Page 39 of Wanted by the Lawman

Four steps took her to the open door and slowly, she leaned in…

A long breath emptied from her lungs.

Zander had his arm lifted high with the paint roller in his hand, but the most amazing thing, outside of finding him in her house painting, was that he had lost his shirt. As he moved, the muscles in his back shifted under olive-toned skin like coils of rugged masculinity. Her mouth salivated and her lips tingled at the thought of painting his body, using her tongue as the brush. Her inner thighs wept with need, wishing she was on the end of his strong hand that moved along the wall, spreading the paint.

“Are you going to stand there all day just staring?”

She jumped at his words. She should have known better than to think she could sneak up on him. Running her tongue along her parched lips, she stepped in. “What are you doing here?”

“Yoga. What does it look like I’m doing?” He chuckled, keeping his back to her.

“I’ll rephrase that. Why are you painting my wall?”

He bent, dropped the roller onto the plastic bucket and finally turned, taking in the knife pointed at him. “Are you planning to use that?”

“Oh, sorry.” She’d forgotten she was still holding the weapon and placed it on the floor. “You scared me.”

“You left your door unlocked. You shouldn’t do that.”

“I thought I had locked it.”

“There are two things that can take my mind off work. Since I need a partner for one of them, that’s out of the question. Working with my hands is the second. Helps me relax enough so that I can look at things clearer.” He grabbed a rag from the ladder and wiped his hands.

Working hard not to stare at his broad, smooth chest or his twelve-pack abs, or the fact that her panties were moist, she focused on his face. “I’m glad my walls could be of use, but I would have gotten to it eventually.”

“Save your time. I’m almost done.”

She swiveled on her heels and examined the nearly-finished walls. “Wow. You did a great job. Does this mean you have your thoughts in order now?” She turned back to him and he was drinking from a water bottle. His throat bobbed as he drank and sweat beaded on her forehead. Why did she find him even sexy when he drank?

Denying the urge to reach for the bottle and drown herself, she worked her bottom lip.

“Almost, but just a few things that have me intrigued.”

She noticed how tight his jaw became. Zander was a man who didn’t like ends left frazzled.

“I brought you dinner.” He picked up a white bag and shook it. “The diner serves the best grilled cheese sandwiches.”

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since the doughnut and cookie. “Okay. So, I get a shirtless man painting my walls, and on top of that, you brought me lunch? I’m going to start to believe I’m being punk’d.”

“Well, don’t get too happy. The sandwiches are probably cold because I grabbed them before I left town. The paint job was for my sake just as much yours.”

“Did something happen specifically that’s bothering you?”

“Rudy and I interviewed a kid a few days ago who led us down a path that came to a dead end. I’m missing something. I just know it.”

“You’ll find the answers.”

“Thank you for your positivity. Now, how about we eat?”

“I don’t have a table. I tore apart that thing from the kitchen and plan to repurpose it. If you don’t mind, we could spread out a blanket on the living room floor. The paint fumes are too bad in here, even with the window open.”

He agreed and she grabbed a blanket off her bed on their way downstairs. Once it was spread out, he waited for her to take a seat and then joined her. The queen-sized blanket suddenly shrunk to twin. He was a large man, not a trace of fat on his body, and his knee brushed her thigh as he shifted on the blanket.

He opened the bag and took out the two wrapped sandwiches, placing one in front of her. Truthfully, she hadn’t eaten a grilled cheese sandwich in years, but there was no way in hell she’d turn it away. Not only because her stomach would hate her if she did, but she liked sitting here close to Zander.

Watching him bite into his sandwich, she liked how his strong jaw and plump lips moved as he chewed. She’d never been this fascinated over a man eating before. Pulling off a piece of her sandwich, she popped it into her mouth. “I think we need to clear the air.”

“We do?” His gaze met hers and she swallowed loudly. His masculinity became a magnet to her need. Wynn looked at her sandwich to get away from the intensity of his stare. Goosebumps scattered her skin.

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