Close Contact

by Lori Foster

  “We came up with the same idea.”

  It wasn’t easy to talk after just waking to the sight of all that masculine beauty, especially when the hunkiest part of the display was right there next to her, bringing not only a close-up of the visual, but his scent, as well.

  After working outside, heat and humidity had put a few waves into Miles’s dark hair. He hadn’t shaved yet today, and the shadow of whiskers only made him more appealing, somehow contrasting with the lightness of his green eyes.

  He’d gotten a little too much sun on his shoulders, cheekbones and nose. Unlike Leese’s and Justice’s jeans, Miles wore dark shorts and old running shoes.

  Seeing the way she looked him over, he grinned, showing off beautiful white teeth. “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Unable to resist, Maxi rested her hand against his chest, relishing the heat of his body, the sleek male skin, the soft chest hair.

  Crazy, the things he did to her without even trying. It had been like that from the moment she’d met him. If she could bottle his unique appeal, somehow capture his effect on women, she’d make a fortune. But it was an elusive thing, hard to peg. Yes, he was gorgeous. God yes, he had a terrific physique. Those green eyes, that crooked smile, the intense focus and cocksure attitude. Yet it was even more than those things, too, somehow a collective of traits, both corporal and expressive.

  “You still with me?”

  She shook off the preoccupation with a sigh. By now she should be used to him, but she was beginning to think fifty years wouldn’t be long enough for that. “Yes, sorry.”

  Miles covered her hand with his own. “Let’s get dinner going, okay? I’m sure Leese and Justice are hungry by now.”

  Because they, at least, had been working instead of sawing logs. “I can’t believe they stayed all day to help.”

  “It’s how we do things.”

  “At the agency?” Their time spent with her should go on her bill. “I want to make sure they get compensated.”

  “No need. It’s how we do things as friends. I’ve pitched in plenty of times when they needed something done, so don’t worry about it.”

  “But...” The heat of his body against her palm made her fingers curl a bit. Focus, Maxi! “This wasn’t a favor for you.”

  “Yeah,” he whispered, “it was.” He lifted her hand away, kissed her knuckle and stood, bringing her up with him.

  Maxi wondered what he meant by that, but he walked her outside to show her everything they’d done, and she decided to let it go.

  Additional lights had been added, along with security cameras, in several key places. “I thought we had to wait on an electrician.”

  Justice, up on a ladder at the front of the barn, glanced down at her. “I did it. I’m good with this stuff.”

  She figured “this stuff” must be the wiring of surveillance. “Then thank you.”

  “No problem. A lot of the wiring and the electrical box all looked new. Did you do that?”

  She shook her head. “My grandmother updated a lot of things recently.”

  “Just not the kitchen.”

  She grinned with Miles.

  Leese, standing inside the barn, said through the doorway, “We decided it was better not to bring in a local electrician. No idea who’s involved in a town this small, and it could take a week or two to get an electrician out of the area.”

  “I didn’t want to wait,” Miles explained.

  With every step Leese took, he had a cat trying to trip him, yet he didn’t lose his patience. At least Justice, up on the ladder, didn’t have to deal with that.

  Miles walked her over to show her the grill. “What do you think? It’s a beauty, right?”

  She whistled at the modern stainless steel appliance. “Fancy.”

  “Lots of prep area, a wide cooking surface and these little storage cabinets will be good for your grill brush and stuff, so they don’t get cat hair all over them.”

  He sounded so much like a salesman, she laughed. Only a guy would get that pumped up over a grill. “I think I’ll shop tomorrow for outdoor furniture. Bummer that we don’t have anything to use tonight.”

  “We’ll manage.” He tipped his head. “What time did you want to do that tomorrow?”

  “Early afternoon, maybe? I have to use the morning to catch up on work. I’m still a personal shopper, you know. I just don’t personally meet clients anymore. Instead, I handle everything online.”

  “I didn’t realize.”

  “I lost a few clients went I went cyber-only, but not most. And with being online, I picked up a few more.” She shrugged. “It’s working out, and it gives me time to set my own schedule, since I still have so much that needs to be done around here.”

  “If you make it before one o’clock, we could go by the office, too.”

  “Or,” she offered, giving him an alternative, “you could go by the office while I shop.” She really needed to get back to her original idea of independence and responsibility. “I don’t think I need a bodyguard when I’m away from here.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “But surely you have other things to do. I never meant to monopolize your every moment.”

  His eyes narrowed, making the green oddly brighter. “I go where you go.”

  Those had been her words to him. Was he throwing them back at her, or just reminding her of his purpose? “Yes, when we’re here. But away from here—”

  “Hey, Miles!”

  Justice’s call gave him the excuse he needed to end the conversation. With her hand held in his, they walked together back to the front of the barn.

  Justice was now completely on the roof, standing as comfortably and sure-footed as he did on the ground, his hands on his hips as he stared at something.

  Miles shaded his eyes. “What is it?”

  “The storm did some damage up here. I don’t think it’s too bad, but it needs to be fixed.”

  Maxi groaned. “Just what I don’t need, another repair.”

  “I’ll go up and take a look.”

  Realizing she’d just inadvertently put Miles on the spot, she stepped in front of him. “Shouldn’t I do that? It’s my barn, after all.” And he’d already done enough, far more than she’d ever intended.

  Looking merely curious, he asked, “Do you know anything about roofing?”

  “Well...no. But I didn’t know much about cats either, until I inherited them.” Just as she’d inherited all the crazy, irrational threats. “Besides, I can call someone in roofing, right?”

  Miles nixed that with a shake of his head. “I’d rather no one else come around, at least not until we can sort friend from foe, okay?”

  What could she say? He was the bodyguard. “It wouldn’t make much sense for me to object, given that’s your area of expertise.”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “Appreciate your restraint.”

  “Okay, so while you do—” she flapped a hand “—whatever it is you’ll do, I’ll start meal prep.”

  His brows lifted. “You know how to grill?”

  Did he think she was completely helpless? Given what he’d seen so far, probably. “I’ll have you know I’m a good cook whether I’m using the stove or a grill—charcoal or propane.”

  He continued to scrutinize her. “You don’t mind being in the house alone?”

  With all honesty, she replied, “Nope, not anymore, I promise.” Having three hunks nearby went a long way toward reassuring her, especially with one of them on the roof. There was no way he wouldn’t see trouble coming.

  She must have convinced Miles, because after the briefest hesitation, his gaze went back to the roof. “Give a yell if you need anything.”

  She watched him walk away, admiring the long line of his back a
nd how the breadth of his shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and tight butt. Mmm, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him again.

  But food first.

  Maxi hurriedly washed potatoes, then made a salad that she covered and put back in the fridge. Heading back outside, she got the meat and potatoes on the grill.

  While those cooked, she went back inside for her grandma’s big platter. Without thinking too much about it, she made multiple trips in and out of the house, cooking, setting the table, getting drinks.

  Having other people around really did make the farm feel less isolated. It didn’t matter that at first she had enjoyed the peace and quiet. She worried that now, when she was back to being alone again, she’d forever think of what had happened and she’d be afraid.

  Would she ever again be comfortable living here?

  Maxi gave herself a mental shake. She wasn’t a weak woman, despite recent evidence. She would do what was right and honor her grandmother’s wishes. Somehow. Time would do the trick, and luckily, she had plenty of that.

  With Miles.

  No doubt about it; he made the adjustment a whole lot easier.

  When the guys smothered her in compliments over the food, she forgot about all the tomorrows so she could focus on tonight. Luckily they’d put on their shirts before joining her at the table. The conversation was relaxed, the mood mellow. It felt like she had new friends in her life, so when questions came up, she freely answered. Talking about everything now was easier than it had been.

  It’d be nice if the shock of it was finally wearing off. She desperately wanted to get back to being herself.

  Justice and Leese had a few more security ideas to share with Miles, so while they talked shop, she busied herself with the dishes. They offered to help, but after everything else they’d done, she wasn’t about to let them in her kitchen.

  It was night before they left, and she had a wonderful time. Tomorrow she’d shop for outdoor furniture so that the next time they visited, they could all sit outside under the stars. She already had some pieces in mind, and she knew right where to put them, including a few rockers for the front and back porches. Nothing padded, not with cats all too willing to laze on every surface in sight. She’d spend all her time cleaning up cat hair if she got anything with cushions.

  Once they were alone, Miles showed her how to check each of the cameras on his laptop, and on her computer, where he’d loaded the appropriate software. She now had alarms on each door and every window, too.

  Despite the rifle shot that morning, the rest of the day had been so relaxing, she felt more secure by the minute. Maybe because she could believe Fletcher’s explanation of a hunter with lousy aim. Actually, she could believe a lot things to be mishaps.

  But not waking up outside before dawn.

  It kept coming back to that.

  That night she slept with Miles again, and after the teasing all day long, he was a little rough in his urgency, taking her fast and hard—which she loved, since he ensured she was right there with him.

  God, he was an amazing lover.

  An amazing bodyguard.

  An amazing man.

  How would she ever let him go?

  CHAPTER TEN

  MAXI’S NAP THREE days ago was the last time Miles saw her actually relax. She worked sunup to sundown, slept seven hours a night—usually after exhausting sex—and never seemed tired.

  She was back to being the dynamo he remembered, both in bed and out.

  The following week went by without a single threat, but that didn’t mean it was problem free. The damage to the roof of her barn exposed wood rot, meaning they needed to rebuild part of the roof. A bigger job than expected.

  He could do it, but she’d complain.

  Hell, the more she got back to herself, the more she wanted him to kick back and watch her work. Miles wasn’t sure how to break through that stubborn wall of independence. What did she expect him to do? Sit on the porch drinking iced tea in the shade while she seeded the lawn and dug in the flower beds? Even when she’d put together the lawn furniture she’d bought, she’d tried to refuse his help.

  Like hell.

  Now, with him on the roof again, tearing away the damaged section, she stood below the ladder fretting.

  He wore jeans to protect his knees, but no shirt, and he had to admit, he liked the lustful way Maxi stared at him.

  “What’s the verdict?” she asked.

  “A lot of damage.” He dug his fingers into a spongy section of wood, then crumbled it over the side to show her.

  They both heard an ATV approaching. Maxi shaded her eyes and stared toward the long driveway.

  Miles, alert to the visitor, since she hadn’t had any, hurriedly came down the ladder. The last person to call was the cop, Fletcher, and he’d had the good sense not to return, not even with a report about the rifle shot.

  But the guy now arriving wasn’t Fletcher, was at least fifty years his senior.

  Wearing a straw hat, a gray T-shirt and jeans, the guy smiled and waved as he pulled up on a dusty ATV and stopped right in front of them. He pulled off his hat, swiped his forearm over his brow and gingerly swung a leg over the side of the vehicle to dismount, his movements slow and methodical to match the limits of his age.

  Once he had both feet on the ground, he brushed off his hand on his jeans and extended it to Miles. “How do? I’m Woody Barstow, Maxi’s nearest neighbor.”

  Miles felt the strong grip, despite the man’s age. “Mr. Barstow. Nice to meet you. I’m Maxi’s friend Miles.”

  “Call me Woody. Everyone in these parts does.” He grinned, putting creases into aged cheeks. “I’m glad to see she has some company out here.”

  Maxi was all smiles. “It’s good to see you again, Woody. How’ve you been?”

  “Oh, I’m all right. But that storm gave me some trouble and I’ve been doin’ repairs or I’d have been over to check on you sooner.”

  She pointed up at the barn roof. “Us, too.”

  “What’s this?” Woody went past them to the ladder. “Lost some shingles?”

  Miles answered, “A few, but that’s not the problem. It’s the wood rot that’s the bigger issue.”

  “You don’t say.” He scratched at his chin. “I built this barn for Meryl ’bout fifteen years ago.”

  “You?” Maxi said, “I didn’t know that.”

  “Oh, yeah. Your grandma and I were real friendly. Good woman. Liked her a lot.” Troubled, he glanced at Miles. “If there’s wood rot, that means I didn’t seal something properly.”

  “No,” Miles said, wanting to reassure him. “I think another storm took shingles off a few years back. They weren’t replaced, and that probably let the water in.”

  “I should’a been checkin’ for Meryl. Just never thought of it.” He gazed out at the rest of the property. “She was an independent sort, always wanting to do for herself, but usually I could talk her into lettin’ me help on upkeep. I trimmed back big branches from these trees so they wouldn’t fall on the house, replaced a window for her once and helped her pick out the new furnace and air-conditioning.”

  “Did you do the electricity?” Miles asked.

  “Nah, that was a friend of mine. He put in the new breaker box and such at cost as a favor to me. I worried she’d burn the whole place down without it, everything was so overloaded.” His graying brows pinched together. “Will’s gone now, though. Passed a year ago.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maxi said.

  “It was his time. He’d had a good life.” Woody drew a breath and again looked around the land. “I kept all this mowed for your grandma, you know. That’s why I’m here. Figured I’d offer to come up with my tractor and take care of it.”

  “Oh,” Maxi said, surprised by the offer. “That’s
so sweet of you, but I can take care of it.”

  “Why would you wanna do that when I already have the equipment?”

  Miles didn’t say it aloud, but he was thinking about Woody’s friend Will who’d just passed away. He didn’t think it’d be a good idea for Woody to be out in this heat for any length of time.

  “I’ll be around,” Miles said instead. “I can take care of it.”

  “No,” Maxi stated. “It’s my property and I’ll do it.”

  Woody looked between them before cackling a laugh. “Damn, she reminds me of Meryl.”

  Miles smiled with him. “I actually saw a riding mower in the barn. If it works, it should do the trick.”

  “It works,” Maxi assured him. “I started it up one day.”

  “You look mighty happy about that,” Woody noted aloud.

  “Thinking about my grandma. A few times when I came to visit her, I caught her on the riding mower. For some reason it always embarrassed her.”

  “The woman hated to sweat,” Woody stated. He leaned in to whisper, “I know cuz I caught her on it once, too.”

  Miles would be willing to bet there’d been a romance brewing between Meryl and Woody. “I’m sure she valued you as a good friend.”

  “That she did.” His expression sobered. “I’m the one who found her, you know. Came to tell her I was heading into town and wanted to see if she’d go along. She sometimes did. We’d do our grocery shopping together, stop at the diner, just...chat.”

  Two elderly people alone, finding companionship together. Miles felt extra bad for the guy. Did he have any other friends around? Maybe he and Maxi could extend an invite or two.

  Maxi, probably thinking the same thing, put her hand on his shoulder in sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Woody.”

  “It was the awfulest thing.” He patted her hand. “Just the awfulest.”

  After a comforting squeeze, Maxi asked softly, “Woody, would you mind giving me some advice?”

  He swallowed hard, shifted and finally nodded, his friendly expression back in place. “Be glad to. About what, exactly?”