“Hannah?! Hannah, dear, you still out there?”

I lobbed my head backwards, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling. Of course I was still here. Where else would I be?

“One minute, Mrs. Fitzgerald!” I hollered from the cashier counter, where I’d been hunkered over my laptop submitting my resume to another potential employer.

I already knew what she wanted: whatever she was trying on this morning in another size. The seventy-year-old woman came into the store at least once a day, always picking out clothes entirely too small for her to try on. I didn’t know if her eyes were so bad that she couldn’t read the labels, or if she just thought she was smaller than she was. Either way, she had me constantly running back and forth between the racks and dressing rooms for at least an hour a day every day. To top it all off, she rarely bought anything.

I snapped my laptop shut with a sigh after finally hitting send. It was my final resume to submit. There were only a handful of jobs available unless I decided to relocate. Leaving Seattle wasn’t something I wanted to do. I loved the city, had lived there my whole life, but at the end of the day I had to make a living.

The front door of the shop opened, and Leighton came strolling through with an exhausted look on her face and two iced coffees from Ida’s in hand. It’d become a ritual for her to show up here after she got off work, bringing me my afternoon cup of iced coffee.

“Hey. Thanks, I’ve been craving one of these,” I said, taking the cup she offered to me. I took a long sip of the much-needed caffeine before asking, “What’s going on?”

“Remind me again why I chose this profession.” She sagged against the front of the counter, taking a drink of her own.

“Um…because you have a heart of gold and love all those adorable little faces?”

“Right. That.”

“Hang in there. It’s your last week and then you’ll have the summer to recoup.”

“Hannah!” the impatient old woman called again.

“Coming!” I yelled, fighting back my annoyance and plastering on a smile.

Leighton smirked.

“And you thought you have it bad,” I grumbled, waltzing over to the wall where Tucker had built Lottie a bank of dressing rooms with pipe fittings draped with thick white curtains. He’d done a beautiful job building out a rustic modern space for her boutique—a combination of brick, wood, and metal, softened by the clothes she displayed and the chandeliers above.

Mrs. Fitzgerald pushed aside the curtain, stepping out of the fitting room she was in. I about tripped over my own two feet when she did, my eyes wide as I covered my mouth with a hand to hide the shock on my face.

“Oh, dear lord,” Leighton muttered, coming up beside me. “You definitely have it worse than me. I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to un-see this.”

That made two of us. I’d be glad when I was back to making trips to Milan and New York instead of working in Mulletsville. Small-town living just wasn’t for me.

“Hannah, dear, I think they labeled this shirt all wrong. I swear the tag says extra-large, but it’s barely covering the old girls.” She waved a hand across her huge chest, as if we could miss what she was referring to.

I dropped my hand from my mouth. Leighton silently chuckled beside me as Mrs. Fitzgerald stood there with her pale, drooping skin hanging out in what had to be the worst case of muffin top I’d ever seen.

“Mrs. Fitzgerald, the size is correct. That is how the shirt is made.”

She looked down incredulously at the piece of material barely concealing her saggy boobs. “Why on earth would I want to pay full price for a shirt that’s half missing?”

I took the last few steps to Mrs. Fitzgerald, spinning her around and gently shoving her back into the dressing room. Heaven forbid anybody else saw her as they passed by the storefront. It’d be all over the front page of the local paper. A new scandal to gossip about. She’d be accused of hooking on Main Street.

“They’re called crop tops. They’re all the rage for the younger generation. Let’s see if we can find you something else. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll bring you back some new options.”

“Thank you, dear.”

I pulled the curtain closed, my shoulders deflating and head shaking as I walked over to a rack of shirts more suitable for her body type.

The front door swung open again, and I lifted to greet the new customer. Wes strutted in, cocky as ever, a big, annoying smile already on his face.

I turned my back to him, blatantly ignoring him.

“What’s up, Hurling Hannah?”

Leighton cocked an eyebrow, looking at me for answers. I ignored her too.

“I’m going to kill you. Dead. In your sleep,” I whisper-yelled as he came up beside me.

“Come on, you aren’t still mad at me about eating the other half of that sandwich?”

“It was my sandwich! I made it for me. And I only made a half, so technically you ate all of it.”

“You can’t stay mad at your bestie forever.”

“You’re right. Good thing you aren’t my bestie.”

“We’re roommates, that automatically makes us besties. Isn’t that right, baby Miller?” Wes hollered, directing his question to Leighton who stood by, sipping her coffee.

She exhaled an annoyed breath. “It’s Bradley now, Wes. I’m no longer baby Miller.”

“Doesn’t matter if you went and got yourself married, you’ll always be baby Miller to me.”

“Do you see what I have to deal with?” I asked her.

Leighton shrugged. “I’ve had to deal with it my whole life.”

“You ladies love me, and you know it.”

“Have you been hitting the bottle for breakfast again?” I asked, selecting a few shirts from the rack for Mrs. Fitzgerald.

He winked. “A man never tells his secrets.”

“No. Just other people’s,” I mumbled. “What are you even doing here?” I asked as I walked to the next rack.

“I’m here to give you the heads up, you need to find another place to stay tonight. Have a visitor that will likely be crashing with me tonight…you know, a woman.”

“Thanks for the clarification. I was curious about what team you batted for. I’d definitely pegged you as being on the other team.”

“Real cute, city.”

I smirked, grabbing one last shirt. “So where do you expect me to stay?”

“Not my problem, sweetheart. Figure you’re resourceful enough to figure that one out.”

“That’s not very BFF of you.”

“So, you admit it? We’re BFFs.”

“Nope.” I turned my back to him, walking toward the dressing rooms.

“You heard her, didn’t you little Miller?”

“All I heard was you being a jerk and kicking Hannah out of the house so you could get laid.”

“Hey, now!” He surrendered with his palms out. “Lower the pitch forks. This was her idea, not mine.”

Handing Mrs. Fitzgerald a few more options, I heard another person enter the boutique. This time, my stomach did a little flip at seeing the man who walked through the door. Small-town living may not be for me, but the particular cowboy walking in sure was.

I wasn’t normally one to like a man dressed so casually. A man dressed sleeker, especially in a fitted suit, had always been what caught my eye in the past. But the way Billy wore a pair of jeans and a tight tee made me rethink everything I ever thought was my type. His eyes zeroed in on me, and I fisted the curtain to hold myself up, the rest of the world momentarily disappearing around us.

When Mrs. Fitzgerald screeched my name again, I wished they all would disappear. I was seconds away from dragging Billy to the stock room to have my way with him. He’d been holding out on me. And as much as I appreciated the sentiment, a woman had needs too. It didn’t help I hadn’t seen him since our date a few days ago, either. Apparently, when it was harvest time, the farmers worked long hours and seven days a week.

“Yes, Mrs. Fitzgerald?”

She flung the curtain open, nearly taking me down as she did, my hand still clinging to it.

“I think I’m gonna have to wait on these items. None of them are fitting me just right today.”

I smiled, not the least bit surprised by her decision. “Completely understand.” I took the discarded clothes from her arms, glancing over my shoulder to where Billy waited by the counter with Leighton and Wes. “We wouldn’t want you to feel anything but beautiful in the clothes you buy and wear.”

I placed my hand on her back giving her a gentle nudge forward, urging her out the front door.

“You have a new shipment coming in later today?”

“Yep. I’ll have it all unpacked and displayed when we open up on Wednesday.”

“All right, dear. I’ll see you then. Enjoy your evening.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Fitzgerald. You too.” I gave her a small wave as she left the store.

One down. Two more to go.

I turned back to face the trio lingering and chatting at the cashier counter. I walked around to the opposite side of the counter from them, working efficiently to close things down, hoping they took the subtle hint. When they didn’t, I gave Leighton the look, shifting my eyes from her to Billy. I wanted alone time with my man, and if she didn’t catch that this time, I was going to have to get blunt. Like I said, I had needs. And I was desperate to take advantage of this unexpected visit from Billy.

Unfortunately for me, Wes was the one to catch on to the look before Leighton. When I saw the evil grin slither on his face, I knew it was going to be bad.

“Little Miller, I think city here wants us to leave. And trust me when I say it’s in our best interest to get out of here. When things get kinky with that one”—he pointed a thumb toward me, lowering his voice—“you want to be out of target range.”

Leighton’s brows pinched together. “What in God’s name are you talking about, Wes?”

“Nothing!” I sneered, glaring at him.

Wes laughed, putting his arm around Leighton’s shoulders, moving her toward the door. I didn’t know whether to love him or hate him in that moment.

He held the door open, his hand moving to the small of her back to allow her to step out first. With a final wink over his shoulder he yelled at the top of his lungs, “Puking rally!”

Yep. I seriously hated that man.

I dropped my face into my palms, unable to look at Billy.

“Han?” I heard the humor in his voice. “You told Wes, of all people? Are you nuts?”

I lifted my head. “No, I was drunk. And trust me, I know it was the dumbest thing I could ever do.”

He reached for my hand, leading me around the counter to stand in front of him. His hands cupped my face, his mouth brushing a gentle kiss to my lips, pulling away far too soon for my liking. “I don’t think you have too much to worry about. The fact that he hasn’t spilled the details to the whole town means you’re probably safe to assume he won’t.”

I wasn’t so sure I agreed, but Billy knew Wes better than I did. “What are you doing here?” I looped my arms around his waist, staring up into those big brown eyes I could drown in.

“Beau and Wes let me go early today. We’re on schedule if not slightly ahead, so they said to enjoy the night off. Figured there was only one place I wanted to be.”

“Does that make this date two?” I bounced my eyebrows.

He shook his head in amusement, a low laugh rolling through his chest. “Trying to get in my pants already, blondie?”

“Can’t blame a girl, when you look that good in them.”

Leaning forward, he dropped his head to mine, his hands coasting down my shoulders, tickling and teasing the need inside me. “How about some dinner?”

I frowned, jerking my head back. “Really? You’re determined to see this date rule through?”

“Dead serious. Trust me, it’s not easy on me either.” He thrusted his hips against me and I could feel his erection through his jeans.

If he thought that would help matters, he was wrong. I wanted more than ever to strip the man naked and take him in my hands. Using every bit of restraint I had, I resisted the urge.

“I can’t leave just yet. I’m waiting for Lottie’s shipment to get here. It’ll be at least a couple more hours.”

“I’ll grab us a few burgers and shakes up the street. What flavor do you want?”

“Vanilla.”

“Took you to be a little more adventurous than that, blondie.”

“Fine, surprise me.” I grinned.

“You’re asking for surprises now?”

“What can I say, you’re good at them.”

He kissed my lips, then stepped back. “Be right back.”

He’d better be, because I had a little surprise of my own up my sleeve.

* * *

Making sure the decorative curtains were drawn across the storefront with the closed sign flipped over, I turned off the track lights, leaving only the chandeliers on, creating a soft glow in the store. I got into position, hoisting myself up on the counter, making sure the girls were perky and ready to impress. I crossed my legs, leaning back on my hands, wearing nothing but a matching black lace underwear set I’d snatched from the lingerie table, paired with the heels I’d been wearing all day. Luckily, the shipment showed up early, a few minutes after Billy had left, giving me plenty of time to usher the delivery guy along and prepare for Billy’s return.

My body froze and my chest raced at the sound of the front door opening. When Billy came into view, his hands filled with our dinner, my body relaxed, my smile growing as I watched his eyes sweep over me, his own body rooted to the floor just inside the entrance.

“Holy shit, Han.” His voice was all grit as he fought an internal battle of desire.

“Lock the door, cowboy,” I demanded.

Without hesitation, he did as he was told. I sat forward as he walked back toward me with a powerful, dominant stride. My whole body came to attention for the man in front of me. Gentle and strong. Giving and greedy. A man who would take what he wanted, when and wherever he wanted, but never made me feel powerless as he did.

I dealt him a hand and now it was up to him whether he wanted to play or fold. From the look in his eyes, the prowl in his gait, he was all in. It made me question if maybe I’d overplayed my own hand. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this man to take me, love me, tear me up inside once again.

He set the food to the side, freeing his hands to caress my already tingling skin. Wedged between my legs, his hands wrapped around my calves, slowly gliding upward to the underside of my bent knees.

“What the hell are you trying to do to me, Hannah? Anybody could have walked in here and seen you like this.”

“I was willing to take my chances,” I gasped, burying my fingers in his hair as the tip of his nose brushed along my collarbone and up my neck, his hot breath fanning over my flesh.

He growled with a slight jerk, pulling me closer, his teeth nipping at my ear. “Not sure I like you as the risk taker.”

“Not sure I believe you,” I rasped as I felt the ripple of need tremble through him.

“This isn’t how I wanted this to play out, Han. Not here.” A groan with a mixture of restraint and lust resonated in his chest as he kept trying to fight what we both wanted.

“I think you’re done calling the shots.”

“Wrong,” he grated.

I squealed as his hands suddenly lifted me into the air, my legs and arms wrapping around him as I held on tight. I kissed down his throat as he carried me to one of the dressing rooms.

Pressing my back to the wall, he pulled the curtain closed behind us. He unhooked my legs from his hips, guiding me to a standing position. His mouth at my ear, he growled, “I’m not fucking you here, Hannah.”

A small whimper escaped from my lips, a heaviness pooling between my legs as his lips burned a trail down my body. He looped his fingers inside the waistband of my panties, slowly dragging them down my legs, leaving them in a puddle at my heels as he shifted back to his knees.

“Billy.” My plea hit the air, my fist opening and closing against the wall as I struggled for something to grasp to stay upright.

His massive hands wrapped around my thighs, spreading them apart as he kissed in between them.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’m gonna take care of you.”

My head fell back with a thump against the wall as I tried to control my breathing. His tongue darted out, licking at my heat. I moaned, pulling greedily at strands of his hair, begging for more. Chills rippled, streaking across my skin. A flash of heat rose quickly through my body as I felt my knees begin to weaken.

Lick and suction.

His mouth was magnificent. A gift from the gods.

As the sensations assaulted me, I arched my back, thrusting my hips forward and pulling his head deeper. Desperate, I clung to the man, needing him in more ways than one.

He palmed the bare cheeks of my ass, his hot tongue continuing to slide against me.

“Billy…I’m close…so close,” I panted.

Just a little more, it’s all I needed. A little more time. A little more of him. A little more of us.

His head pulled back as he slipped his fingers inside me, pumping and rubbing out that last little bit of pleasure from me. My body tensed and clenched before letting go. Billy’s arm hooked around my waist, keeping me from falling to a heap on the floor as he brushed kisses along my belly. I stroked my hand through his hair, each touch laced with a tenderness.

Staring down at Billy on his knees before me, a grin on his lips, a wobbly smile on mine, I knew there was no way I wasn’t falling hard for this man. I knew I shouldn’t, but it didn’t matter what was right or wrong, all I wanted to do was crawl up in this man’s lap and stay there forever.