Page 6 of Home to the Cowboy

“Already done.”

Irritated, she glared at him. “I’m quite capable of doing things for myself.”

Grabbing her suitcase, he proceeded to the front door. “Of course you are, but Ellie will have my hide if I don’t help her friend. I see she’s left the porch light on for you.”

Lifting her heavy luggage as if it didn’t weigh anything, he took the porch stairs two at a time. “Let’s see if we can find that key.” Bending down, he tilted one of the pots and produced the key. “Success,” he grinned and before she could take the key from him, he was unlocking the door.

As he opened the door, she grabbed the handle of the suitcase, but he was a millisecond quicker than she’d been. Her hand closed over his. Inhaling sharply, their eyes met. A strange electrical force was swirling around them, making breathing difficult.

Her eyes dropped to the V of his wet shirt where droplets were still running from his throat. She shouldn’t be staring, but whether it was the cowboy hat or the strangeness of the situation, she was fascinated.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have to kiss you.” His voice was low, gruff, sending more shivers down her spine.

Coming out of her stupor, she quickly dropped her hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Thank you for your help. I’ll take my luggage now.”

Ignoring her, he pulled the suitcase into the house and flipped on the light. “The bedrooms are on the second floor. Let me take Fat Ruby up the stairs.”

He was moving up the stairs with the huge red suitcase before she could stop him.

So now he’d named her suitcase? Irritated, she glared after him, but her eyes landed on the way his jeans fit perfectly around his very sexy bum, and her irritation gave way for something entirely different. She quickly put her hand on her tummy. What was the strange fluttering?

When traveling for work, she usually only had one small overnight case with her, but this time she wasn’t sure exactly how long she was going to stay so she’d packed more clothes. And of course, she had to bring books. Half of Fat Ruby was filled with new releases she hadn’t had a chance to read.

Groaning softly, she rubbed her eyes. Now she was also calling her beautiful red baggage by the name he’d christened it.

Exasperated with the whole strange situation, she turned to look around her. Warm and welcoming were the first words that popped into her head.

“Fat Ruby is in the hallway upstairs,” Dylan said behind her.

As she turned, she bumped into him. He was closer than what she’d thought. Big hands closed around her upper arms to keep her steady.

“Do you always creep up on people?” Confused by the stranger and her odd reaction to him, she stepped back.

His eyes had dropped slightly and were roaming over her face. Something fascinated him. “It’s like a galaxy of stars waiting to be explored.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your freckles. There are about twenty all over your face.”

Miffed, she turned away. “Not sure if that was a line, but you should seriously work on yours if you want to impress anyone.” She’d been mercilessly teased at school because she had freckles. Since her very first salary, she’d made sure they were very well hidden. The rain had probably washed her makeup off.

“It’s not a line, dammit,” he grumbled.

Even now she still woke up with the relentless voices of schoolboys calling her freckle-face but never, ever had anyone referred to the dots on her face as a galaxy of stars waiting to be explored. As if she’d fall for a line like that.

It was time to get this guy out of her life. “Thank you. I don’t want to keep you.” Walking toward the front door, she forced herself not to look at him again.

At the door he paused. His gaze dropped. Clearing his throat, he stepped out onto the porch. “You should get out of those wet clothes. How the hell am I supposed to—”

Before he’d finished his sentence, he was moving toward his truck, though, so she didn’t quite hear his last words.

Sleep? Was that what he said? Why wouldn’t he be able to sleep?

Frowning, she looked down at herself. Horrified she saw her perfectly modest white shirt was wet and completely see-through, exposing the black bra she was wearing.

By the time she looked up, he was already reversing his truck onto the road.

Quickly closing the door, she leaned against it. Her heart was racing at an alarming rate, her palms were sweaty, and she was a shuddering mess.