“Are you going to stand there all day just staring?”
She jumped at his words. She should have known better than to think she could sneak up on him. Running her tongue along her parched lips, she stepped in. “What are you doing here?”
“Yoga. What does it look like I’m doing?” He chuckled, keeping his back to her.
“I’ll rephrase that. Why are you painting my wall?”
He bent, dropped the roller onto the plastic bucket and finally turned, taking in the knife pointed at him. “Are you planning to use that?”
“Oh, sorry.” She’d forgotten she was still holding the weapon and placed it on the floor. “You scared me.”
“You left your door unlocked. You shouldn’t do that.”
“I thought I had locked it.”
“There are two things that can take my mind off work. Since I need a partner for one of them, that’s out of the question. Working with my hands is the second. Helps me relax enough so that I can look at things clearer.” He grabbed a rag from the ladder and wiped his hands.
Working hard not to stare at his broad, smooth chest or his twelve-pack abs, or the fact that her panties were moist, she focused on his face. “I’m glad my walls could be of use, but I would have gotten to it eventually.”
“Save your time. I’m almost done.”
She swiveled on her heels and examined the nearly-finished walls. “Wow. You did a great job. Does this mean you have your thoughts in order now?” She turned back to him and he was drinking from a water bottle. His throat bobbed as he drank and sweat beaded on her forehead. Why did she find him even sexy when he drank?
Denying the urge to reach for the bottle and drown herself, she worked her bottom lip.
“Almost, but just a few things that have me intrigued.”
She noticed how tight his jaw became. Zander was a man who didn’t like ends left frazzled.
“I brought you dinner.” He picked up a white bag and shook it. “The diner serves the best grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since the doughnut and cookie. “Okay. So, I get a shirtless man painting my walls, and on top of that, you brought me lunch? I’m going to start to believe I’m being punk’d.”
“Well, don’t get too happy. The sandwiches are probably cold because I grabbed them before I left town. The paint job was for my sake just as much yours.”
“Did something happen specifically that’s bothering you?”
“Rudy and I interviewed a kid a few days ago who led us down a path that came to a dead end. I’m missing something. I just know it.”
“You’ll find the answers.”
“Thank you for your positivity. Now, how about we eat?”
“I don’t have a table. I tore apart that thing from the kitchen and plan to repurpose it. If you don’t mind, we could spread out a blanket on the living room floor. The paint fumes are too bad in here, even with the window open.”
He agreed and she grabbed a blanket off her bed on their way downstairs. Once it was spread out, he waited for her to take a seat and then joined her. The queen-sized blanket suddenly shrunk to twin. He was a large man, not a trace of fat on his body, and his knee brushed her thigh as he shifted on the blanket.
He opened the bag and took out the two wrapped sandwiches, placing one in front of her. Truthfully, she hadn’t eaten a grilled cheese sandwich in years, but there was no way in hell she’d turn it away. Not only because her stomach would hate her if she did, but she liked sitting here close to Zander.
Watching him bite into his sandwich, she liked how his strong jaw and plump lips moved as he chewed. She’d never been this fascinated over a man eating before. Pulling off a piece of her sandwich, she popped it into her mouth. “I think we need to clear the air.”
“We do?” His gaze met hers and she swallowed loudly. His masculinity became a magnet to her need. Wynn looked at her sandwich to get away from the intensity of his stare. Goosebumps scattered her skin.
“Yes. I think we’re dancing around the attraction.”
He laughed. “Is that what you call this? I pegged it as rejection.” His eyes twinkled.
Her mouth dropped open and she politely closed it. “Wait. You think I rejected you?” Butterflies fluttered the inside of her stomach.
He nodded. “What would you call it?” He lifted a thick brow. “Last time I saw you, we were getting along, things were progressing, and suddenly you were exhausted and ready for bed.”
“Oh, you saw through my excuse?”
“As if I had x-ray vision.”
“I-I know I acted erratically. I asked you to leave when things were headed down a path of no return. I got cold feet.” Her cheeks warmed. “Things had gotten hot so quickly.” She swallowed. “It caught me off guard.”
“I’m flattered that you remember things as ‘hot’. You don’t owe me an explanation though. I didn’t mean for things to get out of hand so fast, or at all. I understand you are just out of a relationship and I have no desire being a rebounder.”
Placing her sandwich back on the paper, she leaned on her hands and stretched out her legs, crossing her ankles. “A rebounder? How so?”
“You know, that in-between relationship that must occur when a woman, or man, breaks up with a significant other.” He popped the last bite of grilled cheese into his mouth and downed the rest of his water.
“I know what a rebound relationship is, but I disagree that everyone must have one after a break up. My relationship with Rory had been over a long time ago. I grew out of him.” She plucked at the paper bag.
“But you stayed.” He reminded her.
“Yes, you’re right. I stayed. How about you, Lawman? Did you know it was over between you and your ex, or did it just happen quickly?”
He brought his gaze to hers. “Ah, so you’ve gotten the 4-1-1 from Lanie?”
“It’s not a secret is it?”
He shrugged, pushing the capacity of the seams in the T-shirt. “Guess not. Looking back, I guess I knew things had moved down the wrong path and I stayed.”
“Why?”
“Overlooking things is how every foolish man responds when he finds himself loving the wrong woman.”
“Well, women find themselves in the same situation sometimes. I did love Rory at one time, but he liked my alter ego better than the everyday me.”
“Yeah?”
She pulled off the corner of her sandwich and ate it. She shifted, stretching her legs further. He caught her off guard when he brought one foot into his lap and massaged her arch. She blinked. The butterflies in her stomach were in all force. “Well…” She cleared her throat and prayed her voice would work. “He had filled my closet with sexy costumes…” His fingers glided over her heel. “Made of lace and leather….” Now his fingers were on her ankle, warming her from inside out. “I-I had every wig of every color and length imaginable...” How could his hands be so warm? Like sunning in the desert. Before she knew it, she’d divulged everything. “He wouldn’t touch me unless I was “dressed” for the occasion. Oh, and a porn on TV.” Her inner thighs trembled.
By the scrunching of his brows and tight jaw he was wrapping his head around her words and his fingers stopped the magical massaging. “You’re telling me he only wanted you, sexually, if you were dressed like a hooker?”
“You catch on quickly. Yes.”
He showed no emotion one way or another. “Interesting.” He pressed his fingers into her foot and she sighed. “I can’t imagine a man not wanting you just the way you are.”
She chuckled. “He said those same words once upon a time.”
“He also probably told you he was an upstanding businessman, right? So, how could you believe him on anything else?”
“It is true that some men aren’t into the girl next door, or curves.”
“Yeah, an idiot. Curves are sexy.” His gaze scooted down her legs. “Although Sam wasn’t sweet and innocent
by a long shot, at least she didn’t make me feel like shit about myself. This Salvano has big issues.” He swept one finger over each toe. The action made her as ooey gooey as the American cheese on the bread she was eating. “When I saw you at the gas station I wanted to get to know you better, curve and all. So much that I made a jackass out of myself. No wonder you couldn’t wait to get the hell away.” He laughed. “Those cookies sure did taste good.”
“I’m glad you liked them. I have a sweet tooth. A big one,” she admitted.
“This feels nice. Easy conversation. Touching you.” His eyes shone.
She drew her feet off his lap, although she wished she hadn’t. “Zander—”
He held up a hand. “Please, before you give me some run-of-the-mill explanation, you don’t have to worry. I get that you cared for Rory and it’s never easy coming out of a relationship, no matter how shitty. Hell, not only is he a jerk but he’s a missing jerk.”
“I wasn’t going to explain anything. I was only going to say that your ex was an idiot too. I can’t imagine a woman having a good man like you and letting him go.”
“Maybe she did have her reasons? This work I do can drain a person.” The words fell off thin lips.
“But it’s a part of you. It’s what you love. A woman who loved you would understand that.”
“Until she got tired of being alone. I loved her, but never enough. Not like the love I’ve witnessed between my mom and dad.”
“It’s easy to make a mistake.”
He swiped his palms together. “You could be onto something, but do we really want to talk about the past? I don’t think so.”
“Really.”
“No. Really. What about us?”
“What?”
“That is what you’re getting at, right? Where we go from here.”
She nodded, wanting to ignore the excitement rolling through her limbs. “I guess so.”
“That’s a deep question.” He lifted a shoulder as if blowing off her words.
“Yes, but…” she smoothed her clammy palms down the thighs of her jeans.
“But what, sweetheart? Spit it out. You wanted to have this conversation so here we are, we can’t hold back now.”
“I guess a part of me could be worried I don’t know my own feelings. I don’t trust myself.” It was the first time she admitted it to anyone, even to herself.
He stared at her. His lashes were long. He had nice, prominent cheekbones that any woman would fight for, and his lips were naturally pink, and yet he was the most masculine, virile man she’d ever met. He wasn’t wearing a hat, that didn’t happen often, and his thick, black, wavy hair called for fingers to be tangled in the mass. She’d easily volunteer for the job.
“Say something,” she squeaked.
“What I’m thinking is…life could have been different for us if we’d made different choices.”
“You wouldn’t have met Sam and learned the lesson of love and loss.” The words tumbled out on their own.
He chuckled. “And saved myself a shitload of arguing, suffering, and regret? Yeah, I wouldn’t want to have missed that for the world.” He rubbed his jaw. “I get it though. We all have to get through a storm to see the rainbow.”
“There must have been some good times or you wouldn’t have been with her for as long as you were.”
He leaned his back against the couch, stretching his legs. Good thing he’d put his shirt back on because she wasn’t certain she could have kept her hands off his chest. “At first, yeah, we were good together. Sex was amazing. Unfortunately, even that lost its luster after the first year. She wanted something different, something that I couldn’t offer.”
“Like what?” That was completely hard for her to process. A man like Zander had a kindness that not all men had. He was a walking ad for sex appeal. To her, he was a ten. Maybe a twenty if the scale was weighted.
“Like…” His jaw twitched. “A man who had lines that he wouldn’t cross.”
She stumbled across his words, confused. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”
He crumbled the wrapper in his hands and tossed it into the bag. “I think she believed sex was dirty.”
“Really?”
“Pretty much. There’s nothing worse than feeling as if strong sexual urges were the demon’s work.”
Why did her nipples harden and strain against her shirt? Maybe because thinking of Zander ripping off her clothes and taking her, without a wig or a toy, made her body hungry. She ate a bite from her sandwich to dispel the sudden thick energy inside her. “Did you ask her why she didn’t want things to get wild?”
“Sure.” His jaw tightened.
“And?’
He shrugged. “She just wasn’t into kink.” His gritty tone undid something amazing inside her. “And Rory was into too much kink. I feel like an ass.”
“The kink wasn’t what bothered me. The feeling that he didn’t find me attractive or needed “new” to get turned on.” She pushed the sandwich away, forgotten in exchange for another hunger that compared to starvation. She ticked her gaze down his scruffy layer of a day’s beard, to the open neckline of his shirt, down along his long legs clad in faded denim. “When it was just me, he was a moped doing twenty and I was the Ferrari clocking in at a hundred-ten. But just as soon as I put on a wig and lace and leather, he was a completely different man. I felt like I didn’t even know him.”
“How about you, Wynn? What are your limitations?”
CHAPTER 12
HE COULD BARELY swallow as he imagined another man touching Wynn. That drove him mad, especially when he’d wanted—craved—her touch on his body. The entire time sitting here he allowed his gaze, and his imagination, to stare at her lips—the color of strawberry and about as plump as one too. He’d take a guess they tasted sweet as ripe fruit. He noticed her slender fingers and short nails that he wanted to feel dig into his back and shoulders as he plunged inside of her lush body. The root of his tension blared like a neon sign, flashing. He wanted her, and he wouldn’t be right until he had her.
His body grew hard and his zipper strained the teeth as far as the metal could withstand. Next, he’d be popping seams. She must see what she did to him.
“I’m really not sure how to answer that question.” Her eyes dazzled.
Zander cursed under his breath. Damn. Just damn.
He pushed himself up from the floor and stretched parts of his body that screamed for release, not just from denim, but also with an amazing orgasm. He looked down at her and she looked back at him through a black fringe of long lashes. The corners of her mouth played with a smile and her cheeks were flushed. She was the prettiest woman he’d ever laid eyes upon. The only thing she was missing was the halo to be the angel that had overturned his world.
Holding out his hand, she placed her smaller one into his and he helped her up. He needed to let go and move back, but it was as if invisible nails kept him pinned in front of her.
“You’re looking at me funny,” she whispered, and the words rasped every part of him south of his belt buckle.
Swallowing, he looked down at her, taking in the messy curls that bounced along her shoulders. The glistening diamonds that’s shone in her eyes. But her mouth…ah damn. Her bottom lip slightly puckered.
“I feel like a teenager having a wet dream,” he laughed but it fizzled.
“Then we need to do something about that, don’t we?” She swiveled on her heels and sashayed her way to the stairs, stopped and looked back to see if he was following. He was, but only with his eyes.
What exactly was she asking?
Hell, he wasn’t a dipshit. He knew what would happen once he followed her upstairs.
He knew this look. He hadn’t seen it in a while, but damn, he knew she was seducing him.
As far as he could see things, he had two options. Turn around and run as fast as his dusty boots would carry him or go along with the flow. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to. He wanted to sink into
her more than he wanted his next breath.
Just do it, man.
He took one step, then another, and he felt the vibration of his phone in his back pocket. He squinted. “Duty calls,” he said in a raw voice.
“Sure.” She gave him a look of understanding.
He practically ripped the phone from his pocket, dearly wanting to give it a toss out the window, but he read the screen. He pushed talk. “Yeah, Rudy?”
“Where you at?”
“Helping a friend out,” he mumbled.
“Thought you’d want to know. We may have found something.”
“I’ll be there in ten.” He clocked off.
“You’re leaving?” she asked after he hung up.
“Sorry. There’s a break in the case.”
With a tilt of her hip and a toss of her hair over one shoulder, she sighed. “Maybe next time.”
Damn, he could only hope so.
CHAPTER 13
“SOMETHING SMELLS GOOD!” Cullen yelled as he bounded into the dining room, coming to a stop when he saw they had a female sitting at the table.
Wynn looked at Zander’s brother. He had black hair with traces of silver threaded through the wavy locks. Bright blue eyes and a layer of whiskers that made him look bad-ass. They all appeared bad-ass. The Cades were also a handsome bunch and the family resemblance was strong in each of their features.
“Who’s that?” Cullen asked.
“Mind your manners,” Beatrice said as she stepped from the kitchen and placed a pitcher of tea on the table, shaking a finger at her son. “You’re late. We’re almost finished.”
“I got caught up with something. I hope you all saved me something.”
“This is Wynn Makelti. She’s my new neighbor,” Zander said, spooning a second helping of mashed potatoes onto his plate.
Several expressions flitted across Cullen’s masculine features before he grinned ear to ear. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Do not wear those dirty boots onto my clean floor.” Beatrice waved him back into the mudroom. They could hear the thudding of his boots hitting the wall, then he reappeared and took the empty chair closer to Bo.
Wanted by the Lawman Page 11
