Without A Clue Read Online Free Page A

PI he hired to find that lost Melville raved about one of his librarians. Research. He’s assigning me to new special projects. Thank you.”
    Aden’s gaze went warm, his expressive brown eyes admiring her. “Nothing but the truth.”
    “Well, I appreciate the praise, anyway.” She propped her chin on one hand. “Are we a thing?”
    “What?” His eyes widened. “I mean. Uh.”
    “Right.” Amelia smiled gently. “I just needed to know, Aden. I’m fine with us being friends. I am. But I’d like to know where I stand.”
    “I’ve had bad luck with women, Amelia. I want to take things slow.” He looked so earnest. So damned adorable, with his tie askew and his dark hair falling over his brow. Totally not fair.
    “Huh. Well, I guess I can understand caution.”
    “Thanks.” There Aden went with the handholding again, she thought. His skin felt amazing against hers.
    Amelia thought that same thing almost two hours later when she tugged him into her apartment, that goodnight kiss not nearly enough. Who knew when she might ever have the chance to do this again? Amelia threw caution to the wind and grabbed fate by Aden’s lapels.
    “Amelia,” he murmured against her mouth, “this is not slow.”
    “I know. I don’t care.” She rarely took the lead in her relationships, but she wanted this, right here and now. She pulled his tie free of his collar, then worked the buttons on his shirt. Amelia bared his chest, then stepped back a few inches to admire.
    Oh, my. He had a broad chest with a sprinkling of dark hair, and brown, flat nipples. His belly proved that he did his crunches, all ridged abs. His hipbones were barely visible about his belt, hinting at that funnel they created down to his groin. Her mouth went dry, and her breath hitched in her chest.
    “Take your hair down, Amelia. I want to see it down.” He pulled gently at one of the infernal curls that insisted on escaping any hairdo she managed.
    Amelia laughed, then nodded, reaching up to pull out the pins. Her hair came loose from its knot and fell around her shoulders.
    Aden moaned, a low, happy sound. He combed his fingers through her hair, appearing utterly fascinated. “I knew it would be so pretty. Look how it wraps around my fingers.”
    She didn’t want to look at anything but him. Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her face for another kiss. When he gave it to her, he pushed his tongue into her mouth to taste her deep. Now he took control, and Amelia gloried in his strength, in his spicy, male scent.
    They kissed their way to her tiny bedroom, and he tore at her clothes, the little pearl buttons on her blouse flying all over the room. She fought to scold him for it, but when he unclasped her bra and lifted her breasts against his palms, Amelia gave up caring about her shirt. His touch felt rough, urgent, and Amelia was proud that she could make him so desperate.
    He rubbed his thumbs in circles around her nipples. “Your skin is so smooth, Amelia. So soft.”
    “Touch me more.”
    Aden pushed her down on her bed, stretching out beside her, an echo of most of her recent dreams. He slid one hand over her waist to her hip, his thumb pressing just below her navel. “I want to touch you everywhere. Are you wet for me?”She was, and Amelia squeezed her thighs together to ease the ache between them. Aden rubbed the top of her mound, then cupped the entire thing with his palm, testing her.
    “You’re wearing your pants,” Amelia accused, plucking at the cloth.
    “Do you have condoms, Amelia?”
    “No.” She stopped dead, staring up at him.
    “Neither do I. I was swearing off women, remember? I can’t guarantee I’ll control myself. So the pants stay on.”
    “Such a gentleman.” She reached down with her own hand to press her palm against his zipper. “It’s a damned shame.”
    Aden laughed, the sound strained. “It is. It won’t happen again. I never leave a lady hanging, though.”
    Aden kissed her again, which