Damn, she was irresistible. Lifting his free hand, he pushed the hair out of her face and chuckled. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a few suggestions,” she said with a wink. “And they all involve getting naked!”
His heart slammed into his ribs before beating at a faster pace. Son-of-a-bitch, he must’ve heard wrong. “What?”
“Oh dear, did I say that out loud?” She scrunched her nose. “Just forget what you heard. You heard nothing.” The adorable designer waved a hand back and forth in front of his face. “You are getting very sleepy. Oh, wait…that’s me.” She giggled. “But sleeping is bad, so let’s dance.”
Before he could respond, she pressed her gorgeous curves into him and slipped her hands around his neck, tempting the hell out of him.
“Brandi, there’s no music.”
“It’s okay,” she said, without releasing him. “I have it in my head.”
Enticement kicked up a notch when she began to move against him. Ah hell. He jerked back, untangling himself from her arms in the process.
“Bad idea,” he said. “Bad idea.” The second time was for him, because, damn, he wanted very much to dance with the sexy woman. He was hard, hot, and in big, big trouble.
“But why?” Her gaze clouded, happy expression completely turned upside down. “It’s because I’m fat. Isn’t it?”
“What?” He reeled back. “No. And you’re not fat.”
“Yes, I am.” She dropped onto the couch with a bounce, her bottom lip protruding out in a pout. “Ed told me so. That’s why he stopped sleeping with me.”
Shit. She should not be telling him this. And if what she’d just said was true, then her ex-boyfriend was more than an ass. He was a bastard, and if the man had lived in Harland County, Kade was so mad right now, he’d hunt the prick down and introduce him to his fist. Several times.
“Brandi, honey, listen to me.” He sat next to her, grabbed her hand and squeezed until she made eye contact.
Her expression brightened. “Did you change your mind? Do you want to sleep with me?”
Before he could blink, the woman pushed him back and climbed up his body, her soft curves rubbing him in ways only his wildest dreams dared to hope. But, son-of-a-bitch. This was not good. How could he be the responsible one when his body was already ready to burst?
“No,” he told her, gripping the cushions to keep from cupping her luscious curves.
A cold, wet nose brushed his knuckles in an attempt to gain attention. But he had to ignore the dog, because if he even thought of removing his grip on the couch…it wasn’t the puppy he’d touch.
“No?” She stilled, then drew back. “See? It is because I’m fat.”
“Jesus, you’re not fat. Okay?” He followed her into a sitting position. “Your ex was a jackass.”
“True dat. But I did gain over forty pounds while I was dating Ed. That’s a lot to ask from a guy, even though I had no control over it because my thyroid died an unexpected death. Wait!” Her eyes widened to an unblinking stare. “Maybe it was murdered…”
“Just stop for minute.” He placed his finger on her lips and waited until she stilled, then released the tempting woman. “Listen to me. You’re gorgeous as you are, and you deserve someone better than your ex. If he cared about you, your weight gain shouldn’t have mattered one damn pound.”
“Are you serious?” She leaned forward and squinted into his face. “Forty friggin’ pounds wouldn’t have mattered to you?”
“No,” he replied truthfully. “It would not have mattered.” A woman’s waist size never made a difference to him. Compassion and a sense of humor were more important. And eyes. A woman’s eyes were always the first thing to draw him in.
Like now.
Damn.
His heart rocked in his chest at the look of hunger and need darkening her gaze to resemble the incredible color of vintage brandy.
“And you still would’ve had sex with me?”
A hell-fuckin’-yeah response throbbed through his groin. “Of course.”
She leaned closer. “Then why don’t you want to have sex now?”
Christ. This conversation was going from bad to worse. He drew in a deep breath and steadied his pulse. “Because, you’re not in your right mind at the moment, and I prefer to have sex without drugs involved.”
Her mouth curved into another wicked-ass grin. “What if I don’t remember?”
Now he blinked, truly at a loss.
“Shh…we just won’t tell me.” She giggled, running her hand down his chest to his abs, then further south.
Breathing was suddenly a problem. A big problem. And he needed air to clear the fog from his brain before he did something stupid. Like give in to need.
Grabbing her wandering hand, he placed it on her lap. “Stop.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “We aren’t telling me, remember?”
What he couldn’t remember was when his control had ever been stretched this thin by a woman. A sweet, poorly treated, sexy, drugged woman who deserved his restraint. And respect.
He cupped her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “The thing is, I want you to know, Brandi. I want your mind clear. Your body naked. And for you to know exactly what is taking place.”
She blinked, her big brown eyes warming as some sort of realization hit her. “So you do find me attractive?”
“Yes. Hell, yes.”
“Even though I’m fat?”
Chapter Five
‡
JESUS. KADE RELEASED her and his knuckles cracked into fists. Why was she so damn thickheaded? “For the last time, you’re not fat.”
“Sure I am, look.” She lifted her shirt, grabbed his hand, uncurled his fist and jammed his fingers on her hip. “See? You can pinch an inch.”
Heaven help him, her warm, supple flesh was too much. Just too damn much. The day had been long and trying, and the woman was hot and trying and willing. He was done. No more fighting the need.
“I can also do this,” he said, tracing her waist, watching her eyes round as he skimmed his hand across her stomach in slow, small strokes. “I’d love to strip you naked and kiss every last inch of you, Brandi.”
“Y-you would?”
“Oh yeah.” He continued to caress the designer’s soft skin, brushing her ribcage on his way to that damn, sexy black bra that had tormented his mind all day. “And you know what?”
“W-what?”
He brushed a thumb over the rounded flesh just under the lace, his body tightening with each tremor that shook through her mouthwatering curves. “When I finished…I’d do it all again.”
She let out a strangled whimper, the sound ripped through him with savage force.
“Do it now,” she pleaded, cupping his face, pulling him close. “I don’t care what mind I’m in. This is my body and I want you now. Do you hear me, Kade? I want you in me now. Please.”
Son-of-a-bitch. Air funneled into his lungs. That was it. He’d reached his limit. The sound of his control snapping echoed through his head…which was weird, because it sounded like a doorbell.
Shit. It was the doorbell.
He vaulted to his feet and sucked in a lungful of air, closed his eyes, and released it in a long, slow gush. Damn, that was close.
He opened his eyes in time to see Brandi answer the door. Holy shit, the woman recovered quickly.
“Hi, Kerri! Hi, Jordan.” The designer smiled and moved back to allow the sisters in. “Good thing you came when you did, because I didn’t.”
She giggled, and he had to fight the urge to slap a hand on his face.
Kerri frowned, but Jordan took one look at him and bit her lip. Damn woman was too shrewd for him to do anything but shake his head.
“Well, hello. Who are you?” Taking pity on him, the brunette let the comment slide and bent down to pick up the pup jumping at her feet.
For a foolish second, he thought maybe he’d get out of there before the subject of Brandi and sex a
rose again.
“I have good news, girls,” the damn designer said. “Kade doesn’t mind that I’m fat.”
“You’re not fat,” he said in unison with the sisters.
Brandi smiled. “I know. Kade told me. He also told me what he wanted to do to me.” She lowered her voice. “We were about to make out on the couch.”
He wondered how long it would take to scoop up the dog and get out the door before it closed.
“I think you need to stop talking now,” Kerri said, placing a brown bag full of take-out on the counter; her apologetic gaze meeting his as she unloaded supper.
“But I didn’t get a chance to tell him what I wanted to do to him.” Brandi pouted, dividing her attention between both sisters. “Maybe I should before he leaves.”
Jordan set the dog on the floor, draped an arm around the loose-lipped woman and guided her to the couch. “Honey, you took more than one pain pill, didn’t you?”
“Yes. This is me drunk.”
“Well then, let’s sit down and you can tell us all about your day while we eat.” The clever woman glanced at him and smiled. “You joining us, sheriff?”
“No. I think you can handle things from here. If you need help, call Doc Turner. Goodnight.”
With a nod to all three women, he grabbed Ace and got the hell out of Dodge.
GOOD NEWS. HER truck was salvageable.
Bad news. Her dignity was not.
Brandi couldn’t believe some of the things she’d said and done while under the influence of pain medicine a few days ago. Note to self: Don’t ever get drunk. As if coming onto the guy wasn’t bad enough, she’d told him about her stupid ex refusing to have sex. Cripes, it had been humiliating when Ed turned down her naked body, but this…this was worse. Baring her mortifying secret to the sexy sheriff was much worse. That whole afternoon was a little fuzzy. Just what the hell else had she revealed? Or done? She was proud of her ability to laugh at herself. But this was stretching it a bit. A big bit.
Parking her little blue rental car behind the project foreman at the Masters property, she got out and thanked her lucky stars she didn’t have to worry about running into the sheriff here. The last thing she needed was to see Kade Dalton. In fact, she’d avoided him quite efficiently the past three days. Guilt hung heavy in her gut at neglecting her horse, but she couldn’t take the chance on bumping into the man on his ranch. Mainly because she didn’t know what road she’d take. The high road. Low road…
The avoid-at-all-cost road.
The last one held the most appeal. Then she wouldn’t have to choose a course of action.
Embarrassment.
Pretence.
Apology.
See? None of them appealed to her. Yeah. She liked avoidance best. Then she could pretend she wasn’t embarrassed and didn’t have to apologize. She really was tired of having to apologize to that man. It was getting old. And annoying as hell. If only her brain cells would function around the handsome sheriff.
But her deficiency wasn’t just because of his looks. No. She had no trouble functioning around Connor or Cole McCall, and those two men were gorgeous. And what about Kevin Dalton? Gorgeous with a capital G, yet she functioned just fine around him. Then there was Jace Turner. Drop dead gorgeous, and a friggin’ doctor. Trouble? No. All systems were a go around the guy.
Enter one gray-eyed sheriff, Guardsman, rancher, whatever the heck he was, and her brain immediately took a hike, closed up shop, hit the road. It’s a wonder she didn’t walk into walls. Yeah, when that guy was around, she was a hazard to herself and others.
The best thing for her to do was concentrate on work. Safe, reliable work. A world she was comfortable in. A world where she was in control. Her own element.
She walked to the back of the house and smiled when chaos met her gaze. Holes and trenches dotted the landscape where the underground electricity and sprinkler system lay ready for tomorrow’s scheduled inspection. After a quick word with her foreman confirming they were indeed ready for the city to come in and inspect the setup before they could proceed with cement, sod, pavers and landscaping, Brandi went in search of Mrs. Masters to see how the woman was holding up with all the chaos in her back yard.
Spotting the pretty, older woman handing out glasses of iced tea to the workers, she picked her way around the maze of projects.
“Brandi, hi,” her client said on her approach, a genuine smile lighting her face. “Please join me for a glass.”
And before she could decline, her friend’s mother grabbed her hand and tugged her to a nearby table and chairs, the only untouched area out back.
“Thank you,” she said, having no choice but to sit and drink. The woman really was good at that.
“How are you doing, dear?” Mrs. Masters pointed to Brandi’s bandage. “I heard about your accident. I’m glad Old Charlie didn’t hurt you too bad.”
She rubbed her temple and smiled. “Yeah, it’s just a small bump. The stitches in the arm weren’t his fault. I did that trying to get Ace out of the hole.”
“I heard that, too. You’re such a sweetheart.” A slight breeze blew a strand of silver-streaked brown hair in her client’s face as she leaned forward to pat her hand. “And I’m glad Kade came by to help. He’s a sweetheart, too.”
At the mention of the sheriff’s name, Brandi’s mind went on alert. She was well aware of the matchmaking efforts the woman deployed to hook up her daughters with the McCall brothers. And because those tactics worked, the older Masters and McCalls where no doubt looking for new prey.
Well, it wasn’t going to work. She was more than happy to be ‘married’ to her career.
She sipped her drink and nodded. “Yes, he is good at his job.”
“Oh, honey, from what I hear, you’re more than a job to him.”
Brandi’s heart sank while her face heated. Shoot. She’d hoped her lack of sense hadn’t reached the older generation just yet. Unsure just exactly what Mrs. Master had heard, she knew better than to give the woman any ammunition.
“You probably heard wrong, then. We’re just friends, and he was just doing his job.” She nodded toward the workers building a stone wall. “Speaking of jobs, how are you faring with all this going on? You still have a good ten more days of the chaos to go.”
The smiling lady sat back in her chair and nodded. “It’s all good. And we can’t wait for the final reveal. In fact, my husband and I are throwing a party two weeks from now and you must be here. It is your design, after all, and we’d really love to show it, and you, off. We’re quite certain the get-together will bring in more work for your business.”
“Thank you.” Touched, she reached for her client’s hand and squeezed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’ll be here.”
“I’ll be here.” She smiled, really understanding where Kerri and Jordan got their warmth and compassion.
“Good.” Sitting back, her friends’ mother reached for her tea. “Will your stitches be out by then? I’d hate to see you get them wet in the hot tub.”
Hot tub?
Oh, hell no. No way in hell she was going in a hot tub…especially with others around. That required a bathing suit. Of which she owned none. She hadn’t been in one in over five years—when she was younger, thinner and a lot less self conscious.
But she knew it was best to keep that to herself. “Yes. I have an appointment with Doctor Turner on Thursday,” she said, and deliberately kept quiet about the hot tub. There would no doubt be plenty of guests more than happy to use the water feature.
Steering the conversation back to the project, Brandi gave her client a quick breakdown of the week’s upcoming work schedule, finished her drink and stood. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I should get going. Jen and Brock are dropping Cody off at my house while they run to visit his grandmother in the hospital.”
“See? You are a sweetheart.”
Sweet had nothing to do with it. She was lonely. “Nah. Cody reminds me of m
y nephew, Tyler, back in Pennsylvania.”
He had been the hardest one to leave. She Skyped with the four-year-old every chance she got, as well as her brothers, but it wasn’t the same as holding him or sitting on the floor playing Legos.
Mrs. Masters slipped an arm around her as they walked through the house toward the front door. “You miss him, huh?”
“Yeah. My brother, Ethan’s, wife died three years ago while he was on deployment.” Her heart still lurched whenever she recalled that horrible time. She’d stepped in to help, despite her personal struggles and complaints from Ed that she was spending more time with the child than him. And considering he didn’t do anything to her but put her down, she had no idea why he complained.
“How awful. I’m sure they both are missing you pretty good right now, too,” her client said. “Is your brother still in the Guard?”
“Yeah. All four of my brothers are.”
“Oh, my.” Stopping at the door, the pretty lady turned to her and frowned. “How do you manage to stay sane? The worry must eat you alive.”
“It does, and I’ve never claimed to be sane,” she joked, both of them laughing as they stepped onto the front porch.
“Is Ethan deployed now, or did he come back in February like Kade?”
“They were actually back last September.” And as soon as the power of attorney and custody for Tyler reverted back to Ethan, Brandi summoned the courage to pack up and head for Texas.
Mrs. Masters nodded. “Well, at least they’re stateside now, and you can worry about you.”
Brandi smiled. “True. That’s exactly what my brother told me.”
Although, she never stopped worrying.
LEEANN MCCALL SAT on her front porch enjoying a cold glass of lemonade as she watched several horses grazing in the far pasture. A light breeze helped to ease some of the heat from the late June day.
“I thought I might find you here.” Her husband kissed her quick on the cheek before dropping into the Adirondack chair next to her.
She smiled and poured him a drink. “Yes, I thought I’d sit out here while I waited for Hannah to call. It’s so pretty this time of the day.”
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