CHAPTER 10
What had she done?
Well, for starters, the impossible.
It seemed she’d rendered Buck Sothard, mute, which from her memory, had always been a difficult thing to do. The Buck she once knew had an answer for everything; an angle that would best skew any circumstances to his benefit. But right now, he was standing stalk-still, looking like a deer in the headlights.
Which was ridiculous.
Just because she’d admitted to lusting after him, didn’t mean she wanted anything more, and he needed to know that.
“Buck—”
“Bobbie—”
They both started at the same time, so with a dip of her chin, Bobbie conveyed that he should continue.
He drew in a deep breath.
“I came here with only one purpose in mind,” he heaved, “and that was to clear the air between us. I’m, uh, not sure that kissing you will support that.” He regarded her uncomfortably.
“Okay, then. If you’re not interested…” She tried to appear blasé regarding his answer, but her disappointment was almost tangible, the way the words hit her chest.
“Wait. No. I didn’t say I wasn’t interested,” he corrected quickly, almost stumbling over his words. “I just think it will be a huge distraction.”
That was a pretty honest answer, and Bobbie appreciated the truth in it. If she got her lips on him, there’d absolutely be no talking.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, what would you say to a nice, long hug, instead?”
A hug?Had he really asked that?
He was waiting, looking at her with big, puppy-dog eyes.
Huh. Ahugwas his answer to the buzzing that had been whipping through her veins since the moment she’d seen him on the dock? And don’t even get her started on catching his intoxicating scent while they’d unloaded her stuff. His sweat was…heady.
Right.That sounded gross on paper, but dammit, Buck’s musk had always been a weak spot of hers. There was something completely unique about the man’s pheromones that refused to quit.
A hug, though?
“That’s what you want?” she finally asked.
“Not really,” he answered, again, honestly. “But I need to touch you, and it’s the only thing I can think of that won’t be…aggressive.”
Mmm.Aggressive. She imagined that Buck would be quite powerful between the sheets.
But a hug? Being wrapped in his armswouldgive her a good long opportunity to sniff him. And if she hung on a little long, it might even disarm both their good intentions.
“Okay. A hug,” she agreed, not moving.
If Buck was setting their new parameters, he could start this off.
He moved a step closer and Bobbie’s breath caught.
His hands reached out and curled around her biceps.
He drew her forward, and…
Damn. Bliss.
