“What’s that?”
“If we tested your pie-making skills.”
“You might be very disappointed.”
He was grinning at me now. “I’m like Pavlov’s dog. I get it fed to me every time I’m here. My mouth is salivating for it.”
“Does it feel better for you to know that we had the last few pieces of chocolate pie tonight? Just before you got here?”
Dusty groaned. “I think your grandma needs to feel like she’s taught you something. She’d be so proud to know you made me a pie.”
“You act like I haven’t cooked a pie ever in my life.”
“Have you?”
“No.”
He laughed. “Well, you’ll have to distract me then. I can only think of chocolate pie now.”
My eyes drifted briefly down to his lips before I yanked them back up. “I have other ways I could distract you.”
I didn’t understand words anymore. I especially didn’t understand the verbiage gushing from my mouth that could only be described as seductive.
He raised his eyebrows. “Really? This sounds interesting.”
“Not what you’re thinking.”
“What was I thinking?”
“Stop it.” I leaned forward, my hands clutching my flaming cheeks.
He laughed again. Did he just lean closer to me? His arms were folded and his body was turned toward me and when his green eyes clashed into mine once more, my breathing stopped.
“So about that kiss?”
For all my efforts the grin spreading across my face could not be controlled. “I think it’s time for me to call it a night.”
“I thought your grandpa didn’t have chickens on the ranch.”
At my glare he admitted defeat and stood up, smiling.
“Alright then. I’m headed to bed unless you have something else to distract me?”
I bit my lip, pink covering my cheeks. “Get out, you flirty cowboy man.”
I stood and followed him to the door, bumping his shoulder in the process. I felt like some sort of addict. I hadn’t thought about Dusty Bennett for years, but now, four hours in his presence and I wanted to touch him. I wasn’t the type to want to touch anybody. But these accidental brushes and nudges were giving my life sparks. And I hadn’t had sparks in a very long time. If ever.
“I’ll be up as soon as it’s light, busting up snow troughs and shoveling snow,” Dusty told me as he pulled on his coat and boots by the doorway. “This storm’s gonna be a doozy.”
“Do you need to call your family? Or your uncle? Will they be alright without you?” The thought of his family missing him or needing him suddenly dawned on me.
“I called my uncle and my parents earlier in my room. They were glad to know I was here.” He put his cowboy hat on his head and put his hand on the door handle before looking at me. “They felt better about me being stranded when I told them that Bob and Susan had a granddaughter here to keep me warm.”
My eyes widened. “You didn’t.”
He gave me a roguish grin, tipped his hat, and stepped out into the snowstorm. “Goodnight, Lou.”
6
