Dirty Sexy Cuffed (Dirty Sexy 3)

“Sort of,” she hedged, not sure she wanted to start their date with the depressing news of her impending departure from Chicago.

He narrowed his gaze. “What does ‘sort of’ mean?”

“I’m leaving town in a few weeks,” she said, getting it all out in the open.

He studied her face too intently. “Why?”

“Personal reasons.” She tried not to squirm under his intense scrutiny and wondered if this was how a suspect felt while being cross-examined by Officer Kincaid. It was damn intimidating, but the last thing she wanted to do was drag him into her problems.

She waited for him to push for a better explanation, but after a long stretch of tense silence, he surprised her by backing off.

“Okay,” he said much too easily when she could see a dozen more questions still lingering in his gaze.

He started up the truck and turned back onto the street. Hating how quiet it had become between them, she tried to get things back to normal, or else it was going to be a long, awkward night.

“How are you doing and feeling?” She’d thought about him every single day, wondering if the pain had lessened, especially since he’d refused any narcotic medication.

“I’m still sore, but managing,” he said, his tone back to the Levi she knew—not the interrogating cop.

She took in his strong profile as he drove. Her gaze settled on his full lips, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d had that thought, and she’d already decided that if he made the attempt tonight, she’d let him. If there was only one thing she could take with her when she left town, it would be knowing what Levi tasted like. She imagined the flavor of heat and all-consuming passion.

She felt a little pulse between her legs, and she folded her hands in her lap and rerouted her too sensual thoughts. “When do you go back to work?”

“Hopefully in a few weeks.” He turned his head, and this time there was a genuine smile on his lips. “My family is driving me crazy.”

She laughed, because she’d already met his brothers and could only imagine how boisterous the rest of his family was. “Lots of visitors coming by?”

He groaned. “You have no idea. I’ve put a permanent ban on anyone stopping by without calling first.”

“How did your parents take the news of you getting shot?” she asked curiously.

He visibly stiffened, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “My parents have been gone a long time,” he said abruptly. “It’s just me and my brothers.”

She didn’t miss the thread of bitterness in his voice, which struck her as odd, considering she knew how difficult it was to lose your parents and family members. But judging by his closed-off body language, he didn’t seem to want to discuss the issue further, so she wasn’t about to pry. Instead, she gave him the moment he seemed to need to gather his composure again.

After a few minutes passed, he exhaled a deep breath. “So, how does Italian sound for dinner?” he asked.

“Amazing,” she said, almost too eagerly. After living on ramen and bland meals for weeks, the thought of something so savory had her stomach growling in anticipation. “Where are we going?”

He glanced over at her and grinned. “My place.”

Chapter Four

Levi was taking her to his place. Sarah had mixed emotions about his announcement, because that meant they were going to be completely alone, instead of surrounded by people in a restaurant. Then again, this meant she had him all to herself for the night, and that made her . . . incredibly happy.

His two-story house was located on the outskirts of Chicago in what looked like a family-friendly neighborhood. On a late Sunday afternoon, kids were outside playing while adults were washing their cars, doing yard work, or sitting on their porch to enjoy the warm day. Levi waved to his neighbor as he turned into a driveway, then pulled the truck into the garage.

Once inside the house, she followed him into the kitchen. The decor was masculine, and from what she could see of the living room, there was a large brown sofa and ottoman, and a ridiculously large TV mounted on the wall. The kitchen itself was nicely laid out with upgraded appliances, and as soon as they entered, Levi set his keys on the counter, then turned around and started toward her.

The sudden sensual hunger shining in his eyes stole her bre

ath as he closed the short distance between them, and when he reached her, he settled his hands on her waist and gently pushed her back, step by step, until she was trapped against the stainless steel refrigerator. The cool metal against her back was a startling contrast to the heat emanating off of him, even though he’d yet to press his body against hers. And dear Lord, she wanted that. She craved the feel of him—every single inch. Badly.

He let go of her waist and cradled her face in his warm palms. He tipped her head back slightly, so her gaze met his, and she felt herself getting lost in those incredible eyes. The light green irises were mesmerizing. Gorgeous and hypnotic. She could stare into them forever. There was something in the depths as he looked down at her, something that made her feel safe. Made her want to trust him with all her secret hopes and desires.

She couldn’t miss the carnal need there, either. She’d never known lust before—had never experienced it and had definitely never seen it etched across a man’s features and directed at her. Two firsts tonight. Her limbs grew heavy with desire as the hottest, sexiest man she’d ever met stared at her mouth like he was ten seconds away from ravishing her. Excitement and anticipation swirled inside of her belly, and she hoped she didn’t have to wait much longer than that.

“First things first,” he murmured huskily as he skimmed the pad of his thumb along her lower lip, making them part as if on silent command. “If I don’t finally feel your mouth against mine, I’m not going to be able to think of anything else during dinner. So, to eliminate that distraction, I need to kiss you. Are you okay with that?”