Page 19 of Hawk and the Cougar

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Sunlight skimmed the distant edge of the desert when Liz looked up from where she lay brushing loose dirt from the hard ground. Nearby, Hawk gave instructions to the last two remaining students, and Liz knew what she’d known for the last two hours—she’d stayed too long.

“I’ll see you here, tomorrow after class,” he said to the girl. “You’re in charge until I get here, Katie.”

The girl nodded, and she, along with the young man standing beside her, turned and headed toward the cars. Hawk faced Liz as she rose from where she’d given a final few brush strokes to the section of dirt she’d been working on.

“Not so much as an arrowhead,” she said.

He laughed. “Such is the life of an archaeologist. Ninety-eight per cent of the ground we dig doesn’t yield anything.”

Liz shook her head “The digs Em and I went on always yielded something.”

“You were paying customers.” Hawk grasped her arm and squeezed. “I promise to make up for all your hard work.” He winked.

She couldn’t help a laugh. He looked like a big kid. Liz sobered. That was exactly what he was. But she’d left that stage of life behind long ago.

“Listen, Hawk—”

“Here it is,” he cut in. “You’ve had all day to conjure up reasons not to see me.”

She shrugged. “It was inevitable.”

“Just as this is inevitable.” His fingers tightened on her flesh and he gently drew her to him.

“Hawk,” she managed before his mouth lowered onto hers.

His moist lips pressed against hers sent Liz into a tailspin. Just as she’d known it would. He was right; she wanted him. But he was also right in that she’d had all day to own up to why nothing could happen between them.

Liz broke the kiss, breathing hard, and leaned her head against his chest. The hard thump of his heart made her want to listen to the sound until past dawn. A short, torrid affair would do her good. But damn it, even if Hawk was capable of separating their relationship from his relationship with Emma, when things went bad, Emma wouldn’t be. And a friend like Professor Anthony Hawkins could make all the difference to her success.

“You are a powerful temptation,” Liz said through a shaky breath.

A strangled laugh broke from him. “Only a temptation? That doesn’t even come close to what you are to me.”

She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I’ve never let my personal life interfere with Emma’s well-being—until today. I can’t let it happen again.”

“What do you expect to happen?” he asked.

“I expect explosive sex, then just as explosive a breakup.”

A corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. “I scared you with that kiss last night, didn’t I? And probably my driving, too?”

Liz blinked, then laughed. “Last night was…unusual but, no.” She couldn’t resist tracing a finger along his jaw. “You saved my life, and you didn’t have to do that.”

His eyes darkened. “God damn it, Liz, talk to me in that voice, and you drive me out of my mind.”

Her insides liquefied. They stared at each other for a long moment before she stepped back.

“Do you really think I’m incapable of separating my personal life from my professional life?” he asked.

“I think you haven’t been tested like this. Have you ever been involved with a student’s mother?” Regret rolled over her. If he said yes, if she wasn’t the first mother whose panties he’d got into with little resistance…

“No,” he replied.

Relief gave way to reality. “Then you can’t know what you’ll do.”

“Have you ever had a relationship with a younger man?” he asked.