luxury. It’s a necessity. Especially during football season.”
She rolled her eyes and he grinned again. Thankfully he headed to the bedroom to drop off her duffel bag before he could realize she was debating the merits of grabbing him and pulling him onto the couch with her. A girl could only take so many heart-melting smiles in twenty-four hours without suffering some kind of lust-crazed breakdown.
He headed back through the family room to what she supposed was the kitchen. But she carefully kept her gaze on his eyes this time instead of that devastating smile.
* * *
D ILLON REACHED THE kitchen and sank into one of the chairs at the table in the middle of the room. He had to take a minute, just one, before making lunch. If Ashley smiled at him one more time he didn’t know what was going to happen. Ever since she’d showered and came out in those sweatpants that molded to the contours of her perfect bottom, he’d been useless as a detective. All he could think about was pulling her onto his lap and kissing her until she begged him to take her to bed.
He drew a shaky breath, trying to focus on something else, anything else but the far-too-appealing woman in the other room. Thornton hadn’t understood his reluctance to keep Ashley at his house. After all, any time some hotshot law-enforcement official or even a witness in a case needed somewhere to hole up, Dillon always offered his house. The only hotel in town was a disaster. And Dillon’s farmhouse was huge, only twenty minutes outside of town, and his security cameras would pick up on any vehicles coming down the road long before they reached the house. But he’d known having Ashley here would kill his concentration. Unfortunately, he hadn’t wanted to admit that to Thornton, so he’d grudgingly agreed to bring her home.
After another deep breath, he shoved out of the chair to fix the sexy little distraction something to eat. After that he’d call down to the office in the bunkhouse and make sure Griffin and his men knew to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Iceman didn’t strike Dillon as the kind of man to give up. And if he figured out Ashley was here, a few security cameras weren’t going to stop him from going after his target again.
* * *
A SHLEY BLINKED AND opened her eyes. It took a moment to get her bearings. She was lying on the couch in Dillon’s family room, a royal-blue quilt tucked around her and a soft pillow cushioning her head. The sun was fading from the large bank of windows out front and the glass oval in the door was turning black as the sun began to set. The last thing she remembered was thanking Dillon for the ham-and-cheese sandwich and vegetable soup. She must have fallen asleep and slept right through the dinner hour.
Deep voices carried to her from the back of the house somewhere. She recognized Dillon’s voice, and realized the other voice must be Chris. She must have been exhausted to sleep through his arrival.
She sat up and twisted around. The door to the bedroom wasn’t that far away, and Dillon had mentioned there was a connected bathroom, a facility she was sorely in need of at the moment. Calling out to him to carry her to the bathroom was an embarrassment she didn’t relish, especially if Chris was here, too. Surely she could hobble by herself without his help.
By using the arm of the couch, and then the back of the couch for support, she slowly, painfully made her way upright. Her feet were tender, bruised, but the fiery burn was gone. The salve Dillon had put on her cuts had already made a huge difference.
It took far longer than her bladder wanted, but she made it into the bathroom all by herself. She fist pumped the air, ridiculously happy to not be an invalid anymore, and quickly took care of her needs. She hobbled to the duffel bag on the bed and riffled through it. Sure enough, Donna had gotten everything on her list—clothes, makeup and even her laptop. Ashley grabbed a hairbrush and some
She rolled her eyes and he grinned again. Thankfully he headed to the bedroom to drop off her duffel bag before he could realize she was debating the merits of grabbing him and pulling him onto the couch with her. A girl could only take so many heart-melting smiles in twenty-four hours without suffering some kind of lust-crazed breakdown.
He headed back through the family room to what she supposed was the kitchen. But she carefully kept her gaze on his eyes this time instead of that devastating smile.
* * *
D ILLON REACHED THE kitchen and sank into one of the chairs at the table in the middle of the room. He had to take a minute, just one, before making lunch. If Ashley smiled at him one more time he didn’t know what was going to happen. Ever since she’d showered and came out in those sweatpants that molded to the contours of her perfect bottom, he’d been useless as a detective. All he could think about was pulling her onto his lap and kissing her until she begged him to take her to bed.
He drew a shaky breath, trying to focus on something else, anything else but the far-too-appealing woman in the other room. Thornton hadn’t understood his reluctance to keep Ashley at his house. After all, any time some hotshot law-enforcement official or even a witness in a case needed somewhere to hole up, Dillon always offered his house. The only hotel in town was a disaster. And Dillon’s farmhouse was huge, only twenty minutes outside of town, and his security cameras would pick up on any vehicles coming down the road long before they reached the house. But he’d known having Ashley here would kill his concentration. Unfortunately, he hadn’t wanted to admit that to Thornton, so he’d grudgingly agreed to bring her home.
After another deep breath, he shoved out of the chair to fix the sexy little distraction something to eat. After that he’d call down to the office in the bunkhouse and make sure Griffin and his men knew to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Iceman didn’t strike Dillon as the kind of man to give up. And if he figured out Ashley was here, a few security cameras weren’t going to stop him from going after his target again.
* * *
A SHLEY BLINKED AND opened her eyes. It took a moment to get her bearings. She was lying on the couch in Dillon’s family room, a royal-blue quilt tucked around her and a soft pillow cushioning her head. The sun was fading from the large bank of windows out front and the glass oval in the door was turning black as the sun began to set. The last thing she remembered was thanking Dillon for the ham-and-cheese sandwich and vegetable soup. She must have fallen asleep and slept right through the dinner hour.
Deep voices carried to her from the back of the house somewhere. She recognized Dillon’s voice, and realized the other voice must be Chris. She must have been exhausted to sleep through his arrival.
She sat up and twisted around. The door to the bedroom wasn’t that far away, and Dillon had mentioned there was a connected bathroom, a facility she was sorely in need of at the moment. Calling out to him to carry her to the bathroom was an embarrassment she didn’t relish, especially if Chris was here, too. Surely she could hobble by herself without his help.
By using the arm of the couch, and then the back of the couch for support, she slowly, painfully made her way upright. Her feet were tender, bruised, but the fiery burn was gone. The salve Dillon had put on her cuts had already made a huge difference.
It took far longer than her bladder wanted, but she made it into the bathroom all by herself. She fist pumped the air, ridiculously happy to not be an invalid anymore, and quickly took care of her needs. She hobbled to the duffel bag on the bed and riffled through it. Sure enough, Donna had gotten everything on her list—clothes, makeup and even her laptop. Ashley grabbed a hairbrush and some
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