Page 19 of Nitro

“In a roundabout way,” she said, flicking him a look.

“I accept. If you let me cook.”

She nearly choked on her own lungs, looking at him. “Hard rule. My kitchen. Not yours.”

His gorgeous laugh filed her fight claws down to the nub. “I have the same rule at my swamp palace.”

“And if I ever in all my life go there, I’ll be sure and honor it.”

“Yes, you will,” he agreed his feral authority burning a lot more than her buns.

“Come see!” Jason called, racing down the dock with water sloshing out of the bucket.

“Meh-no, I’ll see it when you get here,” she laughed, eyeing Ethan as he headed toward him, not missing that Cajun cocky swagger he wore like an iron hide. She pried her eyes off his ass, shocked with herself. She never looked at men. But then there hadn’t ever been a god-like one on her porch asking her to marry him. Nothing wrong with examining the goods. The second she thought it, she did just that as he crouched down on the peer making a big deal out of Jason’s catch.

“I bet it sure is nice having a man around the house,” Ethan said, angling a smile over his shoulder with a wink that noodleized her legs.

“Oh, Aunt Cat don’t need no man,” he said with grave assurance before leaning and whispering something that made Ethan throw his head back and laugh.

“I don’t even wanna know what he said,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, and cocking her hip.

“No, I doubt you wouldn’t,” Ethan said,

She made her way to the door, shaking her head. “It ain’t nice to tease people, boy.”

“It’s not teasing!” Jason said behind her. “I just said you remind me every day.”

“And why?” she countered over her shoulder, catching Mr. Sexy Grins eyeing her. “Cause you started nagging me every day!” She paused with the screen half opened, needing to explain. “Ever since they put those eligible maiden flyers up, he’s had me married off to all the twelve!”

“Didnot!” he argued sharply.

“Did too,” she snapped right back. “You had them all in a neat row for me to pick from.”

“But I had Mr. 8-Bit right at the front!”

Oh mercy. Cat hurried into the house.

“But I’m happy for a visit,” she heard him say to Ethan real quiet. “No marriage needed.” Then a hot whisper, “But it would sure be amazing if youdidmarry her!”

“Jason!” Cat yelled. “Go clean those fish before I skin your tail!”

His face lit up with a grin as he held his bucket up. “That’s what I’m doin’!”

He hurried around her, leaving her floundering for something to do while Ethan’s sexy grin ate up all the oxygen in the room.

Lord help her survive this without making a fool of herself.

CHAPTER FOUR

“It’s Beth and Lucas!” Tully raced out the door and ran to meet them down the pier while Lesion stepped onto the porch, hoping that satisfied the detested social duty while also keeping them out of their home. He didn’t like sharing Tully with others, not even for a minute of the day. He’d accepted his obsession as an inevitable Tully war casualty. He had incurred countless since the very first day of her rescue. And they never stopped. Every day he spent with her, the wreckage piled up and he coveted every one of his Tully scars.

“Oh, what agreat idea!” Tully cried, holding a folder in her hand then racing toward him with it. An overload of chemicals rushed in at the sight of his beautiful wife, his sun star, shooting straight for him.

“Look!” she gasped, next to him. “It’s for our sex classes!”

“Marriage,” Beth said with a grin as her and Lucas walked onto the porch.

Tully’s face sobered at him. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

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