AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He glanced up and—shit, shit, shit, caught her staring right at him.
She spun around, but it was too late.
“You know if you stop hiding behind the pole and come closer, you can stare at me even better,” he yelled.
She turned back, and he tossed her a wink. Great. Just great. He’d caught her, and now his ego was likely off the charts.
All she could do was fake nonchalance and strut over. So she did. In her best I totally meant for you to catch me walk. And she tried not to let the heat of embarrassment show on her cheeks.
He hopped down out of his truck just as she reached him.
“Well, hello there,” he said. “Mighty fine day we’re having.”
He wanted to comment about the weather? Fine, she could dish small talk.
“Yep,” she said drily.
“Enjoying the town and all it has to offer?” he asked in a husky tone. He lifted the edge of his T-shirt and wiped his brow, putting on display those impressive abs. Holy God of all things holy, the man was made of pure stone. Tan, lickable stone.
The couple of times she’d been with Ryder, she hadn’t gotten a good look at him, and that was turning into a big fat regret at the moment, because he was not only strong, he was ripped. She was suddenly desperate to touch what she’d finally gotten to see.
“Suppose I could be enjoying it more,” she said.
“Oh?” He let his shirt drop, and she checked the urge to pout. “Well, you let me know if I can help in any way. I’m mighty proud of this town and would be happy to show you whatever you’d like to see.”
She licked her lips for the hundredth time and glanced at his belt. She wanted to see a lot, and only Ryder could help her with that. But the other night raced through her memory. She remembered how horrified he’d looked after taking her against his truck. That recollection alone made her stomach turn to ice.
“I’ll figure it out on my own,” she said and spun to walk away.
“Hey.” He caught her hand, and she froze—but not from the cold, from the heat. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
She faced him. “I’m not. Just giving you distance. Boundaries, remember? Isn’t that what you want?”
His thumb brushed back and forth over her knuckles. “Yes.”
She nodded. Super. This was just super. She was drooling for a guy that wanted space from her, and she was ready to push him into the back of his truck and jump him at the first sight of his muscles.
Get ahold of yourself!
“How about dinner?” he asked, those gray eyes glinting with the reflection of sunshine.
“I’m not working at the BBQ tonight. Day off.”
“Well, that’s great luck, because I was talking about me making you dinner.”
“Did you hit your head recently?” she asked. “Because I can’t figure out how you say you want boundaries then dinner in the same breath.”
“I enjoy testing myself,” he said with a sly smile.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “So I’m a test to you?”
“You test a lot of things. But I’d like to have dinner with you. Tonight. My place.”
She raised her chin. “And what test should I expect? The ‘coffee’ kind where you’ll polite me to death until I can’t take any more of your respectable manners?”
“Yes, that’s the test.” He stepped closer and rasped, “And it’s one I’ll likely fail.”
Her breath hitched. “I don’t want to be your buddy, Ryder.”
