and tuck them behind her ear.
She looked up, wariness in her eyes. “You are a very good man,” she whispered, and though the words were pleasant enough, a large lump had already formed in his gut. He already heard the “but” coming …
“I’ve always known you’re considerate and honest and loyal, ” she added, just before she took a lightning-quick glance at his wedding ring, still visible in the near dark.
Ah. So that’s what it was.
“And I only recently figured out that you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever known.”
Okay. I hadn’t seen that coming . “Thanks,” he said, slightly embarrassed. “And you’re incredibly—”
“Wait—I’m not finished with you.”
Turner laughed, and he figured that since she saw him as such a stud, she wouldn’t mind if he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer.
Apparently, he was wrong.
Candy peeled his hand from her body, then gave it a friendly pat as a consolation prize. Somehow, it didn’t seem like the move of a woman overcome with his sex appeal.
“Turner, it’s fairly obvious that you’re still grieving for your wife. I don’t want to interfere with that. And the truth is, I’m not sticking around Bigler any longer than I absolutely have to, so as much as I’d enjoy rolling around in bed with you, I don’t think that kind of fling would be good for either of us.”
Turner leaned back, propped himself on his hands, and gave her statement some thought. There was nothing unkind about what she said. In fact, it was downright noble. She was protecting his heart. She was interested in doing the right thing—both for him and for herself. He admired that.
There was just one problem—he wasn’t feeling anywhere near as decent. In fact, since that white-hot make-out session in the parking lot, he’d been walking around mostly indecent, with the majority of his blood supply backed up in his boxer shorts. He hadn’t been able to shake the feel of her soft body against his, the way she melted into him, fit around him, surrendered under him. He couldn’t shake the taste of her sweet mouth or the rich scent of her arousal.
For the rest of the day, Turner had felt like a sex-addled zombie, stumbling through the joint task force meeting while every cell in his body continued to vibrate from his encounter with Candy. By three o’clock, he realized he might be ready to move on, to let Junie go. By five o’clock, he realized the time had come for him to live again—he was sure of it.
In fact, right at that moment, he’d have to say his vote was for rolling around in bed—and fuck the consequences.
“What are you thinking?”
Turner tried not to laugh. He really did. But it was just too funny—the reason he’d driven out here was to tell J.J. he’d made up his mind to ask Candy to date him. Officially. And here she was, turning him down before he could even spit out the words! So when he laughed, it had come out sounding pretty bitter.
“I was just being honest with you,” she said, obviously hurt. Candy brought her legs up under her and began to push to a stand. “I should go.”
He touched her arm, stopping her. “It wouldn’t be just a fling and you know it.”
She stared at him with wide eyes, but didn’t move.
“I haven’t been with anyone since Junie passed, and if you and I did end up in bed together, it wouldn’t be just some kind of hookup. It would be special. You are special. You have always been special.” Turner paused a moment, weaving his fingers with hers and staring down at the sight, dark and light laced together. “ This is special, Candy.”
She nodded softly, but Turner swore she looked like she was about to cry. That would be a first.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“So could we just—”
She placed the fingers of her free hand over his lips to shush him, shaking her head gently. “Let’s just leave it at that, okay? Maybe if things had been different, if the timing had been
She looked up, wariness in her eyes. “You are a very good man,” she whispered, and though the words were pleasant enough, a large lump had already formed in his gut. He already heard the “but” coming …
“I’ve always known you’re considerate and honest and loyal, ” she added, just before she took a lightning-quick glance at his wedding ring, still visible in the near dark.
Ah. So that’s what it was.
“And I only recently figured out that you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever known.”
Okay. I hadn’t seen that coming . “Thanks,” he said, slightly embarrassed. “And you’re incredibly—”
“Wait—I’m not finished with you.”
Turner laughed, and he figured that since she saw him as such a stud, she wouldn’t mind if he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer.
Apparently, he was wrong.
Candy peeled his hand from her body, then gave it a friendly pat as a consolation prize. Somehow, it didn’t seem like the move of a woman overcome with his sex appeal.
“Turner, it’s fairly obvious that you’re still grieving for your wife. I don’t want to interfere with that. And the truth is, I’m not sticking around Bigler any longer than I absolutely have to, so as much as I’d enjoy rolling around in bed with you, I don’t think that kind of fling would be good for either of us.”
Turner leaned back, propped himself on his hands, and gave her statement some thought. There was nothing unkind about what she said. In fact, it was downright noble. She was protecting his heart. She was interested in doing the right thing—both for him and for herself. He admired that.
There was just one problem—he wasn’t feeling anywhere near as decent. In fact, since that white-hot make-out session in the parking lot, he’d been walking around mostly indecent, with the majority of his blood supply backed up in his boxer shorts. He hadn’t been able to shake the feel of her soft body against his, the way she melted into him, fit around him, surrendered under him. He couldn’t shake the taste of her sweet mouth or the rich scent of her arousal.
For the rest of the day, Turner had felt like a sex-addled zombie, stumbling through the joint task force meeting while every cell in his body continued to vibrate from his encounter with Candy. By three o’clock, he realized he might be ready to move on, to let Junie go. By five o’clock, he realized the time had come for him to live again—he was sure of it.
In fact, right at that moment, he’d have to say his vote was for rolling around in bed—and fuck the consequences.
“What are you thinking?”
Turner tried not to laugh. He really did. But it was just too funny—the reason he’d driven out here was to tell J.J. he’d made up his mind to ask Candy to date him. Officially. And here she was, turning him down before he could even spit out the words! So when he laughed, it had come out sounding pretty bitter.
“I was just being honest with you,” she said, obviously hurt. Candy brought her legs up under her and began to push to a stand. “I should go.”
He touched her arm, stopping her. “It wouldn’t be just a fling and you know it.”
She stared at him with wide eyes, but didn’t move.
“I haven’t been with anyone since Junie passed, and if you and I did end up in bed together, it wouldn’t be just some kind of hookup. It would be special. You are special. You have always been special.” Turner paused a moment, weaving his fingers with hers and staring down at the sight, dark and light laced together. “ This is special, Candy.”
She nodded softly, but Turner swore she looked like she was about to cry. That would be a first.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“So could we just—”
She placed the fingers of her free hand over his lips to shush him, shaking her head gently. “Let’s just leave it at that, okay? Maybe if things had been different, if the timing had been
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