Long Slow Burn by Isabel Sharpe

head.
    â€œSecond, we need something she loves, cherishes, can’t live without, besides her computer. Something with great personality. A stuffed animal, some keepsake, a doll, a china figurine, something like that.”
    Nathan rolled his eyes. He wasn’t wrong to dread the girlie thing. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    Steve rapped again. “Dude.”
    Nathan scowled at him. Steve was a good basketball player, but he could be a real asshole. Nathan didn’t understand why Kent hung around with him so much. “Got that. And the third thing?”
    â€œYou’re not going to like this.”
    â€œUh-oh.”
    â€œWe need her underwear size. Bra and panties.”
    Nathan froze in the car. His mind immediately went places it shouldn’t. Kim, with that fantastic new haircut, blue eyes bold in her face, wearing nothing but tiny bits of white lace. “Un-derwear?”
    â€œWe’re buying her naughty stuff.”
    He let his head fall against the back of his seat, suppressing a groan. “Like…what kind?”
    The second the words were out of his mouth, he wished them back in. What kind? Could he be any more obvious that he was dying to picture her wearing them?
    â€œWe’re not sure yet. Any ideas, Nathan?” She was teasing him, he could hear the laughter in her voice.
    â€œNo.” He lifted his head from the headrest and dropped it forward onto his fist. For God’s sake. He should have made a joke and suggested something his great-grandmother would have worn, like bloomers. Or a girdle.
    Except Kim would look sexy even in that.
    â€œYo, Nathan.” Steve again. Making the sign to roll down his window. Nathan was tempted to send back a sign that meant something entirely different, but shook his head instead.
    â€œOkay, Marie. I’ll get right on all that. If you need anything else, let me know.”
    â€œWe will. Thanks so much, Nathan.”
    He turned off the phone. Well. It looked as if he was going to have to go through Kim’s underwear drawer. If that didn’t turn him on wildly…
    He responded to the latest impatient knock from Steve by getting out of the car. “Chill, dude. I was on the phone.”
    â€œWe’re on court three.”
    â€œAnd that couldn’t wait five minutes because…”
    Steve lifted his hammy fist and gave Nathan the exact sign Nathan had been tempted to use earlier. “Come on. There’ll be four of us today. This guy Troy is coming. Friend of Kent’s.”
    Troy. The “gorgeous” guy, the one who went out withKim, the one who wanted to see her again? The one who’d see her made over and totally hot?
    Not caring if Steve was following or not, Nathan slammed his door and strode toward the basketball courts. He needed more time. He’d flustered Kim a little by flirting the night before, but he couldn’t tell if she’d been disconcerted because he affected her or because she thought he’d lost his mind, and felt sorry for him.
    Court three came into view, and on it a tall man shooting baskets, making most of them. Dark curly hair, solid build, a graceful athlete. He saw Steve and Nathan coming onto the court, caught the ball and smiled. White teeth. Looked like a movie star.
    Crap.
    â€œHey, I’m Troy.” He strode toward them with an easy gait, held out his hand and shook.
    Seemed nice, too. Double crap.
    â€œI’m Nathan.”
    â€œSteve.” Steve stuck out his hand, peering up suspiciously from his five-foot-seven-inch stocky frame. Steve had issues with tall men. And pretty much everything else.
    â€œHey, Troy.” Kent, hurrying onto the court behind them, tall, slender and blond like his sister, his Kim-blue eyes hidden behind dark glasses. “Good to see you, man. You met these two useless males already?”
    â€œI did.” The two shook hands. Troy wheeled around and shot the ball; Kent covered him. Nathan