jerk.
"I'm not going anywhere. I don't have time to find a place and build new shelters before winter. The crew I hired to put up the ones I brought from home is coming this week."
He admired her bravery but besides that, he liked knowing she was going to be next door.
"Good. Because I asked Paul to install an electronic gate like mine across your driveway." When she started to protest that she couldn't afford the expense, he added, "I told Paul I'd pay for it since it was my fault your photo wound up in a public blog, but Paul said he'd do it at cost since a privacy gate will add to the value of his property." Austen didn't mention that that discussion is what brought Serena's past to the table.
She took off her hat and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve. She looked hot. He could fix that. "Are you busy right now? I have to go play lifeguard at Paul's for a couple of hours. I'd love some help with my nieces and nephews." She looked tempted. "These kids might give you some inside scoop on Marietta schools... well, Paul's kids, at least." Emilee and Hunter would be starting soon, and neither was the least bit excited by the prospect.
Serena looked over her shoulder. "Sounds lovely, but I have Skipper."
"No, problem. Stuart, my foreman, can get one of the hands to lead him home. The guard llamas won't attack, will they?"
Her laughter made him feel ridiculously hopeful.
"They're in a different pasture. But I don't have a suit."
He stepped closer. Close enough to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Her initial surprise gave way to hunger. He loved that despite being pissed off at him, she wanted him, too. They kissed until they reached the "all in" point.
Panting slightly, hot now from the inside out, he said, "I hope to heck Paul turned off the pool heater. We'll swing by your place on the way to town."
"Okay. But this doesn't mean I'm not still upset with you."
"Got it. We can discuss my penance after we cool down."
H alf an hour later, Serena followed Austen toward the side gate of his brother's beautiful Prairie-style home located on Bramble Lane—one of her favorite streets in Marietta. She hadn't had a lot of time to explore her new town, but what she'd seen of it had left an indelible impression. This was exactly the kind of town she could call home.
Austen hadn't given her a chance to re-think her impulsive decision to join him. The day was one of the hottest she'd experienced so far. She'd been sweating by the time she reached his house, plus she'd been working non-stop practically since she moved in. The idea of spending a few hours luxuriating in a private pool—with four teenage chaperones seemed like a no-brainer.
She simply hadn't thought through the part about hanging in close proximity to Austen Zabrinski in Hawaiian print board shorts and a tank top. That unexpected, un-planned kiss he'd planted on her had nearly pushed her over the heat index into meltdown.
Sharing the front seat of his BMW convertible was another variable she hadn't counted on. The sun on the tops of her bare legs, the hot wind, the sexy way his hair glinted in the sunlight tempted her to pull him into her house for a quickie. Luckily, his mother texted: "Coming?"
He'd shown her his phone. She'd dashed to her bedroom to change so he wouldn't see her blush. The question definitely had another meaning where she and Austin were concerned.
"Your brother's home is really nice," she said, waiting as he fiddled with the lock. Smart, she thought, admiring the lock's placement. Too high for a non-swimmer to open without an adult's help.
"Little brother's done well for himself."
She couldn't decide if his tone signified praise or envy.
"You've done pretty well, too. That's the first Beamer I've ever ridden in." And his Range Rover was high end, too.
He opened the gate. "It was a toy that went with my image. Doesn't really fit around here."
Did that mean he wasn't planning on going back to his life in
"I'm not going anywhere. I don't have time to find a place and build new shelters before winter. The crew I hired to put up the ones I brought from home is coming this week."
He admired her bravery but besides that, he liked knowing she was going to be next door.
"Good. Because I asked Paul to install an electronic gate like mine across your driveway." When she started to protest that she couldn't afford the expense, he added, "I told Paul I'd pay for it since it was my fault your photo wound up in a public blog, but Paul said he'd do it at cost since a privacy gate will add to the value of his property." Austen didn't mention that that discussion is what brought Serena's past to the table.
She took off her hat and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve. She looked hot. He could fix that. "Are you busy right now? I have to go play lifeguard at Paul's for a couple of hours. I'd love some help with my nieces and nephews." She looked tempted. "These kids might give you some inside scoop on Marietta schools... well, Paul's kids, at least." Emilee and Hunter would be starting soon, and neither was the least bit excited by the prospect.
Serena looked over her shoulder. "Sounds lovely, but I have Skipper."
"No, problem. Stuart, my foreman, can get one of the hands to lead him home. The guard llamas won't attack, will they?"
Her laughter made him feel ridiculously hopeful.
"They're in a different pasture. But I don't have a suit."
He stepped closer. Close enough to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Her initial surprise gave way to hunger. He loved that despite being pissed off at him, she wanted him, too. They kissed until they reached the "all in" point.
Panting slightly, hot now from the inside out, he said, "I hope to heck Paul turned off the pool heater. We'll swing by your place on the way to town."
"Okay. But this doesn't mean I'm not still upset with you."
"Got it. We can discuss my penance after we cool down."
H alf an hour later, Serena followed Austen toward the side gate of his brother's beautiful Prairie-style home located on Bramble Lane—one of her favorite streets in Marietta. She hadn't had a lot of time to explore her new town, but what she'd seen of it had left an indelible impression. This was exactly the kind of town she could call home.
Austen hadn't given her a chance to re-think her impulsive decision to join him. The day was one of the hottest she'd experienced so far. She'd been sweating by the time she reached his house, plus she'd been working non-stop practically since she moved in. The idea of spending a few hours luxuriating in a private pool—with four teenage chaperones seemed like a no-brainer.
She simply hadn't thought through the part about hanging in close proximity to Austen Zabrinski in Hawaiian print board shorts and a tank top. That unexpected, un-planned kiss he'd planted on her had nearly pushed her over the heat index into meltdown.
Sharing the front seat of his BMW convertible was another variable she hadn't counted on. The sun on the tops of her bare legs, the hot wind, the sexy way his hair glinted in the sunlight tempted her to pull him into her house for a quickie. Luckily, his mother texted: "Coming?"
He'd shown her his phone. She'd dashed to her bedroom to change so he wouldn't see her blush. The question definitely had another meaning where she and Austin were concerned.
"Your brother's home is really nice," she said, waiting as he fiddled with the lock. Smart, she thought, admiring the lock's placement. Too high for a non-swimmer to open without an adult's help.
"Little brother's done well for himself."
She couldn't decide if his tone signified praise or envy.
"You've done pretty well, too. That's the first Beamer I've ever ridden in." And his Range Rover was high end, too.
He opened the gate. "It was a toy that went with my image. Doesn't really fit around here."
Did that mean he wasn't planning on going back to his life in
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