Delene Younger was pounding on Marti’s door by the time she got to the house from the barn.

“You know, you could just check to see if it’s locked rather than trying to knock it down.”

Delene whirled around and slapped her hand to her chest. “Girl! You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“What are you doing here? We just saw each other a couple of hours ago.”

Delene jabbed her finger toward Marti. “You might fool Tina with that I fell asleep on him and nothing happened story, but not me. I know you better than that. And, if that was the honest truth, you wouldn’t have picked at your salad and hardly reacted when I said I thought I might shave my head for summer. Then, as soon as you could, you practically ran out of the restaurant. Something happened with Dr. Hottie.”

Marti sighed and opened the unlocked front door. “Come on in. Want something to drink?”

Delene followed Marti to the kitchen.

“Got a Diet Coke?”

Marti lifted an eyebrow. “Need you ask?”

She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of Diet Cokes and joined Delene at the kitchen table.

“So,” Delene said as she popped the tab on the can. “What happened?”

“Everything I told you was true. I swear.”

“Uh-huh. But you didn’t tell us everything.”

“Need a glass for your Coke?”

Delene snorted. “You really don’t want to say, do you?” Then she gasped. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you? On a first date? That is so not like you.”

“Right. We had a great toss in the hay after watching Princess give birth. Nothing sexier than amniotic fluid, a wet, slightly smelling newborn, and watching a new mother lick the afterbirth. I mean, who wouldn’t want to strip and screw after that?”

Delene’s loud, deep laugh echoed around the kitchen. “You do have a point.”

Marti smiled and gave in. Delene wasn’t just one of her best friends. They’d been together since first grade. “Fine. He kissed me.”

Delene shrugged. “I know. You told us that at lunch today.”

“I might not have been completely honest at lunch.”

Delene leaned forward. “Really? So there was kissing going on when I saw you two cuddled on the patio.”

“Not there, well, there too, but mostly when we got to my house. The first kiss was sweet. Soft. Really, just barely a kiss. But then…ohmigod, he backed me into my door and kissed me like a starving man finding a loaf of bread. It wiped my mind of any thoughts but how to get closer to him.” She looked at Delene. “And the only way we could have been closer would’ve been skin to skin. It was like my soul wanted to climb inside him. It was the most erotic, sensual kiss I’ve ever had.”

“Better than the ex?”

“Ha. No comparison. If he hadn’t been holding me against my door with his body, I probably would’ve melted in puddle of begging lust. I swear. I was thinking about inviting him in—and yes, I know I’ve never gone to bed with a guy on the first date—when Pedro rode up and told me Princess was in labor. Of course, I had to go.”

“Of course. I mean,”—Delene held up her hands like the scales of justice—“on this side we have a horse going through a totally natural process,” she raised one hand higher, “and on this hand, we have a hot, sexy doctor that you’re having lusty pants for.” She raised the other hand. “Who wouldn’t have chosen the bloody, smelly, horse over the great smelling, handsome man?”

Marti laughed. “Well, when you put it that way…”

Delene shook her head. “Anyway, choice made. Smelly horse won. So you had a lusty pants moment.”

Marti gave her a sheepish look. “It kind of wasn’t the only one.”

“Thank the heavens. I thought I was going to have to slap you.”

“Maybe I was more into him than he was to me, you know? Guys are like that. I was obviously sending out lusty vibes, and he was getting them.”

“I don’t know. He’s been in town for what? Three months or so? Surely, if he was a hound dog out for the quick shag, we’d all know it. This town’s grapevine is too active.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe, nothing. Besides, he stayed all night with you to watch a horse deliver. If that doesn’t say he’s interested, nothing does.”

Before Marti could reply, her cell phone rang. She looked at Delene. “Riverside Ortho.”

“It’s him,” Delene said. “Answer it.”

“Hello?”

“Hi, Marti. It’s Eli Boone.”

“Hi, Eli. I do remember your last name.” He laughed and lust tugged at her gut.

“I guess you do. It was good to see you this afternoon. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk.”

“Well, you did have a date.”

Delene slapped her hand over her own mouth as she snorted.

“Date? Oh, you mean Debbie. No, no. That wasn’t a date. I just took her out for a quick bite. We had a heavy schedule this morning and this afternoon.”

“Does she know that?” Marti could not believe the words coming out of her mouth. Shut up, she ordered.

He laughed again. “Of course. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. What can I do for you, Eli?”

“Stop being a bitch,” Delene hissed at her. “Be nice. Lusty pants, remember?”

Marti waved off Delene.

“I know it’s late notice. Seems like I say that a lot. Anyway, I thought I was on call for ortho emergencies at the hospital, but I’m not. I wondered if you’d like to have dinner.”

“Dinner? Tonight?”

“Say yes,” Delene whispered.

“I’m sorry, Eli. I already have plans for tonight.”

“You do not,” Delene said, almost loud enough for a person in the county to hear.

“Shoot. I knew it was late notice.”

“I’m sorry, too, but I have plans with Delene and Tina tonight.”

Delene’s eyes shot wide, and then she squinted them. Before Marti could react, Delene jerked the phone from her hand.

“Eli? Hi. It’s Delene. Remember? We met last Saturday and again today.” Delene climbed onto her chair to keep the phone away from Marti. “Marti’s dryer buzzed so she had to go take the clothes out.”

“Give me that phone,” Marti demanded. “Right now.”

“Uh-huh. Un-huh. We’d love for you to join us tonight.”

“Delene. Stop it.” Marti jumped, trying to grab the phone.

“No, absolutely not,” Delene told Eli. “We always head to Leo’s Bar on Friday nights for dancing. You’re more than welcome to join us. Real casual. Just look for us.” She paused. “What time?” Delene turned in the chair until she faced the stove. “Well, it’s about five now, so I’d say we’ll be there by seven or so.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Marti promised.

“Great. We’ll see you there. Oh, here’s Marti now.”

Delene handed the phone to her with a grin. “Here. I kept him company while you were taking clothes out of the dryer.”

Marti scowled. “Sorry about that, Eli. Delene can be a little pushy.”

“I like her,” Eli said. “She sounds like a fun person.”

Marti glared at Delene. “Oh, she’s fun all right.”

“Tonight, then. Do you mind if I join you ladies?”

“And guys,” Marti said. “And sure. If you want to come, come on. But don’t feel like you have too just because Delene twisted your arm.”

He chuckled. “She didn’t twist my arm, and it sounds like fun.”

“Super,” she said through gritted teeth. “See you there.”

As soon as she clicked off, she turned on Delene. “I am going to kill you. You seriously overstepped this time.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” said Delene. “You don’t have very long to look presentable. I’d suggest a bath and maybe wash your hair. Want me to hang around so you can ride over with me?”

“No. I might put you in a tub of water and hold your head under.”

Delene laughed. “See you at Leo’s,” she said with a wave. “I guess I’d better round up the gang for a night out.”

It didn’t take two hours for Marti to get ready to go. Leo’s and a night with the gang did not demand fancying up.

Still, Eli said he was coming.

Oh, God. Eli was coming.

How should she act?

Cool as cucumber? Interested? Hard to get?

She hated dating and —not that she’d admit this to anyone—one of the reasons she’d accepted Theodore’s marriage proposal was so that she didn’t have to go on any more dates. Deep in her gut, she’d known, or at least suspected, that how she felt about Theo hadn’t been love, or at least not the marrying kind of love. His kisses—no man’s kisses—had ever rung her bell like Eli’s had.

And the more that she thought about it, the more she didn’t like losing her mind over a guy. Therefore, her theme for this evening would be to play it cool.

The last thing Marti wanted was to project any sort of anxiety about tonight, so continuing with her “Be Cool” theme, she didn’t arrive at Leo’s until well after seven-thirty. The lot was full. She expected the inside would be also. Loud country music spilled out of Leo’s double doors onto the porch. Any space on the lot not holding a truck, car, or motorcycle held bar patrons. She might have had better luck if she’d ridden Ransom and hitched him to a post. Sighing, she circled four or five times until she found one lone sliver of pavement where she could leave her car.

She literally pushed and elbowed her way into the bar. Lots of happy—or drunk—people. She wasn’t one of them.

Payback was a bitch, and she intended to remind Delene of that fact.

A loud whistle cut through the momentary silence between songs. Delene madly waved both arms over her head.

With a resigned sigh, she made her way across the dance floor to where multiple tables had been shoved together so that the gang of friends could all be together.

“Saved ya a seat,” Tina said, pointing to an empty chair beside her. “You owe me. Bigly.”

Marti scooted past the usual single crowd—Chad, Zack, Michael, Delene, Tina, and a number of couples who’d married within the last year. And surprise, surprise. Darling Debbie was among their midst, along with a luscious looking Dr. Hottie.

“You remember Debbie, right?” Tina said.

“Sure. Hi, Debbie.”

“Hope you guys don’t mind me joining you all. Being so new to town, when Eli, I mean Dr. Boone, invited me to join the fun, how could I resist?”

“How, indeed?” said Marti.

Damn it. The green-eyed monster awoke and blew fire.

“I know this one will get y’all up on the floor,” the DJ shouted through speakers. “Grab your favorite guy or girl and get on out here.”

Rascal Flatts started singing about fast cars and freedom.

Debbie squealed. “My favorite. Come on, Eli. Let’s get our move on.”

Eli opened his mouth to reply, but Debbie was up and pulling him along. He smiled and followed, but his smile looked a tad forced.

Marti glared at the group. “Okay. Which of you asshats invited Grabby Debbie to sit with us?”

The guys looks confused. Delene and Tina burst out laughing.

“I swear we didn’t,” Delene said. “Eli was here when she walked in. She zoomed on him like a magnet, and then there she was.”

“Who cares?” Zack said. “We’re all friends here, right? Nothing wrong with extending the group a little.”

Delene glared at him, and then turned her back. “So, as I was saying, she just parked her butt with us.”

“And it’s a cute little butt, right, Chad?” Zack said.

By some miracle, Delene did not cold-cock Zack. Instead, she stood and extended a hand to the new lawyer, Michael. “Want to dance, Mike?”

“Um, it’s Michael and sure.”

“Great.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

“Zack, my man,” said Chad. “You’re playing with fire.”

Maybe Marti wouldn’t have to plan a good payback for Delene. Tonight might be its own torture.

“So, what’d I miss?” Marti said. She looked around. “Am I going to get a drink, or will it be impossible?”

“Impossible if you wait for a waitress. Want me to go to the bar for you?”

“Thanks, Chad. That’s very sweet. Since I can see how this night is going, get me a bucket of six beers.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted and left.

The song ended, and despite what appeared to be Debbie trying to talk Eli into the next one, the couple weaved through the dancers and came back to the table. Eli helped Debbie into her seat then walked around the mass of friends until he could take the chair next to Marti.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi, yourself.” Play it cool. Don’t melt all over your chair because he spoke to you. You’re cool.

“You saving a dance for me?”

Marti bit her lip and rolled her eyes up, as though in deep thought. “Yeah. I think I can do that, if Debbie doesn’t object.”

Apparently her green-eyed dragon had taken over her mouth.

Eli smiled, but it wasn’t the same lift of lips he’d given Debbie. This time, his full mouth was stretched wide, and his eyes lit.

“I want a slow one.”

His voice was deep and rattled through her. Her heart picked up the pace from walk to trot. “Really?”

“Really.”

She put her hand on his forearm before she replied, and it took the strength of the gods not to look at Debbie. “I think we can do that.”

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Chad volunteered but thanks.”

He frowned. “That doesn’t make me look good, does it?”

“This isn’t a date, so you don’t have to feel obligated to buy me drinks.”

He scooted his chair closer until their thighs met. He draped an arm on the back of her chair and leaned toward her. “I wanted it to be a date,” he said into her ear.

Warm breath circled her ear and trailed down her neck. Fingers of heavy lust stirred the smoldering fire inside.

She drew in a breath. He smelled so good. Sandalwood mixed with something spicy. Add in his pheromones and testosterone, and she was a goner. How in the world had she convinced herself she could remain cool in his presence?

“I wasn’t sure after seeing you and your nurse at lunch today.”

He fingered her curls, tickling her neck. “I’m not interested in my nurse. She’s new to town, and I felt sorry for her. There’s only one person I’m interested in.” His fingernail dragged softly down the side of her throat.

Her heart charged from trot to full-out gallop under his soft touches. She swallowed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. If you don’t know that, then I’m not doing something right.”

“Here’s your beer,” Chad said, setting a bucket of ice with six beers on the table. “That’s thirty-five dollars.”

Eli straightened.

Marti didn’t know if she should chuckle that Chad was holding out his hand for money or groan that his timing sucked so bad.

Eli pulled two twenties from his pocket. “Keep the change.”

“Hey, man. Thanks,” Chad said.

“You don’t have to do that,” Marti murmured.

“Do you really want to sit here tonight in this noisy bar and drink beer?” He leaned in closer. “Or would you rather go somewhere a little quieter with some soft music and an excellent wine list?”

She looked into his chocolate eyes. There was only one answer to that question.