Page 13 of Must Love Alligators

Chase Dawson was here.

She was stupidly happy to have been right about him visiting.

She watched Maddie’s mouth curl into a smile.A seemingly knowing smile.What did she know?

“Hey, Chase,” Maddie greeted.

“Hey, Mad,” he said.“But seriously, don’t let her get you all caught up.She got me all excited…about alligators…and then sent my donation back to me.Without so much as a note.”

Bailey swallowed hard.He hadn’treallypaused before ‘about alligators’ as if insinuating he’d actually been excited about something else.She’d heard that wrong.Dammit, what was with this guy’s effect on her?She’d come down here to see him.Or at least hoping to run into him.And now she had this weird urge to just run.Away.There was a door on the other side of the office that led out to the docks as well.

But she made herself turn.

Which was a huge mistake.

She couldn’t get him out of her head.It made no sense.His attempts at flirting had been awkward and her attempt to kiss him had been horrible.

But damn.

He was even better looking now than he had been in August.

How was that possible?Maybe the lighting in here was better than at the bar.Maybe she knew he wasn’t a stalker this time.

Maybe she’d missed him.

That’s kind of how it felt, but how was that possible?

Could you miss someone you barely knew?That didn’t seem like a real thing.But she had no idea how else to describe what she was feeling.

Besides really happy to see him.

And horny.

Bailey sighed.

“I toldyou that I didn’t want your money,” Bailey said.

Chase nodded.“You did.But I’m not a very good listener.”

She snorted.His grin grew.

She was wearing a dress.Not her uniform.That meant she wasn’t here to check on the otters.Which not only meant that the Landrys were all running around for no reason—which was hilarious—but also meant she was here for something else.

He hoped like hell that something else was the same reason he was so damned happy to see her.

Stupidly happy.

This woman was nothing like the women he usually dated, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy to see a girl he wasn’t related to.

“Happy holidays,” he said.

She inclined her head.“Same to you.”

“How’s the swamp?”he asked.

She gave him a little smile that said his small talk was ridiculous.“Warm and wet.”

Nice.She was in a dress and flirting with him.Yeah, she wasn’t here about any otters.“Just how I like things.”

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