It's A Wonderfully Sexy Life (23 page)
Southeast Police Precinct, Baltimore City
was
breakfast. Times mother asked when will settle down and start having babies like a good Catholic girl: don’t know as live on own now, but given new status as engaged woman, would guess is zero, fucking zero!
Romantic sunsets walked off into hand-in-hand with Mr. Right: one—but then how many happy endings, make that Happy Beginnings,
does a girl need?
WARD PLAQUE IN HAND
, Mandy slipped away from the office party in her honor to steal a moment alone at her desk. It had been an amazing afternoon, with the mayor himself turning out to award her citation for bravery as well as to personally pin on her detective’s badge. Her parents, sister Sharon, Mikey and Suz had all stayed for the reception afterward and were eating cake and congregating at the conference table in the squad room next door.
Taking the paper cup of punch from her hand, he leaned over to kiss her. “Congratulations, detective.” His warm breath hit her ear, drawing her shiver. “I have a gift for you, but I left it back at the apartment on your pillow.”
“You already gave me the best gift I could ever ask for.” She glanced down to her left hand where the tasteful diamond engagement ring sparkled from its Art Deco setting. The ring had belonged to Josh’s grandmother, which only made it all the more special.
Dropping his voice, he said, “Well, think of this as more of a…novelty item.”
“A novelty item, huh?” Smiling, she turned her head and whispered back, “Is it…naughty?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you even need to ask?”
Meeting the head-on heat of his gaze, she felt warmth rolling over her face and throat, part embarrassment but part desire, too. Definitely desire. “Is it for private time or would it be all right to enlist the help of an assistant?”
“As long as you promise to be very selective, I think an assistant would be a great idea. Got anyone in mind?”
She pretended to hesitate. “Well, the fact is there’s a certain telecommunications executive who’s a whiz with electronics. The only problem is I’m feeling the need to open my gift soon, very soon, and I’m not sure he’s free for, um…lunch.”
Ever since he’d opened a satellite office of Thornton Enterprises in downtown Baltimore, she’d gotten spoiled with seeing him for “meals” and just about everything else in between. It wasn’t quite the perfect setup—for a while at least, he still had to fly back and forth to Boston once or twice a week—but on balance it worked,
they
worked, and Mandy couldn’t imagine being happier.
“Why, detective, it must be your lucky day, because it so happens the executive in question has cleared his schedule for the rest of the afternoon, which means he’s free not only for lunch, but also for dinner and any snack breaks in between.”
“Really?”
He grinned. “Really. So what do you say to us trading in this punch for the bottle of Dom chilling in the fridge at home? After all, you only live once—more or less.” He ended the statement with a wink.
Mandy looked up at him, the heat pooling in her panties matched by the warm glow enveloping her heart. She wanted him so much, she loved him so much, she couldn’t wait to get him home alone, and her eagerness had nothing to do with opening her gift. The real gift was standing right in front of her and if there was any unwrapping to be done, it would involve getting him out of that pressed designer suit and into her bedsheets as quickly as possible.
Overwhelmed with happiness, she reached out and took his hand in hers. “Well, Mr. Joshua Sedgewick Thornton the Third, I guess I’d have to say that sounds like a plan—and to add that every day feels like Christmas Day, and my very luckiest day, because I get to spend it with you.”
IT’S A WONDERFULLY SEXY LIFE
Copyright © 2006 by Hope Tarr.
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