She was curious about his condition, of course. She wondered how the arm was attached, and if he ever used alternate prosthetics, but his missing hand didn’t make him any less attractive to her. Walter Becker couldn’t have been more different from the men she usually dated, but something about the way he looked at her made her toes curl. She had a feeling he tackled everything he did with that same intense concentration—and the possibilities were quite stimulating.
She motioned toward the couch, and the open bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table beside a bowl of fruit. “I could make coffee, if you prefer. The suite comes stocked with a pretty impressive selection.”
“The wine looks good. Just a glass, though. I had half a beer earlier. With Adam,” he added.
She paused with one glass half-filled. “Adam? Is he back at the resort?”
“No. I tracked him down. He didn’t go far. He’ll probably be back in a couple of hours, if not sooner.” Walt accepted the wine and watched as she poured another for herself.
She sank onto the couch, patting the cushion beside her. He settled close enough to keep her pulse rate elevated, though she tried to focus on the conversation. “Why did you go to him? Was it to discuss the arrangements for Simon?”
“Not really. Most of that is already settled. I went as a friend. Wanted to make sure he’s okay. And to tell him he’s an idiot.”
“I might have told him a few other things,” Maddie said darkly into her wineglass.
She couldn’t help remembering the look in her sister’s eyes when she’d heard about Adam’s impersonal message about anonymous child support. Joanna had made an effort to mask her feelings, but Maddie knew her sister too well to be fooled. She’d seen beneath the impassive expression to the disappointment that throbbed beneath it.
“Adam’s hurting, Maddie.”
His choice, she wanted to retort, but she bit the words back. Walt was worried about his friend. And he knew Adam a lot better than she did. She, of course, was entirely on her sister’s side, even though she was well aware that Joanna had her own flaws and insecurities. Despite the prim and proper exterior their parents had trained her to show, Joanna was only human.
All in all, it was probably best if she and Walt just didn’t discuss them. Not tonight, anyway. Tonight they could focus on themselves. On the electricity that seemed to pop and sizzle in the air whenever his laser-focused dark eyes met hers. She curled her legs beside her and half turned toward him, smiling over the rim of her wineglass. “Let’s talk about something else, okay?”
He seemed willing to comply, though she sensed he was still uncertain about her. Fair enough.
They chatted easily for the next hour, talking about their work, sharing law school stories, comparing favorite music, movies and book genres. She confided her passion for sci-fi, and he admitted to being a lifelong comic book aficionado, a common bond except for their rather passionate preferences for rival publishers. That led to another spirited but friendly debate.
Draining her glass, Maddie set it aside and tossed her head. “We’ll just agree to agree—that you’re wrong.”
He chuckled and reached out to stroke away a strand of hair that had stuck to her cheek. “You do love a good fight, don’t you?”
Enjoying his touch on her face, she batted her eyes. “Of course. That’s why I went into criminal law rather than private practice. Bankruptcies and divorces and personal injury settlements would bore me to tears.”
He twirled that wayward red strand slowly around one finger. “Your employers are okay with the fire engine hair?”
“No one’s ever said different. I think they figure it keeps the opposition distracted. But whatever. I like it.”
He met her eyes with a look that melted her insides. “So do I.”
Maddie walked her fingers slowly up his chest to trace the shallow dip in his chin. She was pretty sure he’d shaved earlier that evening, but she could already feel the slight roughness of beard. Nice.
He slid his hand to the back of her head, holding her in place as he lowered his face. “I have been wanting to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you,” he confessed in a growl.
With a laugh, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know you have.”
His own laugh was muffled in a hard kiss.
Oh, yeah. Kissing Walt was just as exhilarating as she’d predicted. And he gave it every bit of the energy and effort she’d expected.
He was very, very good with that one functional hand. With that firm, confident mouth. A few sweeps of his tongue had her quivering. A shift of his weight had her sprawled half beneath him, her arms locked around him, her dress hiked up around her thighs.
He kissed her throat, the hollow behind her ear, the curve of her breast. She nipped his chin, his ear, everywhere she could reach, enjoying every groan she pulled from him, every ragged breath he drew.
This was one fine, sexy sergeant.
She almost growled in frustration when he suddenly stilled and drew back. “What?”
His eyes stormy, his hard-carved face flushed, he ran his hand over his hair and pushed himself to his feet. “I should go.”