with every guy I meet.”
The urge to keep teasing her was strong, but the serious expression on her face and hint of sorrow in her eyes had him moving past the urge. “Same goes, gorgeous. I felt like I’d been poleaxed when I saw you standing there.”
“Really? My dad always said that’s how he felt the first time he saw mom.”
“I was unable to move, speak, or think when I saw you standing in the sunlight with your killer curves and soft, sweet smile.” Jesus, did he just say that out loud? She’s gonna think you’re full of it, Garahan.
Instead of the reaction he expected, she sighed and laid her head over his heart. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve always been a sucker for a man with broad shoulders.”
“Yeah?”
“Ummm…and broad workingman’s hands.”
He held her with one hand and lifted the other to look at it, but she didn’t notice. Her eyes were closed, a look of bliss on her pretty face. “Really?”
“Really,” she whispered. “But the part that totally had my attention—”
“My über-athletic muscles?”
“No.”
“The Garahan auburn hair?”
“No.”
“My height?”
She giggled. “No.”
“I give up,” he finally told her. “What was it?”
“The way you played with Danny and Joey.”
Jeez, Ma , he thought. You were right!
“So—” he began, only to be interrupted by her scream of terror.
He shot to his feet with her in his arms. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
She was trembling in his arms. “Big, black, hairy,” she rasped, hiding her face against his chest.
Before she could say another word, he was running back toward the house.
“Aren’t you going to step on it?”
He jolted to a stop. “The bear?”
She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What bear?”
“The one you saw…you know, big, black, and hairy?”
She scrunched up her nose and started to laugh—deep belly laughs that made it hard to hold on to her. He set her on her feet and planted his hands on his hips. “You didn’t see a bear.”
She shook her head.
“Or a wolf.”
“Wolves aren’t usually black,” she told him. “Besides, we have coyotes out here, not wolves.”
“So it wasn’t a coyote either.”
She threw her hands up in the air and whirled around, stomping through the field toward home. “It was a spider. OK? I hate spiders!”
She’d walked about fifty feet before he finally calmed down enough to follow after her. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, woman.”
Grace, being Grace, laughed over her shoulder at him.
“I mean it,” he said, reaching for her arm and pulling her to a stop. “Save the hysterics for serious stuff. You know, like muggers, really big wild animals—your father catching us making love in your hayloft.”
She giggled as he’d intended, making him smile. “Seriously, you scared the shit out of me. My heart gets a hard enough workout on the job. How would it look if I had a heart attack all because you screamed and I scooped you up in my arms and tried to outrun a bear for five miles?”
She slipped her arm through his and tugged to get him moving. “I’m sorry. Come on,” she urged. “If we don’t head back now, I’ll let you distract me again, and this time, I’ll pick a spot without spiders. I’ve always heard that firefighters have an amazing amount of stamina.”
He swallowed the spit pooling in his mouth rather than drool. He cleared his throat. “We do.”
She leaned close and whispered, “Actions speak louder than words.”
He wanted nothing more than to grab her and rip their clothes off, but he’d already made the decision not to rush things, and not just for her sake—for his sanity. Clenching his teeth, he ground out, “I’m trying to be considerate, not rushing you, but you’re making it impossible.”
She stared up at him with an adorable smile on her face. He wasn’t in this alone. “I think we both want the same thing.” He said the words slowly, giving her time to
The urge to keep teasing her was strong, but the serious expression on her face and hint of sorrow in her eyes had him moving past the urge. “Same goes, gorgeous. I felt like I’d been poleaxed when I saw you standing there.”
“Really? My dad always said that’s how he felt the first time he saw mom.”
“I was unable to move, speak, or think when I saw you standing in the sunlight with your killer curves and soft, sweet smile.” Jesus, did he just say that out loud? She’s gonna think you’re full of it, Garahan.
Instead of the reaction he expected, she sighed and laid her head over his heart. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve always been a sucker for a man with broad shoulders.”
“Yeah?”
“Ummm…and broad workingman’s hands.”
He held her with one hand and lifted the other to look at it, but she didn’t notice. Her eyes were closed, a look of bliss on her pretty face. “Really?”
“Really,” she whispered. “But the part that totally had my attention—”
“My über-athletic muscles?”
“No.”
“The Garahan auburn hair?”
“No.”
“My height?”
She giggled. “No.”
“I give up,” he finally told her. “What was it?”
“The way you played with Danny and Joey.”
Jeez, Ma , he thought. You were right!
“So—” he began, only to be interrupted by her scream of terror.
He shot to his feet with her in his arms. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
She was trembling in his arms. “Big, black, hairy,” she rasped, hiding her face against his chest.
Before she could say another word, he was running back toward the house.
“Aren’t you going to step on it?”
He jolted to a stop. “The bear?”
She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What bear?”
“The one you saw…you know, big, black, and hairy?”
She scrunched up her nose and started to laugh—deep belly laughs that made it hard to hold on to her. He set her on her feet and planted his hands on his hips. “You didn’t see a bear.”
She shook her head.
“Or a wolf.”
“Wolves aren’t usually black,” she told him. “Besides, we have coyotes out here, not wolves.”
“So it wasn’t a coyote either.”
She threw her hands up in the air and whirled around, stomping through the field toward home. “It was a spider. OK? I hate spiders!”
She’d walked about fifty feet before he finally calmed down enough to follow after her. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, woman.”
Grace, being Grace, laughed over her shoulder at him.
“I mean it,” he said, reaching for her arm and pulling her to a stop. “Save the hysterics for serious stuff. You know, like muggers, really big wild animals—your father catching us making love in your hayloft.”
She giggled as he’d intended, making him smile. “Seriously, you scared the shit out of me. My heart gets a hard enough workout on the job. How would it look if I had a heart attack all because you screamed and I scooped you up in my arms and tried to outrun a bear for five miles?”
She slipped her arm through his and tugged to get him moving. “I’m sorry. Come on,” she urged. “If we don’t head back now, I’ll let you distract me again, and this time, I’ll pick a spot without spiders. I’ve always heard that firefighters have an amazing amount of stamina.”
He swallowed the spit pooling in his mouth rather than drool. He cleared his throat. “We do.”
She leaned close and whispered, “Actions speak louder than words.”
He wanted nothing more than to grab her and rip their clothes off, but he’d already made the decision not to rush things, and not just for her sake—for his sanity. Clenching his teeth, he ground out, “I’m trying to be considerate, not rushing you, but you’re making it impossible.”
She stared up at him with an adorable smile on her face. He wasn’t in this alone. “I think we both want the same thing.” He said the words slowly, giving her time to
Similar Books
