen not to be a part of her life."
"I imagine it doesn't help to hear that missing even a minute with Evie is his loss."
She held up a hand. "Stop, I don't want sympathy. I love my daughter and I've worked hard to build this life. I just want her to have an easier path, to find a man who will value what a gift she is."
"That makes sense."
She leaned forward, elbows on the arm rest. "I'm not sure you're hearing me though. I can't afford to make another mistake in a relationship. I have to be a good example as her mother, as a woman."
Was she tossing him on his ass before they even got started? He angled forward, and suddenly the space between them wasn't so great after all. "That doesn't mean you can't have a social life."
"I need to be careful for my daughter." She nibbled on her bottom lip. "So things like dating, especially now, need to be on hold."
She half rose from the sofa and her mouth was a mere inch away from his as he sat in the leather chair beside her. Her pupils widened with unmistakable arousal. But she'd just said she wasn't interested in dating. He had to be misreading her...unless...she wanted a one-night stand, which was ironic as hell since she was the first woman he'd had serious thoughts about dating in a very long time. Before he could wrap his brain around that thought-
She kissed him.
Five
Shimmers of desire tingled through her.
Megan settled her mouth against his. It was no impulsive "thank you" this time. She'd thought it out, planning to make the most of this evening with Whit. She could indulge in this much before returning to everyday life and responsibilities.
She'd spent so much of the past three and a half years annoyed at Whit, resisting the attraction. Until now. She'd been tempted, seeing the altruistic side of him that she'd heard about but he'd done his best to keep hidden from her. Then watching him with her daughter totally slayed her.
Just one night. That's all she could have. And she intended to make the most of it.
Her lips parted against his, encouraging... Yes. His tongue traced along her mouth, sweeping inside to meet hers. Kissing. She'd longed for a man's kiss, the bold give and take, the hard planes of a masculine body.
Of his body.
Whit.
She'd been attracted to him from the start, and resented those feelings since they'd been at odds over the property dispute. Not to mention he wasn't particularly known for being environmental friendly. She'd given him an earful once over his purchase of a piece of wetlands.
However, even if they hadn't been adversaries, she'd been wary of dating because of her little girl, who was less than a year old then. The memory of Evie's father's betrayal had still been so fresh. She'd been struggling to put her life together and Whit had threatened to rock that. She'd been tempted though, then deeply disappointed when he quickly squelched those fantasies by being a ruthless land baron, causing her constant headaches.
The ache was lower now, pooling between her legs.
She thrust her fingers into his hair, and something seemed to snap inside of him. His muscular arms wrapped around her, hauling her closer until her chest pressed to his and she sat on his lap. She wriggled against him and straddled his legs, kneeling on the leather chair. His low growl of approval rumbled against her, flaming the heat inside her higher, hotter.
His hands slid down her back in a steady caress to cup her hips. The steady press of his fingers carefully sinking into her flesh had her writhing closer. It had been so long since she'd languished in these sensations of total, lush arousal. Maybe she was feeling emotional in the wake of the storm's destruction, leading her to want something more.
And judging from his response, he felt the same. She'd known he was attracted to her too. She couldn't miss that in his eyes. But feeling the thick length of his arousal against her stomach sent her senses reeling.
His mouth moved along her jaw, then down her neck, his breath caressing along her overheated skin. Her head fell back to give him better access and with each breath she drew in the scent of his aftershave mixed with the sweet smell of fragrant smoke wafting up from the fireplace.
He stroked her arms, then ran his hands up over her shoulders to cup her face. The snag of his callused fingertips sent a thrill through her. He was a man of infinite finesse and raspy masculinity all at once. Would they go to her bedroom or his? She had condoms in her purse. Always. She loved her daughter but she wouldn't risk an unplanned pregnancy.
The thought threatened to chill her and she sealed her mouth to Whit's again, her fingers crawling under his sweater to explore the solid wall of his chest. His touch trailed back down her arms in a delicious sweep until he clasped her wrists.
And pulled her hands away from him.
She blinked in confusion. "Whit?"