A Buckhorn Summer

She could have used any of the boats; the family collectively had three inboard boats, two pontoons and a variety of rowboats and fishing boats. But this particular one was the quietest and she’d as soon not draw attention. She’d done enough of that already.

The sun had just started to rise from behind the hills, sending fingers of crimson and gold to cut through the lavender dawn and play across the calm surface of the lake. Taking it slow, Lisa watched a fish jump, saw a few birds diving, turned her face up to the warm, humid breeze.

She’d always loved the fast pace of her high-pressure job.

But she also loved the peace of the lake, and maybe it was past time to find a better balance between the two.

After showering off the sweat from her jog, she’d put on sunscreen and a touch of makeup. It hadn’t been easy, dodging all the curious questions and over-the-top speculation from Adam and Shohn yesterday. They’d teased, harangued and outrageously guessed without ever once coming close to the truth.

That she’d had a sizzling-hot one-night stand with a total stranger who had now, by the fickle hand of fate, relocated to her hometown.

Shohn and Adam were both utter hedonists, open in their own sexual pursuits. But when it came to her—or any of the women in the family, really—they played deaf, dumb and blind, at least with matters of sexuality. If she told them the truth, they’d be stunned, but she knew with complete confidence that they wouldn’t judge her harshly, would in fact back her up in anything she decided.

She loved them, but that hadn’t made it easy fending off their nonsense, all while lost in the reality of the situation.

It felt good to be home.

It felt...something altogether different knowing she’d shortly see her fantasy man again.

He was here, in Buckhorn, where she considered starting over.

He hadn’t forgotten her.

He wanted her to work with him day in and day out.

Did that mean he hoped to pick up where they’d left off, as if she’d be that easy?

Or did it mean he wasn’t interested and spending that much time with her in close proximity wouldn’t make him as lust-crazed as it would her?

No, she couldn’t believe that. Even Shohn and Adam had noticed his interest. And commented on it. Repeatedly.

“Lisa has an admirer,” Shohn had said in a childish singsong voice.

“All the single ladies will be so sad to know he’s already hooked,” Adam had added while patting a hand over his heart. “Guess I’ll just have to console them.”

“I think it was love at first sight.”

“Wait until he finds out she’s smarter than him.”

“And more motivated.”

“And better paid.”

Finally Lisa had willingly gone over the side of the boat, opposite from where they’d cast their fishing lines. Ignoring their calls, she’d swum to shore and pretended to consider walking back until they both begged her not to. If it hadn’t been for the cow patties everywhere she tried to step, and the occasional spider web stretched between colorful weeds, she would have walked. But she wasn’t an idiot.

Just embarrassed. And overcome with lust. And now even more fixated on her fantasy man.

Gray Neely.

On top of being the sexiest, most gorgeous man she’d ever met, he was also kind and considerate.

He’d willingly let her off the hook, promising not to speak of their previous acquaintance.

He was also macho, a man’s man, easily meshing with her brother and cousin. How he’d looked...

She drew in a shuddering breath, filling her lungs with country air, and again pictured him in her mind. Rugged beard stubble. Alert gray eyes, focused on her. Hair longer and more disheveled. Loose board shorts and laceless sneakers, his shirt open, his muscled, hairy chest bare.

Damn, but her mouth watered, and she was so distracted she didn’t dock as smoothly as usual. A frog leaped away as she drew a line through the cleat on the dock and secured the boat. A few more deep breaths and, hiking her canvas tote bag over her shoulder, she climbed out of the boat.

From the shadows of the gas pumps three docks down, a deep voice said, “I figured you’d come by water.” Shirtless, barefoot, wearing only trunks, he pushed to his feet and strode toward her. His dark hair was wet, slicked back, his sinner’s eyelashes spiked, his beard even more noticeable.

He stopped only a few feet from her, his gaze taking a lazy stroll from her braided hair down her body to the flip-flops on her feet. “Whenever I thought of you—and I did, often—I saw you in a business suit, your hair contained, your look professional. I liked that look a lot, especially since it was so different from the woman you became in my room.”

A wild woman, that’s what he meant, because that’s what she’d been. Her breath stalled. “Voices carry,” she whispered. “We can’t talk here on the lake.”

He held out a hand and, feeling as risqué as she had that night a month ago, she took it. God, she remembered his hands, so big and strong, a little rough from work, but warm and gentle as they’d touched her. Everywhere.

Silently he led her up to the store, and with each step she took, her heart jumped harder, faster. Low in her stomach, butterflies battled.

She was thirty years old, but she’d never, not once, experienced desire like this. Only with him.

One of the double doors stood open and as they stepped inside, Gray closed and locked it. Her breath caught and anticipation sharpened.

No lights were on and without the sun coming through the windows, it remained dark...and intimate.

He slowly backed her up to the wall and cupped one hand to the side of her face. “As I was saying.”

Lisa felt his breath, the warmth of his big body, and had no idea what he was talking about.

“I like seeing you in these short shorts, and I like your hair like this. You were sexy before, but now you’re earthy, too, and I want another taste.”

After saying all that, he waited, giving her time.

Lisa nervously, anxiously licked her bottom lip—and saw his gaze sharpen.

“I remember you with short hair,” she whispered. “Clean-shaven, polished.” She reached up, smoothing back a lock of wet hair that had fallen over his brow. “Now your hair is shaggy, you’re already tanned, and this beard scruff...” She coasted her thumb over his bristly jaw, feeling the tease of that rasp deep inside herself. “Not only are you not in a dress shirt, you’re shirtless, and honestly, it’s making me a little nuts.”

“Nuts is good.” He moved closer still but didn’t quite touch her. “I was waiting on you, remembering how it had been, thinking of how it could be again, and got myself so worked up that I had to jump in the lake to cool down.”

Lisa smiled. Little by little, the same chemistry she’d felt that night in the bar came sneaking over her. “I was stunned to see you here.”

He nodded. “Stunned, but pleased.” Both hands now cupped her face and he murmured huskily, “I’ve missed you.”

It saddened her to say it, but they both needed a reminder of the truth. “You don’t even know me.”

“Not true.” Gray slowly lowered his head until his nose touched her temple. “I know your scent, the feel of your skin, and how you taste.”

His lips lightly grazed her cheek, making her shiver.

Near her ear, he whispered, “I know the sounds you make when you come.”

She released a shuddering, broken breath.

“Yeah,” he said with satisfaction. “That’s how it starts.” He trailed his fingertips down her shoulder to her elbow, then under her breast and over her frantically pounding heartbeat. “It ends with sweet, rough, broken moans and you holding me tight until the pleasure is over.”

The way he said it, she felt it. “Yes.”

“I want it all. Again.”

As his hand covered her breast, his palm teasing her nipple, she nodded and admitted the truth. “Me, too.”

* * *

“WE HAVE AN HOUR.” It wasn’t long enough, but it was better than nothing. He needed her. Bad.

Right now.

But she didn’t move. In fact, she seemed to be holding her breath.

When he looked down at her, Gray saw her eyes closed, her bottom lip caught in her teeth, her expression sweetly agonized.

He continued to cuddle her breast while raining small, damp kisses down her jaw and her throat to her shoulder. Jesus, she smelled good, like the fresh outdoors and musk and every fucking fantasy he’d ever had, all rolled into one.

But damn it, she still didn’t say anything, and as bad as he wanted her, he wanted her to feel the same.

Time to rein it in. Wasn’t easy, but he asked, “You need some time?”

She nodded, then shook her head, then groaned. “I don’t know.”

Well, that was answer enough. “It’s okay. I can wait.” It’d kill him. A dozen times over. But if that’s what she needed—

“That night...” Her eyes opened, full of pleading confusion. “That wasn’t me.”

“It wasn’t me, either.” He dropped both hands to her waist—safer territory—and put his forehead to hers. “It was just...right. The right time, the right person.” He had to kiss her, just once, so he did. Not too deep, but far from a peck. And far from satisfying. “The right thing to do—for both of us.”

“I’ve never done anything like it before.”

For a novice, she’d been damn good. Great. Mind-blowing, in fact. “I don’t exactly make a habit of it, either.” He smiled, realizing something. “I like your name.”

Her laugh was muffled against his throat. “I like yours, too.”

“I meant what I said.” With two fingers under her chin, he brought her face up. “It’s nobody’s business but ours.”

She nodded. “This is my home, Gray. My entire family is here.”

“I know. Everywhere I go, I trip over one of them.” He kissed her again, all the while telling himself he had to stop that. Except that she kissed him back and damn, that nearly killed his resolve not to push her. He eased back, a little more breathless. Harder. “I like them.”

Dazed, her gaze on his mouth, she asked, “Who?”

So cute. So fucking hot. Eventually she’d be his again. He had to believe that. “Your family.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, they’re all terrific.” Rubbing at her forehead, she admitted, “None of them would ever expect this of me. I’ve been so singularly focused on my career, I never made much time for relationships.”

He paused—and she shot her gaze to his.

“Not that this is a relationship. God, no. I mean...”

He loved how she blushed.

A little desperately, she said, “It was just sex.”

“That felt like more?”

Time stretched out with neither of them confirming or denying that.

Until finally, an eternity later, she nodded. “Yes. It felt like more.”

Her hand opened on his chest, the touch now familiar, bringing all those other touches to the forefront of his mind. She’d been bold, curious, and she’d burned him up.

He covered her hand with his own. “To me, too.” So many times he’d regretted not getting her name or contact info. At the time, both of them had enjoyed the anonymity and the relief of distraction.

He’d realized too late that he wanted more, because she’d already gone. Now that he knew her better and understood what an anomaly it was for her to indulge in a one-night stand, he understood why she hadn’t stuck around.

“Will it freak you out to know I thought about you a lot?” Her thick lashes swept down, hiding her eyes, and her voice was barely a whisper. “Every night, but sometimes during the day, too.”

He wasn’t freaked out at all. Just the opposite. “Glad to know I wasn’t alone in that.” Another kiss, this one longer, deeper. Hot. He licked his tongue along her bottom lip, then just inside. Her lips parted more, and he sank in, hungry, needing this. Needing her.

She moaned.

“It’s okay,” he told her as he readjusted, aligning his body to hers, drawing her closer. “It’s just a kiss.”

“Just a kiss.” Her arms came around his neck and, helping with the embrace, she went on tiptoe.

Time slipped away. If he wanted her to work with him—and hell, yeah, he did—he needed to iron out a few details before customers started showing up.

Again cupping her face, he ended the kiss by small degrees, then drew her head to his chest. He gave himself a few seconds to catch his breath and clear the fog of lust before he said, “If I could make another suggestion?”

“Another?”

He liked her braid. It was a little loose, a little sloppy. He ran his hand along the length and enjoyed the silkiness of her hair. “The first being that you work with me.”

“Oh, yeah. That.”

“Yes, that.” He took a step back to see her but kept a hand flattened to the wall beside her head. “And if you agree, then how about we start over?”

She shook her head. “With what?”

“Yesterday is the first day we formally met.” And now he had an opportunity to know her, really know her.

Along with her million family members.

Fighting off a laugh ripe with embarrassment, Lisa covered her mouth and whispered, “We did that without even knowing each other’s names.”

Liking her laugh—liking her—he said, “I know.”

She snickered. “’Course you do. You were there.”

“There, and very actively participating.” Backing up so that he wouldn’t pressure her again, Gray leaned a hip on the ice cream case and smiled at her. “I didn’t need your name. But everything else...” His smile faded. “I needed the rest of it in a bad way. So thank you. You don’t know it, but you turned me around.”

Inching closer, she asked, “What does that mean?”

Hard to explain, especially since he didn’t entirely understand it, but he gave it a shot. “I was...” He wouldn’t say lost. That sounded real pansy-ass. “...at loose ends.” And struggling to get my head on straight. But again, that made him sound far too weak. “I needed a change, but I’d been resisting and fucking brooding about it and if you hadn’t showed up I probably would have gotten shitfaced and then gotten up the next day and carried on as usual. But after you...”

Those big, dark eyes watched him with gentle curiosity. “After me?”

“Everything felt different. Me, my situation.”

“What situation is that?”

He shook his head. No way would he lay the heavy stuff on her. Not now, maybe not ever. “I was ready for a change of pace, and so here I am. But I had no idea I’d find you here, too.”

She tipped her head and that silky braid fell over her shoulder, the tip resting against her breast. “Shohn and Adam said you were a cop?”

“Yeah.” He’d thought to retire from the force when he hit his midsixties. Not with an injury. Not with rage consuming him. Not with his best friend gone forever.

Now very near, Lisa asked, “Not anymore?”

He shook his head again, but that didn’t suffice, so he said, “No.”

Her eyes went softer, darker. She touched his arm. “You’re from Chicago?”

“No, but my partner was.” He pushed off the case, moving away from her and the comfort he didn’t deserve, giving her his back. “I’m originally from Cincinnati. I was only in Chicago for his funeral.”

He didn’t hear Lisa move, but he felt the light touch of her small hand on his back. “I’m sorry.”

Done with that subject, Gray turned to face her and gestured at the shop. “The hours are flexible. Minimum wage to start, but I’m open to promoting you if things work out.”

Her lips twitched. “Wow, such a...great offer.”

“You’ll be working with me most of the time.”

“There is that.”

She considered it a perk? Because he sure as hell did.

As if thinking it out, she began to pace. “Like you said, my family is everywhere, and never, not in a million years, would they ever think I’d do...what we did.”

“That just means I know you better than most.” He’d already told her it was their secret; she’d either trust him on that or not.

“In some ways, you do. But for the most part, we’re still strangers.”

Didn’t feel that way to him. “We could do a trial run. Take a week or two just to get to know each other.” He didn’t need that, but it looked as though she did. Patience, he reminded himself.

Her expression perked up. “A trial run? For the job?”

“For us,” he explained. “I’d be completely hands-off. That is, unless you say otherwise.” Dead serious, he admitted, “The second you say you’re ready, I’m full go. But until then, for all anyone will ever know, we just met.”

“You’d be doing all the giving.”

Heat rolled through him, making his voice gruff. “Believe me, I remember the payoff, and lady, you’re well worth the wait.”

Again her face warmed, but she smiled. “Gorgeous, generous and a charmer, too. How am I supposed to resist that?”

“You’re not. So tell me, Lisa Sommerville. You wanna work for me?”

“You know, Gray Neely, I believe I do.”

“Great.” Hearing voices outside, he strode to the doors and opened them. “You can start right now.”

* * *

THE MORNING WENT off without a hitch. It was, in fact, enjoyable to jump in on one of the busiest days on the lake. As a kid, Lisa had been to the shop so many times that she knew the layout, which hadn’t changed much, caught on quick to restocking and enjoyed her turn at refueling the boats.

It also impressed her how Gray handled things. He was friendly with the customers, making an effort to remember names and relationships, deferential with the elders, patient with the kids and judicious with the flirting hordes of women who descended on him.

Okay, so maybe there weren’t actual hordes. But there were a lot of them, and to her dismay, none of them appeared to need time to think about it. Most of the women were unknown to her, vacationers there for the summer or maybe just a day.

But a few others were women she’d grown up with. Even April and Kady, two of her uncle Gabe’s beautiful blond bombshell daughters, came in.

It was a joke in the family, how her uncle Gabe had been such a handful and a ladies’ man and now all three of his daughters were miniature, more feminine versions of him, which meant they turned heads everywhere they went.

Gray, however, treated them with the same reserved, respectful politeness he used with the rest of the women.

All except her. With her, he smiled more warmly, and more often. And she caught him constantly watching her. Each and every time their gazes met, she felt the heat and need like a growing, combustible force.

Did she dare indulge in another fling with him?

Did she have the willpower to resist?

Later that day, around suppertime, her uncle Morgan’s daughter, Amber, showed up. The opposite of Kady and April, Amber had long, sleek dark hair and amazing blue eyes. Also unlike Kady and April, Amber wore a sundress instead of a bikini. She still looked like a model, and Lisa still felt drab in comparison.

Amber spoke to Gray only for a minute, then swooped in on Lisa. “You’re really working here?”

On tiptoe, straightening the shelf of hats that had been displaced by customers, Lisa nodded. “I really am.”

“For the whole summer?”

Knowing Amber and recognizing that tone, Lisa turned to face her cousin. “That’s the plan, but Amber, seriously, do not start playing matchmaker.”

At that, Gray looked up and, frowning, put aside some receipts and headed toward them.

“But I have the perfect guy! Actually about a dozen perfect guys.”

“No.”

“Don’t be a stick in the mud. You always work and never have time, but if you’re right here anyway, you at least have to meet them.” Holding up a hand, Amber insisted, “I won’t take no for an answer. A casual meet and greet, that’s all. I know! I’ll invite them over to the Sunday family picnic.”

Nearly every Sunday her entire family gathered together. Both her uncle Sawyer and her uncle Morgan had houses near the lake. Her cousin Casey did, too, but his was smaller, not really equipped for the big crowds of her far-reaching clan.

Dreading the possibility of having some hapless guy pushed on her, Lisa turned to Gray and said, “Sorry, but I already promised Gray that I’d work on Sunday.”

Amber’s face fell.

Gray slid right in there. “It’s true. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize there was a special function.” When Amber gave him a speculative look, he shrugged. “Sundays are busy for us.”

“Hmm.” Amber didn’t look convinced. “We all get together on Sundays. That is, anyone who isn’t busy. Uncle Sawyer sometimes has patients, and Dad sometimes has business out of town that won’t wait. But around Buckhorn, most everyone closes down on Sundays.”

“Not the vacationers.”

“No, they’re always around, and they never think to get what they need before Sunday.” Amber looked from Gray to Lisa and back again. “How many days a week will Lisa work?”

Lisa said quickly, “I like to stay busy. You know that.”

“Mmm-hmm. So...five days?” Amber’s blue eyes measured them both. “Every day?”

Lisa had no idea where Amber was going with this, only that she was definitely going somewhere. How to answer? Very unsure, she said, “Um...yes?”

“Every day. Wow. You really are a workhorse.” Turning to Gray, she added silkily, “Lucky you.”

Gray frowned. “When she needs time off, I’ll do my best to accommodate her.”

“But not this Sunday,” Lisa rushed to clarify.

“No worries.” Looking smug, Amber gave her a hug, turned to pat Gray on the shoulder and on her way out, said, “I’ll see you around.”

As soon as her cousin cleared the doorway, Lisa dropped back against the shelves with a groan.

“Trouble?” Gray asked.

“If you knew Amber, you wouldn’t have to ask.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Gray, innocent and unaware, said, “What can she possibly do?”

CHAPTER THREE

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. For a week. An entire week!

That’s how long Gray had to suffer through seeing each eligible guy in Buckhorn County paraded through his store for Lisa’s approval.

Amber changed it up to keep them guessing, one day coming first thing, then during lunch, once toward suppertime, and so on. Lisa couldn’t plan ahead to avoid her, because she never knew when Amber might show up with the hopeful swain in tow.

Each time Lisa was unfailingly polite to the guy without offering encouragement, while also giving her cousin death stares. The guys weren’t deterred. Not that Gray blamed them.

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