Page 6 of Things Good Girls Don't Do (Rock Canyon, Idaho 1)

“So you chose to come to a bar on a Monday night?” he said, his dark brow arched.

“They have great chili fries and I was in the mood for something greasy and really bad for me,” she said defensively.

He nodded toward her hand with a grin that was nothing short of evil. “What were you writing? You looked like you were thinking really hard.”

“Just my . . . to-do list. I have a lot of things to do for the Extravaganza. I was trying to remember everything, but this mojito’s really getting to me. Besides, my handwriting is so messy, I can’t even read what I wrote anyway.” She swallowed and let out a nervous giggle.

“Huh. Well, if you’re feeling a little tipsy, I could finish writing it for you.”

She watched his hand creep across the table and yelped in terror. “No thanks! I think I’ll just save it for tomorrow, you know, go after it with a clear head.”

She started to slide the napkin closer to her, but quick as a snake, Chase pulled the napkin out from under her hand. Panic rose up, tightening her throat, and she cried hoarsely, “No!”

But Chase had already brought it under his nose, and those teasing eyes shifted as he scanned the first line. “‘Number one. Get purple streaks in my hair.’”

She wanted to die. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die a slow, horrible death. Grabbing her purse, she threw some bills down for Grant before bolting for the door. She couldn’t just sit there and listen to him read off each idiotic idea that had come into her head after one mojito.

Note to self: Next time you decide to make a crazy list of things you want to try someday, do it at home.

CHASE WAS TOO startled by Katie’s abrupt departure to stop her. He hadn’t meant to upset her; he’d only been playing around. He looked over the list again, and could see why she was so spooked. A surprised smile spread across his face as he read:

One. Get purple streaks in my hair.

Two. Get a tattoo.

Three. Steal something.

Four. Say the first thing that comes to mind.

Five. Go skinny-dipping.

Six. Go to a sex shop.

Seven. Try handcuffs.

Eight. Tell Jimmy exactly what I think of him.

Nine. Drink and flirt too much.

Ten. Have a one-night stand.

Chase folded up the list and put it in his pocket. Who would have thought little Miss Play by the Rules would make such a naughty list?

Smiling as he left the bar, he decided that first thing tomorrow he would call K.C.’s Salon and get an appointment with her. This was the perfect chance to satisfy his curiosity, and get over his crazy attraction to the uptight blonde.

If the only way he could get her undivided attention, and pitch his master plan to help her complete any and all of the items on her list, was to get a thirty-dollar haircut, then so be it. Besides, he couldn’t wait to see prim-and-proper Katie Connors get a little hot under her collar.

Chapter Two

* * *

KATIE ENJOYED HER little salon, loved the laughs that came from being in a room with a bunch of women. She’d rented a chair in a larger salon for years, which hadn’t been cheap but was a lot less than owning her own place. The problem with renting a chair was that you had no say about who would be renting next to you, and Katie had gotten tired of the backstabbing and client stealing. She wanted to be able to choose who she worked with. She’d always planned on buying a salon someday, but she’d also planned on being married before that ever happened.

So she’d saved every tip, every extra penny to pay for a dream wedding that never happened. Instead of using her money on the perfect dress, she’d put a down payment on her house and rented the salon space from Maeve Kettle, who’d done the rinses and styles of the ladies of Rock Canyon for forty years. Katie had done some painting and updated all the equipment, but it had been hard finding beauticians and manicurists who wanted to work in such a small shop, let alone a small community. After six months, though, she had two other stylists and two manicurists who were all easygoing and worked well together, and she’d just hired Kitty the month before to help organize their schedules. Overall, K.C.’s Salon was doing great.

Katie had a pretty light day on Tuesday and was just finishing up a cut and highlight when Chase walked in. Ducking down and slinking off to the storage room seemed like the best plan, but she couldn’t leave Daphne O’Neal’s hair wet, and with her luck, someone would ask her what she was doing, thus drawing more attention to herself. She didn’t know how she would face him, though, knowing he had probably read every word on her list and laughed at her expense. She was mortified and yet ticked off that he had the nerve to poke his nose into her business.

When Chase caught her gaze, he smiled with so much sexy arrogance her cheeks burned.

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