CHAPTER TWO
ONE SIDE OF Shohn’s mouth curled. “You keep asking me that.”
“Only because you keep doing…stuff!” Oh, God, she was screeching.
With a lot of carnal insinuation, he murmured, “Not the stuff I’d like to be doing.”
Don’t ask, Nadine. Do. Not. Ask. She even bit her lip to keep her sensual curiosity from exploding.
Shohn smiled. “You’d rather I just surprise you?”
“No.” Get it together, Nadine. She cleared her throat. “Do you want to eat or not?”
“Definitely yes.”
The way he said that, with so much heat burning in his eyes, left her even more unsettled. “Then grab a seat at the table. I only have a few minutes left before I need to let the others head home.”
He looked undecided before finally turning a chair at the little table and straddling it.
Relieved, and maybe a little disappointed, too, Nadine went to the microwave and pulled out the now-steaming barbecue. She loaded cheese from the fridge, a bag of chips, two paper plates and two cans of Coke onto a tray.
With his gaze tracking her every move, Shohn asked, “Can I do anything to help?”
Stop trying to melt me. “No. Just…stay over there.” If he started bumping that hot, hard body into her again, she’d end up dragging him down to the floor. “Everything is ready.”
He stood to take the tray from her, holding it in one hand so he could pull out her chair with the other. Such a gentleman. Of course, all the men from his family were the same, meaning they were all gorgeous, sexy, protective, mannerly and alpha. Even the girls seemed to have gotten a little extra “oomph” from that amazing gene pool.
While she loaded up the buns with barbecue, Shohn popped open the drinks. “So once everyone clocks out, you’ll be here alone?”
Uh-oh. She didn’t, couldn’t, look at him. “Me, and twenty-five dogs.” Going past that as fast as she could, she added, “I’ll have at least an hour’s worth of work to get through yet before I can call it a day.”
“What time did you start work?”
“I let the dogs out into the yard early. Around six or so.” She wrinkled her nose. “Cuts back on cleanup.”
“They don’t ever fight with each other?”
“You know right away which animals are social and which ones prefer a little privacy. A big part of the backyard is divided up to suit them all, with separate runs and fenced areas.”
“That’s a long day.” He nodded to the clock on her wall. “It’s almost eight.”
“Overall, it doesn’t really seem like work. I love animals, they love me.” She put some chips on her plate and handed him the bag. With a telling glance his way, she said, “It’s the pet owners who are sometimes a bother.” Especially when they flaunt their perfect pecs at the dinner table.
“Since I was a bother,” Shohn teased, “why don’t I hang around and help you put the pups to bed for the night.”
No, and no. “That’s okay. I have a routine.” And she didn’t even want to say “Shohn” and “bed” in the same sentence, never mind that he meant small pet beds.
“Then let me bring dinner by tomorrow as a payback.” He ate half his sandwich in two big bites. “It’s the least I can do.”
She was already shaking her head, denying him. “No, really. It’s only warmed-up barbecue. No payback necessary.” And trying this twice would be too much temptation.
He finished his sandwich, downed half his Coke then folded his arms on the table and studied her. “You’re not going to give an inch, are you?”
Definitely not. She thought about pretending she didn’t understand, but knowing Shohn, he’d just spell it out for her. So instead, she rolled a shoulder, drank her own Coke and said, “There’s no point.”
“The point could be lust, chemistry—or even good old fun.”
Oh, I bet you would be so fun. Then she caught herself. Be strong, Nadine! She picked up a few chips and tried for a casual tone. “Yeah, see, I’m not into being another conquest for the infamous Shohn Hudson.”
“Infamous?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know.” She rolled her eyes and jammed the chips in her mouth.
“Okay, you mean sex.” He slowly pushed away from his chair.
Nadine sank back in hers. Gaze watchful, she now regretted that mouthful of chips.
“Hot sex,” Shohn clarified as he stood. “With me.”
Nadine gulped down the chips, choked a little and nodded. “Yes.” She coughed, swigged down more Coke and nodded again. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”
Eyes intent, mouth barely curled in a small smile, he circled the table.
She wanted to sink under it…and maybe take him with her for a little hanky-panky.
He stopped beside her chair, right there so that her gaze was level with his abs and she got the up-close-and-personal view of that mesmerizing happy trail that disappeared into his uniform pants.
The temp in the kitchen spiked…oh, a hundred degrees or so.
Shohn brushed the back of one knuckle over her cheek. “How come we’ve never gotten together, Nadine?”
That snapped her out of the spell. In a rush, she shoved her own chair back and scrambled to her feet behind it. Finger pointing, she said, “Because you’ve always treated me like I was a relative or a guy friend or…or old or something.”
Instead of her accusation bothering him, he went all alpha sexy male on her. “So it wasn’t disinterest on your part?”
Jerk! “No, it was disinterest on your part!”
“I must’ve been blind or something.”
Yeah, right. She knew the truth: she wasn’t in his league and never would be. “As far as I’m concerned, you can just go on being disinterested.”
“No, I don’t think I can.” He stepped toward her. She backed up. He stopped. “Are you afraid of me?”
Ha! Stepping around the chair, Nadine butted up to him. “Not a chance.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Oh, her stupid pride. She tried to retreat a little. “Look, Shohn, be reasonable here. You are not, have never been, into me that way.”
He stared at her mouth. “Am now.”
“Well, tough!” It’s too late. “My life is busy enough as is without me trying to fit in a…a fling, or whatever it is you have on your mind.”
“I have all kinds of things on my mind.”
She could only imagine how wonderful those things would be. “Dial it down already, will you?” To give herself something to do other than reciprocate, she began stacking the remains of their dinner back onto the tray. “It won’t do you any good,” she lied. “I’m seduction-proof because I plain don’t have the time for it.”
“For it—or for me?”
“Take your pick.” He looked equal parts insulted and challenged by that, so she kept talking fast in the hopes they could just move past it. “Right now, I need to get out there to let my workers go home. Then I need to start moving the dogs into their beds so I can lock up. You’re right, it has been a long day and I still have a ton of things to do.”
“I offered to help.”
If he stuck around, all shirtless and sexy, she wouldn’t get anything done because she’d spend all her time staring at him. Carrying the tray to the kitchen, she said, “And I told you no, so let it go.” She would not let him bully her, make her feel guilty or cause her to cave in. She had bucketsful of pride and by God, she’d hold on to it. “I do wish Amber would call back, though.” Then he could take the dog and leave.
“She already did.”
Nadine paused in the middle of putting away their mess. In a slow simmer, she turned to Shohn. He leaned there against the fridge, one hand braced on his holster, expression taunting.
“When?”
“Right before I came in here she sent me a text saying she’d called you and left a message.”
And he’d kept that to himself! She scowled. “If you’d told me—”
“You’d have given Rookie to me and sent me away.” He gave up his casual pose and closed the space between them. “But I didn’t want to go. Still don’t.” When she started to object, he cut her off. “Thing is, I’m not into forcing my company on women.”
“You just did!”
He ignored that to suggest, “How about a compromise?”
Said the spider to the fly. She stared up at him, aware of his naked chest so close, knowing he wanted her, even if only for a lark. From the time he was eight or nine years old, Shohn had been flirting with females and winning them over. The elders thought him charming, the young girls had crushes and those his age bragged about how good he was in bed. They all adored him.
Damn it, she would not be that easy. She would not be like everyone else. She would not—
“What compromise?”
He smiled over her surrender. “Give me a kiss—just one, Nadine—and I’ll take Rookie and head out.”
She had to know. “Why?”
Ever so slowly, Shohn lifted a hand and slid his rough fingers over her cheek, around her ear and into her hair until he cupped her head. Her topknot threatened to come undone, but seriously, she just didn’t care, not with him looking at her like that, drawing her in closer, breathing in that low, husky way.
“Because I need to know how it is with you,” he whispered.
Yeah, she kind of needed to know, too. A little dizzy with the idea of tasting him, Nadine wavered on her feet, drawn to him, sinking closer…
Satisfaction put a wicked gleam in his eyes seconds before he leaned down and took her mouth. At first the kiss was gentle, warm, damp—but slowly it grew firmer, hotter, wetter as he moved his tongue over her bottom lip, just inside her lips, then he sealed their mouths together and his tongue stroked in.
His hands wrecked her hair and she didn’t care.
Her hands gripped his shoulders, but he seemed to like it.
On her tiptoes, she fit herself to his hard frame and relished the solid strength of his big body. He moved one arm to her lower back and arched her in closer, higher. His mouth ate at hers, his tongue delving, his hot breath on her cheek.
Nadine groaned with the pleasure of it. If she’d had a bed nearby, they’d have been in it.
Suddenly they heard footsteps outside along with the sound of doggy nails on her wooden front porch.
It was Shohn’s turn to groan as he released her.
Nadine knew she was busted, that even a blind man would be able to see that they’d just been making out.
Then Shohn surprised her. He put a finger to her lips and steered her to the dividing wall, out of sight of the front door. His thumbs brushed her cheeks and he bent to kiss her once more, then again, before finally stepping back.
After running both hands through his hair in palpable frustration, he grabbed up an empty Coke can and, using it as a prop, went to the door as if he hadn’t just stolen her will or her independence or her twice-cursed, stupid pride. He even pretended to drink from it.
Cowering back like a guilty college co-ed, Nadine tried to level her breathing as she listened to Shohn greet her assistant and Amber’s dog.
“Hi, there,” Roxi said. “We didn’t get a chance to meet earlier.”
“Hi, yourself,” Shohn replied.
Nadine wanted to leave her hiding place to kick him in his sexy backside. Hi, yourself, she silently mimicked. Oh, she could just imagine what Shohn was thinking while looking at Roxi. Blond hair, blue eyes, petite and—damn her—very nice, as well as good with animals.
Shoulders slumping, Nadine called herself three times a fool.
“I’m Roxi, Nadine’s new assistant. You’re Shohn Hudson, right?”
“Guilty.”
Oh, he was guilty, all right. Guilty of being too blasted hot for his own good.
“Well, your cousin called. She said she’d already left a message saying that you were picking up Rookie. She wanted me to make sure Nadine got it. Since I was ready to go, I figured I’d walk Rookie along with me.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Nadine’s very protective of the animals,” Roxi said. “They adore her, and vice versa.”
Nadine appreciated the defense.
“Amber trusts her completely,” Shohn agreed. “I’ll be sure to tell her how careful Nadine was before letting me have Rookie.”
“Well,” Roxi said with hesitation. “I can’t really let you have him, either. I need to give him to Nadine.”
“Sure, no problem.” Shohn walked over to the wall so he could see her. “You about done? Your assistant needs to see you.”
Done recuperating? No. Done breathing heavy? Not even. Nadine pasted on a smile. “Just finished up.” As if she’d been cleaning, she dusted off her hands as she rounded the wall.
Roxi smiled. “You heard?”
“Yes, and since I got a little hung up here, I, too, appreciate it that you brought Rookie over. Let me say goodbye to Shohn and I’ll be right up.”
Roxi nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Shohn.”
“And you.”
He watched her go, but when she was out of sight, he immediately turned to Nadine, kissed her before she could decide if she wanted him to again—but of course, she did—and then he took the leash.
He was smiling as he stroked the dog. “You ready to go, buddy? Amber will be home soon.” At the mention of Amber’s name, Rookie barked his approval.
“Goodbye, Shohn.”
He winked at her, saying, “I’ll see you around, Nadine,” as he gathered his clothes and headed off the porch.
Not unless you get a dog, Nadine thought. For her own well-being, she intended to steer clear of the awesome Shohn Hudson. He was too dangerous, too outrageous, and far, far too appealing.
If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up like all the other ladies after all.
* * *
SHOHN HUNG AROUND his uncle Morgan’s house, waiting for Amber to get in. At twenty-six, a year older than him, Amber had her own place. Her own business, too, a nice bookstore that kept up with the times and pleased everyone in Buckhorn. But whenever she returned from out of town, she always spent the night with her folks for a little R and R before returning to work.
And so Shohn waited.
His parents had come up the hill to visit Morgan and Misty, too, and they all sat on the front porch, his mom and dad on the porch swing, Morgan in a big chair with Misty on his lap. Shohn lounged on a step. He’d pulled his shirt back on, but the night air remained muggy so he hadn’t bothered to button it.
Since Morgan had been the town sheriff for a long time before becoming the mayor, everyone in the family was used to seeing a Hudson with a gun strapped on. No one reacted to it—in fact, he just realized that Nadine hadn’t reacted much to it, either. Huh.
Usually the ladies either acted fearful, or turned on by the idea of him being armed. Nadine had just been…Nadine. Bossy and spirited, casual and easy to be with.
Why had he never before realized how special that was?
It was nine o’clock, and the sky had turned a deep purple streaked with crimson over the lake. The sight never failed to lull him—even when he felt more testy than usual over a certain soft but stubborn woman. Damn, but she’d tasted good.
“See that look on his face, Sawyer? I do believe the boy might have women troubles.”
Shohn smirked and turned his head to address his uncle Morgan. “Doesn’t matter how old you get, you always have Misty in your lap.”
Morgan hugged his wife to his chest. “Old.” He snorted. “Don’t make me get up or you’ll regret it.”
“I was just saying.” He did love tweaking Morgan.
“Never take for granted the best things in life.” He patted Misty’s hip. “And she is the best.”
“Morgan,” Misty protested even as she laid her head on his broad shoulder.
Time had been good to Morgan. Even with a little gray at the temples, he still looked strong as an ox and far too imposing, but around Misty, he was all heart.
“It’s true,” Morgan said to his wife. “You’re even sexier now than the day I met you.”
Shohn’s mother smiled. “As I recall, you almost ran her off.”
“Not true, Honey. Your sister is far too pigheaded to turn tail and run, even from me.” He kissed Misty and murmured, “Thank God.”
Shohn’s dad, always more somber, got up from the swing and came to sit on the step with him. “Something on your mind other than Morgan trying to embarrass us all?”
Misty laughed. “Stop it, Morgan,” she chided when he continued to nuzzle her.
“You’re still a hot little—”
She smashed a hand over his mouth. “One day, he will mellow,” she promised everyone.
Morgan said, “The hell I will.” Then he looked at Shohn. “So spit it out. What has you brooding here with us? Did some young lady finally turn you down?”
“What makes you think it has anything to do with a girl?”
“Because I know the look, having been there and done that.” Morgan grinned. “Sawyer knows what I’m talking about.”
“Thank God it was a long time ago. Unfortunately I had to put up with your uncles all butting into my business.”
Shohn looked at his mother, and saw her smiling. No doubt there was a good story there, but he’d save it for another time. “I’m not brooding. I’m just waiting for Amber.”
Honey said, “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
Oh, great. He could tell by his mother’s tone that she, too, thought he was brooding. “Maybe I’ll just catch up with her tomorrow.” But he no sooner said it than headlights shone down the hill at the bottom of the long driveway leading up to the houses.
His dad and uncles owned fifty prime acres surrounding the lake. His parents lived in the same house that had once belonged to his grandma. Morgan had built a nice house farther up the hill but well within visiting distance. His brother Casey lived down the hill with his wife and kids. Uncle Jordan had moved into Georgia’s house back when they’d married. And Gabe kept a place in town with his family, closer to where he worked as a handyman.
One day, Shohn thought, he’d build his own house on a piece of this land. It was what the family wanted, what he wanted. He couldn’t imagine living away from the lake. Not forever.
“Why do you need to talk to Amber?” his mom asked.
“I told you, Honey.” Morgan grinned. “Women trouble. You know Amber is the resident know-it-all.”
Misty smacked his shoulder. “She’s very helpful to everyone.”
“So helpful that she has them all wrapped around her little finger,” Morgan said.
True enough, Shohn thought. Gabe’s daughters, Kady, April and Briana, rarely made a move without consulting with Amber first. Garrett, Amber’s younger brother by two years, gave her hell about being nosy but any girls he actually liked he brought to Amber for approval. Adam, Jordan’s son, who was twenty-eight, wasn’t averse to listening when Amber doled out her unique brand of wisdom. Only Lisa, Jordan’s daughter, who was a regular barracuda in the business world, seemed content to keep her own counsel. At fourteen and twelve, Casey’s kids were still a little too young to need dating advice, but they showered Amber with proper adulation.
“My girl missed her calling working in a bookstore,” Morgan said. “She should have been a bartender.”
“Morgan,” Misty and Honey said at the same time.
Sawyer laughed. “At least that way, she’d always have an ear to bend.” He slapped Shohn on the shoulder. “I have early appointments tomorrow, so your mom and I are heading home. You going to stop in before you leave?”
His dad saw more patients now than ever, but still worked from home. Shohn shook his head. “I’ll help Amber round up Rookie and then head on to my own bed. I’m leading a school field trip through the gap tomorrow. Second-graders.”
Honey smoothed his hair, bent and kissed his ear and said, “If you need to talk, you know where to find us.”
After shooting a dirty look at Morgan, which only made his uncle grin, Shohn tipped his head back to see Honey. “It’s fine, Mom. No worries, no women troubles, nothing like that.”
“Famous last words,” Morgan said. Then he stood with Misty held in his arms. “Tell Amber we’re inside. You’ll have five minutes to talk before I come out to get her.”
“Yes, sir.” Knowing how Morgan adored his family, Shohn appreciated the effort. When Amber’s truck pulled into the long driveway, he walked out to meet her. Rock music blasted from the radio, and when she cut the engine, near silence fell around them. Only the chirping of crickets and rustling of leaves disturbed the darkness.
Long dark hair windblown from the open windows, Amber hopped from the truck, saying, “Hey, cuz, what’s up?”
He heard the worry and hurried to say, “Not a thing. Rookie’s in the house, playing with the other dogs.”
The animals all got along well, but together, they could be a handful. Though Morgan and Misty always offered, Amber liked to leave Rookie with Nadine for overnight stays.
“Nadine let you have him okay? Sort of sounded like she was hesitant to turn him over to you.”
“It’s a liability thing.” He hefted her heavy suitcase from the truck bed then spotted some boxes, too. He set the suitcase down. “I can carry this stuff in for you in a minute.”
Amber paused, her expression alight with curiosity and anticipation. “What is it? What’s going on?”
Yeah, she did that to everyone, already knowing stuff before she was told. “I wanted to talk to you about Nadine.”
Throwing up her arms, Amber whooped. “I knew it! She’s perfect for you. Marry her and let her have your babies.”
Whoa. “What the hell, Amber. Are you nuts?”
She laughed then slugged him in the arm. “Just teasing. What about Nadine?”
Heart still pounding, Shohn scowled at her. “No way. You were serious.”
Holding her finger and thumb close together, Amber said, “Just a little, maybe.” She hugged his arm and leaned into him. “She really is perfect for you. But the babies can wait if you’re determined to drag your feet.”
Jaw loose, Shohn tried to shake her off, but she clung like a damned monkey. “I’m not marrying anyone.”
“Start with a kiss and see how that goes.”
Already done, and it had been oh-so-hot. But no way would he encourage Amber by telling her so. “You’re nuts.”
Amber grabbed him by his ears. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”
No, but today seemed to be a day full of firsts. Like the first time he’d really gotten turned on by Nadine, the first time he’d kissed her.
The first time a woman made him brood, just as Uncle Morgan claimed.
Shohn smothered a groan and asked, “Why Nadine? What makes you think she’s so great?”
“Oh, my God, it was incredible.” Always a little dramatic, Amber hunkered in close as if telling a state secret. “I was dropping off Rookie. He loves that place, you know, which makes it easier not to fret about him when I’m gone. I mean, he loves Mom and Dad, too, but the doggy hotel is like a vacay for him. Anyway, Nadine was filling out the paperwork, and two other chickies were in there.”
“Chickies?”
She flapped a hand. “Two of your flighty exes—women I had not approved, by the way. And they were prattling on about getting you up in the woods and out of your uni. Really explicit stuff, Shohn. Made me blush.”
Yeah, right. Nothing made Amber blush. “Baloney. You’re making that up.”
“Just the blushing part. Those two airheads were talking loud enough for even poor Fred to hear. He’s Nadine’s new groundskeeper in case you don’t know.”
“I heard all about Fred.”
“So anyway, they were talking about you like you were heaven’s gift to women and all, and I looked at Nadine, and she rolled her eyes.” Amber watched him expectantly, as if that should somehow be important.
“Sorry, hon, but if that’s the punch line, I don’t get it.”
Huffing, Amber clarified, “She was disgusted, Shohn.”
“Great. I disgust her.” Not when kissing her, but yeah, at other times, she had acted pretty put out over stuff. “How does that make her perfect?”
“Don’t be obtuse.” Amber shoved him, or at least she tried to.
Since she’d been doing that sort of thing forever, roughhousing as if she were one of the boys, Shohn stayed prepared around her. He didn’t budge a single inch. He lifted a brow and waited.
Grabbing his shirt, Amber pulled him down to her level and enunciated clearly. “She doesn’t buy into your awesome rep, cuz.”
Well, that sucked, because he made a lot of headway with that rep, a rep he’d carefully cultivated with the ladies.
“She’s above that nonsense,” Amber said. “Nadine doesn’t see you as a charming stud at all.”
“Lucky me.”
Amber laughed at his lack of enthusiasm. “No, it’s better than that. I asked her a few things about you—”
He groaned. “God help me.”
“—and you know what? She thinks you’re smart and considerate. She respects your job and she knows some of the more heroic crap you’ve done, which means she’s been paying attention, just not to the hype.”
Shohn scoffed, but he was intrigued enough to prompt Amber. “I haven’t done any heroic crap.”
“Puh-leeze.” Amber walked around him and opened the truck gate. “You went out on the frozen lake to save that dog last winter.”
“I had all the right equipment so it wasn’t—”
“And,” Amber said with emphasis, “you helped track that one dope dealer who was trying to hide in the hills.”
“We were all tracking him. I was just lucky to find him fir—”
“And,” she interrupted again, “you scaled down Culper’s Cliff to save that boy when his doofus dad let him fall over.”
“Yeah,” Shohn agreed. “That was a little harrowing.” But anyone would have done the same.
“You’ve done tons of awesome stuff and Nadine knew about all of it.” Amber hauled out a heavy box. “She even remembered that time back when you two were early teens and you stopped that loudmouth Bob from calling her names.”
Shohn nodded slowly. “I was fourteen, but she was only twelve.”
“Bob,” Amber said, “was fifteen, and still you beat him up.”
“Bob was a damned coward who enjoyed making fun of people.” Shohn recalled that day as if it had just happened. They were all at the lake, swimming and flirting and doing what kids did. Nadine hadn’t worn a suit, which he remembered thinking odd. During summer in Buckhorn, especially on the lake, everyone wore a suit.
But not Nadine. She’d been in shorts and a shirt.
Then Bob had pushed her in and she’d gotten soaked. Her T-shirt had glued itself to her chest in a way that had them all gawking. Even back then, Nadine had been chesty. He remembered being floored by his first shot of honest-to-God breasts.
It had left him curious as only a horny fourteen-year-old boy could be.
Then, out of the blue, Bob had called her a cow. Big tears had joined the lake water on Nadine’s face, and Shohn had suffered his very first bout of possessiveness.