The Good Girl's Second Chance (The Bravos Of Justice Creek 2) by Christine Rimmer Page A

pressing up into her hard and tight, as the fire flamed so bright and then slowly faded down to a lovely, glowing ember.
    And right then, when she thought it was over, when she was more than ready to ease her shaking legs to the floor, he started to move again.
    She groaned in sexual overload and shoved fitfully at his rocklike shoulders. But he didn’t release her.
    And, well, could she blame him? After all, it
was
his turn. He’d swept her right off her feet and straight to paradise. The least she could do was stick with him now.
    With a sigh of surrender, she stopped pushing him away and held on instead, bracing to ride it out.
    But then, out of nowhere, all at once, it became more than just sticking with it for his sake. So much more.
    In a split second, she was catching fire again.
    “Oh... Oh, my!” She yanked him tight against her.
    He let out a laugh, deep and knowing. Full of heat and joy.
    She moaned his name as she pressed her open mouth to his, her body moving in time with his, picking up speed, finding the hard, insistent rhythm he set—and matching it, giving it back to him.
    Time whirled away. The edge of the world was waiting for her. Waiting for both of them. She spun toward it, dizzy with the thrill of it. She hovered on the brink—and went over.
    And he was right there with her, hitting the peak a moment after she did, pulsing hard and hot within her.
    And then following her down.

Chapter Six
    I t was three-fifteen on Saturday morning when he left her.
    Chloe put on a robe and walked him out to his beautiful old car. She kissed him goodbye—a long, slow, lovely kiss.
    When he would have let her go, she grabbed him back and kissed him some more.
    He laughed when he finally lifted his head. “Hey. I’m only going around the block.”
    “I know.” She sighed, wrapped her arms around his waist, and beamed up at him. “But I want to make sure you don’t forget me.”
    “No chance of that.” He took a curl of her hair and wrapped it around his hand. “We got a special thing going, you and me.”
    “Oh, yes, we do.”
    He touched her chin with his thumb, brushed one last kiss across her upturned lips. “Get some rest.”
    She promised she would and reluctantly stepped back so he could open the car door and slide in behind the wheel. Then she waited, her arms wrapped around herself against the predawn chill, as he backed from the driveway and drove off down the street.
    As soon as his taillights disappeared, she missed him. She wanted to run inside, grab the phone and call him back.
    Which was totally silly. He’d asked her to marry him. And she was redecorating his house—
both
of his houses, as a matter of fact.
    One way or another, she would be seeing him very soon.
    * * *
    She saw him the next day. He called and invited her out for ice cream with him and Annabelle. Chloe spent two lovely hours with father and daughter. Annabelle enchanted her. It might be too soon to talk about falling in love with Quinn. But she had no problem admitting she was head over heels for his little girl.
    And then, that night, Quinn came up the hill to join her. He stayed for two hours. They talked about Annabelle and about Chloe’s plans for his houses—and then they made love. He left at a little past midnight.
    Same thing on Sunday night.
    Monday at nine in the morning, Quinn closed on the house across the street from Chloe. Then, at eleven, he brought Manny and Annabelle to Chloe’s showroom to see the plans and sign the contract for the redesign of the house down the hill. Chloe had cookies on offer at the coffee table, which Annabelle spotted immediately. Manny said she could have one.
    Annabelle chose a cookie, thanked Chloe sweetly—and asked if she knew how to make a fairy princess dress. “I want one, Chloe. Will you
please
make me one?”
    Before Chloe could reply that she absolutely could and would, Quinn said, “Anniefannie, you are pushing it.”
    “Daddy!” The little girl tipped her cute