Page 55 of Deadly Attraction
Did she? Since he’d been here, he’d admired her guts and bravery, but she was a tad reckless. Him, even more so. That could spell disaster. “Is there any way I can talk you out of going with me on the trail today?”
“Nope, and don’t even think of canceling because of me. We’re going. I will not be held hostage in my house, and I can’t sit here and do nothing. I’ll go mad.”
“I think you’re crazy already, Emma.”
Her smile turned happy. “Crazy attracts crazy, so what does that make you?”
“Is that a professional adage? Crazy attracts crazy?”
She laughed. “Absolutely. You ready? We better get going or we won’t make it back before nightfall.”
He kissed her then, long and slow, a part of him wanting nothing more than to stay here, in this house with her, making her even more happy.
After thoroughly telling her that with his kiss, he regretfully pulled back. She was right; if they were going to check out the trail, they needed to get going.
“Grab your shotgun,” he told her, letting her out of the pantry and swatting her backside as she passed him. “And your pea shooter too.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave him a saucy salute and went to retrieve her weapons.
Mitch took a minute to revel in the feeling of peace permeating his chest, winding right around the old shrapnel buried there. It wasn’t overwhelming but there was a spark of something—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Five years to be exact. For the first time in five years, he couldn’t care less about the holidays. All because of that little spark inside him.
Because of Emma.
Desire. Expectancy. Both warred with the grip of the past. The possibility that he could blot out the pain for a few minutes, a few hours—maybe even a few days—without the aid of alcohol or any other drug was welcome. He could get through Christmas sober this year.
But cleaning out the horse stalls wasn’t in his plans.
Keeping a certain doctor in her bed all day long, naked and at his mercy? That was more like it. She deserved to be pampered, to feel appreciated and valued. To experience a Christmas like she’d never experienced before.
Feeling like a dirty-minded Santa, intent on giving Emma the best, most erotic Christmas of her life, Mitch grabbed the protein bars from the shelf and closed the pantry door behind him.
Time to get busy. He had a criminal to catch and a seduction to plan, and less than twenty-four hours to do both.
