Page 21 of Bear In A Bookstore
“Don’t. Speak,” she hissed. “I don’t want to hear whatever else is about to come out of that dirty mouth of yours.”
He bit his lower lip, obviously trying not to laugh. “How do you know I have a dirty mouth?”
“I’m just guessing.”
“Want to find out?”
She smacked him with the towel, inadvertently throwing the bra straight at him. He caught it in both hands—human hands, she noticed—and held it up like a trophy. Kora stepped into him and snatched it back, catching a full whiff of his masculine scent and nearly stumbling into him. The scent filled her up, captured her brain, and sent her into momentary stasis. Nothing existed but the notes of him, the heat coming off his body . . . and the warmth of his hand where his fingers met hers when she grabbed the bra. His hand slid over hers, warm and rough and strong.
Exhaling deeply, Kora pulled back and blinked to clear her head.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he whispered huskily.
The deer suddenly struggled to its feet behind him. Kora took a step back, but Desi seemed unconcerned. With a snort, the animal bounded across the yard and disappeared into the trees.
“I—I can’t. I have plans.”
He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “Have dinner with me after your plans.”
“It’s going to be a late night,” she retorted. “I’m working my way through multiple men.”
Her turn to tease. Desi’s jaw clamped, his eyes narrowing as the irises flashed a wicked blue. She hugged the laundry to her chest, enjoying this turn of the tables.
“I’m going to the fundraiser for the Society of Historical Places.”
Running a hand over his mouth, Desi shook his head. “Ah, yes, the yearly performance hosted by our lovely board of directors at the Historical Society. It’s a very well-known event.”
He sounded unconvinced. Was that a little jealously she detected?
“Well, it’s male dancers. Who doesn’t love that?”
“A lot of people, actually. Don’t worry about bringing dollar bills. You won’t need them.”
Desi bent to retrieve something from the ground, frowned and looked around at the grass. Moving toward the house, he searched the soft dirt alongside her empty flower bed.
“What’s wrong?”
Crouching, he studied something. “Have you had a workman or someone over lately? Someone who would wear a size twelve work boot?”
Moving next to him, she spotted boot prints along the side of the house. They led to the front door, where Desi indicated they then curved off into the woods.
Their eyes caught. The back of her neck tingled.
“I don’t know who that would have been.”
Desi worked his jaw side-to-side, his demeanor rigid and on alert. “They’re fresh enough. Probably from very late last night or early this morning when the dew made things soft. Show me what you have for a security system. Now.”
Chapter Eight
Herdeer-in-the-headlightslookwasworse than Frank’s had been a few minutes ago.
Desi had a pang of sympathy as he thought about the paper clipping that he’d found. He didn’t blame her for being nervous considering something very bad had happened to her.
“Do you think someone was creeping around my house?”
Unfortunately, he did. “It’s possible.”
She clenched her eyes. “Okay, let me think of who it could have been. There must be an explanation. Oh, I know. The electric company came to read the meter. It was probably them.”
