Page 20 of Must Love Alligators

They both waited.

Nothing happened.

He grinned.“Well, woman of science, what do you say to a little experimentation?”

Yes.

This guy wanted to spend more time with her.Whether or not they’d manage to kiss remained to be seen, but she wasn’t going to turn down more time with him.

She’d never quitefitanywhere.She was a little weird in Minnesota with her fascination with the bayou ecosystem and alligators.She was a little weird in Louisiana, because she wasn’tfromhere.Even with Chase and her attraction to him, they couldn’t get their lips to fit together.

But it was now Christmas.She wasn’t with her family for the holiday so she was having a hard time feeling like she had aplaceto be.Chase and the Landrys were giving her that.Chase might have made her roll her eyes the first time they’d tried all of this, but she’d been unable to stop thinking about him and now this cute, flirty, charming guy came with Christmas lights and decorations and a set of adopted-for-the-evening grandparents.

She cleared her throat.“We are going to decorate right?”

“You know there’s not really a Gator Bells Bayou Tour, right?”he asked.

She’d had her suspicions.She grinned.“No?”

“I think there might be a Grandma Got Run Over By a Gator murder mystery tour coming up,” he said with a laugh.“But there’s nothing going on tonight.”

“How long do you think it will take them to round up all the otters?”she asked.

He looked surprised for a second.But only one.Then he grinned.“You know?”

“I guessed.”

“But you’re playing along.”It wasn’t a question.

“I didn’t come down here because of the otters, Chase.”

His smile died and heat flared in his eyes.“I’m really glad to hear that.”

“So how long do you think we’ll have the cabin to ourselves?”Her heart was pounding hard in her chest.She was never forward like this.Then again, she’d never met a guy who stepped on her foot, almost broke her nose with his, and that she couldn’t stop thinking about for months.

“I plan to text them when our ‘decorating’ is complete.”

“Does that mean after you’ve had a chance to touch me everywherebutmy lips and hands?”she asked.

He leaned in, bracing his hands on the seat on either side of her hips, his nose almost on hers.But not quite.

“Bailey?”

“Yeah?”

“Drive.”

“Okay.”

“Fast.”

“Yeah.”

5

He’d beenout to the cabin a few times with Mitch, another of Ellie and Leo’s grandsons.They’d fished, and partied, and fished, and hung out, and fished at the cabin.He was shocked and proud to realize that he was able to direct Bailey to it with only one wrong turn.

She pulled up at the dock like a pro and Chase jumped off.He tied the boat up and then held out a hand to help her out of the boat.She lifted a brow and handed him a box.

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