Page 115 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

Now he is the person he wants to be: stoic and cool. Or at least, that’s what I think until he turns to leave. He tells me good-bye and I accept it; he touches my shoulder and I process this as all I might reasonably expect in the future. And then just as he’s almost gone I happen to glance down, and see something that suggests that the idea of a real him may not be so clear-cut:

The outline of his erection, hard and heavy against the material of his jeans.

An Excerpt from

CAN’T WAIT

A Christmas Novella

by Jennifer Ryan

(Previously appeared in the anthology All I Want for Christmas Is a Cowboy)

Before The Hunted Series, Caleb and Summer had a whirlwind romance not to be forgotten . . .

Caleb Bowden has a lot to thank his best friend, Jack, for—saving his life in Iraq and giving him a job helping to run his family’s ranch. Jack also introduced Caleb to the most incredible woman he’s ever met. Too bad he can’t ask her out. You do not date your best friend’s sister. Summer and Caleb share a closeness she’s never felt with anyone, but the stubborn man refuses to turn the flirtatious friendship into something meaningful. Frustrated and tired of merely wishing to be happy, Caleb tells Jack how he feels about Summer. With his friend’s help, he plans a surprise Christmas proposal she’ll never forget—because he can’t wait to make her his wife.

Caleb opened his mouth to yell, Where the hell do you think you’re going?

He snapped his jaw shut, thinking better of it. He couldn’t afford to let Jack see how much Summer meant to him. He’d thought he’d kept his need for her under wraps, but the too-observant woman had his number. Over the last few months, the easy friendship they’d shared from the moment he stepped foot on Stargazer Ranch turned into a fun flirtation he secretly wished could turn into something more. The week leading up to Thanksgiving brought that flirtation dangerously close to crossing the line when he walked through the barn door and didn’t see her coming out due to the changing light. They crashed into each other. Her sweetly soft body slammed full-length into his and everything in him went hot and hard. Their faces remained close when he grabbed her shoulders to steady her. For a moment, they stood plastered to each other, eyes locked. Her breath stopped along with his and he nearly kissed her strawberry-colored lips to see if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.

Instead of giving in to his baser need, he leashed the beast and gently set her away, walking away without even a single word. She’d called after him, but he never turned back.

Thanksgiving nearly undid him. She’d sat alone in the dining room and all he’d wanted to do was be with her. But how could he? You do not date your best friend’s sister. Worse, you do not have dangerous thoughts of sleeping with her, let alone dreaming of a life with a woman kinder than anyone he’d ever met. Just being around her made him feel lighter. She brightened the dark world he’d lived in for too long.

He needed to stay firmly planted on this side of the line. Adhere to the best-bro code. This thing went beyond friendship. Jack was his boss and had saved his life. He owed Jack more than he could ever repay.

“Can you believe her?” Jack pulled him out of his thoughts. He dragged his gaze from Summer’s retreating sweet backside.

“Who’s the guy?” He kept his tone casual.

Jack glared. “Ex-boyfriend from high school,” he said, irritated. “He’s home from grad school for the holiday.”

“Probably looking for a good time.”

Caleb tried not to smile when Jack growled, fisted his ha

nds, and stepped off the curb, following after his sister. He’d counted on Jack’s protective streak to allow him to chase Summer himself. Caleb didn’t want anyone to hurt her. He sure as hell didn’t want her rekindling an old flame with some ex-lover.

He and Jack walked into the park square just as everyone counted down, three, two, one, and the multicolored lights blinked on, lighting the fourteen-foot tree in the center of the huge gazebo, and sparking the carolers to sing “O Christmas Tree.”

Tiny white lights circled up the posts and nearby trees, casting a glow over everything. The soft light made Summer’s golden hair shine. She smiled with her head tipped back, her bright blue eyes glowing as she stared at the tree.

His temper flared when the guy hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her close, nearly spilling his beer down the front of her. She laughed and playfully shoved him away. The guy smiled and put his hand to her back, guiding her toward everyone’s favorite bar. Several other people joined their small group.

Caleb tapped Jack’s shoulder and pointed to Summer’s back. Her long hair was bundled into a loose braid he wanted to unravel and then run his fingers through the silky strands.

“There she goes.”

“What the . . . Let’s go get her.”

Caleb grabbed Jack’s shoulder. “If you go in there and demand she leaves, it’ll only embarrass her in front of all her friends. Let’s scout the situation. Lie low.”

“You’re right. She’ll only fight harder if we demand she come home. Let’s get a beer.”

Caleb grimaced. Hell yes, he wanted to drag Summer home, but fought the compulsion.

He did not want to watch her with some other guy.

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