“So am I. But the only danger you’re in right now is from me,” he growled. His mouth swooped down to take hers with a commanding swiftness that took her breath away.
Her arms went around his neck instinctively, and his masculine, musky scent captivated her, surrounded her until she couldn’t think of anything except him. His taste, his dominance, his sensual demand that she yield to him all set her body on fire.
He finally released her mouth and yanked on the high neck of the black turtleneck sweater she wore. He moved it downward so he could leave a path of fire down her neck as his mouth consumed the sensitive flesh.
“Lara,” he breathed against her temple. “You drive me crazy, baby.”
She was just tilting her head to give him better access when a loud knock came from the door.
“Shit!” she exclaimed. Her heart pounded from Tate’s sensual assault and the shock of being jolted back into the real world.
“Lara. Are you in there?” Chloe Colter’s voice came through the locked door.
“Oh my God. It’s your sister.” Lara pushed gently at Tate’s massive chest.
“Damn. She never did have good timing.” Tate groaned as he reluctantly let her get up.
“I’m coming.” Lara pulled her sweater down and tried to finger comb her tangled hair before she quickly confined it in a clip at the back of her head.
“I wish,” Tate grumbled as he rolled to his feet.
A giggle actually escaped her lips before she stifled it. Tate’s unhappy tone that they’d been interrupted actually delighted her.
He wants me. He really wants me.
It was one of the best natural highs she’d ever experienced. She wasn’t used to a man who treated her like an attractive female instead of a federal agent, and it made her feel lighthearted and blissfully happy.
She walked to the door and flipped the lock. She opened it with a small smile, an expression that quickly fled as she looked at the man who stood next to Chloe.
Marcus Colter.
“Hi Chloe,” she greeted Tate’s smiling sister. “Mr. Colter?”
Another man stood on the other side of Chloe, and she didn’t recognize him. He appeared to be about the same age as Marcus.
“Blake? I didn’t know you were back.” Tate’s voice was more enthusiastic than it had been a few minutes ago.
The tenseness in Lara’s muscles relaxed. Not Marcus then. She had been focused on photos of Marcus Colter for so long that she’d forgotten that he had an identical twin, Senator Blake Colter. Marcus was the oldest Colter brother, but only by minutes. Marcus and Blake Colter looked so much alike that Lara wondered how Tate could instantly tell them apart.
Obviously their siblings can easily tell which one is which. They grew up together.
“Senator,” Lara said as she nodded at him. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” She looked at Chloe. “And it’s nice to see you again.”
She stepped aside to let the three visitors through the door so Tate could greet his brother. He did so with a slap on the back and a typical Tate smart-ass comment. “It’s nice of you to finally get your ass back here to actually see the people who voted for you.”
Blake shoved back at his younger brother. “Introduce us,” he told Tate with a grin as he looked back at Lara appreciatively.
“Don’t even think about trying to charm her. She won’t fall for your bullshit,” Tate growled, sounding like he was only partially joking. “Lara, this is my brother, Blake, and his friend, Gabe Walker.”
“Mr. Walker.” She shook the man’s hand.
“Gabe, please.”
“And none of the formalities for me either, Lara. Please call me Blake. Any friend of my family is a friend of mine, too,” he said charmingly.
I’m not so sure I’ll be a friend to any of you once I bust your older brother.
In fact, she was pretty certain she was going to be the most hated person among the whole Colter family. Her heart clenched at what the conclusion of this investigation was going to do to them, especially Tate.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Chloe explained. “Tate texted me yesterday that he’d found you, but you weren’t here earlier this morning.”
“I—I was—”
“She was with me. My place was closer and she was stranded out in the cold,” Tate told them smoothly.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Chloe said with a smile.
Lara smiled back at the attractive brunette. Gabe Walker couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Chloe. Interesting.
Blake looked at Tate, confused. “If you were at your place, why couldn’t you just take the Jeep and p—”
Tate shoved his elbow into his brother’s stomach.
“Ouch. What the hell was that?” Blake complained and rubbed his sore abdomen.
“Sorry,” Tate apologized with a total lack of remorse. “Lara and I were just on our way out. We’ll talk later.” He gave his older brother a warning look to stop talking.
Lara watched the interaction between the two of them with interest, but let Tate take her hand and lead her to the door. She picked up her outdoor gear from the chair and handed Tate his jacket.
The three visitors left with promises to meet up at a later date, leaving Lara and Tate to follow.
“Did you say you were packing?” Lara asked, nervous about going out to the airfield and what they might find there. Tate had said Marcus had been delayed by weather and hadn’t arrived yet, but wasn’t sure when he was due to come in.
Tate turned his back to her. “Do you want to feel my gun?” His voice was full of innuendo.
After she pulled the door closed and dropped the plastic key into her pocket, she put a hand to his back. “Big gun,” she commented as she felt the back holster before he put his jacket on.
“Baby, everything I have is big.” He winked at her. “My hands are larger. I need at least a standard sized gun.
“Harder to conceal,” she shot back at him as they walked down the hall to the elevator. “Bigger isn’t always better.”
“But in some cases it’s definitely preferable.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her as he waved her into the elevator first.
“Sometimes guys who have big things don’t always have the best equipment. They’re compensating.”
“You know that definitely doesn’t apply to me.” He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling devilishly.
Wicked man. But she couldn’t really argue much about that. Tate had absolutely nothing he needed to compensate for.