Skylar accepted the card, the paper smooth under her fingertips. “I’d love that.”
“Great.” Sydney beamed. “Call me when you’re ready. It was wonderful meeting you.”
“You too.” Skylar slipped the card into her bag, waved goodbye, and stepped out into the afternoon heat. She scanned the street and found her SUV. After putting the shopping bags in the back seat, she slid behind the wheel, the late-day sunlight glinting off her windshield as she drove home, already planning her next bookstore visit, and that signing.
Now, perching on the edge of her bed, Skylar kicked off her sandals, wiggling her red-painted toenails in relief. A long, steamy shower called to her, then she’d slip into her favorite leggings and oversize T-shirt, put the new clothes away and tackle chapter three of her new manuscript. Her stomach growled in protest since she hadn’t eaten much of her salad at lunch. She’d been disappointed that Rawley had to leave. A pizza from Clifton Pizza sounded amazing about now.
After peeling off her clothes, she reached into the marble shower stall, twisted the brass knob, and waited for steam to rise before stepping under the pulsing spray. Hot water cascaded over her sun-kissed skin as her thoughts drifted to Rawley. Something about his badge and the authority it represented sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Livestock agent or not, the man carried a gun and handcuffs for a living.
By the time Friday rolled around, her stomach was a tangle of nerves, her palms slick with sweat. This wasn’t like her at all.Men never intimidated her, she’d always walked away from the ones who tried, leaving them in her dust without a backward glance. She wanted a man who saw her as an equal, not some delicate flower to be coddled or controlled.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror on her closet door, she scrutinized her reflection from every angle. The purple dress clung to her hourglass figure like a second skin, the hemline skimming just above her knees. The color made her blue eyes pop. The scoop neckline revealed just a hint of cleavage, suggestive but not scandalous, while the matching stilettos added three and a half inches to her height and made her calves look spectacular. The diamond earrings caught the light when she turned her head, drawing attention to the curve of her neck.
She inhaled deeply, the scent of her jasmine perfume filling her nose as she tried to steady her racing pulse. The butterflies in her stomach could only be attributed to one thing; Rawley. A smile curved her lips as she recalled her first impression of Cull, how she’d told Ryan he was all man and now Rawley embodied that same raw masculinity. He was such a...man. The way his eyes seemed to see right through her. A very sexy man who she desperately wanted to know in every possible way.
****
Rawley eased the pickup into Skylar’s gravel-dusted driveway. He shut off the engine, the rumble fading to quiet, then reached across the seat to lift the single yellow rose from the passenger side. With a slow exhale, he swung open the door, stepped onto the sun-warmed gravel, and strode up the short flagstone path to her front stoop. The bungalow stood apart from its neighbors, its low-slung roofline with wide eaves casting geometric shadows across the crisp white stucco. A deep front porch stretched the width of the house, supported by tapered columns of river stone that matched the chimney rising fromthe right side. The front door, a heavy slab of oak with a small, stained-glass window depicting a stylized sunset, was flanked by casement windows with diamond-patterned grid. Terracotta planters lined the three shallow steps leading to the porch, each bursting with lavender and rosemary that scented the air with a Mediterranean perfume. He lifted a finger and rang the brass doorbell, then waited.
Moments later the door swung open. Skylar stood framed in the darkened foyer, backlit by soft lamplight. Her blonde hair caught the glow in soft waves around her shoulders. Rawley had to clench his jaw to keep it from dropping open.
“You look beautiful,” he managed.
She smiled, brushing a loose curl from her face. “Thank you. Come inside.”
He removed his Stetson, brushed off a few flecks of dust, wiped his boots on the woven welcome mat patterned with blue flowers, then stepped over the threshold. The air smelled faintly of vanilla and fresh herbs. He held out the rose. “For you.”
Skylar’s eyes lit. “That’s so nice of you, Rawley.” She tucked her nose into the bloom and inhaled deeply, savoring its sweet scent. “Let me put this in the fridge, then we can go.” She glanced up and offered him another warm smile. “You look very handsome tonight.”
Rawley smirked, tugging at the collar of his crisp blue dress shirt. “I’m just wearing a nice shirt with my jeans and boots.”
“You still look handsome.”
“Well, thank you, ma’am.”
“Give me a second to put this away.” She walked across the floorboards toward the kitchen.
Rawley watched her heels click softly, his chest tightening. She paused by the stainless-steel fridge, turned, and his heart skipped. She tucked the small leather purse under her arm andbegan to approach him but stopped. He followed her gaze down to the floor.
“You have a cat,” he observed as a large cream and dark brown cat arched past her ankles, tail high.
Skylar laughed, reaching down to stroke its soft fur. “Don’t you like cats?”
Rawley shrugged. “I like all animals. I do have a few barn cats.”
“This is Cosmo. He’s a Himalayan and as you can see, he’s not impressed by either of us.” The cat flicked his tail dismissively and sauntered away.
Rawley grinned. “If you’re ready, we should go.”
“I am.” Skylar picked up her keys, her smile bright.
Rawley held out his hand. She placed the keys in his palm, then stepped onto the porch. He closed the door gently, flipped the deadbolt, then returned her keys. She dropped them into her purse with a soft tinkle. Holding her hand, he led her back down the flagstones. At the truck he swung open the door and waited until she was seated, then closed it. He moved around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.
“How was your day?” Skylar asked, buckling in.
“It was busy. Yours?”
“I tried to write.” She shook her head.
