I took off my clothes and climbed into bed, knowing exactly what I was going to do. I shoved my underwear down and grasped my cock, pumping it with all my might. I pictured myself removing the brunette’s pajama bottoms and underwear so I could get to that sweet, sweet pussy. I’d lick her until she came, making her scream my name over and over.

I came hard. My cum sprayed all over my stomach, and then I had to get up and clean it off. But once I did, I called in late to work and took a nap before grabbing my gun and heading back out again.

Sure, I’d told myself I was delaying work so I could at least get one kill off. But I knew, deep down, I’d stayed in the woods behind our houses on the off chance I might see her again. And now here I was—an orgasm, a nap, and two cups of coffee later—staring at this woman through the trees.

“No,” I said. “You’ll be happy to hear the deer population has not dropped by even one since the last time you saw me.”

Did she hear the silent “damn it” that should go at the end of that statement? I didn’t like failing on a mission, but the week was still young. I’d get up before work every single day and take out at least one deer if I had to. I just needed to get this woman off my mind first.

“Do you have a permit?” she asked.

Oh great. Was this woman from wildlife resources?

I pushed my way through the brush and stopped on the other side of the trees, which put me only ten feet or so from the railing on that deck. She sat in a chair at the edge of it. She no longer wore the duck robe. Instead, she had on jeans and a T-shirt with a long cardigan over it.

A chill remained in the air, even though it was April. It was the perfect weather for hunting, but not necessarily the best for sitting out on the deck with a cup of coffee in the morning. That had me wondering if she had only come out here to see me again.

Had I been on her mind like she’d been on mine? Had she touched herself thinking of me? Maybe she’d climbed back into bed and slid a finger beneath those pajama bottoms, touching herself while she thought of me.

I was already growing hard again. Fuck. What was this woman doing to me?

“I do,” I said. “And permission from the city. You need me to go back to the house and get my paperwork? I could send you a picture. Just give me your phone number.”

That was a sneaky way of getting her digits. She wouldn’t give them to me, of course. I was trying to make a point. Problem was, even I didn’t know what that point was supposed to be.

“North Carolina state law restricts the hours you can hunt,” she said. “I’m sure you know that, though.”

“You’re a stickler for the rules, huh?” I asked. “Good to know.”

I settled the butt of the firearm on the ground, just in case it was making her uncomfortable. I didn’t know what I meant by the rule-follower comment. Maybe that I wasn’t one to abide by rules, but I’d been in the military, so I’d pretty much proven that wrong.

“I guess you could say that,” she said. “I’m in law school. So yeah, I do have respect for the law.”

A lawyer. This woman was beautiful and smart too. I took a couple of steps toward her.

“I guess I didn’t know who I was messing with,” I said.

She shook her head. “It’s not like I have a law degree yet. I’m not going to sue you or anything. You want a cup of coffee?”

The offer surprised me. I didn’t really need more caffeine, although it could never hurt. What I wanted was to spend time with this woman, which meant aborting my mission. Not something I really wanted to do, but she would definitely be worth it.

“I assume you want me to leave the firearm down here?” I asked.

Did I even have to ask? The look on her face said more than she ever could. She did not want that firearm anywhere near her.

Still, with her permission, I set it on the back deck. I didn’t want to just leave it on the ground. I engaged the safety first too.

By then, she was already inside, having closed the door between us. I stopped, my hand on the doorknob. Should I knock? Had she even invited me in? She’d offered me a cup ofcoffee, but she might be planning to bring it out here where the gun was.

Fat chance of that.

I gave two knocks, then turned the handle and peeked in. “Is it okay if I come in?”

“Of course,” she said.

She was standing right there. I hadn’t planned for the kitchen to be just inside the door, but this cabin’s design was identical to mine. Besides, where the hell else would the kitchen be, except in the back of these small, two-bedroom cabins?

“Cream?” she asked. “Sugar?”