Jerry could have cared less, so she’d bought it for herself.
As she walked out of the bathroom and Dan got a look at her, she was certain it had been a mistake to wear the sexy nightgown. He looked at her with a hunger that matched her own.
She was playing with fire.
He was stripped down to his boxer briefs. It was the first time she’d seen him out of his clothes and she swallowed as she looked at the cut of his body. He’d looked muscular before, but she’d never realized how sculpted he was.
“Do you workout in the gym?” she said then realized there probably wasn’t a gym around for a good seventy miles. “Or maybe you’re just designed to look like…that.”
“I have a workout room here in the house.” He gave a pained smile as he watched her. She noticed the bulge in his boxer briefs and thought again that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea at all.
On impulse she grabbed a silky shortie bathrobe out of her suitcase and hurried to put it on. “Okay, I’m ready for bed,” she said when she’d tied a knot in the robe’s ties.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t need to protect yourself from me. You have my word I won’t take advantage of you.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” she mumbled as she walked to the bed, pulled the covers down, and slid beneath them.
She tugged the covers up to her chest as she looked at him. “Turn off the light and sleep with me.” She smiled. “I promise I won’t take advantage of you.”
He gave her a sexy grin before he switched off the light and slid into bed with her. She turned onto her side and he spooned his body to hers and put his arm around her waist. His erection was hard against her backside. She knew he couldn’t help that, just as she knew he had no intention of doing anything she didn’t want.
Exhaustion finally overtook her. Feeling safe and secure she slipped away, into dreamland.
Chapter 12
The following morning was bright and sunny, the ground dark from last night’s rain. Renee stepped onto the porch as she waited for Dan to return to the house. It was Saturday morning and he wasn’t working today. He’d gone out to do chores early this morning while she was still in bed. He usually gave his ranch hands weekends off.
She braced her hands on the porch railing, the painted wood feeling rough and weathered beneath her palms. The rain-washed air smelled sweet and the breeze off the wet ground felt cool on her bare legs and arms. Later in the day the ground would dry from the strength of the sun.
Water in mud puddles rippled in the breeze and she felt like a little kid as she eyed them and had the overpowering urge to go walk in a particularly large one between Dan’s sheriff department’s SUV and his big white truck.
She pushed away from the railing and jogged down the steps that were rough beneath her bare feet. When she reached the ground, she walked through a tire track and mud squished beneath her toes. She wore jean shorts and a red tank top. Rocks pricked her tender bare feet. As a youngster, the soles of her feet had grown tough and callused from running around barefoot all of the time. That wasn’t the case now.
When she stepped into the mud puddle she grinned. The cool dark water went up to her ankles and mud and silt shifted beneath her feet. She kicked the water and it splashed up to her shins.
“Don’t you look cute.” Dan’s voice had her turning around. He wore an old work shirt and faded Wranglers along with scuffed brown boots with muddy soles. His thumbs were hooked in his front pockets and he wore an amused expression.
She grinned impishly at him. “Why don’t you join me?” She kicked the water and it splashed it near his boots.
“I’ve got a better idea.” He moved the few feet to where she stood, caught her by the waist and flung her over his shoulder in one fast movement.
She giggled and swatted his ass with her hand. “Put me down, you big brute.”
He swung her down and
As she walked out of the bathroom and Dan got a look at her, she was certain it had been a mistake to wear the sexy nightgown. He looked at her with a hunger that matched her own.
She was playing with fire.
He was stripped down to his boxer briefs. It was the first time she’d seen him out of his clothes and she swallowed as she looked at the cut of his body. He’d looked muscular before, but she’d never realized how sculpted he was.
“Do you workout in the gym?” she said then realized there probably wasn’t a gym around for a good seventy miles. “Or maybe you’re just designed to look like…that.”
“I have a workout room here in the house.” He gave a pained smile as he watched her. She noticed the bulge in his boxer briefs and thought again that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea at all.
On impulse she grabbed a silky shortie bathrobe out of her suitcase and hurried to put it on. “Okay, I’m ready for bed,” she said when she’d tied a knot in the robe’s ties.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t need to protect yourself from me. You have my word I won’t take advantage of you.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” she mumbled as she walked to the bed, pulled the covers down, and slid beneath them.
She tugged the covers up to her chest as she looked at him. “Turn off the light and sleep with me.” She smiled. “I promise I won’t take advantage of you.”
He gave her a sexy grin before he switched off the light and slid into bed with her. She turned onto her side and he spooned his body to hers and put his arm around her waist. His erection was hard against her backside. She knew he couldn’t help that, just as she knew he had no intention of doing anything she didn’t want.
Exhaustion finally overtook her. Feeling safe and secure she slipped away, into dreamland.
Chapter 12
The following morning was bright and sunny, the ground dark from last night’s rain. Renee stepped onto the porch as she waited for Dan to return to the house. It was Saturday morning and he wasn’t working today. He’d gone out to do chores early this morning while she was still in bed. He usually gave his ranch hands weekends off.
She braced her hands on the porch railing, the painted wood feeling rough and weathered beneath her palms. The rain-washed air smelled sweet and the breeze off the wet ground felt cool on her bare legs and arms. Later in the day the ground would dry from the strength of the sun.
Water in mud puddles rippled in the breeze and she felt like a little kid as she eyed them and had the overpowering urge to go walk in a particularly large one between Dan’s sheriff department’s SUV and his big white truck.
She pushed away from the railing and jogged down the steps that were rough beneath her bare feet. When she reached the ground, she walked through a tire track and mud squished beneath her toes. She wore jean shorts and a red tank top. Rocks pricked her tender bare feet. As a youngster, the soles of her feet had grown tough and callused from running around barefoot all of the time. That wasn’t the case now.
When she stepped into the mud puddle she grinned. The cool dark water went up to her ankles and mud and silt shifted beneath her feet. She kicked the water and it splashed up to her shins.
“Don’t you look cute.” Dan’s voice had her turning around. He wore an old work shirt and faded Wranglers along with scuffed brown boots with muddy soles. His thumbs were hooked in his front pockets and he wore an amused expression.
She grinned impishly at him. “Why don’t you join me?” She kicked the water and it splashed it near his boots.
“I’ve got a better idea.” He moved the few feet to where she stood, caught her by the waist and flung her over his shoulder in one fast movement.
She giggled and swatted his ass with her hand. “Put me down, you big brute.”
He swung her down and
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