Trevor’s energy level was off the charts. After spending a day installing a new roof he should be exhausted, but his body hummed with anticipation. He rolled right over the front walkway so he could park as close to Olivia’s front steps as possible.

He’d cleaned the truck’s interior and the rain coming down had taken care of the exterior except for whatever mud he’d splashed up on his way here. The area at the bottom of her steps was a mud hole, but he’d anticipated that.

Pulling a wide board from behind the seat, he took it with him as he eased out of the cab and onto the walk. His boots got muddy on the way around the truck but the board would keep hers relatively clean. After laying the board across the muddy patch, he climbed the steps.

She opened the door before he could knock. “I’m ready.”

His breath caught. “You sure are. Wow.” Her hair flowed in ebony waves down her back and over her shoulders. Her lemon-yellow blouse was unbuttoned far enough to show some cleavage and her denim skirt only reached to mid-thigh. Her boots were short and the heel was high. Party boots.

But something was missing. “Where are your glasses?”

“I’m wearing contacts. Usually I don’t bother with them but I felt like dressing up tonight.” She looked him over. “Seems like you did, too. That’s some fancy silver embroidery on your shirt. Did you skip the hat?”

“Left it in the truck. One less thing to get wet.” He couldn’t stop staring at her. “You look…delicious.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Thank you.”

“Do you have a raincoat? It’s coming down pretty hard.”

“Right here.” She’d draped it over her arm. “Just let me lock up.”

He’d been too busy admiring her hair and, okay, the fit of her blouse and her sexy legs, to notice she was carrying a raincoat. And a purse.

After locking the door, she tucked her keys back inside of it and faced him. “Should we go, then?”

“Um, yes.” He snapped out of an erotic daze in which he’d leaped forward in time to the moment he’d bring her back here and she’d unlock that door. “Let me help you with your coat.”

She gave it to him and turned around so he could slide it up over her arms and shoulders. “Thanks.” She turned back to him, tied the belt and put up the hood. “All set.”

“I’ll go first and get the door open. I put a board down so you’d have something to step on.”

“What a nice guy!”

“Glad you think so.” He ached to hold her. Did she dance? He’d never asked. But this was Nicole’s night to perform, so the music would be geared to sing-alongs instead of dancing.

He opened the passenger door and went back for her, leading her quickly across the board and into the cab. He closed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side. By the time he made it inside, closed the door and started the engine, his hair dripped and his shirt stuck to the upholstery.

“Why didn’t you wear a raincoat?”

“Don’t own one.” He put the truck in gear and pulled out.

“That’s hard to believe.”

“I have a slicker I wear if I have to be on a horse in the rain. It’s not nice enough to take on a date.”

“A date. I don’t think I’ve ever been on one before.”

“Didn’t you date Edward?”

“Not really. At first we were just friends hanging out. By the time it became more, we were past the dating stage.”

“So we’re friends, right?”

“I hope so.”

“I’d definitely say we are, so maybe this doesn’t count as a date.”

She glanced at him. “But it’s not like we’re just hanging out with each other.”

“True. If we were, we wouldn’t be so dressed up. I’ll bet if it wasn’t a date you’d be wearing your glasses instead of contacts.”

“Yep.”

“And you would have fastened more buttons on your blouse and worn a longer skirt.”

She groaned. “Is it too much?”

“God, no. I love how you look. When you came to the door I was so tempted to—” He swallowed what he’d started to say. Her outfit might mean that she’d thought about their situation and had arrived at a conclusion he’d be very happy about. But he’d be wise not make that assumption.

“Tempted to do what?”

“Never mind. I’m coming on too strong. I’ll tone it down.” He sure as hell didn’t want to lose what ground he’d gained.

“The thing is, I like it.”

“You do?”

“Your eagerness is…exciting.”

“Ah.” He smiled. All was not lost. “I’m still not going to finish that sentence, though.”

“Maybe that’s just as well.” She took a breath. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?” He hoped she had some conversational topics because his brain was fried.

“Like my beautiful roof. It’s amazing. The clouds were moving in by the time you all finished and I didn’t have nearly enough time to compliment the job you did.”

“I could tell you liked it, though.” The image of her happy smile had warmed him during the drive back to the ranch.

“I absolutely do. The color’s gorgeous and it gives the house a crisp look that’s so pretty. The shingles made it shabby. I didn’t realize how much they detracted from the appearance until you ripped them off and replaced them with tin.”

“I have to admit it’s a hundred percent better.”

“A thousand percent better. Then the rain started and I got to hear it on the roof. Turns out I really like that sound.”

“I’m glad.”

“It’s a fabulous roof, Trevor. Thank you.”

He gave her a smile. “My pleasure.”

“By the way, Kendra called after you left. We set up the Whine and Cheese planting party for Wednesday afternoon. She and I are going to buy everything tomorrow.”

“Yeah, she mentioned something about that. Have you ever seen the Whine and Cheese ladies in action?”

“I caught their belly dancing act during the Labor Day Parade, but other than that, no, I haven’t.”

“You’ll have a blast.”

“I’m honored they want to help. I could do it myself, but—”

“Why should you? They can manage in one afternoon what would take you days working alone.”

“That’s what Kendra said.”

“And they get such a charge out of it.” He turned into the parking lot at the GG. It was packed, as usual. “Looks like the rain’s let up.” He found a spot and turned off the motor.

“Your shirt’s still wet.”

“It’ll dry.” He reached behind his seat. “I brought a towel to clean off my boots before we go inside.”

“Is the towel clean?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me have it before you wipe off your boots.”

“Sorry. I should have offered it to you, first. That board didn’t completely do the trick, did it?” He handed it to her.

“It’s not for my boots. Lean over. I’m going to dry your hair.”

Sounded like fun. He unsnapped his seat belt and turned so she could reach him. “How’s that?”

“Come closer.”

Now he was inches from her face. And her mouth. Her lipstick was the color of ripe peaches and she’d applied it with great care. He wasn’t going to smudge it. But how he wanted to.

She rubbed the towel briskly over his head. It didn’t qualify as a caress, but it was sensual. He liked it.

“Okay, that’s better.” She put the towel in her lap and began to finger-comb his hair into place.

Now that was a caress. She might deny it, but her breathing told him different. “You should probably stop doing that.”

“Why?” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“Because if it’s turning you on as much as it’s turning me on, we’ll never make it into the GG.”

“You’d drive us back to my house?”

“No, we’d have sex in the front seat of this truck.”

“But that’s impossible. For one thing, you don’t have—”

“Guess again.”

She gulped. “Oh.” She handed him the towel and put more distance between them. “Then I guess you’d better clean your boots.”

“That was the plan.” He opened his door so he’d have room to maneuver and pulled off the left one.

“Could we really do that?”

“Do what?” The mud had partially dried so he had to work at the job.

“Have sex in the parking lot?”

“Yes, ma’am. This spot isn’t well lit. The people who own the vehicles on either side of us are inside having a good time. No one would know.”

“It’s not only that. It’s the logistics.”

Since his back was to her, he could allow himself a smile. Her husband hadn’t had much adventure in his soul if she couldn’t figure out the logistics. “It’s entirely possible to manage.” He put on the clean boot and took off the muddy one.

“This truck doesn’t have a back seat.”

“So you use the passenger seat.”

“I don’t see how that would work.”

“But it does.” The discussion was stirring him up but she wasn’t backing off it so he kept going. “I’d sit on the seat and you’d climb aboard.”

“Oh.” She took a quick breath. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Because you didn’t engage in teenage make-out sessions, I’ll bet.”

“No, but I’m guessing you did.”

“For teenage boys in Eagles Nest, it was the primary motivation to get a license and a pickup. In summer, we used the truck bed, but in winter, that was too damned cold so we had sex in the cab because it had a heater.”

“I’ve never done it in any vehicle, let alone a pickup. By the time I had sex, Edward had his own apartment.”

“Then I can see why you’d have trouble imagining doing it in a two-seater truck.” He put on his boot and tucked the towel behind his seat.

“I don’t have trouble imagining it now.” Her voice had gone from breathy to sultry.

He went still. “You want to try it?” His groin tightened.

“Not now. But sometime.”

“With me?”

“You’re the one who understands the logistics.”

Jacked up as he was by their discussion, he had enough brain cells working to get the underlying message. He turned to her. “So you’re willing to have sex with me at some point in the future?”

“Yes.” She swallowed. “Yes, please. I…think it would be…wonderful.”

“Ahhh.” He sank back against the seat and took several deep breaths.

“Are you okay?”

“More than okay. Although I was hoping, there was no guarantee. I’m ready to drive straight back to your house, but we should make an appearance.”

“More than an appearance. I love your family. I want to party with them. I probably shouldn’t have asked you about having sex in the truck. That got us going down that road. My bad.”

He reached over and stroked her velvety cheek with the tip of his finger. “I think there’s a part of you that wants to walk on the wild side. Just a little bit.”

“I think so, too.”

“Then we will. Later.” He leaned closer and gave her the lightest of kisses, one that wouldn’t smear her lipstick. “Let’s go inside. And we’ll stay until you’re ready to leave.”

Two hours later, he had some regrets about that promise, but Olivia was blossoming. She’d never been to the Guzzling Grizzly when Nicole was performing and she loved the sing-alongs. She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, a fact Trevor learned early because he sat next to her, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the hell out of the experience.

When he glanced over and caught her belting out a tune off-key, her face flushed with the joy of being part of the group, his heart stuttered. He’d be a selfish bastard if he denied her this because he was so eager to sink into her hot body and calm the raging fire she’d created.

Patience wasn’t his long suit. He’d acknowledged that flaw years ago. But learning it for Olivia’s sake made the exercise worthwhile.

He’d been surrounded by a sizeable group of supportive people all his life. Judging from what she’d said, she’d mostly had her parents. And Edward. Maybe he’d loved her without ever understanding her erotic yearnings.

Arrogant though it might be to claim that he understood those yearnings, he’d stick by that conclusion. And her.