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I gasped and looked up. And up and up.
The man who stood before me was easily six-foot-five. Broad-shouldered and muscular, too. The flannel shirt he wore looked like it was struggling to hold in his chiseled bulk. He had wavy dark hair that was speckled with gray, and a rugged beard to match. His hair was damp, and at first I thought it must be from sweat and lack of bathing, but then I smelled the fresh fragrance of one of the hottest commodities in the fallen world—soap. His damp waves curled around his ears, and now that I’d observed him for a full ten seconds, I realized there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere on him.
A shower. This handsome stranger had recently taken a shower. Not only that, but he was wearing clean clothes.
Despite my fear, a pang of warmth affected my core. I couldn’t help it. Most of the guys I encountered during my travels were painful on the eyes and the nose. This man wasn’t only fine-as-hell, but he was hygienic too.
Be still my lonely heart.
I thought of the sign. Yep, he looked about forty-two.
This must be the guy.
My insides fluttered even as alarm bells clanged in my head. Sure, he was handsome and clean, but he also looked very, very angry.
Mr. Sexy Green Thumb narrowed his eyes at me and crossed his arms over his chest. “You interrupted my shower,” he said in a growly voice. “I’d just gotten the hot water working too when the goddamn trespasser alarms went off.”
Hot water? Oh my.
“I…” My voice trailed off as my mouth went dry. Say something, idiot.
“I don’t abide thieves.” He kicked over my backpack, causing the carrots to tumble onto the fertile soil. “I’m always happy to make an honest trade, but I won’t tolerate thievery.” He paused and his eyes flashed with heat. “Even if the thief in question is the most beautiful young woman I’ve ever seen.”
He thinks I’m beautiful? Now my mouth really was dry. Why couldn’t I summon words? It was as though his rugged beauty had seized my tongue and choked me up.
“You want something from my garden,” he said tersely, “then you gotta pay for it fair and square. Or if you don’t have anything to trade, you can work off the debt in another way. I haven’t survived this hellscape by giving out freebies.”
I wanted to scream at him that I had made a trade—I’d left a bag of flour in his mailbox—but I still couldn’t form words. I wasn’t sure whether I was more terrified or turned on.
Dude was massive and could probably take me in a fight. But what I lacked in strength, I reminded myself, I usually made up for in speed and stealth. If I managed to knock him off his feet, I could probably climb over the fence and dash into the woods before he regained his senses.
I eyed my backpack and the spilled carrots. I couldn’t leave without my belongings, and it would take just two seconds to grab them before I attempted escape.
As I pondered my options, I decided that even though this man was handsome, smelled nice, and had one hell of a homestead, he was probably a murderous fiend. The apocalypse had stripped the humanity from most people, and I wasn’t about to let my guard down.
If I wanted to escape with my life and my backpack, and maybe a carrot or two, I would have to fight my way to freedom.
Hoping to disarm him, I flashed a pretty smile, letting him see that not only was I still in possession of all my teeth, but they were white too, thank you very much.
“Hello there,” I said, finally managing words. “I’ll be happy to compensate you for the carrots, sir. Actually, I already paid you.” I cautiously stood up and stepped toward my backpack.
Keep him talking, I told myself. Just a bit longer. Then… strike.
“Already paid me?” He glanced around the garden. “I don’t see any payment. Now you listen to me, little lady, I expect?—”
Just as I bent down to retrieve my backpack and shove a few carrots inside, I feigned a limp and winced, pretending to struggle whenever I put weight on my right ankle.
To my surprise, a look of concern darted across Mr. Sexy Green Thumb’s face. Damn. I almost felt guilty for what I was about to do. Almost. I reminded myself of how many times I’d made the mistake of trusting someone over the years. Too many to count, and honestly, after some of those instances, my stupid ass was lucky to be alive.
He reached out as though to help me, only to be knocked flat on his butt in the next moment. One hard kick to the back of his left knee was all it took. He landed with a heavy thud.
Hastily, I shoved the carrots in my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Then I turned and bolted for the fence… only for a strong hand to clamp down on my ankle and send me sprawling in the dirt.
I kicked and screamed and scratched. I even landed a few punches to Mr. Sexy Green Thumb’s jaw and stomach. But at the conclusion of our brief yet vigorous tussle, he had me pinned on the ground with my hands clasped above my head. His grip was tight and his bulk heavy upon my body. I could barely move a muscle, let alone attempt to toss him off my person. Well, crap.
The same heat that had flashed in his eyes earlier when he commented on my beauty returned, only this time, it burned brighter. He stared down at me with his nostrils flared, his stern features a vision of rigid masculinity.
He was big and strong and probably the sexiest, cleanest man I’d ever encountered. My heart fluttered and an unexpected wave of submission surged through me. Not once in my life had I ever desired to surrender to a man. But this man? I couldn’t help but crave more of his dominance.
