First Class Seduction. Anita Bunkley

number.

      “Thanks,” he said, appraising Lori with obvious longing. “Tomorrow, I’ll install an entirely new system. There are several models to choose from. If you want…”

      “Whatever you recommend,” Lori interrupted, confident that he would not steer her wrong.

      “As long as it keeps those punk-ass vandals out,” Brittany spoke up. “Summer vacation has only just started. Who knows how bad this might get over the summer? We all gotta be prepared.”

      “You might want to think about starting a community-watch program out here,” Ramón suggested, snapping on his red baseball cap.

      “Humm. How’s that work? Are the police involved?” Brittany wanted to know.

      “Oh, yeah. They partner with citizens’ watch programs all the time. They’ll help you organize patrols, provide training and serve as backup when you need them.”

      “That sounds like a good, proactive approach. What would we have to do?” Lori inquired, intrigued by the idea of taking an active role in protecting herself.

      “You just get the residents together and form teams to walk or drive the streets. You’ll send a message to the criminals that you’re not gonna sit back and let them take control of your neighborhood,” Ramón replied, going on to tell Brittany and Lori about other subdivisions in the area that had decreased crime substantially after starting such a program. “Act now and you put the punks on notice.”

      Lori gestured toward Ramón, head slanted to the side. “Think you could come and demonstrate your ultrasafe home security systems at our next homeowners’ meeting?”

      “Be happy to,” Ramón replied, tossing a spool of duct tape into his toolbox. “I’m at your disposal. All you have to do is tell me what you want.”

      Lori blinked, tamped down a smile and exhaled a soft breath.

      “Aaall right…” Brittany said, filling the awkward lull in a too loud voice. “Where do we start?”

      “Call your homeowners’ association president and suggest a meeting with a rep from the police department who could come out and explain what’s involved,” Ramón offered.

      “Well, Detective Washington was very nice. Maybe we should ask him to be our liaison,” Brittany volunteered.

      “I’m sure you’d like that,” Lori agreed with a You’re-not-fooling-anybody look.

      “He knows our situation and knows what’s going on,” Brittany said.

      “Why don’t you give him a call?” Lori suggested.

      “I will. I’ll call him right now and see if he’ll agree to help us,” Brittany said. With a choppy finger wave, she hurried down the driveway and across her lawn to disappear inside her house.

      As soon as Brittany left, Lori lowered the garage door and turned to face Ramón. “Come on, I’ll show you where the broken window is.”

      Without a word, Ramón reached out and slipped his index finger under the strap of Lori’s halter top. “Or we could pick up where we were before your neighbor interrupted.”

      Lori hesitated for a nanosecond, seriously considering his proposal, but knew better than to act on her out-of-control desires. She quickly removed his hand from her halter top strap and said, “No way. We have too much to do. We can’t be messing around like this anymore.”

      Lori pivoted around and started to walk away.

      Ramón stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Why can’t we do both?” he softly urged, voice rough and low.

      “Because well, we just can’t,” Lori stuttered, flustered by the beam of lust he was shooting at her in a seductive squint that was impossible to ignore. Now that she’d allowed him to sample her private treasures, he clearly wanted more. And she did, too.