Shohn laughed. “Forget it, woman. I’m not stripping down for you, no matter how hard you stare.”
She sputtered, turned, turned again and with a distinct, “Argh!” marched past him toward her small house.
Shohn called after her, “I’m going to use your hose to cool off while you fix me something to eat.”
“Drown yourself for all I care!” Her screen door slammed.
In slow-mo, the grin spread until Shohn had to laugh aloud. Yeah, he had Nadine figured out now. She wanted him. Maybe not as much as he suddenly wanted her, but probably enough.
Nothing else made any sense. He wasn’t an unlikable guy. Shoot, everyone liked him.
And not to be vain, but he wasn’t an ogre, either. As a ranger, he stayed fit. Had to, what with the possibility of getting stuck in the woods, having to climb mountains, swim streams...hell, he was almost like Superman, if Superman had to hang in the Kentucky hills.
He wasn’t dumb. He’d breezed through college even while having his fair share of fun. Right out of school he’d worked as a deputy for a year, and then signed on with the park rangers.
He came from a great family. His dad was the most popular doctor in the county, his uncle Jordan the most respected vet. After many years serving as the sheriff, his uncle Morgan was now the mayor, and Uncle Gabe was a jack-of-all-trades who at one time or another had fixed something for everyone in Buckhorn County. Casey, his older brother, had a successful financial consulting firm.
And he was nice. Everyone in Buckhorn told him so, but especially everyone female. He smiled easily, enjoyed laughing, helped others when he could. And yeah, he was successful with the ladies. He paid attention, pampered them, made sure they enjoyed sex as much as he did...why wouldn’t Nadine want him?
She could protest all day long, but they had some explosive newfound chemistry going on, and he for one planned to explore it.
The sooner the better.
Bending forward, Shohn opened the hose over his head. The water was tepid at first, warmed from the hose’s position in the sun. By the time he rinsed his arms and feet, it had cooled. He didn’t want to soak his pants, his gun, stun baton or radio, so he only splashed his chest.
He’d just finished using his shirt to dry off when his phone beeped. He took it out to see a message from Amber. Called and left Nadine a message. Thx!
So he could leave now. Only...he didn’t want to. Not yet. Knowing he wouldn’t mention the message to Nadine, he texted back, Drive careful, and put the phone back in his pocket.
Now somewhat refreshed, Shohn finger-combed his hair back, folded his shirt and put it with his socks and boots on her front porch, and peered in through her screen door.
He had a clear view from the small living room straight into the kitchen—where Nadine was bent at the waist, getting something from a bottom cabinet.
Lord have mercy.
That heart-shaped ass offered such a nice invitation.
Two things happened: his exhaustion evaporated, and Nadine moved up to the top of his list.
Shohn said softly, “Knock, knock,” and opened the door to step in.
* * *
Startled, Nadine straightened in a rush, the fresh buns squeezed to her chest. She twisted around to face the door, and stalled.
Shohn was in her house.
Every scrumptious inch of him. Shirtless. Barefoot.
Looking at her as if she was the meal.
Be still my heart.
He really had rinsed off, leaving his inky-black hair damp and pushed away from his forehead. Water droplets clung to his wide, tanned shoulders, then trailed down over his chest and into that crisp chest hair.
Lucky little water droplets.
A fire lit behind his dark eyes as he watched her. Long lashes lowered when his gaze moved down to her breasts, lower to her belly, then to her thighs. His lean jaw tightened, his high cheekbones flushed.
And he moved that sinful body of his even closer.
Filling her lungs with needed oxygen didn’t help because it also filled her head with his rich scent. Shohn Hudson smelled like the great outdoors, like heat and man and pure deliciousness.
In contrast, she probably smelled like dog. “Shohn...”
“Nadine.” He smiled, again looking into her eyes as if he knew her every thought.
But why now?
She’d known him forever, and not once, not ever, had he come on to her. He was always his usual charming self—all while seducing every other young woman in Buckhorn County.
But not her.
Her he treated the same as he did elderly Mrs. Crook at the grocery, or twelve-year-old Suzy who helped her dad at the vegetable stand.
Was Shohn bored? Was this retaliation because she wouldn’t let him have Rookie? Nadine pulled her brows down and asked, “What are you doing? You can’t just walk in here.”
But he already had. And now he stalked toward her, his gaze touching all over her body again, turning her into a puddle of nerves.
No, she would not let him toy with her like this. She lifted one hand, palm out. “Stop, Shohn. I mean it.”
He did. He even looked confused by the fact that he’d intruded uninvited. He nodded at her chest and said, “You’re mangling the buns.”
“What? Oh.” Now that he was no longer advancing on her, she turned and put the buns on the counter. Maybe if she didn’t see all that masculine perfection, she could get herself together. “I have some leftover barbecue. How’s that sound?”
“You going to eat with me?”
She’d planned to, but now, with him acting so differently—as if he were lustful or something—she just didn’t know.
His breath brushed her ear when he spoke from right behind her. “So much hesitation. I won’t bite, you know.”
Paralyzed by his nearness, she grabbed the counter to ground herself.
When he whispered, “Unless you want me to,” it wasn’t just his breath she felt. It was his warm lips, too, barely touching her earlobe.
Nadine almost knocked him over when she bolted out from between him and the counter. Spinning to face him, she backed up a few more steps and bumped into her fridge.
Damn her cozy little cottage for being so...cozy.
She put her shoulders back, lifted her chin and said, “All right, Shohn. Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter Two
One side of Shohn’s mouth curled. “You keep asking me that.”
“Only because you keep doing...stuff!” Oh, God, she was screeching.
With a lot of carnal insinuation, he murmured, “Not the stuff I’d like to be doing.”
Don’t ask, Nadine. Do. Not. Ask. She even bit her lip to keep her sensual curiosity from exploding.
Shohn smiled. “You’d rather I just surprise you?”
“No.” Get it together, Nadine. She cleared her throat. “Do you want to eat or not?”
“Definitely yes.”
The way he said that, with so much heat burning in his eyes, left her even more unsettled. “Then grab a seat at the table. I only have a few minutes left before I need