And, she remembered as her stomach sank into her toes—taking a good chunk of her happy lust with it—jumping friends’ brothers was against the rules.
Dammit.
“This is Lark,” Sara said as she and the hunk of gorgeous sexiness reached the counter. “She runs The Magic Beans. Best coffee in Idaho with the greatest baked goods. The muffins I brought to the airport were from here. Shane loved them, Lark. I’ll bet he’s going to be in here all the time, drinking coffee and eating goodies. Is that great or what?”
It took a moment for Lark to realize that the younger woman had run out of verbal steam. She ran a mental replay of the babbling, but only remembered every other word.
“Great,” Lark murmured, anyway, unable to tear her eyes off the man in front of her. It wasn’t against the rules to look, and he looked even better up close. Her heart beat a little faster, her breath shaky as she offered him her best smile. “If you liked the muffins, you’ll have to try our sugar cookies. Everyone loves them. They’re soft and sweet, but everyone says they get a guy hard and horny.”
It wasn’t her own words that clued her in to what she’d said. It was the expression on their faces, Sara with her wide-eyed shock and Shane’s arched brow, that made Lark realize she’d quoted Cassia’s take on the cookies out loud.
The heat that’d been stirring in her belly climbed its way up to coat her cheeks. Holy crap. She’d just offered the sexiest man she’d ever met a copulation cookie.
She tried to think of something, anything, to say to make up for it. But her mind was terrifyingly blank.
Thankfully, Sara jumped in.
“Like I said, this is Lark. She’s my BFF and she’s going to be your landlord for the next little while. Hopefully the next long while if I have anything to say about it,” Sara said, the words flying out of her mouth so fast Lark was surprised they didn’t have smoke behind them.
Shane smiled, those full lips spreading to show perfect white teeth and a tiny hint of a dimple in his cheek. Lark wasn’t sure if it was because her cheeks were on fire or if it was because the lust was running so hot it was giving her orgasm previews. But she was pretty sure her panties had just melted.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Shane’s voice was as sexy as his smile. Low, a little husky and so, so mellow. Lark had a sudden vision of hearing that voice in the dark. She’d bet his hands would be just as smooth as his words as he slid them over her naked skin.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said, hoping her hand wasn’t wet as she held it out to him.
When he wrapped his fingers over hers, her only thought was gratitude that her hand had actually been dry. Otherwise the electricity sparking between them might have caused some pain.
She bit her lip, studying his face. Did he feel it, too? His friendly expression didn’t look as if he’d been plowed down by lust, so maybe it was just her.
Disliking that idea, Lark slid her hand from his. She didn’t take her eyes off his face, though. It was just too yummy.
“Lark?”
His eyes were the dreamiest green, with thick lashes and a look of intensity that promised he’d give anything he did his full attention. She gave a delicate shudder as she imagined what it’d be like if all that attention was focused on her body. On their pleasure. Oh, baby.
“Lark.”
Her eyes skimmed down that sleek face, with those high cheekbones and full lips, over shoulders made for holding on to during wild sex and a chest that just begged to be cuddled against. It was all Lark could do to keep herself from stepping back so the counter didn’t block her up-close view of what he had to offer below the waist. If the rest of him was anything to go by, she’d bet whatever he had behind that zipper was an amazing treat.
“Lark!”
“What?” Lark blinked. She shook her head as if waking from a very hot dream, then she blinked again. Oh my God. She wanted to groan. Better yet she wanted to run for the nearest cold shower—to ice down the desire and to cool her blazing cheeks. Horrified, her eyes shot to Sara’s, hoping her friend would give her a hint how long she’d spent staring like a lust-struck man-meat groupie.
“Sorry to be a pain,” Sara continued as if she hadn’t just yelled for Lark’s attention. But her eyes were dancing. “Are you done closing up? I want to show Shane where he’s staying. You know, get him settled so I can run to the store, pick up some food. I didn’t want to get groceries early in case he changed his mind about coming.”
At her brother’s arch look, Sara threw her arms in the air.
“It could happen. You know it could. And if it did, what was I going to do with a bunch of man food? It’s not like I can take it home or anything.”
Lark’s brows rose. Not just at the reference to their family issues—which she’d thought were off-limits—but at Sara’s confrontational tone. Her gaze shifted to Shane’s face. Instead of looking upset, he was grinning. Obviously he must be used to his sister’s babbling and lack of tact.
“Apparently Sara thinks I’m incapable of finding food on my own.” He slanted his sister a rueful look, then shook his head as if to say go figure. “It’s a wonder I survive without you.”
“As if.” Sara swatted him on the arm. “I just want to spoil you a little. I know you don’t get spoiled where you’re at. And I hardly ever get to see you. So the least you can do is let me have fun with it.”
“Then why don’t I show you the apartment,” Lark said before the banter could continue. As an only child, she was never sure if siblings were teasing, arguing or both.
“It’s a studio, so it’s kind of small but it’s comfortable,” she continued as she got her keys from the drawer under the counter. “I’m in the apartment next door, so if you need spoiling and Sara isn’t around, just knock.”
Holy shit. Had she actually said that? Lark gave a mental groan.
“I mean, if you need coffee or a snack and we’re closed down here,” she said quickly, afraid she’d start babbling like Sara soon. “I can help with that.”
But apparently Shane was as sweet as he was sexy. His eyes danced, that hint of a dimple winking again.
“I’ll do that. From what Sara said, your coffee is great. If it’s as good as this place looks, I’m sure she’s right.”
Lark looked around at the funky, fun space as she came around the counter.
“Thanks. My mom always wanted her own coffeehouse. Once she’d saved up enough, she decided to open it here so she could live near my aunt.” Lark hesitated as pain, swift and familiar, gripped her heart. “I joined them a year or so ago.”
“So it’s a family business. That has to be interesting.” His tone made it clear he wasn’t sure if interesting was a good thing or not.
Clearly picking up on that, his sister elbowed him with a huff.
“He says it like that because he’d run screaming into the night before he tied himself to forty hours a week with any of his own family,” Sara said, heading for the door.
“I would,” he said, offering Lark a serious nod. “I really would.”
Delighted that his sense of humor was as sexy as his body, Lark grinned.
“That makes you very brave to spend a whole week here, surrounded by family,” she teased.
The light in his eyes dimmed a little before he gave a one-shouldered shrug.
“Sara hopes I will. More likely,