“No, Dylan. I’m wearing all my clothes.”
He laughed. “Sorry. I went dumb there thinking of you naked.”
I let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re such a man.”
“Last I checked, but maybe you should have a look, just to make sure.”
“Well, if you’re in doubt…”
Another laugh, one that sounded a little strangled. “Considering what thinking of you wet and naked does to me, definitely not in doubt.”
He sounded happy tonight, and I thought about asking him if he wanted to come over, but decided against it. It was late and I was tired. Plus, I liked him thinking of me wet and naked for the next couple of days before we saw each other again.
“You have a good day?” I asked. I knew he was making some kind of presentation at the monthly council meeting. In a small town, nothing’s secret.
“Very. Met with the councilmen tonight and got my new budget approved, but back to you naked in the tub.”
“Ha ha. Nice try, Mr. Policeman. I’m going to hang up now. See you Saturday.”
“Sweet dreams, Jenny Girl.”
The dream I had of Dylan that night wasn’t at all sweet. I woke up hot, sweaty, and aching. If Dylan was anything like my Dream Lover Dylan, I was definitely going to explode.
For the barbeque, I decided to go cowgirl. It was a risk because I knew that since we were still having a warm spell, Stephanie and her friends would be decked out in sundresses or adorable little shorts and cute, flowery blouses. My outfit—white jeans, red cowboy boots, red midriff tie top, and black cowboy hat—was going to stand out, but I’d always been one to go against the crowd. Especially Stephanie’s crowd.
From the day she laid eyes on Natalie and me in first grade, she’d hated us. I’d never been sure exactly why, but if I had to guess, it was because of the twins, Adam and Connor. At that time they lived next door, and Natalie and I were total tomboys. Natalie and I, along with Autumn and Savannah, were the only girls they let into their tree house.
Stephanie wanted them for her friends, mainly because they were cute boys and she was boy crazy, even then. She saw Natalie and me in her way, and because she was mean to us, Adam and Connor didn’t like her. But that was just my guess as to why she’d always had it out for us. For all I knew, maybe she hated red hair.
As far as I was concerned, that was old history, but Stephanie still held a grudge. Since I wasn’t stupid, I always watched my back around her. The doorbell rang, and I took a last look in the mirror, adjusted my cowboy hat, then went and opened the door.
Dylan pulled his sunglasses down his nose, his gaze roaming over me. “Smokin’.”
I grinned. “I could say the same about you.” He wore jeans, a blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, a black belt with a silver buckle, a silver watch on one wrist, and a black leather band on the other. Just looking at the man sent tingles racing through me, especially after the dream I’d had.
“Before we go, there’s something I have to do,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Just this.” He stepped inside, closed the door, and then backed me against it. “I got to kiss a mountain girl recently, but I’ve never kissed a cowgirl before. I need to correct that.”
He ducked his head under my hat, put his hands on my hips, and covered my mouth with his. As he deepened the kiss, he dug his fingers into my hips, holding me still when I tried to rub against him.
“Be still, or we’ll never make it to the barbeque,” he said, his voice gravelly.
“I don’t think I can. Be still. Not when you’re touching me.” It was true. With his hands on me, I just wanted to climb up him and wrap my legs around his waist.
He tapped my nose with his finger. “Then we better go before we decide there’s something else we’d rather do.”
I brushed my thumb across his bottom lip, damp from our kiss. “Actually there is something I’d rather do.”
“You’re killing me, Red,” he said, then sucked my thumb into his mouth.
And now he was killing me. “The sooner we go, the sooner we can leave.” I grabbed the overnight bag sitting by the door. “I plan to save a horse by riding a cowboy tonight.”
He grinned. “Then I’ll need to borrow your hat later. Make me officially a cowboy.” He took the tote, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we walked to his car.
The man was a toucher, and as far as I was concerned, he could put his hands on me whenever and wherever he wanted. And I really would have been good with staying home and as far away from Stephanie as I could get. Although I was pretty sure I could have seduced him into forgetting about going to the barbeque, he needed to be there. I’d deal with Stephanie like I always had—by ignoring her.
