“It’s been a long time,” I said.
He stared at me hard. “Yeah, it has. So how’s my favorite little brat doing?”
“And how’s my favorite little thief doing?” I retorted.
“I think that title belongs to you, darling,” he said with a sharp laugh. “You’re the one breaking into houses in a ski mask.” He stared deeply into my eyes and I shifted, suddenly unsure beneath the intensity of his gaze. “Damn, you’re beautiful, Jaime, all grown up.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
“What are you doing here? I mean, I know you still live in town, but why are you in my house, dressed like Catwoman? No complaints, because you look fucking hot in it, but there’s gotta be one helluva explanation. And I’m dying to hear it.”
I shot him my most seductive look, hoping to disarm his suspicions. “I heard you were back and just had to see you.”
He laughed. “I’m not gonna bite that one, Princess. I don’t buy that for one second. If you truly wanted to catch up, you would’ve called or stopped by during the day.”
I gritted my teeth thinking he could’ve just as easily called me to let me know he was back in town. “I’ve got a wild and crazy reputation to maintain, Charlie. Besides, I wanted to stick out in your head from all the other women around here. You know I’ve always loved a challenge, right?”
“Right, I guess,” he said, still eyeing me curiously. “So what’s up with you? Still single? You got any kids?”
“Yes and no.”
“Really? I was sure you would’ve settled down by now,” he said and I swore I heard hope in his voice.
Something else I couldn’t pinpoint and the way he stared at me suddenly had me worried I’d stepped into a mess I wasn’t going to get out of. “Can’t find a man who has more balls than me. But I’m sure he’ll show up. So I guess I’m waiting for Mr. Right. You?”
“Me? Nope, I’m not waiting for Mr. Right.”
“Miss Right?”
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“You know full well I meant a woman.”
“I don’t know. It’s been a lot of years. Things could’ve changed.”
“Not a chance. Now back to the matter at hand. You sneaked into my house to seduce me? Are you into role-playing now? I mean, if you are, it’s no biggie. I have to say a girl in black really turns me on.”
My fingers slowly trailed down his face. “Just admit it, Charlie. I’m the most interesting piece of ass you’ve talked to all week.”
His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “No arguments here.”
“Being with you is all I’ve ever wanted, and I can’t help noticing how muscular you are now. The way you came at me just now? Talk about badass. Your ninja skills really impress me, Charlie-san,” I said and sidled closer, too, resting a hand on his chest. Red flags shot up, but I pushed them aside, too caught up in the heat of the moment and the adrenaline racing through my veins.
He ran a hand down my cheek, and I shivered. “If you weren’t such a nice girl, I’d bang you in a heartbeat,” he said, then ran that same hand down my body and over my curves. “And for the record, I let you kick my ass at fencing all those times.”
“Yeah, right. You could never pin me down. Up for a rematch to prove it?”
He pinned my wrists up against the wall with a wicked grin as I stared into his eyes and the sexual tension brewed between us. I guess it’d always been there, but he’d been too busy banging anything that moved and I was too busy being the one girl he never noticed in that way. Not anymore clearly.
He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “You know what, sweetie? I’ve gotten quite good over the years. You’ll never pin me beneath you again.”
“Aw, shucks. Does that mean I never get to ride on top?” I asked in a sultry voice.
His hands ran back up my sides. “You’ll never beat me again, not in fencing or in mind games. I know you’re not here to seduce me though. Tell me, luv, why the hell you’re sneaking around my place in the dark.”
“I’ll never beat you again? My, my, aren’t we a little competitive? I didn’t mean to emotionally scar you when you couldn’t take me down all those years ago.”
“Just answer the damn question, Jaime. What do you want?”