The woman turned him on and in ways that other women had never touched. He’d dated women who dressed provocatively all the time, but the idea of Beth wearing stockings under her more conservative work gear made his cock lurch in response. Knowing she was wearing them instead of panty hose tonight had him hard and aching and he hadn’t even touched her.

Was not going to touch her, no matter what he’d fantasized about when he’d seen those kinky pink handcuffs in her bedside drawer. He needed to know her better to pull this job off, but he didn’t need to get involved with her.

That would be a bad idea.

He closed the door on temptation and sent a silent command to his hardened sex to settle down before going around to get into the driver’s seat. Only her muttering something about two pairs of panties as he shut the door did not help. He did not want to think about her panties. He really didn’t.

Did she wear a thong?

He wouldn’t put it past her, not the Beth Whitney he was getting to know tonight. Just the thought of her butt bare against that little black dress was enough to undo any good his self-lecture might have done. What the hell was the matter with him? He’d been vamped by the best of them, but he did not lose control.

So, why did he have an almost irresistible urge to pull his powerful convertible to the shoulder of the road and find out if sex in a two-seater was really impossible?

He wasn’t happy about using a nonagent as the contact with Prescott. The last thing he could afford to do was to mess up his own focus by getting involved with her. And he had a feeling that getting involved with Beth would be harder on his equilibrium than any other woman had been in a very long time.

She was just so surprising.

That book next to her bed…it had been hot. He wouldn’t mind reading it himself and not just for the obviously intense sex in it, but the story had sounded pretty good, too. Damn it, he was losing his mind.

He pulled up in front of the small Italian restaurant where they had reservations, only now realizing he’d spent so much time thinking about her, he hadn’t said a word to her for the whole drive.

She was busy looking out the window, but her hands were clenched in her lap and he wondered why. Was she still angry he’d invaded her bedroom? She was going to have a fit then, when they got back, because he had every intention of doing exactly what he’d said he wanted to. Go through her drawers. He needed to know her in a way only a lover would, or he would screw up his role in that capacity.

Failure wasn’t an option for him, especially when her safety was at risk.

She said nothing as he came around to open her door and she avoided his eyes when she got out of the car, but she took his proffered hand. She moved away from him as soon as she got vertical and clear of the car though.

He frowned. “Are you mad at me, Sunshine?”

Her gaze snapped around. Sherry-brown eyes looked at him blankly for a second and then she shook her head. “No, of course not. Why would I be?”

“You didn’t like me going through the stuff in your bedroom.”

She moved toward the brick building that housed the restaurant. “No, but I understand you think it was necessary.”

“It was.”

“I’m not talking about my sexual fantasies over dinner,” she blurted out, sounding pretty defensive.

Is that what had her avoiding his eyes? She was embarrassed by the prospect of talking about her sexual preferences? The woman was a mass of contradictions.

He couldn’t help smiling. “Do you have sexual fantasies?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” She stopped before the open door.

“I suppose…but I’ve always been more of an action man.” Though he knew images of her and those hot-pink handcuffs were going to play a starring role in some heated fantasies for some time to come.

He’d like to take her home and play a few of them out. Right now.

Her small pink tongue darted out to lick her lips in a gesture that was both nervous and arousing. “Yes.”

“Yes what?” He shook his head, clearing it. She hadn’t meant yes to his thoughts, but his sex was acting like she had.

“You’re an action man. I don’t see you merely thinking about doing something…I think you’d do it.”

His body thought so, too. “You’re right. Usually. Are you saying you’ve never used the handcuffs?”

“I told you…I’m not having this discussion over dinner.”

“We’re not in the restaurant yet.”

She took a hasty step over the threshold into the small restaurant. “Now we are.”

He laughed and followed her inside. “Don’t you know that denying my curiosity satisfaction just makes me more determined to know?”

“Don’t you think it’s time you learned to control that curiosity?”

“Now what would be the fun in that?”

She didn’t get a chance to answer as the restaurant’s owner, Vito, came forward with an effusive greeting before leading them to Ethan’s favorite table in a quiet corner. The ambient lighting and brick walls on two sides of the table enhanced the feeling of intimacy while dining. And Vito’s menu was superb.

Ethan’s mouth watered as the scent of garlic and his favorite pasta dishes assailed his nostrils. He was hungry and food was going to have to do.

“You bring a beautiful woman this time, Ethan.” Vito kissed his fingertips toward Beth. “Bellisima.”

She blushed a soft pink and Ethan smiled as he held her chair out for her, usurping Vito. “I agree, Vito. She is one-of-a-kind gorgeous.”

“This is true.”

That had Beth rolling her eyes at both of them.

“She no believe us. Why is this? You no tell her how beautiful she is before?”

“It’s an oversight, I admit.” Ethan took his own chair, letting one leg slide against Beth’s.

She jumped and moved her leg away, giving him a chagrined look.

Vito shook his head. “I think you are smarter than this, Ethan my friend. Tonight I help you make up for your foolishness. I serve you a dinner that would make the angels weep, no? Good food, it is the way to a woman’s heart.”

“I always heard it was the way to a man’s heart,” Beth said with amusement lacing her voice.

“Ah…men are more simple than that, but that is no a discussion for ears such as yours. It is a woman that requires the wooing and I will help my friend tonight with this.”

Beth laughed, shaking her head, and Ethan felt something tighten in his chest. He’d brought dates here before, but Vito did not act like this with them. He flirted, as all Italian males flirted, but he never made jokes about reaching the woman’s heart. What was it about Beth that brought that out in the savvy restaurateur?

She’d said she wasn’t into weddings, but even Vito saw the difference between her and the women Ethan usually dated.

“I go to order you dinner…you leave it up to me, no?”

The man had never made such an offer before, but Ethan trusted him. “That’s fine by me. Beth?”

Her lush lips curved in a sweet smile. “I’d be honored.”

Vito nodded, his expression filled with pleasure, and then turned to leave. A moment later, a waiter appeared with a carafe of red wine, which he poured before leaving them in solitude once again.

“Vito is a character.”

“You bring out a different side to him.”

“You mean he doesn’t call all your women beautiful and promise them a dinner worthy of angels?”

“Now that you mention it…”

She laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

“But he has never offered to help me get to a woman’s heart…or to select my dinner for me.”

“He’s probably wondering what in the world you are doing here with a woman like me.”

She’d missed the point entirely, but he wasn’t going to belabor it. “What do you mean, a woman like you?” he asked instead.