“Why, wasn’t my mother around?”
Dani laughed. “I think your mother and I have come to an understanding.”
“You didn’t practice any martial arts on her, did you?” he teased.
“Nope, but Sam is thrilled to be learning Tae Kwon Do.”
“I’d like to check on him and take a shower before eating.” He removed his gun and
holster from his belt. “If you want to call it a night, just tell me what you want
done with the food.”
Dani glanced at the clock. “I’m usually ready to eat now, too. I’ll make the salad
while you shower.”
He nodded, then headed down the hallway. A night light from the bathroom allowed him
to see into Sam’s room. Larry raced ahead, bumped the door wide, and curled up at
the foot of the bed. Sam lay flat on his back wearing striped boxers, clutching a
sheaf of papers depicting various martial arts stances. Matt wheedled them out of
Sam’s grip.
He blinked sleepy eyes in Matt’s direction. “Dad, is Larry sick? I think he was crying.”
Matt smiled. “Nope. You heard Ms. Sullivan singing.”
Sam flashed a grin that had as many teeth as it did gaps. “She’s gonna teach me Kung
Fu.” He snuggled into his pillow looking like everything was right in his world.
“Tae Kwon Do.” Matt ruffled Sam’s hair.
“Yeah, that.”
“You know, pal, she’s only here for a short time. When Grandma and I know how to care
for you on our own, Ms. Sullivan won’t keep coming over.”
“I know.”
“Plus she’s leaving at the end of summer.”
“Maybe you could talk her into staying longer.”
“Bud…”
Had it been a mistake to have her here with them? When she left, would Sam be thankful
for the time he’d spent with Dani, or would he mourn one more female who’d left his
life?
Sam peered at Matt with pleading eyes. “You’re good at talking people into stuff.
I hate doing homework, but you always get me to do it.”
“Ms. Sullivan’s only here for the summer, Sam.” Both Reagan men needed to remember
that. Matt brushed a kiss across his son’s forehead. “It’s late. Better get to sleep.”
…
“Smells great in here,” Matt said.
Dani stopped, midreach of the silverware drawer, as he reentered the kitchen freshly
showered with damp hair and khaki cargo shorts that hung dangerously low on his hips.
They were all he wore. No shirt. No shoes. What else had he neglected to dress? She
took a few deep breaths, her lungs filling with the scent of soap, and focused on
the bare skin of his torso. “Sure does.”
He glanced over her shoulder at the food on the counter before settling his gaze on
her. “Can’t wait to have a taste.” He smiled, and it transformed his looks from handsome
to hot.
“Me, too.” Mesmerized, she wondered how his skin would taste, what the texture would
be like if she ran her hands and lips across the wide expanse of his chest. “How many
sandwiches do you want?”
“Two.”
“I’ll get the bed.” She shook her head to clear away the lust. “Uh, bread.” When she
glanced his way, she saw him smiling.
His attention shifted down her body to lock onto her shorts. “I’d prefer buns.”
She burst out laughing. “I’ve heard a lot of dumb lines, but I think that was the
worst.” She turned off the radio then switched on the small kitchen TV. Nothing like
the news to crank down lustful thoughts. She used the remote to flip to a cable weather
channel. A curvy blonde weathergirl smiled at the TV audience.
“Turn up the volume,” Matt said. “This chick gives great weather.”
She wore a bright red skirt and jacket that fit as tight as a wetsuit. “She must be
scuba diving after her shift.” Dani carried silverware and napkins to the table.
“Good evening. I’m Kandi Kane with your local weather.” She flashed a blinding toothpaste-commercial
smile. The camera inched closer until her head filled the screen. “Watch out. It’s
going to get hot.” She winked suggestively.
“Give me a break. What did she do before weather, strip on stage?” Dani pulled two
bottles of beer from the fridge. She slapped one into Matt’s outstretched hand.
He screwed off the cap. “Just want to know if it’s going to rain tomorrow.” He flashed
her a dimpled grin.
She glared at him. “When you wake up in the morning, stick your head out the window.
If you get wet, you’ll know it’s raining.”
He leaned an elbow onto the counter and cupped his chin in his hand, his attention
glued to the screen. “Shhh. You’re interrupting Kandi’s forecast.”
Dani snorted. “Sheriff, you’re a sick man.”
“Shhh.” He took a sip of his beer without looking away from the TV.
The camera panned back to reveal a local map. “An impressive warm front will move
from the south and push its way north tonight, thrusting through this tight spot.”
The blonde pointed to a highlighted section of Lake Bliss. “We’ll need to endure the
repeated push of this front for several days. The penetration of hot air could potentially
cause an electrical discharge near the region of entrance.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “Like she can’t just say lightning?”
“Shhh. Can’t miss the extended forecast.”
“The National Weather Service may also issue an excessive heat warning.”
Dani pushed up the arms of her sweatshirt and lowered the zipper an inch. Maybe the
weather chick was on to something—it was getting warmer by the second.
“Lack of protection as the thunderstorms explode could result in…”
“Unwanted baby storms?” Dani added. She dug in a kitchen drawer, pulled out a bottle
opener, and flipped off the cap of her beer.
“…stationary front.”
She had just put the bottle to her mouth when Matt leaned in from behind. He whispered
in a sandpapery voice, “Just so you know, I’ve never had that problem.”
Good thing she hadn’t taken a sip yet or she’d have choked.
“…dissipate rather quickly throughout the evening hours.”
“That’s happened on plenty of dates,” Dani admitted.
“Accompanying the clouds and precipitation will be a depression…”
Dani snorted. “Had that after a date, too.”
Matt chuckled.
“We’ll keep an eye out for regions of strong moisture convergence.”
Dani squirmed when she conjured up a mental image of various ways moisture could converge.
And it had nothing to do with the weather.
“A precipitation shaft will slowly rotate…”
“I’ve heard enough.” Dani punched the off button and tried to ignore Matt’s grin.
“So it’s going to be hot and rainy the next few days?” Matt asked.
“I have no idea.”
Chapter Nine
Now that Matt knew the forecast—and if he’d correctly read Dani’s expression when
she’d stared at his bare chest—they were definitely in store for a heat wave. Without
even going outside.
Dani stood at the counter, cutting green grapes in half. She scooped them up, then
placed them in a bowl of blueberries.
He grabbed the T-shirt he’d tossed on the counter after his shower and tugged it over
his head, switched the radio to a jazz station, and scanned the room. Multiple candles
glowed from the center of the table with a few scattered on the counter. Near the
window, a glass jug held a bunch of herbs. “This is nice. Most nights when I get home
late, I just eat at the kitchen sink.”
“I wouldn’t want to disrupt your routine.” Dani peered at him over her shoulder, one
corner of her mouth hitched up. “Want me to sidle up next to you there? We can let
the crumbs fall into the sink and just rinse them away. In fact,” she said, her voice
filled with humor, “if you ever remodel the kitchen, you could skip the table and
chairs and just build a long row of sinks. Think how economical it’d be.”
He grinned and moved next to her. “You’re a lot of fun to be around. I like your sense
of humor.”
Dani paused hulling strawberries. “Openly discussing your feelings, Sheriff? And here
I assumed you were a guy.”
He leaned closer to speak directly in her ear, his tone seductive. “Are you confused
about my anatomy, Nurse Sullivan?” He deliberately allowed his arm to skim her exposed
forearms as he reached around her to snatch a berry. “Maybe you need a refresher course.”
Matt popped the fruit in his mouth.
She muttered something that sounded a lot like “wise guy” before she returned her
attention to the berries.
“I told you before I don’t hold back my feelings. I believe in honesty, both on the
job and in my personal life.” He kept his attention fixed on her while he wiped at
the corner of his mouth with his thumb. She flicked him an uneasy glance and then
focused hard on her task, avoiding further eye contact. Sam had given Matt an identical
expression last year when he’d questioned how the garage window had gotten busted.
Interesting.
His nurse was holding back. Something to think about.
He snatched a peach wedge that she’d just quartered. The fruit was sweet and juicy,
and he had to admit the taste was a whole lot better than what came in a can. At the
moment, though, food wasn’t his priority. “Do you do everything this well?” His gaze
coasted down her body and took a leisurely route back to her face.
“If I’m passionate about something, I give it everything I’ve got.” Now she threw
him a frisky smile. At this rate, he doubted he’d survive their first meal together.
He covered a groan with a cough. “I know you’re a nurse. You like to cook. What else
would I want to know?”
Body language was part of his job, and hers screamed that his line of questioning
made her uncomfortable. She paused before she answered, as if trying to decide what
she wanted to divulge. “Not much else to tell.”
Doubtful.
Yet she didn’t owe him any explanation, so he’d keep the subject light. “How’d your
late-night schedule come about?”
She turned and leaned back against the counter, legs crossed at the ankles. “When
my mom’s health deteriorated to the point where she couldn’t live alone, I sold my
condo and moved in with her. I worked evenings, getting home about midnight. My mom
loved to stay up late and sleep till midmorning.”
“So you come by it naturally.”
Dani smiled, and Matt experienced it all the way to his gut. The woman was gorgeous.
But when she smiled, she glowed like she was mentally dancing in place.
“We got into a habit of cooking and talking late into the night. For whatever reason,
that’s when Mom was at her best. We both loved music, so we’d take turns choosing
songs. We cooked by candlelight because she found it relaxing. When her health worsened
a year later, I took a leave of absence from my job. I had the money from the sale
of my condo to live on. We continued the routine up until her death.”
“When did she pass?”
Her voice went soft. “Four months ago. She had a heart attack. Died in her sleep.”
He placed an arm around her. “I’m sorry.” She leaned into him.
“And the rest I know. You came here to write your next cookbook and unwind. I guess
you didn’t have much of a chance to do either when I asked you to spend your time
helping us.”
“I want to be here.” Matt believed the sincerity in her eyes. His heart warmed for
this woman so willing to give of herself. Dani was racking up the points.
She headed back to the sink. She snipped a few herbs from the jar, then returned to
the fruit bowl.
“You’re putting green stuff in our fruit?”
“Relax. It’s mint.”
“I don’t expect you to spend every minute cooking.”
She shrugged. “The kitchen is my favorite room.”
With the right woman, the kitchen could be his preferred room, too. Who was he kidding?
With the right woman, any room in his house could become his favorite. In every room,
they could share love and laughter. His lust-soaked imagination conjured up a slide
show of all the ways he and the right woman could enjoy all the kitchen had to offer.
But in his imagination, Dani stood in for the right woman. A rush of heat awakened
a long-neglected part of his anatomy.
Leave it alone, man.
…
Dani set the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. Matt’s heated expression sank right
through her.
The music matched the night air and the candlelit kitchen.
Sultry.
Seductive.
Maybe she should blow out the candles. Turn on the lights. Turn off the music. Go
back to her cottage.
But instead of thinking about curling up for a night of solid sleep, her fickle brain
conjured up other images of her in bed. With Matt. With his hard, naked body moving
over hers. Somehow through the fun and flirting, she’d learned to trust the sheriff,
a feat not lost on Dani. And just as surprising, she admitted to herself that she
wanted him.
She closed her eyes and drew a cleansing breath. They’d eat their late-night dinner,
and then she’d go to sleep—alone. Her goal was to help her son, not help herself to
the sheriff.
Simple as that.
She picked up two plates of food and then headed for the table. Matt stood a few feet
away and focused on her with such heat in his eyes, Dani forgot how to breathe. Her
pulse hiked at the blatant arousal in his eyes.
He walked her backward until she bumped against the cupboards.
“It’s time to eat.” She held up the plates as evidence.
In an instant, the dishes were out of her hands. He boxed her in, his palms planted
on either side of her. She remembered the night at the video store when she’d mistakenly
suspected he was going to kiss her. She had no intention of thinking like a fool a
second time. “Something on the counter you want?”
“Not yet.” Using his big hands, he encircled her waist, picked her up, and settled
her onto the beige laminate countertop. With the difference in their height reduced,
every breath she inhaled was filled with his scent. In a deep, smoky voice, he said,
“Now there is.”
Matt stepped between her legs. The width of his stance spread her thighs. His shorts,
warm from contact with his skin, slid along her sensitive flesh. Her disloyal limbs
had their own agenda, holding him in place. He lowered his head until his mouth was
a fraction away from her lips.
She turned her head away.
He nuzzled a sensitive place behind her ear.
Her eyes closed.
Traitors.
The hammering of her heart spiked until she couldn’t feel any in-between beats. Maybe
she had an arousal-induced cardiac condition.
“Just a taste,” he coaxed. “One kiss.”
Who was he kidding? It’d be like trying to eat one French fry. In a nanosecond, she’d
be knocking back the super-size. “I came here to help you—not kiss you,” she managed
to say.
“I took you for a multitasker.” His warm lips nipped along her necklace, his long-past-five-o’clock
shadow rasping against her flesh. He groaned like she was the best thing he’d ever
tasted. She shivered, an involuntary response that had her worried how long it would
take for her to lose complete control. He worked his way to her collarbone, leaving
a trail of his clean scent. She tried to ignore the impulse to wrestle him to the
floor and have her fill.
For the sake of her health, Dani smashed her lips together.
His soft laughter whispered across her skin. “This would work a lot better if you
participated, sweetheart.”
No doubt.
But Matt Reagan was the last man on the planet she should play kissy face with. She
turned to argue, but he pressed his mouth to hers. Her objections caught in her throat.
His lips were soft. Warm. He teased. Tormented. He shifted the pressure on her mouth,
drawing out the kiss. Her nose grazed his whiskers, releasing his scent like he was
a human Scratch’n Sniff.
Her hands coasted across his chest. When had he pulled on a T-shirt? The need to burrow
under the soft cotton and take possession of his sculpted body darn near bordered
on obsession.
She needed to think about something else. Something other than her craving to travel
her hands along his body to experience each and every surface.
Think about food
, she told herself. Something undesirable, like liver. She moved her hands in the
general area of Matt’s liver and discovered his stomach—flat and rippled with muscle.
She pictured the little garden back at her bungalow. Tomatoes and red peppers. Zucchini.
With the image of ripe zucchinis, she was lost.
She opened her lips in welcome. His tongue slid into her mouth, hot and slick. Pure
want overwhelmed her, and she forgot what she was about to say. She sank into the
kiss while she continued to explore. She threaded her fingers through his short hair.
He pulled her closer.
He pulled back. “Now you’ve got the hang of it,” he said, his breath ragged.
“We’re going to regret this—” Dani heard her protest disintegrate under another onslaught
of his lips. Desire burned through her body, settling between her legs. Somewhere
in her turned-on brain, a warning voice advised her to call a halt to the lip-locking.
But it had been so long since a man held her, kissed her, wanted her. Would it hurt
to take a few minutes of what might be once-in-a-lifetime pleasure?
She stifled her moan when he ran his hands up the sides of her sweatshirt. No need
to alert the rest of the household to their activities. His thumbs pressed into her
ribcage just below her breasts, then moved up to skim across her nipples.
Once. Twice. If he did it again, she’d lose her mind.
She broke away from him, gulping air into her lungs in self-resuscitation. “You’re
pretty good,” she said when she could breathe again.
“I can be better.” Matt’s voice was as thick as the air outside.
Better?
The idea made her limp.
He toyed with the zipper on the front of her sweatshirt. “It’s seventy-two degrees.”
He grasped the tab and eased it down an inch.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to offer you some relief.”
She heard the rasp of the zipper as he exposed more skin. “From the heat?”
“That too.” By the way his blue eyes darkened to navy, he must have discovered a heavy
dose of cleavage.
Her belly did a slow somersault. “I’m naked underneath.”
He moaned. “Always wise to get a second opinion.” His muscles flexed when he swallowed,
and his pulse beat a rapid rhythm in his temple. He pulled the zipper tab until she
felt the sweatshirt part at her waist. An incoherent noise escaped him, and he gripped
either side of her shirt, his knuckles resting lightly on her covered breasts. His
hands trembled. If he pushed aside the edges of her sweatshirt, she’d be exposed.
She couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded so fast she could hear the
thump
of blood in her ears.
Matt shut his eyes and pulled in deep breaths. It looked like he was working overtime
trying to gain control. After one long sigh he said, “This isn’t going to happen.”
In a single swift move, he fastened her sweatshirt then backed up a few steps. “Not
now, not tonight.”
Speaking was impossible. Her stupid heart was lodged where her voice should be. Multiple
emotions collided in her head. The one in the lead was disappointment. What she couldn’t
figure out was if she regretted what they’d done or what they hadn’t done.
What had she been thinking? Obviously her brain had taken a vacation for the last
however many minutes while his tongue explored. Teased. Stirred her into a frenzied
fit of lust like she’d never experienced.
With his gaze pinned to hers, he retreated using slow, careful steps like he’d come
upon a rattlesnake and was hoping to escape unbitten.
He didn’t get far, as a sleepy-eyed Sam shuffled into the kitchen, startling both
of them.
…
“What’s going on, bud?” Matt crossed the room to kneel in front of Sam.
Sam rubbed his head. “I feel weird.”
Matt ushered the boy to the table. “Have a seat. Let’s figure this out.”
Matt closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose. He could deal with this. As
sheriff, he handled urgent situations every day on the job. He mentally paged through
his crash course on diabetes. He took in Sam’s pale skin tone, his cold, clammy flesh.
“Low blood sugar.”
Matt pulled up the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. He was the
father. His job was to fix this. He had to make Sam better. “He needs insulin.” He
headed for the insulin supply in the fridge.
Dani stilled him with a hand on his arm. “Take a second. Think about it, Matt. What
does insulin do?”