Page 10 of Hotter 'N Hell

Her shoulders drooped. “You’re too young for that body to have been bought. I think I hate you.”

I motioned to her hair. “Your hair is awesome. It’s unique. Mine is common.”

The small blush on her cheeks from my compliment made me feel good. How odd. I wasn’t sure I’d ever complimented another female before who reacted like that…what was the word…humble?

“You think?” she asked almost hesitantly.

“Yes. And I’ve always wanted freckles.” I was enjoying this.

She ducked her head. “I don’t know why.”

“Mary!” Sibby called. “Can you come mix up some more lemonade?”

The redhead nodded and stood up quickly. She glanced back atme with one more flicker to Crow. “I’m glad you’re here, Saylor,” she replied as she hurried off to do Sibby’s bidding.

“That was real nice of you,” Crow said beside me.

I glanced over at him, trying to decide if I was annoyed or not that he was mentioning it, as if I had done a good deed. “What? Pointing out the facts?”

The corner of his lip quirked up. “Women who look like you don’t typically see the beauty in those who don’t have the same stunning attributes.”

I turned in my seat toward him, still trying to decide what he meant by that. “I’m not sure I understand what you are getting at.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, you do.”

Okay, maybe I did, but he hadn’t had to say it like that.

“Crow, Saylor.”

The smooth, deep voice belonging to the reason I had come tonight had me swinging my attention back to the spot Mary had just vacated.

Father Jude stood there, making black slacks entirely too sexy, staring down at me. “It’s time to eat. I thought I’d come get you and walk you through the line.”

His eyes stayed locked on mine. The green color was disarming with those thick black lashes.

“Thank you,” I replied, standing up.

For a millisecond, I caught him. It was so quick that unless you were looking for it, you’d have missed it. But Father Jude’s gaze had checked me out. I was feeling more confident about my sundress.

“It was nice talking to you, Saylor,” Crow said, reminding me that he was there.

I felt a twinge of guilt for forgetting him. But when a gorgeous man with eyes like an evergreen and a jaw chiseled like that of a Michelangelo sculpture gave you attention, it was distracting.Even a gently bred Southern woman had her limits.

I looked down at Crow, flashing him a smile. “Same.”

He smirked as if he knew I was lusting after the priest. But then I had a feeling every female in here was doing the same. Except for Lora Gail, who had to at least be sixty.

I walked around the table to meet Father Jude, who was watching me.

“Crow isn’t much of a talker. I think he might have said more to you than he has the six months he’s been coming here.”

I scrunched my nose. “Really? I thought he was rather chatty.”

Father Jude’s mouth did this thing where the corners curled up ever so slowly, and his eyes held a spark of amusement. It was what could only be labeled as a wet panty trigger. Because one of those directed at you, and that was exactly what happened. Panties instantly wet.

“I think those sapphire eyes of yours and dimples might have loosened his tongue a bit…but he’s too old for you.” There was a touch of snark attached to the last part of that sentence. It was masked under his charming priest persona, but it was definitely there.

Any other man, I would have accused him of being jealous. But this wasn’t a man who could get jealous. Right?

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