He was just standing too close to me. I couldn’t think.
I took a step back. “Why do you smell like fir trees?”
Okay. Maybe I still couldn’t think.
He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “I helped Mr. Tippin stack a cord of wood he had delivered yesterday.”
Mr. Tippin lived a few houses down from Ryder. He was also a jinn with a slight case of pyromania.
“Good,” I said. “That was good.”
“Just being neighborly,” he said. “Did you have anything you wanted me to take care of for you today?”
Wild images of him kissing me, tumbling me down onto my bed so I could tear his clothes off, flew through my mind.
“If not,” he went on, “I thought I’d take care of the filing in the record room.”
“Filing,” I repeated, heat creeping up my face as the memory of him standing naked in his living room chose just that moment to come back to me.
Why did he have to be such a good-looking man? And kind? And funny? And the love that I’d never dared ask for?
Jean cleared her throat. Or maybe she was just trying not to laugh at me.
“Filing,” I said. “Sure. Yes. That would be good.”
“Good.” His eyes crinkled in the corners. He was holding back laughter too.
Don’t bite your bottom lip, don’t bite your bottom lip, don’t bite—
He bit his bottom lip, tugged, let it go.
All my bones went a little rubbery.
“Maybe Ryder should go on a ride-along with Myra again,” Jean suggested.
“No.” I walked back to my desk, needing the space between me and that man and his smile and his eyes and his bottom lip. “Filing needs to be done. That’s a good job for the morning.”
“And tonight?” he said.
“Tonight?”
“We’re still on for dessert?”
“Oh. Uh…no. I can’t make it.”
The pleasant man in a pleasant mood disappeared. “Really.”
“Bertie just sent my itinerary. I have to judge tonight.”
“Right,” he said. “Judging. I forgot.”
“Another time?” I suggested.
“Sure.” He didn’t look happy about it. “I’ll get to those files now. Holler if you need anything.” He walked back to our file and evidence room.
I rubbed at my eyes and groaned.
“That was some serious public display of affection you had in your eyes,” Jean said.
