“What brick?” Liam asked.

“It happened a few days ago. I was leaving for an interview and this brick came flying out of the sky and nearly hit me on the head. It looked exactly like one of the bricks from my building so I called the landlord to tell him he had some serious safety issues.”

“Was there a problem?”

“No,” Ellie said, frowning. “He found a few bricks on the roof but he figured that there were kids playing up there. They sometimes crawl up the back porches.” She smiled weakly. “Maybe I should take that bath. That might calm me down.”

“Do you want anything?” Liam asked. “I could make you a cup of tea.”

“That would be nice,” she said.

She wandered into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the old claw-footed tub. But suddenly she felt too exhausted to move. Though she’d only known Liam for ten days, he’d already become such a presence in her life. If she’d been alone on the street… If he hadn’t called out… If he weren’t here now to make her feel safe and secure… “My white knight,” she murmured, reaching over to turn on the water.

As the tub slowly began to fill, Ellie slipped out of her wet shoes and damp socks. Then she tugged her sweater over her head. The grimy water hadn’t reached the cotton camisole she wore underneath, but the damp still had seeped into her bones. Ellie rubbed her forearms as she stared into the tub.

“Here’s your tea.”

She glanced up at Liam who watched her from the bathroom door. “Thanks.”

“I’m not much of a tea drinker so I didn’t make it the regular way. I just nuked the water and stuck in a tea bag. I hope it’s all right.”

She took a sip of the lemony brew and it immediately began to warm her. “It’s perfect.” Ellie sucked in a deep breath then looked at him, fixing her gaze on his. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think that car was trying to hit me?”

An uneasy look flitted across Liam’s handsome face before he hid it behind a warm smile. “Why would someone want to run you over?”

“I-I don’t know. I’m just-” Ellie waved her hand, then set the mug down beside the tub. She stood and nervously refolded a bath towel and hung it on the rack.

Liam came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Ellie tipped her head back and sighed as he softly massaged the tension from her neck. His touch felt so good, strong and sure. She moaned softly and focused on the warmth of his fingers as they skimmed across her shoulders and back. But when he pushed aside the strap of her camisole and pressed his mouth to her shoulder, she froze, her breath caught in her throat.

Then, as if all the fear had been suddenly washed away, Ellie turned to face him. She stared up into his eyes, with their indescribable mix of gold and green. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth and she remembered every kiss they’d shared, how exciting and exhilarating it had all been. She wanted that again, something sweet and soft to occupy her thoughts.

Ellie pushed up on her toes and touched her lips to his. But a brief kiss wasn’t enough and she decided she wanted more. Hesitantly she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her, her mouth meeting his with a clumsy bump.

But Liam didn’t seem to mind. He pulled her against his chest and gently explored her mouth with his tongue, teasing and tasting, lingering over her lips. Ellie knew she shouldn’t let it go any further. They barely knew each other. But in the past days, she’d learned to trust Liam with her life. How could a man who’d saved her not once but twice possibly turn around and hurt her?

His hands slipped beneath her camisole and spanned her waist as he deepened the kiss. She’d wanted the taste of him to drive all the worry out of her head, but it was also sweeping her common sense right along with it. She’d made a vow to stay away from men for at least a year. She’d kept that vow for sixty-seven days and about six hours, and with just a few incredible kisses she was ready to throw it all aside.

Liam Quinn was not Ronald Pettibone. Nor was he Brian Keller, the stock analyst she’d been with before Ronald. Nor Steve Winston, the business consultant. Or any of the others that she’d thought she’d loved. Liam was…different. He was a man she could depend upon.

“I read this book once that said that people who have near-death experiences sometimes become more passionate in the aftermath. Do you think that’s what’s happening here?”

“I don’t know. Is that a bad thing?”

Ellie shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s just the author’s observation.”

“Maybe we should stop.”

She reached for the hem of her camisole and slowly pulled it up. “Maybe we shouldn’t.” Ellie gazed into his eyes, waiting for a cue, anything that would tell her that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He slid his hand up along her rib cage and cupped her breast, stroking his thumb across her nipple and bringing it to an aching peak through the soft fabric.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “From the moment I first saw you, I thought about this.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “You were dancing a-” he paused “-around me with that-that phone in your hand, dressed in your nightgown.” He grinned. “You know, when you stood in front of the light, I could see right through it.”

“You looked?”

“I couldn’t help myself.”

She pulled her camisole up a few more inches, until it was bunched beneath her breasts. “I’m lucky I tied you up,” she teased. “I didn’t realize how dangerous you were.”

Liam chuckled softly, then brushed her hands away. “You like dangerous?” He took the soft cotton knit in his hands and slowly dragged it up and over her head. Then he tossed it aside.

This time when his hand touched her breast, the contact was electric, sending a shockwave through her body. “I do like dangerous,” Ellie murmured. “Very much.”

With a low growl, Liam reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up until she sat on the edge of the bathroom sink. He covered her mouth with a deep and shattering kiss and Ellie had no choice but to respond. He seemed to know exactly what she wanted. Every place he touched and kissed ached in the moments before his lips moved there.

She couldn’t deny that she wanted him, but it was a need that was irrational. With every other man, the weeks or even months that approached this moment had been measured carefully, as if following some prescribed schedule. But now she didn’t care. So what if she’d only known Liam for ten days? So what if he’d probably seduced a string of beautiful women? That didn’t matter.

For now all that mattered was that she wanted him. Ellie reached for the buttons on his shirt and fumbled with them until they were undone. Then she brushed aside the soft cotton and smoothed her hands over his chest, lost in the pure masculine beauty of his body.

His chest was broad and finely muscled, a thin line of hair leading from his collarbone to beneath the waistband of his jeans. She trailed her fingers along that line as if it were a map to the next spot in their seduction. When she reached for the button on his jeans, Liam pushed her hands aside.

He worked the zipper on her jeans until they loosened around her waist. Then, lifting her, he pulled them down her hips, skimming her panties along with them. As he set her back on the countertop Ellie didn’t care that she was completely naked and he was still fully dressed. Somehow it made the moment seem more wicked. But she really didn’t realize how wicked it was about to become.

She expected him to start on his own clothes next, but instead he slowly explored her body with his lips and his tongue. Perched on the edge of the sink, she felt as if she might slip off at any moment and tumble onto the floor. But his hands were on her body, strong and sure.

Liam trailed his tongue from her nipple to her belly and then paused, gently parting her legs. Ellie sucked in a sharp breath as his mouth found its next destination. The pleasure was so intense that if she moved, she was certain she’d dissolve into a puddle on the floor. Her limbs became weightless and she couldn’t keep a rational thought in her mind. All she could do was experience the pleasure he gave her.

Ellie ran her fingers through his hair, arching into him with every sensation. She wanted to hold back, afraid to allow such vulnerability in herself. But the ache inside begged to be relieved. Second by second, she came closer, his tongue testing her limits. And then, as if something inside her burst, Ellie cried out.

Spasms of ecstasy rocked her body and she clutched the edge of the sink, certain that if she fell, she’d tumble into oblivion, destroyed by such an incredible orgasm. But Liam brought her down slowly and gently, until she felt completely relaxed and sated.

“Feel better?” he murmured, pressing his mouth against the curve of her neck.

A shiver of desire raced through her. “I guess the book was right,” she murmured.

“Are you ready for your bath now? The tub is almost full.”

Ellie didn’t care about a bath. Right now, she wanted to drag Liam Quinn into her bedroom to continue what he’d started, making wild and crazy love for the rest of the afternoon. But she wasn’t sure how to ask for what she wanted and, in the end, simply nodded her head.

“A bath would be nice.”

CANDLELIGHT FLICKERED against the walls of Ellie’s bathroom and she sighed softly as she sank back into the steaming water, submerging to her chin. Liam watched from the doorway, a glass of wine in his hand.

She looked so beautiful, so relaxed, he was almost tempted to carry her from the tub to her bed and make love to her. But Liam had stopped just short of that for a reason. Though he’d wanted nothing more than to pleasure Ellie, he knew that if he lost himself in the same pleasures, he’d be taking a risk that might prove costly in the end.