Page 2 of A Match Made in Montana

The problem was getting the house filled. She had bookings, but at this point it still was only when Bramble House Bed-and-Breakfast, the famous three-story Victorian house down the road from Annie’s, was fully booked.

“Aargh.” She groaned out loud, rubbing her nose. “Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to have another B and B in a town the size of Marietta. Maybe—”

“Hi, Annie.” Someone chuckled close by. “You always talk to yourself?”

Annie’s eyes flew open and, as she struggled to sit upright, the hammock swayed, she lost her balance, the book fell to the ground. Arms flaying, she tried to regain some control over her limbs so she wouldn’t actually fall. Seriously, not in front of Craig O’Sullivan, the very man she’d been thinking about.

Big, strong hands caught her just as she was about to tumble to the ground. Before she could catch her breath, she was pulled tightly against a solid wall of muscles rippling against her cheek. Wow. He’d hugged her once before, but it was a quick one, over before it had quite begun. He had to work out, nobody could be this toned and not work out. Maybe she should check…

Sanity fortunately prevailed a millisecond before she actually put a hand out to test whether what she’d felt against her face were really muscles. Appalled at herself, she quickly stepped back. She’d been standing close to him for much longer than need be, what was she thinking? Hard body, rippling muscles—that was what she’d been thinking. A favorite description in those romances she loved to read. Oh, dear, so not something she should be thinking about right now. She didn’t even know the man.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the book she’d been reading, lying where it had fallen on the ground. Hopefully he hadn’t seen that.

“Craig…” She was out of breath. Seriously. Trying to pull herself together, she did her best to sound be like a successful B and B owner. “I wasn’t expecting you. How long… have you been here a while?”

His eyes were still twinkling. “Yes.”

She felt like rolling her eyes but stopped herself in time. The one-syllable guy, she’d forgotten. “So you’ve heard…” She motioned with her hand toward the hammock.

“About beads and sexy Irishmen? Indeed.”

Her face flamed, but she tried to ignore it. “You should’ve told me earlier you were here. How can I help you? You haven’t made a reservation that I know of.”

“I’m staying with Aunt Janice.”

“Wow, an actual sentence with a verb and everything,” she got out, sounding more sarcastic than she’d intended. If she’d been in her kitchen making dinner, she wouldn’t have been literally falling at the Irishman’s feet and she wouldn’t be at such a disadvantage and consequently be so mad at herself. “Sorry, didn’t mean to snap. Okay, if you don’t want a room…”

But he wasn’t looking at her; he was bending down to pick up the book she’d been reading. It was one of those earth-please-open-up-and-let-me-disappear moments. She wasn’t embarrassed to be caught reading a romance novel. It was just that this particular one had the picture of a very sexy guy on the cover. Naked torso, rippling muscles, sexy grin—the works. Also not something she was embarrassed about—usually. But having been plastered against a very similar torso minutes ago was making this situation awkward, to say the least.

“Interesting reading,” he said, turning the book over. He’d picked it up as it had been lying on the floor—open. His eyes skimmed over the page before he closed the book and handed it back to her.

Face flaming again, she just about grabbed the book out of his hands. He’d read the page, she was sure of it. And was it her imagination or was he checking out her breasts? In the next millisecond, she froze, her breath hitching way back in her throat. What was happening? Surely, her nipples weren’t actuallybeading?

Quickly turning away, she glanced down at herself.Oh, my. Look at that.They were doing something very close to beading! This was ridiculous, seriously. She stopped herself just in time from touching her breasts again. Without looking back, she rushed toward her kitchen, her safe place. Hopefully the freaking beading would stop.

“Coffee? Tea?” she called out over her shoulder.

Another chuckle from behind her, but no words. She didn’t dare turn back to face him. As she entered the kitchen, she put down the book on the counter, grabbed the sweater hanging over a chair and pulled it on over her head, sending a silent prayer it would cover her tell-tale breasts.

Still no sound from behind her. Filling the kettle, she began to talk. “You’re a bit early for the wedding, aren’t you? Is Riley with you? How is Janice? I haven’t seen her in a while, we’ve been so busy. I’ve been expecting her, do you know…”

She turned around to find Craig’s deep blue eyes resting on her.

*

Craig had ahard time—and not only figuratively speaking—not grabbing Annie and kissing her. Watching her touching her breasts… The innocent movement nearly had him falling at her feet. Man, he definitely needed to get out more.

He’d met Annie in February when he and his cousin Riley had stayed in Annie’s B and B for one night. Their main reason for the trip had been to make sure Aiden didn’t let Vivian slip through his fingers.

Because Aunt Janice had been busy helping with the Valentine’s ball, Riley had booked rooms for them at Annie’s after she’d discovered Aiden’s love interest had a sister with a B and B.

During the day and a half he and Riley had stayed here, he’d never seen Annie this flustered. She was the calm one, the nurturing one, making sure everyone around her was happy. Or wait… On impulse, he’d hugged her just before they’d left. She’d blushed and had been clearly rattled by the hug.

So, what had disturbed her usual equilibrium this time? The steamy book she’d been reading, her near fall to the floor? And who was the sexy Irishman she’d been mumbling about? He didn’t know, but he was… intrigued.

What he did know for sure was that for a moment there, standing in front of him, she’d been aroused which in turn had aroused him. Again. Hence the ridiculous thought to kiss her.

His reaction probably had a lot to do with the fact that Annie had, strangely enough, occupied a big part of his thoughts over the last two months since he’d seen her. Usually, he was focused either on his job or on whether Riley or Aiden were okay, but at odd times he’d found himself thinking about the brunette with the big brown eyes and the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.

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