The Buckhorn brothers return in two timeless tales from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster

GABE

Gabe Kasper, the heartthrob of Buckhorn County, Kentucky, can have any woman he wants. But it’s prickly, uptight Elizabeth Parks who gets under his skin. She thinks Gabe’s some kind of hero and wants an interview for her thesis. He doesn’t consider pulling a couple of kids out of the lake heroic, but he’ll answer her questions in exchange for kisses…and more.

JORDAN

Jordan Somerville thinks he wants a woman who’s a paragon of virtue. But then the gentle veterinarian—rescuer of strays—meets Georgia Barnes, single mother and exotic dancer. She’s a far cry from Jordan’s dream woman—and she’s made it clear that he’s hardly her dream man, either. So why is he suddenly tempted to break all his own rules?

Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author

“Steamy, edgy, and taut.”

—Library Journal on When You Dare

“The fast-paced thriller keeps these well-developed characters moving.… Foster’s series will continue to garner fans with this exciting installment.”

—Publishers Weekly on Trace of Fever

“Foster rounds out her searing trilogy with a story that tilts toward the sizzling and sexy side of the genre.”

—RT Book Reviews on Savor the Danger

“Foster writes smart, sexy, engaging characters.”

—New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan

“Intense, edgy and hot. Lori Foster

delivers everything you’re looking for in a romance.”

—New York Times bestselling author

Jayne Ann Krentz on Hard to Handle

“Lori Foster delivers the goods.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Tension, temptation, hot action and hotter romance—Lori Foster has it all!

Hard to Handle is a knockout!”

—New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell

Forever

Buckhorn

Lori

Foster

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Dear Reader,

The Buckhorn Brothers were originally published back in 2000. Since then, thanks to you, they’ve lived on in reissues and repackaged editions. I often worry about the books standing the test of time; let’s face it, a lot has changed in the past decade!

But one thing that hasn’t changed is the wonderful, giving, caring nature of readers. Many of you have requested the books, so here they are, with the yummiest covers yet! I hope you approve, and I very much hope you enjoy the stories.

Just so you know, here’s the order for the reissues: first was Buckhorn Beginnings, featuring Sawyer and Morgan. Next is Forever Buckhorn, featuring Gabe and Jordan. And last will be The Buckhorn Legacy, featuring Casey.

If you’re curious about the original covers, and the reissued covers since then, check out the Related Books and Series page on my website, under the Booklist tab. (www.lorifoster.com/books/related.php#buckhorn.)

Happy reading!

www.LoriFoster.com

Gabe

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

“ISN’T HE JUST the absolute sexiest thing you’ve ever seen?”

“Hmm. And thank heavens for this heat wave. I love it when he leaves his shirt off.” A wistful, feminine sigh. “I swear, I could sit here all day and look at him.”

“We have been sitting here all day looking at him.”

Gabe Kasper, pretending to be asleep, had to struggle with a small smile. Life was good. Here he was, sprawled in the warm sun, letting the waves from the weekend boaters gently rock the dock, with a fishing pole loosely held in one hand, a Van Halen hat pulled low over his eyes and a gaggle of good-lookin’ women ogling him. He had not a care in the world. Man couldn’t ask for much more satisfaction out of living.

“He is so gorgeous.”

“And wicked lookin’. I dearly love those whiskers on his chin.”

Aha. And here his brother Jordan had sworn the whiskers looked disreputable and tried to convince him to shave. Jordan could be such a stuffed shirt sometimes.

“I like that golden hair on his body, myself.”

Gabe almost chuckled out loud. He couldn’t wait to tell his brothers about this. Now that the two eldest were married and off-limits, Gabe and Jordan, the only two single ones left, got even more attention. Not that he was complaining. Female adoration was one of those things that couldn’t really go to excess, at least, in his opinion.

“I don’t mind tellin’ you, Rosemary, it made me nervous when the first two brothers got married off. I cried for two days, and I was so afraid they’d all end up doing it. Heck, besides dying to have one of them to myself, those brothers were the biggest tourist draw we had here in Buckhorn.”

Gabe bit the side of his lip. He’d just keep that little tidbit to himself when he did the retelling. Hell, his brothers’ egos—Morgan’s especially—were big enough as it was. No need adding to them. No, he’d just stick to sharing the compliments about himself.

“And Gabe is the biggest draw my boat dock has. With him sitting there, no one wants to get their gas or bait anywhere else. I keep thinkin’ I ought to pay him or something.”

“Ha! You’re just hoping to get a little closer to him.”

“No, I just wanna make sure he doesn’t take his sexy self off to some other dock.”

“Amen to that!”

Giggles erupted after such a heartfelt comment and Gabe sighed. He had no intention of switching loyalties. Hell, Rosemary’s daddy had been letting him hang out on his docks since he was just a grasshopper and had first noticed what a pleasing thing it was to see females in bikinis. This place felt almost like a second home now. And since Rosemary’s daddy had passed away, he felt honor bound to stick around and help out on occasion. The trick was to keep Rosemary from getting marriage minded, because that was one route his brothers could travel alone, thank you very much.

“It amazes me that those brothers aren’t full related. They all look different—”

“But they’re all gorgeous, I know. And they’re all so…strong. My daddy used to say it took a hell of a woman to raise boys like that. I just wish they didn’t live so far out on that land. Thinking up a good excuse to visit isn’t easy. Not like accidentally running into the other men here in town.”

Gabe did smile at that, he couldn’t help himself. He and his brothers—he refused to think of them as half brothers—had often joked about going into town to see who was looking for them. Usually some female or another was. But by living out a ways, they could always choose when and if they wanted to get friendly. It had been helpful, because once they’d hit their teens, the females had come on in droves. His mother used to claim to keep a broom by the front and back doors to beat the women away. Not that any of them minded overmuch, though his two new sisters-in-law were sure disgruntled over all the downcast female faces since the two weddings had taken place.

Gabe was just about to give up feigning sleep when a new female voice joined the others over by the gas pumps.

“Excuse me, but I was told Gabriel Kasper might be here.” It was more a statement than anything else, and rather…strident to boot.

Female, but not at all local.

This new voice wasn’t soft, Southern or sweet. She’d sounded almost impatient.

Gabe decided just to wait and see what the lady was up to. It wasn’t unusual for someone female to be looking for him, and most everyone in these parts knew that in the summer, you could find him by the lake more often than not. He resisted the urge to peek at the owner of the voice and kept his body utterly relaxed.

“Whatdya want Gabe for?” That suspicious tone was from Rosemary, bless her sweet little heart, and Gabe vowed to take her to dinner real soon.

There was a beat of silence, then, “I have personal business to discuss with him.”

Oh, great, Gabe thought. That’ll get the gossip going. What the hell kind of personal business could he have with a woman he didn’t know? And he was certain he didn’t know her. She didn’t sound at all familiar.

“Well, he’s right there, but he’s relaxin’, and he won’t thank you none for disturbing him.”

“I appreciate your warning.”

Well used to the soft thud of sneakers or bare feet on the wooden planks of the dock, Gabe almost winced when the clack of hard-soled shoes rang over the water. He ignored it, and ignored the woman he could feel hesitating next to his lawn chair. The breeze stirred and he caught a light feminine scent, not really perfume, but maybe scented shampoo. He breathed deeply, but otherwise remained still.

He heard her clear her throat. “Uh…excuse me?”

She didn’t sound so confident, and he waited, wondering if she’d shake him awake. He felt her hesitate, knew in his gut she was reaching for his naked shoulder…

And the fishing pole nearly leaped out of his hand.

“Son of a bi—” Gabe jolted upright, barely managing to hang on to his expensive rod and reel. His feet hit the dock and he deftly maneuvered the rod, going with the action of the fish. “Damn, it’s a big one!”

Rosemary, Darlene and Ceily all ran over to his side.

“I’ll grab the net!” Rosemary said.

Ceily, who usually worked the diner in town, squealed as the fish, a big ugly carp, flipped up out the water. Darlene pressed to his back, peering over his shoulder.

Gabe slid over the side of the dock to the smooth, slick, moss-covered concrete boat ramp, bracing his legs wide to keep his balance while he struggled with the fish. Rosemary, a fisherwoman of long standing, didn’t hesitate to slip in beside him. She held the net at the ready. Just as Gabe got the carp close enough, she scooped him with the net. The fish looked to weigh a good fifteen pounds, and she struggled with it while Gabe tried to reach for the net and hold onto his pole.

But then Rosemary lost her footing and Gabe made a grab for her and they both went down, splashing and cursing and laughing, too. The rod jerked out of his hands and he dove forward to grab it, barely getting ahold and soaking himself thoroughly in the process. The other two women leaped in to help, all of them struggling to keep the fish and the rod while roaring with hilarity.

When the battle was over, Gabe had his fish, and a woman, in his lap. Rosemary had settled herself there while Darlene and Ceily hung on him, both struggling to control their raucous laughter. He’d known all three of them since grade school, so it wasn’t the first time they’d played in the water; they felt totally familiar with each other and it showed. A long string of seaweed clung to the top of Gabe’s head, and that started the women giggling again.

Gabe, enjoying himself, unhooked the big fish, kissed it—making the women smack at him—then tossed it back.

It was then they heard the tap, tap, tap of that damned hard-soled shoe.

Turning as one, they all peered at the woman who Gabe only then remembered. He had to shade his eyes against the hot sun to see, and it wasn’t easy with three women draped over his body.

Silhouetted by the sunshine, her long hair looked like ruby fire. And he’d never in his life seen so many freckles on a woman before. She wore a crisp white blouse, a long jean skirt and black pumps with nylons. Nylons in this heat? Gabe blinked. “Can I help you with somethin’, sugar?”

Her lips tightened and her arms crossed over her middle. “I don’t think so. I was looking for Gabriel Kasper.”

“That’d be me.”

“But…I was looking for Gabriel, the town hero.”

Darlene grinned hugely. “That’s our Gabe!”

Ceily added, “The one and only.”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “That’s nonsense and you all know it.”

The women all started in at once, Ceily, Rosemary and Darlene assuring him he was all that was heroic and wonderful and more.

Little Red merely stared in absolute disbelief. “You mean, you are the one who rescued those swimmers?”

He gently lifted Rosemary off his lap and cautiously stood on the slick concrete. The women had gone silent now, and Gabe could see why. While they looked downright sexy in their colorful bikinis, loose hair and golden tans, this woman looked like the stern, buttoned-up supervisor of a girls’ prep school. And she was glaring at them all, as if she’d caught them having an orgy in the lake, rather than just romping.

Gabe, always the gentleman, boosted each woman to the dock, then deftly hauled himself out. He shook like a mongrel dog, sending lake water flying in cold droplets. The woman quickly backed up two steps.

Rosemary plucked the seaweed from his hair and he grinned at her. “Thanks, sweetie. Ah, would you gals mind if I talk to…” He lifted a brow at Red.

“Elizabeth Parks,” she answered stiffly. She clutched a notepad and pencil and had a huge purselike bag slung over one shoulder, stuffed to overflowing with papers.

“Yeah, can I have a minute with Ms. Parks?” He had the sneaking suspicion Ms. Parks was another reporter, and he had no intention of chatting with her for more time than it took to say thanks but no thanks. “I won’t be long.”

“All right, Gabe, but you owe us for rescuing your fish.”

“That I do. And I promise to think up some appropriate compensation.”

Giggling again, the women started away, dragging their feet every step, sashaying their sexy behinds. But then two boats pulled in and he knew that would keep them busy selling gas and bait and whatever other supplies the vacationers wanted. He turned to Red.

“What can I do for you?”

Now, without the sun in his eyes, Gabe could see she had about the bluest blue eyes he’d ever seen. They stood out like beacons among all that bright red hair and those abundant freckles.

She flipped open her bag and dragged out a folded newspaper. Turning it toward him, she asked, still with a twinge of disbelief, “Is this you?”

She sounded suspicious, but Gabe didn’t even have to glance at the paper. Buckhorn, Kentucky was a small town, and they looked for any excuse at all to celebrate. The town paper, Buckhorn Press, had used the changing of a traffic light for front-page news once, so it was no wonder they’d stuck him in there for a spell when he helped fish a few swimmers out of the path of an unmanned boat. It hadn’t been even close to an act of heroism, but if changing traffic lights was important, human endangerment was outright momentous.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Gabe reached for his mirrored sunglasses and slipped them on, then dragged both hands, fingers spread, over his head to smooth his wet hair. He stuck his cap on backward then looked at the woman again. With the shades in place, he could check her over a little better without her knowing.

But the clothing she wore made seeing much impossible. She had to be roasting in that thick denim and starched cotton.

She cleared her throat. “Well, if it’s really true, then I’d like to interview you.”

Gabe leaned around her, which made her blue eyes widen, and fetched a can of cola from the cooler sitting beside his empty chair. “You want one?”

“Uh, no, thank you.” She hastily stepped back, avoiding getting too close to him. That nettled.

After popping the tab on the can and downing half of it, Gabe asked, “What paper do you write for?”

“Oh. No, I don’t—”

“Because I’m not interested in being interviewed again. Every damn paper for a hundred miles around picked up on that stupid story, and they blew it all out of proportion. Folks around here are finally about done razzing me, my damn brothers included, and I’m not at all interested in resurrecting that ridiculous business again.”

She frowned at him, then snapped the paper open to peruse it. “Did you or did you not dive into the water to pull three people, a woman and her two children, out of the lake when a drunken man fell out of his boat, leaving the boat unmanned?”

Gabe made a face. “Yeah, but—”

“No one else did anything, they just sort of stood there dumbfounded while the boat, without a driver, began circling the hapless swimmers.”

“Hapless swimmers?” He grunted at her word usage. “Any one of my brothers would have done the exact same thing, and in fact—”

“And did you or did you not then manage to get in the boat—” She glanced up. “I’d love for you to explain how you did that, by the way. How you took control and got inside a running boat without getting chewed to bits by the prop. Weren’t you at all scared?”

Gabe stared at her. Even her lashes were reddish, sort of a deep auburn, and with the sun on them, the tips were turned to gold. She squinted against the glare of the sunshine, which made the freckles on her tipped-up nose more pronounced. Other than those sprinkled freckles, her skin was smooth and clear and…

He shook himself. “Look, sugar, I said I didn’t want to do an interview.”

She puckered up like someone had stuck a lemon between her lips. “My name is Ms. Parks, or Elizabeth, either will do, thank you.” After that reprimand, she had the audacity to say, “All the others wanted to be interviewed. Why don’t you?”

She stood there, slim brows raised, her pencil poised over that damn notepad as if she expected to write down his every profound word.

Gabe cursed. Profound words were not his forté. They took too much effort. “What others?”

“The other heroes.”

He could see her long hair curling in the humidity even as they spoke. It hung almost to the top of her behind, except for the front which was pulled back with a huge barrette. Little wispy curls, dark with perspiration, clung to her temples. The longer hair was slowly pulling into corkscrew curls. It fascinated him.

The front of her white blouse was beginning to grow damp, too, and Gabe could detect a plain white bra beneath. Damn, it was too hot to be all trussed up like that. What the hell kind of rigid female wore so many clothes to a vacation lake during the most sweltering heat wave of the summer season?

He didn’t care what kind of female. “All right, first things first. I’m not doing any interview, period. Two, I’ll admit I’m curious as to what the hell you’re talking about with this other heroes business. And three, would you be more comfortable in the shade? Your face is turning berry red.”

If anything, her color intensified. It wasn’t exactly a pretty blush, more like someone had set a fire beneath her skin. She looked downright blotchy. Gabe almost laughed.

“I, ah, I always turn red,” she explained, somewhat flustered. “Sorry. Redheads have fair skin.”

“And you sure as certain have redder hair than most.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

She looked stiff, as if he’d insulted her. It wasn’t like her red hair was a state secret! A body could see that hair from a mile away.

He had to struggle to keep from grinning. “So whatdya say? You wanna go sit in the shade with me? There’s a nice big piss elm hanging over the water there and it’s cooler than standing here on the dock in the sun, but not much.”

She blinked owlishly at him. “A what elm?”

“Piss elm. Just sorta means a scraggly one. Come on.” She looked ready to expire on him, from flustered embarrassment, heat and exasperation. Without waiting for her agreement, he grabbed his cooler, took her arm in a firm grip and led her off the dock, over the rough rock retaining wall and through the grass. One large root of the elm stuck out smoothly from the ground and made a nice seat. Gabe practically shoved her onto it. He was afraid she might faint on him any minute. “Rest there a second while I get you a soda.”

She scrambled to smooth her skirt over her legs, covering as much skin as possible, while trying to balance her notepad and adjust her heavy purse. “No, thank you. Really, I just—”

He’d already opened a can. “Here, drink up.” He shoved the drink into her hand and then waited until she dutifully sipped. “Feel better?”

“Uh, yes, thank you.”

She acted so wary, he couldn’t help but be curious about her. She wasn’t his type—too pushy, too prim, too…red. But that didn’t mean he’d let her roast herself in the sun. His mother would hide him if she thought he’d been rude to a lady, any lady. Besides, she was kinda cute with her prissiness. In a red sort of way.

Gabe grabbed another cola for himself, then sat on the cooler. He looked at her while he drank. “So, tell me about these heroes.”

She carefully licked her lips then set the can in the grass before facing him. “I’m working on a thesis for college. I’ve interviewed about a half dozen different men who were recently commended for performing heroic acts. So far, they’ve all had similar personality types. But you—”

“No fooling? What type of personality do heroes have?”

“Well, before I tell you that, I’d like to ask you a few questions. I don’t want your answers to be biased by what the others have said.”

Gabe frowned, propping his elbows on his knees and glaring at her. “You think I’d lie?”

She rushed to reassure him. “No! Not consciously. But just to keep my study pure, I’d rather conduct all the interviews the same way.”

“But I’ve already told you, I don’t want to be interviewed.” He watched her closely, saw her frustration and accurately guessed that wasn’t typical behavior of a hero. What nonsense.

After a long minute, she said, “Okay, can I ask you something totally different?”

“Depends. Ask, then I’ll see if I want to answer.”

“Why’d you throw the fish back?”

Gabe looked over his shoulder to where he’d caught the carp, then back. “That fish I just caught?”

“Yes. Why fish if you’re not going to keep what you catch.”

He chuckled. “You don’t get out by the lake much, do you?”

“I’m actually not from around here. I’m just visiting the area—”

“To interview me?” The very idea floored him, and made him feel guilty for giving her such a hard time.

“Yes, actually.” She took another drink of the soda, then added, “I rented a place and I’m staying for the month until school starts back up. I wanted to have all my research together before then. I’d thought I was done, and I was due a short vacation, but then I read the papers about you and decided to add one more interview.”

“So you’re working during your vacation?” He snorted. That was plain nuts. Vacations were for relaxing, and the idea of wasting one to pester him didn’t make sense.

“Yes, well, let’s just say that, hopefully, I’m combining my vacation with an interview. I couldn’t resist. Your situation was unique in that every time you were quoted, you talked about someone else.”

“I remember.” The people he’d talked about were more interesting than anything he had to say about himself.

“You went on and on about how brave the two little kids were…”

“They were real sweet kids, and—”

“…and you lectured something fierce about drinking and water sports.”

“This is a dry lake, which means no alcohol. That damn fool who fell out of his boat could have killed someone.”

She gave him a coy look, surprising the hell out of him with the natural sensuality of it. She was so starchy, he hadn’t been at all prepared. “But you keep saying the situation wasn’t dangerous.”

“It wasn’t. Not to me.” She looked smug, and she wrote something on her paper, making him frown. He decided to explain before she got the wrong idea. “Hell, I’ve been swimming like a fish since I was still in diapers. I was in this lake before I could walk. My brothers taught me to water-ski when I was barely five years old, and I know boats inside and out. There was no risk to me at all, so there’s no way anyone in their right mind can label me a hero.”

“So you say. But everyone else seems to disagree.”

“Sweetheart, you just don’t know Buckhorn. This town is so settled and quiet, any disturbance at all is fodder for front-page news. Why, we had a cow break out of the pasture and wander into the churchyard sometime back. Stopped traffic for miles around so everyone could gawk. The fire department showed up, along with my brother, who’s the sheriff, and the Buckhorn Press sent all their star reporters to cover the story.”

“All their star reporters?”

He grinned. “Yeah. All two of them. That’s the way things are run around here. The town council meets to vote on whether or not to change the bulbs in the street lamps and last year when Mrs. Rommen’s kitty went missing, a search party was formed and we hunted for three days before finding the old rascal.”

She wrote furiously, which annoyed the hell out of Gabe, and then she looked up. “We?”

He tilted his head at her teasing smile, a really nice smile now that he was seeing it. Her lips were full and rosy and… He frowned. “Now, Ms. Parks, you wouldn’t expect me to avoid my civic duty, would you? Especially not when the old dear loves that ugly tomcat something fierce.”

She grinned at him again, putting dimples in those abundant freckles, making her wide mouth even more appealing, before going back to her writing. Gabe leaned forward to see exactly what she was putting on paper, and she snatched the paper to her chest.

“What are you doing?” She sounded breathless and downright horrified.

Gabe lifted a brow. “Just peeking at what you consider so noteworthy.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She lowered the paper, but the damage had been done. Dark smears of pencil lead were etched across the front of her damp white blouse.

Gabe nodded appreciatively at her bosom while sipping his cola. “Looks like you’ll need to be cleaned up.” He said it, then stood. “You should probably head on home to do that.”

She quickly stood, too. “But I haven’t asked you my questions yet.”

“And you won’t. I don’t want to be interviewed. But just for the hell of it, I turned the fish loose ’cause it’s a carp, not that good for eating and a real pain to clean being as they have a mud vein. Bass is more to my tastes. Which doesn’t matter any when you’re fishing just for the fun of fishing, which is usually how I do it. You should try it sometime.” He looked her over slowly. “Cuttin’ loose, I mean. It’s real relaxing.”

He turned to walk away and she trotted to keep up with him. “Gabriel…Mr. Kasper…”

“Gabe will do, unless you’re thinking to ask more questions.” He said it without looking at her, determined to get away before he noticed anything about her besides her lips, which now that he’d noticed he couldn’t stop noticing, or how nicely that starched shirt was beginning to stick to her breasts in the humidity. He still couldn’t tell for sure, but he suspected a slight possibility that she was built rather nice beneath all the prim, stiff clothing. And that was the kind of suspicion that could distract a man something awful.

Only she wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted to be distracted by. She had an obvious agenda, while he avoided plans and merely enjoyed each day.

“Gabe, really, this isn’t a lengthy interview. There’s no reason for you to be coy.”

He had to laugh at that. Shaking his head, he stepped on the dock and looked at her. He could have sworn he saw another long red tress snap into a curl right before his eyes. Her whole head was beginning to look like corkscrews. Long, lazy, red corkscrews. It was kinda cute in a way… Hell, no. No, it was not cute.

“I’ve never been called coy in my life. I’m just plain not interested in that foolishness.” He skimmed off his sunglasses and hat, and placed them on his chair, then tossed a fat inflated black inner tube into the lake. “Now, I’m going to go cool off with a dip. You can either skim out of those clothes and join me before you expire from the heat, or you can go find some other fool to interview. But no more questions.” He started to turn away, but belatedly added, “Nice meeting you.” Then he dove in.

He was sure his splash got her, but he didn’t look to see. At least not at first.

She stood there for the longest time. He was strangely aware of her presence while he hoisted himself into the center of the inner tube and got comfortable. Peeking through one eye, he watched her stew in silence, then glare at him before marching off.

Finally. Let her leave.

Calling him a hero—what nonsense. His brothers were real heroes; even those kids that had kept their cool and not whined could be considered heroic little devils. But not Gabe Kasper. No, sir.

He started to relax, tipping his head into the cool water to drench his hair and lazily drifting his arms. But his neck snapped to attention when he saw Little Red stop beside Rosemary. She pointed at Gabe, then pulled out her damn notepad when Rosemary began chattering. And damn if Ceily and Darlene didn’t wander closer, taking part.

Well, hell. She was gossiping about him!

When he’d told her to interview someone else, he meant someone else who wouldn’t talk about him. Someone not on the lake. Hell, someone not even in Buckhorn—not even in Kentucky!

Rosemary’s mouth was going a mile a minute, and he could only imagine what was being said. He ground his teeth in frustration.

A couple of women in a docked boat started flirting with him, but Gabe barely noticed. He stared at Rosemary, trying to will her to clam up, but not wanting to appear too concerned about the whole thing. What was it with Red, that she’d be so damn pushy? He’d explained he wasn’t a hero, that she didn’t need him for her little survey or whatever it was she conducted. But could she let that go? Hell, no.

One of the women from the docked boat—a really nice inboard that cost more than some houses—dove in and swam over to him. Gabe sent her a distracted smile.

It was in his nature to flirt; he just couldn’t seem to help himself, and he’d never yet met a woman who minded. This particular woman didn’t. She took his smile as an invitation.

Yet anytime he’d gotten even remotely close to Red, she’d frozen up like he was a big water snake ready to take a bite. Obviously she wanted into his head, but nowhere else.

Strange woman.

She walked away from Rosemary with a friendly wave, and Gabe started to breathe a sigh of relief—until she stopped a few yards up the incline where Bear, the repairman who worked on boat engines for Rosemary, was hanging around. Gabe helped the man regularly, whenever things got too busy, but did Bear remember that now? Gabe snorted. The old whiskered cuss looked at Red warily, then glanced at Gabe, and a smile as wide as the dam spread across his wrinkled face. Just that fast, Little Red had her pencil racing across the paper again.

“Damn it.” Gabe deftly tipped the inner tube and slid over the side into the water. The sudden chill did nothing to cool his simmering temper. Keeping his gaze on the meddling female, he swam—dragging the inner tube—to the dock. But just as he reached it, so did the woman from the boat.

“Ah, now you’re not planning to leave just when I got here, are you?”

Gabe turned. He’d actually forgotten the woman, which was incredible. She stood waist deep in the shallow water and from what he could see, she was built like a Barbie doll, all long limbs and long blond hair, and so much cleavage, she fairly overflowed her skimpy bikini bra. She should have held all his attention, but instead, he’d been thoroughly distracted by an uptight, overly freckled, redheaded wonder of a woman who jumped if he even looked at her.

Gabe glanced at Red, and their gazes clashed. He’d thought to go set the little darling straight on how much prying he’d put up with, but he reconsidered.

Oh, she was in a hot temper. Her blue-eyed gaze was glued to him, and her pencil was thankfully still. It was then Gabe realized his female swimming companion had caught hold of his arm—and Red disapproved mightily. She was looking like a schoolmarm again, all rigid, her backbone straight. Well, now. That was more like it.

Gabe turned to the blonde with a huge smile. This might just turn out to be fun.

CHAPTER TWO

ELIZABETH narrowed her eyes as she watched Gabriel Kasper fairly ooze masculine charm over the woman draped at his side. And the woman was draped. Elizabeth snorted in disgust. Did all women want to hang on him? Rosemary, Darlene, Ceily and this woman. They seemed to come from all around just to coo at him. No wonder he seemed so…different from the others.

The men she’d interviewed so far had been full of ego over their heroics and more than willing to share their stories with any available ear. They were rightfully proud, considering they’d behaved in a brave, out of the ordinary way that had directly benefited the people around them. Some of them had been shy, some outrageous, but not a one of them had refused her an interview. And not a one of them had so thoroughly ignored her.

No, they’d hung on her every question, anxious to share the excitement, thrilled with her interest, but in a purely self-satisfying way. They certainly hadn’t been distracted with her as a woman, eyeing her up and down the way Gabriel Kasper had. She wondered if he thought she was stupid, or just naive, considering the way he’d looked at her, like he thought she wouldn’t notice just because he wore sunglasses. Not likely! She’d felt his gaze like a tactile stroke, and it had unnerved her. The average man just didn’t look at her that way, and men like Gabe never gave her a thought.

But then Gabe had dismissed her, and that she was more than used to. Except with the heroes she’d interviewed, the men who wanted their unique stories told.

Damn, Mr. Kasper was an enigma.

“Don’t mind that none, miss. Gabe always gets more’n his share of notice from the fillies.”

Elizabeth snapped her attention to Bear. His name suited him, she thought, as she looked way, way up into his grizzled face. “I beg your pardon?”

He nodded toward the docks, where Gabe and the woman were chatting cozily. Elizabeth curled her lip. It was disgusting for a woman to put on such an absurd display, especially right out in the open like that. And for Gabe to encourage her so… Good grief, he had a responsibility to the community as a role model after all the attention they’d given him.

“Has he acted any different since becoming a town hero?” During her research, Elizabeth had discovered that people heralded for valor quickly adapted to all the fanfare and added interest thrown their way.

Bear chuckled. “Not Gabe. Truth is, folks in these parts have pretty much always looked up to him and his brothers. I don’t think anyone doubted Gabe would do something once he noticed what had happened. Any one of his brothers would have done the same.”

“He mentioned his brothers. Can you tell me something about them?”

“Be glad to!” Bear mopped a tattered bandanna around his face, then stuck it in his back pocket. “The oldest brother, Sawyer, is the town doc, and a damn good one to boot. He takes care of everyone from the newborns to the elders. Got hisself married to Honey, a real sweet little woman, about a year back. And that cut his patient load down considerable like. Seems some of the womenfolk coming to see him weren’t really sick, just ambitious.”

Bear grinned, but Elizabeth shook her head in exasperation.

“Right after Sawyer is Morgan, the sheriff, who generally looks like he just crawled right off a cactus, but he’s as nice as they come as long as you stay on his good side.” He leaned close to whisper, “And folks in these parts definitely stay on his good side.”

“Lovely.” Elizabeth tried to picture these two respectable men related to Gabe, who looked like a beach bum, but she couldn’t quite manage it.

“Morgan up and married Honey’s sister, Misty, just a bit after Sawyer married. He smiles more these days—that is, when she doesn’t have him in a temper. She does seem to enjoy riling that boy.”

It was a sure sign of Bear’s age that he’d call a man older than Gabe a boy.

“Then there’s Jordan, the best damn vet Buckhorn County has to offer. He can sing to an animal, and damned if it won’t sing back! That man can charm a bird out of a tree or lull an ornery mule asleep. He’s still a bachelor.”

Good grief. Elizabeth could do no more than blink. Doctor, sheriff, vet. It was certainly an impressive family. “What does Gabe do for a living?”

Bear scratched beneath his chin, thinking, and then he looked away. “Thing is, Gabe’s the youngest, and he don’t yet know what it is he wants to do. Mostly he’s a handyman, sort of a jack-of-all-trades. That boy can do just about anything with his hands. He’s—”

“He doesn’t have a job?” Elizabeth didn’t mean to sound so shocked, but Rosemary had told her Gabe was twenty-seven years old, and to Elizabeth’s mind, that was plenty old enough to have figured out your life’s ambition.

“Well…”

She shook her head, cutting off whatever lame excuses Bear was prepared to make. “I got the impression from a few things Rosemary said that he worked here.”

A cold, wet hand clamped onto her shoulder, and Elizabeth jumped, then whirled to see Gabe, dripping lake water, standing right behind her. His grin wasn’t pleasant, and she wished that she hadn’t gotten engrossed in what Bear had to say, that she’d kept at least part of her attention on Gabe.

She looked around him, but his newest female companion was nowhere to be found. Which, she supposed, accounted for his presence. Surely if any other woman was available he’d still be ignoring her.

Gabe nodded to Bear, more or less dismissing him, then pulled Elizabeth around and started walking a few feet away. In a voice that only barely bordered on cordial, he said, “Well, Miss Nosy, I do work here, but I’m not employed here. There’s a definite difference. And from now on, I’d appreciate it if you kept your questions to yourself. I don’t much like people prying into my personal life, especially when I already told ’em not to.”

Elizabeth gulped. No amount of forced pleasantness could mask his irritation. She tried to inch away from his hot, controlling grasp, but he wasn’t letting go. So she simply stopped.

Gabe turned to face her. They were once again standing in the bright sun, on a gravel drive that declined down the slight hill, used to launch boats into the lake. The glare off the white gravel was blinding. She had to shield her eyes with one hand while balancing her notepad, pen and purse with the other. Looking directly at him both flustered and annoyed her. He was an incredibly…potent male, no denying that. Standing there in nothing more than wet, worn, faded cutoffs—and those hanging entirely too low on his lean hips—he was a devastatingly masculine sight. A sparse covering of light brown hair, damp from his swim, laid over solid muscles in his chest and down his abdomen, then swirled around his navel. He was deeply tanned, his legs long, his big feet bare. He seemed impervious to the sharp gravel and the hot sun. And as she watched, his arms crossed over his chest.

“You be sure and let me know when you’re done looking so I can finish telling you what I think of your prying ways.”

The heat that washed over her face had nothing to do with the summer sun and everything to do with humiliation.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that you don’t look like the other men.”

He sighed dramatically. “I take it we’re talking about the other supposed heroes?”

“Yes.”

“And how did they look?”

Elizabeth hesitated, wondering how to explain it. She couldn’t just say they had all been fully dressed, because thinking it made her blush more. At the moment, Gabe Kasper looked more naked than not, and even the jean shorts didn’t help, considering they were soaked and clinging to his hard thighs, to his… Don’t go there.

She cleared her throat. “They were all more…serious. They have careers they take great pride in, and they enjoyed telling their stories.”

“But I told you, I don’t have a story to tell.”

“Your friends disagree.”

His arms dropped and he scowled at her. Strangely, Elizabeth noticed he was watching her mouth instead of looking into her eyes. It made it easier for her because staring directly at him kept her edgy for some reason. There was so much expression in his eyes, as if he wasn’t just looking at her, but really seeing her. It was an unusual experience for her.

But with him looking at her mouth, she felt nervous in a different way, and without thinking, she licked her lips. His gaze shot to hers, and he stared, eyes narrowed, for two heartbeats while she held her breath and felt faint for some stupid reason. She gulped air and fanned her burning face.

Relaxing slightly, he shook his head, then said, “Look, Lizzy—”

“Don’t call me that. My name is Elizabeth.”

“And as long you’re disregarding my wishes, I think I’ll just disregard yours. Besides, Lizzy sorta suits you. It sounds like the proper name for a red-haired girl.”

Elizabeth wanted to smack him. But since he’d come right out and all but admitted he wanted to annoy her, she decided to deny him the satisfaction. When she remained silent, he smiled, then continued. “This is all foolishness. Now I’m asking you nicely to let it drop.”

“I can’t. I’ve decided you’ll make a really good contrast to the other men in my study. See, you’re very different, and I can’t, in good conscience, leave out such an important factor in my study. In order for the study to be accurate, I need to take data from every angle—”

He raised a hand, looking annoyed enough for his head to explode. “Enough of that already. This is your summer break, right?”

She watched him cautiously. “Yes.”

“So why work so damn hard on summer break? Why not just cut loose a little and have some fun before going back to school?” He looked her over again and judging by the tightness of his mouth and the expression in his eyes, obviously found her lacking. “You’re so prissed up, you have to be sweltering. No one puts on that many clothes in this heat.”

Her shoulders were so stiff they hurt, and her stomach was churning. How dare he attack her on such a personal level? “Obviously someone does. I consider my dress totally appropriate.”

“Appropriate to what?”

“To interviewing a hero.”

His head dropped forward and he groaned. “You are the most stubbornest damn woman....”

“Me? You’re the one who refuses to answer a few simple questions.”

Their voices had risen and Gabe, with a heartfelt sigh, took her arm again and started farther up the gravel drive.

“Where are we going?” She had a vague image of him dragging her off and wringing her neck. Even a hero could only be pushed so far, and with the way everyone worshiped him, she didn’t think she’d get much help.

“We’re drawing attention and it isn’t the kind of attention I like.”

With a sneer she couldn’t quite repress, she asked, “You mean it isn’t purely female?”

Glancing her way, he grinned. “That’s right.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

“Here we go. Have a seat.”

Luckily, this time it wasn’t a root he wanted to perch her on. The rough wooden picnic table was located beneath a tree—not an elm—and though it was partially covered with dried leaves, acorns and twigs, it was at least shaded.

Elizabeth had barely gotten herself settled before Gabe blurted, “Okay, what is it going to take to get you to back off?”

He wanted to bargain with her? Surprised, but also hopeful because she really did want to add his story to the others—he was proving to be the exception that broke the hero mold she’d mentally formed—Elizabeth carefully considered her answer. Finally, she said, “If you’d just answer five questions…”

“I’ll answer one. But it’ll cost you.”

Her relief died a short death. “How much? I have a job, but it’s barely enough to pay my tuition so I couldn’t offer you anything significant—”

He looked so totally and utterly appalled, she knew she’d misunderstood. His expression said so, but in case she hadn’t caught on, he leaned close, caging her in with one arm on the picnic table, the other on her shoulder, and said through his teeth, “You actually think I’d take money from you?”

Elizabeth tried leaning back, but she didn’t have much room to maneuver, not without toppling over. “You…you said you don’t have a job.”

“Wrong.” He looked ready to do that neck wringing she’d worried about. “I said I’m not employed here. For your information, Red, I more than pay my own way. Not that my financial situation is any business of yours.”

“But…” It was one of the questions in her survey, though luckily this time she had the good sense to forfeit it. “Of course not. I didn’t mean to suggest—”

“If you want me to answer a question, you’ll have to loosen up. And before you start widening those big blue eyes at me again, I’m not suggestin’ an illicit affair.”

Her heart almost stopped, but for the life of her she wasn’t entirely sure if it was relief or disappointment she felt. No one had ever offered her an illicit affair, and the idea held a certain amount of appeal. Not that she’d ever accept, of course, but still… “What, exactly, are you suggesting?”

“A swim. In the lake. Me and you.”

The big green murky lake behind her? The lake he’d pulled that enormous fish out of—then thrown it back so it was still in there? The lake where any number of things could be living? Never mind that she didn’t even own a bathing suit, the thought of getting into that lake positively terrified her. Hoping against hope, she said, “I don’t understand.”

“It’s easy, Lizzy. I want you here tomorrow, same time, wearing a swimsuit instead of all that armor. And I want you to relax with me, to take a nice leisurely swim. Maybe if you loosen up a bit, I won’t even mind so much answering a question for you.”

To make certain she understood before she agreed to anything, she asked, “And in exchange, you’ll answer my questions?”

“No, I’ll answer one question. Just one. Any question you like. You can even make notes in that damn little book of yours.” He eyed her mouth again, then shook his head. “And who knows, if all goes well, maybe we can work out another deal.”

“For another question?”

He shrugged, looking reluctant but strangely resigned.

Elizabeth had the sneaking suspicion he was trying to bluff her, to force her to back out. But she was fascinated. Such unusual behavior for a hero! She could almost imagine the response she’d get from this thesis—if anyone even believed it. But there had to be some redeeming information there, something that would make her research all that more complete, valuable and applicable.

In the end, there was really only one decision she could make. She held out her hand, and after a moment, Gabe took it.

His hand was so large, so tanned. And he felt hot. She gulped, shored up her courage, and with a smile that almost hurt, she said, “Deal.”

HE COULDN’T BELIEVE he was running late.

If anything, he’d planned to be on the dock, sunning himself, a man without a care, when she arrived. Truth was, he felt strangely anxious. He grinned at the novelty of it.

“You’ve been doing a lot of that this morning.”

Gabe turned to his brother Sawyer. “What?”

“Smiling like a fool.”

“Maybe I have good reason.”

“And what would that be?”

“None of your business.” Gabe, still grinning, finished running caulk around the windowpane then wiped his hands on a small towel. “That should do you, Sawyer. From now on, don’t let kids play baseball in your office, hear?”

Honey hustled up to his side with a tall glass of iced tea. Bless her, he did like all the doting she felt compelled to do. Having a sister-in-law was a right nice thing. “Thanks, Honey.”

“What are you so happy about, Gabe?”

Uh oh. He glanced at Sawyer, saw his smirk and concentrated on drinking his tea. Sawyer knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t even consider telling Honey to mind her own business. By virtue of being female, she was due all the respect his brothers didn’t warrant. He just naturally tempered himself around women—well, all but Red. She seemed to bring out the oddest reactions from him. Damned if he wasn’t looking forward to seeing her again.

What would she look like in a bikini?

“There he goes, grinning again.”

“Actually,” Gabe said, ignoring his brother, “I was just thinking of a woman.” That was true enough, and not at all uncommon. In fact, Honey gave him a fond look of indulgence, patted his shoulder, then went to her husband’s side. Sawyer sure was a lucky cuss. Honey was a sexy little woman—not that he thought of her that way, her being in the family and all. But he wasn’t blind. She was a real looker, and best of all, she loved his brother to distraction.

Sawyer gave a grievous sigh. “He’s in lust again. Just look at him.”

That drew Gabe up short. Lust? Hell, no, he didn’t feel lust for Little Red. Amusement maybe, because she was unaccountably funny with her freckles and her red corkscrew curls that hung all the way down to her fanny.

And frustration, because she simply had no idea how to accept no for an answer and she trussed herself up in those schoolmarm clothes, to the point a guy couldn’t even tell what he was seeing.

Maybe even annoyance, because her stubbornness rivaled his brother Morgan’s, and that was saying a mouthful. But not lust.

He grunted, earning an odd look from Sawyer.

His invitation for a swim was simply his way of keeping the upper hand. And thinking that, he said to Sawyer, “If a funny little red-haired woman tries to talk to you about me, don’t tell her a damn thing, okay?”

Sawyer and Honey blinked at him in confusion, but he didn’t bother to explain. He hurried off. Knowing Red, if he was too late, she’d give up on him and go home. She wasn’t the type of woman who’d wait around, letting a guy think she’d be happy to see him when he did show up. No, Red would probably get her back all stiff and go off asking questions of every available body in the area.

And he really didn’t want anyone filling her head with that nonsense about heroes. Best that he talked to her himself. And that was another reason he’d engineered the date. No, take that back. Not a date. An appointment. Yeah, that sounded better. He’d arranged an appointment so that at least she’d get her stupid story straight.

Hell, he had plenty of reasons for seeing her again, and none of them were about lust.

He did wonder what she’d look like in a bikini, though.

SHE WAS STILL in full armor.

Gabe frowned as he climbed out of his car and started down the hill. Judging by the color of that long braid hanging almost to the dock, the woman with her back to him was one Miss Elizabeth Parks. And she wasn’t wearing a bikini. He consoled himself with the fact that at least she was waiting for him. There was a certain amount of masculine satisfaction in that.

The second he stepped on the dock, she turned her head. He noticed then that she was sitting cross-legged instead of dangling her feet in the water. She had her shoes and frilly little white socks on. Socks in this heat? He stopped and frowned at her. “Where’s your swimsuit?”

She frowned right back. “I have it on under my dress. Surely you didn’t think I’d drive here in it? And you’re late.”

She turned away and with her elbows on her knees, propped her chin on a fist and stared at the lake.

Gabe surveyed her stiff back and slowly approached. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect of her, so he said carefully, “I’m glad you waited.”

With a snort, she answered, “You made it a part of the deal. If I want to ask you one measly question, I had to be here.” She waved a dismissive hand. “I figured you’d show up sooner or later.”

Not exactly the response he’d hoped for. In fact, she’d taken all the fun out of finding her still here. “Well, skin out of those clothes then, so we can get in. It’s hot enough to send a lizard running for shade. That water’s going to feel good.”

She didn’t look at all convinced. Peering at him with one eye scrunched against the sunshine and her small pointed nose wrinkled, she said, “The thing is, I’m not at all keen on doing that.”

“What?”

“The swimsuit thing. I’ve never had much reason to swim, and this boat dock is pretty crowded....”

“You want privacy?” Now why did that idea intrigue him? But it was a good idea, not because he’d be alone with her. No, that had nothing to do with it. But that way, if she asked her dumb hero question, no one else would be around to contradict him.

He liked that idea. “We can take a fishing boat back to a cove. No one’s there, at least, not close. There might be a few fishermen trolling by, or the occasional skier, but they won’t get near enough to shore to look you over too good.” He gave her a crooked grin. “Your modesty will be preserved.” Except from me.

Her face colored. “It’s not that I think I’d draw much attention, you understand. It’s just not something I’m used to.”

With the way she managed to cover herself from shins to throat, he didn’t doubt it. “No problem. The cove is real peaceful. I swim there all the time. Come on.” He reached down a hand for her, trying not to look as excited as he suddenly felt. “Do you know how to swim?”

She ignored his hand and lumbered to her feet, dusting off her bottom as she did so. “Not really.”

Rather than let her get to him, he dropped his hand and pretended it didn’t matter. But he couldn’t recall ever having such a thing happen in his entire life, and he knew right then and there he didn’t like it worth a damn. “Then you’ll need a flotation belt. There’s some in the boat. You got a towel?”

“My stuff is there.” She pointed to the shore where a large colorful beach towel, a floppy brimmed hat and a pair of round, blue-lens sunglasses had been tossed. Next to the pile was her infamous notepad, which made him frown.

Gabe had his towel slung around his neck, his mirrored glasses already in place and his hat on backward. He carried a stocked cooler in his free hand. “Let’s go.”

He led her to a small metal fishing boat, then despite her efforts to step around him, helped her inside. The boat swayed, and she nearly lost her balance. She would have fallen overboard if he hadn’t held on to her.

He managed not to smirk.

He tossed her stuff in to her, then said, “Take a seat up front and put on a belt. If you fall in, it’ll keep you from drowning until I can fish you out.”

“Like you did the carp?”

Her teasing smile made his stomach tighten. “Naw, I kissed the fish and threw him back in for luck.” He glanced at her, then added, “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Her owl-eyed expression showed her confusion. Let her wonder if he meant he wouldn’t kiss her or he wouldn’t throw her back. Maybe keeping her guessing would take some of the edge off her cockiness. He hid his satisfaction as he stepped into the boat and tilted the motor into the water. He braced his feet apart, gave the rip cord a tug, and the small trolling motor hummed to life.

After seating himself comfortably, he said, “We won’t break any speed records, but the ride’ll be smooth.”

“Is this your boat?”

“Naw. Belongs to Rosemary. But she lets me use it whenever I want.”

“Because you do work around the dock for her?”

Tendrils of hair escaped her long thick braid and whipped into her face. She held them back with one hand while she watched him. The dress she wore was made like a tent—no shape at all. From what he could see, it pulled on over her head, without a button or zipper or tie anywhere to be found. The neck was rounded and edged with lace, and the sleeves were barely there. But at least it was a softer material, something kind of like a T-shirt, and a pale yellow that complemented her red hair and bright blue eyes.

Gabe pulled himself away from that distraction and reminded himself that lust had nothing to do with his motivation today. He smiled at her. “Is that your question?”

“What?”

“Your one allotted question. You want to know about me working at the boat dock?”

Her frown was fierce. “Just making conversation.”

“Uh-huh. You know what I think? I think you figured you’d sneak a whole bunch of questions in on me and I wouldn’t notice.”

She bit her lips and looked away. Gabe couldn’t help but laugh out loud, it was so obvious she’d been caught. Damn, but she was a surprise. She sat there with her little feet pressed primly together—those damn lacy ankle socks somehow looking kind of sexy all of a sudden—while her snowy white sneakers got damp with the water in the bottom of the boat. Her hands were clasped together in her lap, holding onto her big floppy hat, her eyes squinted against the wind and sun. Her freckles were even more noticeable out here on the lake. She wasn’t exactly what you’d call a pretty woman, certainly not a bombshell like Sawyer’s Honey or Morgan’s Misty. But there was definitely something about her....

“Where are we going?”

She sat facing him in the boat, so he pointed behind her to where the land stretched out and the only living things in sight were a few cows grazing along the shoreline. The man-made lake was long and narrow, shaped a lot like a river with vacation cabins squeezed into tight rows along both sides. Several little fingers of water stretched out to form small coves here and there, only a few of which were still owned by farmers and hadn’t been taken over by developers. The land Gabe lived on with his brothers had a cove like that, a narrow extension of the main lake, almost entirely cut off from the boating traffic since it was so shallow. But it made for great swimming and fishing, which was what the brothers used it for.

Though they didn’t have any cows there, it was peaceful and natural and they loved it, refusing to sell no matter how many times they were asked and regardless of the offer. They jointly owned a lot of property, and in two spots runoff from the main lake had formed a smaller lake and a pond. Gabe intended to build a house on that site some day.

“We’re going there?” Lizzy asked, interrupting his thoughts. She sounded horrified.

Gabe bobbed an eyebrow. “It’s real private.”

“Are the cows friendly?”

“Most bovines are. You just don’t want to walk behind them.”

“They kick?”

She sounded appalled again, so he had to really struggle to keep from laughing. “Nope. But you have to be real careful where you step.”

“Oh.”

Slowing the motor, Gabe let the boat glide forward until they’d rounded the cove and nudged as far inside as possible. Someone in years past had installed a floating dock, but it had definitely seen better days. It tended to list to one side, with three corners out of the water and one corner under, covered by moss. But at least it was a good six feet square and didn’t sink if you climbed on it.

Gabe threw a rope around a metal cleat on the side of the dock. It was strange, but his heart was already pounding like mad—he had no idea why—and he had to force himself to speak calmly.

He looked at her, saw her shy, averted gaze and felt the wild thrum of excitement. He swallowed hard. “This is as far as we get, so you can skin out of that dress now.”

She peeked at him, then away. “Why don’t you go ahead and get in, then I’ll…inch my way in?”

“Have you ever driven a boat?”

“No.”

“Do you know how to start it?”

She glanced dubiously at the pull start for the motor, then shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

He nodded. “So at least I know you’re not plotting on getting me overboard then taking off.”

Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t do that.” She chewed her lip, looking undecided, then admitted, “It’s just that I hadn’t figured on how to go about stripping off my clothes out here in the open.”

“With me and the cows watching?”

“Right.”

He could have offered a few suggestions, but that would be crass. Besides, he was afraid his suggestions would offend her. Likely they would.

Oh, hell, he knew damn good and well they would.

“All right. I’ll turn my back. But don’t take too long. You can put your folded things on the cooler so they won’t get wet.” Before he could change his mind, he turned his back, stepped on a seat and dove in. He heard her squeal as the small boat rocked wildly.

The water was shallow, so he made the dive straight out, and seconds later his head broke the water. He could easily stand, so he waded to the dock, keeping his head averted, then rested his folded arms over the edge of the aged wood. He could hear her undressing.

“The water feels great.” His voice shook, damn it.

“It’s…green.”

He cleared his throat. “Because of the moss.” She probably had her shoes off already, and those ridiculous, frilly, feminine little socks that looked like they’d come from a fetish catalogue, though he doubted she knew it. He pictured her wearing those socks—and nothing else. The picture was vague because he had no idea what the hell her body looked like, but the thought still excited him. Dumb.

Did she only have on the dress, or was she wearing other stuff over her suit? He cleared his throat and mustered his control. “Aren’t you done yet?”

“Well…yeah.”

His head snapped around, and he stared. She stood there, pale slender arms folded over her middle, long legs pressed together, shoulders squared as if in challenge. And her suit wasn’t a bikini, not that it mattered one little bit.

“Damn, woman.” The words were a choked whisper, hot and touched with awe. It felt like his eyes bugged out of his head.

She shifted nervously, uncrossing and recrossing her arms, taking her weight from one foot to the other, making the supple muscles in her calves and thighs move seductively.

Gabe had no idea if she blushed or not because he couldn’t get his gaze off her body and onto her face.

The one-piece suit was simple, a pale lime green, and it covered enough skin to make a grandma happy. But what it left uncovered…

Her plump breasts made his mouth water with the instinct of Pavlov’s dog. High, round…he wondered for a single heartbeat if they were real or enhanced. He stared, hard, unaware of her discomfort, her uncertainty. Nothing in the suit suggested it capable of that incredible support. There were no underwires, no lined bra cups. The suit was a sleek, simple design, and it hugged her like her own skin.

The visible outline of soft nipples drew him, making his imagination go wild. He wanted to see them tight and puckered, straining for his mouth.

Breathing deeply, he traced her body with his gaze, to the shaping of her rib cage, the indention of a navel, the rounded slope of her mound.

Heat rolled through him, making his nostrils flare. He could easily picture her naked, and did so, tormenting himself further.

Surely even the cows were agog. She had the most symmetrically perfect feminine body he’d ever seen, and the lake water no longer felt so cool. His sex grew thick and heavy, hot. It was unexpected, this instantaneous reaction he had to her. Women didn’t affect him this way. He’d learned control early on and hadn’t had an unwanted erection since his teens. He chose when to be involved; he did not get sucked into a vortex of lust!

But there was no denying what he felt at this moment. It annoyed him, with himself, not her. She did nothing to entice him, other than to stand there and let him look his fill.

Just as he’d suspected, her freckles decorated other parts of her body, not just her face. Her shoulders were lightly sprinkled with them—and her thighs. His heartbeat lost its even rhythm. Damn. He hadn’t known freckles could be so incredibly sexy.

One thing was certain, he was sure glad he’d brought her here so that every guy on the lake wasn’t able to gawk at her.

Hell, he was doing enough gawking for all of them.

Pulling himself together, he cleared his throat again and looked at her face. Her head was down, her long braid hanging over a shoulder, touching a hipbone. He bit his lip, feeling the heavy thumping of his heart, the tautness of his muscles. “Lizzy?”

Her arms tightened around herself. “Hmm?”

Belatedly he understood her anxiety at being on display. He felt like a jerk, and tried for a teasing tone despite the urgency hammering through him. “You comin’ in or not?”

“Do I get a choice?”

He didn’t hesitate. “No.”

Slowly her gaze lifted to his. “You’d better be worth this.”

Oh, he’d show her just how worthwhile he could— No, wait. Wrong thought. He hadn’t brought her here for that. He’d brought her here to convince her to forget about her silly ideas of heroism.

He scowled with determination, but his carnal thoughts seemed less and less wrong with every second she stood there, her small body the epitome of sexual temptation. He unglued his tongue and said, “Come on. Quit stalling.”

She licked her lips and he groaned, practically feeling the stroke of her small pink tongue.

She glared at him suspiciously, then looked over the side of the boat, looked at him and licked her lips again. “How?”

Without even thinking about it, he found himself wading to the boat, holding up his arms and inviting her into them.

And just like that, she closed her eyes, muttered a quiet prayer and fell in against him.

CHAPTER THREE

GABE FOUND his arms filled with warm, soft woman. It wasn’t the first time, of course, but it sure felt different from any other time. Unexpectedly, her scent surrounded him. Lizzy smelled sweet, with a unique hint of musk that pulled at him. Her fingers were tight in his hair, her arms wrapped around his head in a death grip. His mind went almost blank. He could feel her firm, rounded bottom against his right forearm where he’d instinctively hooked her closer, to keep her from falling when she’d jumped in against him. His left arm was around her narrow waist, his large hand splayed wide so that his fingers spanned her back.

More momentous than that, though, was the fact that his face was pressed between her breasts. They certainly felt real enough. Jolted by the sexual press of her body, he froze, not even breathing. She was wrapped around him like a vine, but she didn’t seem to notice the intimacy of their position.

Gabe noticed. Damn, but he noticed.

He shifted the tiniest bit so that his hand could cuddle a full, round cheek, and felt the shock of the touch all the way to his throbbing groin. She panted, but not with excitement.

“Lizzy?” His voice was muffled, thanks to having his face buried in lush breasts. His hand on her bottom continued to caress her, almost with a will of its own.

Her arms tightened, her legs shifting to move around his hips in a jerky, desperate attempt to get closer to him. The movement brought the open, hot juncture of her thighs against his abdomen, and he sucked in a startled, strangled breath. If they were naked, if he slipped her down just a few inches, he could be inside her.

He was losing his grip on propriety real fast.

“Lizzy,” he said, speaking low to keep from jarring her, “you’re afraid of the water?”

Her growled, “No…yes,” almost made him smile. Even now, she tried to hide behind her prickly pride.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing in here to bother you.” Nothing but him, only she didn’t need to know that.

“I’ve never…never swam in a lake before.”

Her lips were right above his ear. She sounded breathless, and her voice trembled. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he crooned, and then, because he couldn’t help himself, he turned his face slightly and nuzzled his nose against the plump, firm curve of her breast.

She screamed, making his ears ring. In the next instant, she launched herself out of his arms and thrashed her way wildly to the floating dock. The back view of her awkward, hasty climb from the water didn’t do a thing to cool his libido. She seemed to be all long legs and woman softness and enticing freckles. The suit, now wet, was even more revealing. Not more revealing than a bikini, but that didn’t seem to matter to his heated libido. He watched her huddle on the dock, wrapping her arms around herself, then hurriedly survey the water.

He owed her an apology. That made him disgruntled enough to grouse, “I’ll be deaf for an hour. You screech like a wet hen.”

Lizzy shook her head, and her teeth chattered. “Something touched me. Something brushed against my leg!”

Gabe stalled. So she hadn’t screamed over his forwardness? From the looks of her, he thought, seeing how wild-eyed she appeared, she probably hadn’t even noticed that he was turned on, that he’d been attempting to kiss her breast. Making a small sound of exasperation, Gabe said, “It was probably just a fish.”

She shuddered in visible horror. “What kind of fish?”

He looked around, peering through the water, which was stirred up from her churning retreat. “There.” Pointing, he indicated a small silvery fish pecking at bubbles on the surface of the lake.

Lizzy carefully leaned forward on her hands and knees, making her breasts sway beneath the wet green suit. “Is it a baby?”

He kept his gaze glued to her body. His tongue felt thick and his jaw tight. “No. A bluegill. They don’t get much bigger than that.”

Her gaze lifted and met his, forcing him to stop staring at her body. “What’d you expect,” he asked, “Jaws?”

Her face heated. To Gabe, she looked sexy and enticing and adorable, perched on the edge of the floating dock, her bottom in the air, her eyes wide and her cheeks rosy. Her brows angled. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Nope.” He waded over to her then leaned on his forearms. No way could he join her on the dock. His wet cutoffs wouldn’t do much to hide his erection. “I didn’t realize you were afraid of the water,” he told her gently. “You should have said something.”

After a deep breath, she sat back. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “I was embarrassed,” she admitted with a sideways look at him. “I hate being cowardly.”

“It’s not cowardly to be unsure of things you’re not familiar with.”

“Will you still answer my question?”

Annoyed that she wouldn’t forget her purpose for even a minute, he shrugged. “Get it over with.”

Her blue eyes lit with excitement, and she dropped her arms to lean toward him. Her nipples, he couldn’t help noticing, were long and pointed.

She smiled. “What were you thinking when you went into the water to save those kids?”

“Thinking?”

“Yes. You saw they were in trouble, and you wanted to help. What did you think about? How you’d get them out, the danger, that your own life wasn’t important…”

“Oh, for pity’s sake. It wasn’t anything like that.” Forgetting that he needed to stay in the water, he levered himself up beside her on the dock in one fluid movement. The dock bobbed, making her gasp and flatten her hands on the wood for balance. Water sluiced off his body as he dropped next to her then shook his head like a wet dog. Lizzy made a grab for him to keep from getting knocked in, but she released him just as quickly and frowned at him.

“So what was it like?”

He leaned back on his elbows and surveyed the bright sun, the cloudless sky. “Hell, I don’t know. I didn’t think anything. I saw the boat, saw the kids—and just reacted.” Before she could say anything about that, he added, “Anyone would have done the same.”

“No one did do the same. Only you.”

He shrugged. “I’d already gone in. There was no reason for anyone else to.”

“You were quicker to react.”

“Maybe I just noticed the problem first.”

When she shifted to face him, Gabe again eyed her breasts. He felt obsessed. Would her nipples be pink or a rosy brown?

She touched his arm. “Were you afraid?”

Annoyed by her persistence, he leaned back on the dock, covering his eyes with a forearm. “That’s another question.” Gabe wondered if she even realized he was male. He had a raging hard-on, he’d been staring at her breasts with enough intensity to set her little red head on fire, and she hadn’t even noticed. He snorted. Or maybe she just didn’t care. Maybe she found him so lacking, so unappealing, he could be naked and it wouldn’t affect her.

Her small hand smacked against his shoulder. “Not fair! You didn’t even really answer the first question.”

He lowered his arm enough to glare at her. “You didn’t really swim, so we’re even.”

Mulish determination set her features, then she turned to the water. Distaste and fear stiffened her shoulders and, amazed, Gabe realized she was going to get in.

“Lizzy…” He reached for her shoulder.

“If a snake eats me, it’ll be on your head!” She stuck a toe in the water.

Smiling, Gabe pulled her back. “All right. I’ll answer your question.”

The tension seemed to melt right out of her. “You will?”

He sighed long and loud to let her know she was a pest. Yeah, right. “It beats seeing that look of terror on your face.” He flicked her nose as he said it, to let her know he was teasing.

She paid him no mind, speaking to herself in a mumble. “I wish I had my notebook.”

Gabe came to his knees, caught the line holding the boat secure and pulled it in. It was a stretch, but he was able to reach her bag and hand it to her. “There you go.”

Her smile was beatific. “Thank you.”

He gave her a gentlemanly nod. She didn’t notice his body, but at least she appreciated his manners. “No problem. Not that I can tell you anything interesting enough to write down.”

The look of concentration on her face as she pulled out her notepad told him she disagreed. Gabe thought how cute she was when she went all serious and sincere.

Not that a cute, redheaded virago should have interested him. Beyond making him unaccountably hot, that was.

Nose wrinkled against the glare of the sun, she looked at him and said, “I’m ready.”

She looked ready, he thought, unable to keep his mind focused on the fact that he wasn’t interested. Posed on the dock as she was, she made a fetching picture. Her long legs were folded to the side in the primmest manner possible, given her body was more bare than not. She tilted her head and pursed her lips in serious cogitation. The bright sunshine glinted off her hair, showing different colored strands of gold and amber and bronze. Midway down, her braid was darker from being wet, and it rested, heavy and thick, along her side. Her skin shone with a fine mist of sweat, intensifying her sweet scent so that with every small breeze he breathed her in.

His skin felt too hot, but not because of the sun.

Gabe wondered what she’d do if he eased her backward and covered her with his body. Would she scream again? He groaned, causing her to lift one brow. She hadn’t screamed last time because of him. No, she hadn’t even noticed his attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Other than the fact he was attracted to a woman who shouldn’t have appealed to him and didn’t return the favor? He groaned again. “Not a thing.” Once again he reclined on the small dock, crossing his arms behind his head. He was too long for the thing, so he let his knees stick over the side and hung his feet in the water. “Let’s see. What did I think? Well, I cursed. I know that.”

Pencil to paper, she asked, “What did you say?”

“It’s not something to be repeated in front of a lady.”

“Oh. I understand.”

She scribbled quickly across her paper, making Gabe curious. But he already knew she wasn’t about to reveal her words to him. “Thing is,” he admitted, “I don’t really remember thinking anything. I saw the kids and the woman, saw the boat, and I just dove in. I knew they could get hurt, and I knew I could help.” He shrugged, not looking at her. “It’s no more complicated than that.”

“So,” she said, her eyes narrowed in thoughtful speculation, “your heroism was instinctive, like a basic part of you?”

“It wasn’t heroism, damn it, but yeah, I guess it was instinctive to just dive in and do what I could.”

“Did you even think about the danger to yourself?”

Here he was, Gabe thought, lounging in front of her, half naked, and she hadn’t even looked at him once. He knew, because he’d been watching her, waiting to see what she’d do when she saw he was aroused. She’d barely noticed him at all except to give him her disapproving looks.

It nettled him that she was on this ridiculous hero kick. He was a man, same as any other, but that obviously didn’t interest her at all. He wanted her interest, though he shouldn’t have. But looking at her made him forget that she wasn’t his type, that he didn’t care what she thought, that he was only here today on a lark, as a way to pass the time and have some fun.

He wasn’t used to a woman being totally oblivious to his masculinity, and he damn sure didn’t like it.

He wouldn’t, in fact, tolerate it.

Speaking in a low, deliberately casual tone, he reminded her, “That’s another question. I told you I’d answer one.”

“But…”

“We could make another deal.” He closed his eyes as he said it, as if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. The ensuing silence was palpable. He felt the dock rock the tiniest bit and knew she was shifting. In nervousness? In annoyance? If he looked at her, he’d be able to read the emotions in her big blue eyes. But he didn’t want to see if it was only frustration that lit her gaze. He waited, held his breath.

And finally she said, “All right. What deal?”

He opened his eyes and pinned her, his heart pumping hard, his muscles twitching. “I’ll answer another question—for a kiss.”

She blinked at him, her long, gold-tipped lashes lazily drifting down and up again, as if she couldn’t quite believe what he’d said. “A kiss?”

“Mm.” He pointed to his mouth. His gaze never left her face, watching her closely. Anticipation, thick and electric, hummed in his veins. “Right here, right now. One question, one kiss.”

She shifted again. The lake was still, the only sounds those of a cow occasionally bawling or the soft splash of a frog close to shore. Lizzy nibbled her lips—lush, wet lips. Her gaze, bright and direct, never left his face. She drew a deep breath that made her breasts strain against the clinging material of the suit.

Her blue eyes darkened and her words, soft and uncertain, made him jerk in response.

“What…” she whispered, her breath catching before she cleared her throat and started again. “What if I kiss you twice?”

AT LEAST he was smooth-shaven today, Elizabeth thought as she watched Gabe’s face, saw his eyes glitter and grow intent. She felt tense from her toes to her eyebrows, struggling endlessly to keep her gaze on his face and off his lean, muscled body. He was by far the most appealing man she’d ever known—and the most maddening.

When he continued to watch her, his eyes heavier, the blue so hot they looked electric, she made a sound of impatience. “Well?”

In husky tones, he asked, “Two kisses, hm?”

Much more and she’d be racing for the shore. She couldn’t take his intensity, the way he stared at her, stroked her with his gaze. Her breasts felt full, her belly sweetly pulled with some indefinable ache. What could he possibly hope to gain with his present attitude? She didn’t for a minute think he was actually attracted to her. For one thing, men simply didn’t pay that much attention to her. More often than not, she could be invisible for all the notice they took. Secondly, she still remembered his reaction when they’d met. Gabriel Kasper had found her amusing, annoying and, judging by the way he’d looked her over, totally unappealing.

Perhaps, she continued to reason, he only hoped to intimidate her! That would certainly make sense. She swallowed hard and refused to back down. She needed his knowledge. She craved the information that would make her understand what special qualities created a hero. Or a heroine.

His mouth, firm and sensual, wholly masculine, twitched slightly. “Two kisses, two questions.”

It was what she’d wanted. And then he added, “Ten kisses, ten questions—but understand, Lizzy, I’m only a man. Kisses are all I can barter and remain a…gentleman.” He turned his head slightly toward her, and his voice dropped. “Or does that matter?”

She stiffened. Did he suggest her kisses could make him lose control? Not likely! Mustering her courage, she asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“This…what?”

She waved a hand at his lazy form. “This game. Why trade for kisses? Why trade at all? Is it really so hard to answer a short interview?”

His jaw tightened, and he shut his eyes again. After a moment, still looking more asleep than alert, he said, “You need to loosen up a little, Red. It’s a nice afternoon, the sun is warm, the water’s cool. We’re all alone. Why not play a little?” He looked at her, his gaze probing. “Is the idea of kissing me so repulsive?”

She filled her lungs with a deep breath. So she was just a game, a way to pass the time. The arrogant jerk. She’d have to remember to make a note of that, that some heroes were not always perfect in their behavior, some of them enjoyed toying with women.

She straightened her shoulders, refusing to let him intimidate her. “No, not at all.”

“Then we don’t have a problem, do we?”

The only problem, evidently, was her inhibition. But in the face of all she could learn from him, did her reserve really matter? Suddenly determined, she squelched her nervousness and said with firm resolve, “Okay, a kiss for a question.”

She waited, braced for his sensual assault, but Gabe simply continued to watch her. Not by so much as the flick of an eyelash did he move. Her stomach cramped the tiniest bit and she lifted an eyebrow.

She was both disappointed and relieved when she asked, “You’ve changed your mind?”

With one indolent shake of his head, Gabe crooked a finger at her. “C’mere, Red. You’re going to do the kissing, not me.”

In reaction to his potent look, more than her stomach cramped, but the feeling wasn’t at all unpleasant.

“Oh.” She looked at his gorgeous body stretched out in front of her—and started shaking. His shoulders were wide and bunched with muscles, as were his biceps. The undersides of his arms were smooth, slightly lighter than the rest of his skin. She’d never considered a man’s armpits sexy before—just the thought was ludicrous—but she’d never seen Gabriel Kasper’s. Seeing the hair under his arms was somehow too intimate, like a private showing. She looked away from that part of him.

His chest, tanned and sprinkled with golden brown hair, had the lean hard contours that spoke of a natural athlete. Her pulse fluttered.

His abdomen was flat, sculpted, and if his underarms were too personal, his navel was downright sexual. The way his body hair swirled around it, then became a silky line that disappeared into the very low waistband of his shorts… Her eyes widened.

With his wet cutoffs clinging to his body, there was no way to miss his obvious arousal. Fascinated, she couldn’t help but stare for a moment. Never, not in real life, anyway, had she seen an erection. Heat exploded inside her, making her cheeks pulse, her vision blur.

Her gaze flew to his face, desperate, confused, excited. His grin, slow and wicked, taunted her. He didn’t say a word, and she knew he was waiting for her to back down.

She couldn’t. Not now, not with him challenging her. But…

Licking her lips, Elizabeth croaked, “Are you sure we should do this?”

He shrugged one hard shoulder in a show of negligence. “No one will see. Don’t be a coward, Lizzy. It’s just a kiss.”

Just a kiss. She remembered how those women on the dock had hung on him, how every woman who passed in a boat had stared at him with hunger. He was used to kissing, used to so much more. She couldn’t recall any other man in all her acquaintance ever demanding such a thing from her. No wonder she was at a loss as to how to proceed. She preferred to arm herself with knowledge, to learn from a book what she didn’t understand. But she hadn’t known to research this particular theme. She frowned with that thought. Were there books to help you bone up on kissing a sexy-as-sin, half-dressed reclining man?

She eyed him warily. “Why don’t you…sit up?” The idea of leaning over him, of being that close to so much masculine flesh, flustered her horribly.

Without hesitation, Gabe shook his head. “Naw, I’m already comfortable. So quit stalling.”

He was right; the quicker she got it over with, the better. Like getting a tooth pulled, it meant just a flinch of pain, and then you were done.

Not giving herself time to think about it, she slapped one hand flat on the dock beside his head, bent down and brushed her mouth over his in a flash of movement. She straightened just as quickly and, avoiding his gaze, put her pencil to paper. Her voice shook slightly, but she ignored the tremor as she asked, “Now, when you leaped into the water with the runaway boat, were you afraid?”

“No.”

She waited, her pencil ready, but he said no more. Elizabeth rounded on him, her nerves too frazzled for more games. “That’s an awfully simplified answer.”

He gave her a wry look. “It was an awfully simplified kiss.”

Unable to help herself, she looked at his mouth. Her lips still tingled from the brief contact with his. It took all her concentration not to lick her lips, not to chew on them. Her heartbeat was still racing too quickly, her stomach was in knots of anticipation…no! Dread, not anticipation. She had to be philosophical. “You mean, if I made the kiss longer…”

So softly she could barely hear him, he said, “Why don’t you give it a try and see?”

She could do this! She was not a fainthearted ninny. Determination stiffened her spine. Sensual awareness sharpened her senses. She gave one quick nod.

Laying the pencil and paper aside, she bent, clasped her palms over his ears to anchor both him and herself, then kissed him for all she was worth.

Never having done much kissing, she had no idea if she was doing it right. But she mashed her mouth tightly to his, turned her head subtly so their lips meshed, and sighed. Or maybe it was more a growl filled with resolution.

His lips felt firm, warm. This close, his scent was stronger, drifting over her, making her insides fill with a new and unexpected need. He was so hot, his skin where they touched almost burning her. Her chin bumped his, their noses rubbed together, and her wrists rested on his silky hot shoulders. She stopped moving her mouth and simply breathed deeply.

Gabe groaned, then promptly laughed, startling her enough that she sat up and stared at him in hurt and confusion.

With a small smile, using only one rough finger, he stroked her bottom lip. His words were as gentle as his touch, and just as devastating. “You haven’t done much kissing, have you, Lizzy?”

Indignation would be misplaced; obviously, he could already tell she was inexperienced, so why should she deny it or be embarrassed? He could see what she looked like, had even used the same insulting taunt of Red she’d heard in grade school. He could probably guess at the other names—freckle face and scarecrow. And no doubt he understood the way she’d been ignored in high school, when all the boys were chasing cheerleaders with bubbly personalities and model faces.

None of that hurt her anymore. She had found more important things to do with her time. With an accepting shrug, she agreed. “Pitifully little, actually.” And even that was an exaggeration.

Amazingly, his smile turned seductive. He came up on his right elbow, wrapped the fingers of his left hand around her nape and pulled her close. Against her mouth, he whispered, “Then allow me.”

His tongue… Oh gracious. His mouth opened hers with almost no effort. His tongue touched, teased, not really entering her mouth, but making her crazed with small licks and tastes, softly, wetly stroking. She held herself very still so as not to disturb him or interrupt his progress.

Slowly, in infinitesimal degrees, he pulled his mouth away. His hand still held her neck, his fingers caressing, and he stared at her mouth. “You’re not kissing me back, Lizzy.”

“I…” She hadn’t realized he wanted her to. All her senses had been attuned to what he was doing, not what she might do. “Sorry.”

With a groan, he took her mouth again, not so gently this time, a hungry greed coming through to curl her toes and make her fingers go numb. Elizabeth leaned into him, tilted her head the tiniest bit to better accept his mouth. She braced her hands against his chest, then jerked at how hot his skin was, the way his chest hair felt on her palms. Her breasts tingled, and below her stomach an insistent tingling demanded her attention.

She panted, and this time when his tongue touched her mouth, she captured it, stroking her tongue against him.

She wasn’t sure if it was her heartbeat or his that rocked her. His hand left her head and captured her elbow. She found herself being slowly lowered to the dock, but she didn’t care; she just wanted him to go on kissing her like this, creating the overwhelming turmoil inside her. She liked it. She liked him—his taste, his hardness, his scent.

His chest crushed her breasts, but not uncomfortably. It helped to ease the ache there, but then the ache intensified, especially when he moved, abrading her taut nipples. She gasped.

He was braced over her with his elbows on either side of her head. Tentatively, uncertain how far she should go, Elizabeth placed her hands on his back. His tongue stroked deeply and she moaned, arching into him.

Gabe pulled away with a curse. He stared into her eyes, his face so close she could see his individual lashes, and then with another soft curse he sat up and gave her his back.

She struggled for breath, not certain what had happened, if she’d done something wrong. She pressed her palms flat on the rough wooden dock and tried to secure herself. Her head was spinning, her heart beating so wildly she thought it might punch right out of her chest. Her lungs felt constricted, and she couldn’t get enough air, which forced her to pant. And there was the most delicious tingling sensation deep inside her.

Gabe ran a hand through his hair, but he kept his back to her. She could see the straight line of his spine, the shift of his muscles as he, too, breathed deeply, quickly. With his attention elsewhere, she devoured him with her eyes. His skin was bronzed, testimony to how much time he spent on the lake, and a striking contrast to his fair hair and burning blue eyes. His damp shorts rode low on trim hips, but all she could see was tanned flesh.

Abruptly he shifted and speared her with a look, as if he’d sensed her regard. Over his shoulder, his gaze razor sharp, he growled, “Ask your damn question.”

Still gasping, Elizabeth tried to gather her wits. Question? Her muddled mind came up with one reply. “Are you tanned all over?”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she realized her mistake. Gabe’s eyes widened comically. There was a moment of startled hesitation, then he threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing off the placid surface of the lake to return to her again and again, making her brain hurt and her face throb with heat.

Appalled, she started to sit up, but just that quick, Gabe caught her shoulders and pinned her in place.

“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice a husky rumble. His mouth was still slightly curled in amusement.

Elizabeth tried to think. “I…I meant to ask you—”

“I know what you meant,” he growled around another smile. “You want me to skin off my shorts so you can get a good look at my backside, just to appease your curiosity?”

Yes. “No, of course not!” He loomed over her, making rational thought impossible. But then, everything about Gabriel Kasper, from their first meeting to now, had been impossible.

“Liar.” There was no insult in the accusation. In fact, he said it with amused affection, like an endearment. Then he kissed her again, softly, slowly. Elizabeth felt a constriction in her chest that had nothing to do with the way he held her and everything to do with the realization of all she’d missed in life.

The kiss wasn’t consuming, but sweetly sensual. As Gabe lifted his head, he looked at her breasts, gently crushed against the hard planes of his chest. A slight tremble went through him as he swept one fingertip over the upper swell of each breast. “Are these real, sweetheart?”

Her breath strangled at the feel of his hot, rough finger stroking her there, in a place no man had ever touched. Eyes wide, she muttered, “What are you talking about?”

“You have such a sexy body.” That taunting fingertip dipped slightly into her cleavage, causing her heart to pick up a quick, almost frantic beat. “And these breasts…so plump when you’re so trim everywhere else. So soft when you’re mostly firm. I just wondered if Mother Nature had really been so generous, or if you’d had a little help.”

She stared at him, her mind blank, unable to think while he was touching her. She was aware of the sun hot against her skin, of the slight breeze that stirred the humid air, of the gentle lapping of the lake on the shore. But all of it was overshadowed by Gabe and the blue flare of his eyes.

Grinning, Gabe murmured, “Maybe I should just find out on my own?” His fingers spread over her chest, just below her collarbone, and jolted her into awareness.

She caught his wrist and stared at him hard. “They’re real!” Then, because she was embarrassed over his attention, she muttered, “What a stupid question.”

Gabe easily freed his hand from hers and wrapped his fingers around her skull, stroking her hair, smoothing it. “You must have never gone braless in your life.”

Heat washed over her face, then down to her breasts. “Of course I haven’t.”

His thumb rubbed her cheekbone, the corner of her mouth. He shifted, his chest moving over hers, pressing. “Such a little innocent. Such a surprise.” He looked at her mouth.

“Gabe?”

“Just one more,” he whispered, husky and deep.

She thought to tell him that he’d owe her a lot of conversation for this, that she had plenty of questions he was going to have to answer, but the moment he took the kiss, she forgot all that.

His hand slid down her side to her waist, shaping her, measuring her, it seemed, then drifted to her hip. His touch was sure, his fingers rough, callused. He met bare skin on her upper thigh and made a raw sound of pleasure, causing her to quiver in response.

“So soft,” he growled, his mouth against her throat, leaving damp kisses, sucking softly. Overwhelmed, alive, she tipped her head back to make it easier for him. His grip on her thigh tightened, and with little direction from him, she bent her knee and lifted one leg alongside his. The position neatly settled him into the cradle of her hips. She vaguely wondered why she didn’t feel crushed, because he was so big, so hard.

He pushed, nestling closer, and his erection rubbed her in the most intimate spot imaginable. She gasped; he groaned.

She’d never felt a man on top of her before. The sensation was…wonderful. Scorching, enveloping, gratifying and at the same time stirring new needs.

Gabe dipped the tip of his tongue into her ear. That sensation, too, was astounding. How could such a simple act be so incredibly erotic? She heard his harsh breathing, felt his hot, moist breath and the hammering of his heart. He licked her ear. Stunned for just a moment, she froze, trying to take it all in.

He kissed her again. His mouth ate at hers, his teeth nipping, his tongue stroking. She melted, no longer capable of rational thought, simply reacting to what he did and how he did it.

In the next instant he was gone, sitting up beside her.

Elizabeth blinked in shock, uncertain what had happened or why he had pulled away so abruptly. She lay there, her eyes open but unseeing, trying to assimilate her senses. Gabe never hesitated. He caught her arms just above her elbows and jerked her upright so that she, too, was sitting, although not quite as steadily as he. It took a lot of effort not to flop down. She felt boneless and flushed and limp. Mute, she stared at him.

He gave her a grim, somewhat apologetic look and then she heard the motor. They both turned to stare at the entrance to the lake.

Seconds later a small fishing boat similar to the one they had used rounded the bend into the cove. Two older men, goofy hats hooked with a variety of lures perched on their heads, concentrated on the long fishing lines they had dragging in the water. Their voices were barely audible over the steady drone of the trolling motor.

They looked up in surprise when they noticed Gabe. Almost as one, their gazes turned to Elizabeth, and she felt herself turning pink with embarrassment. Good grief, could they tell what she and Gabe had been doing? Would they be able to look at her face and see it all?

Gabe moved, leaning forward to block her from view. He waved at the men, who waved back and continued to stare at them until their boat nearly went aground. With a disgruntled curse, the man in the back redirected their course and they puttered out of sight.

Gabe turned to her, his gaze probing and direct. Unable to look away, Elizabeth thought how unfair it was that he could completely snare her with just a look. Eyes so light and clear a blue should have appeared cool, not fiery and passionate.

His fair hair shimmered beneath the sunshine, mussed from his swim—and from her fingers. Every muscle in his tensed body was delineated, drawing her eyes. He watched her so intently, she almost flinched.

Swallowing hard, Elizabeth tried to think of what to say. It was nearly impossible to muster a straight, businesslike face after that…that… She didn’t know what to call it. It was certainly far more than a mere kiss. Admittedly, she lacked experience, but she was certainly not stupid. She knew the difference between kissing and what they’d just done.

It wasn’t easy, but she reminded herself of her original purpose, her continued purpose. All her life she’d struggled to deal with the idiosyncrasies of heroism, why some had those qualities and some did not. Having heroism gave you the ability to change lives, lacking it could leave you forever empty.

She met Gabe’s eyes and cleared her throat. “Well, after that, I expect an entire explanation for my thesis.”

She hadn’t meant to sound so cold and detached; what she really felt was far different from those simple emotions. She’d only meant to stress the point of what they were doing and why.

Gabe’s eyes darkened, narrowed, the heat leaving them as if it had never been there. His jaw flexed once, then stilled. He stared at her mouth and said, “You’ll get it.”

CHAPTER FOUR

HE WANTED to shake her, to… God, he’d never had the inclination to do any more than make love with a woman, laugh with her, tease. But Lizzy had him crazed.

He’d all but taken her on the damn dock, out in the open, on the lake, for crying out loud.

And she’d have let him.

He sensed it in his bones. He knew women, knew how they thought, what they felt, when they were turned on and how to turn them on. Little Red had been wild. She’d bit his bottom lip, sucked on his tongue, lifted her hips into the thrust of his… She’d strained against him, trying to get closer, and her fluttering heartbeat had let him measure each new degree of her excitement. She’d been on the ragged edge. He could have slipped his fingers past the leg band of her suit and stroked her over the edge with very little effort.

But now she watched him as though it had never happened, demanding answers to questions that were beyond stupid.

“I need to cool off.” With no more warning than that, Gabe went over the side of the dock. He swam down until he touched the bottom, feeling around for a shell. When he surfaced, Lizzy was hanging over the edge, watching for him anxiously. He pushed wet hair from his face and forced himself not to eye her breasts.

“You scared me!” She stared at him in accusation, looking like a wild woman. Thanks to his hands, long strands of hair had escaped her thick braid in various places, giving her a woolly-headed look, like a damn red thistle. Her smooth cheeks were flushed, making the freckles more pronounced. Her lush mouth, which had felt so hot and hungry under his only moments before, was pressed into a severe line.

Gabe almost laughed. Hell, she wasn’t even pretty, not really, and she sure as certain didn’t have the right temperament to lure a man. So why had he reacted so strongly?

“Here.” He handed her the shell, watched her sit back, bemused, to look it over. “It’s just a mussel. The bottom of the lake is littered with them. I dated a girl for a while who used to find live ones and eat them raw.”

Lizzy’s head jerked up, and she dropped the shell. Her lip curled in a way that made her look ready to vomit. No, she looked far from pretty right now.

Gabe laughed out loud. “Gross, huh? I couldn’t quite bring myself to kiss her again after that. I kept thinking of what had been in that mouth. Have you ever seen a live mussel? They’re sort of slimy and gray.”

She covered her mouth with a hand, swallowed hard, then sat back and glared at him some more. “Are you going to stay in there, or will you get out and answer my question?”

“Answer one for me first, okay?”

Her blue eyes widened, and he had to admit that they, at least, were beautiful. No matter her mood, her eyes were a focal point in her face, vivid and filled with curiosity and intelligence. He liked the color, dark and deep, unlike his faded, washed-out color. With the sun reflecting off the lake, he could see green and black and navy striations in her irises, lending richness to the unique color. As he studied her eyes, her pupils flared, reminding him how quickly she’d gotten aroused with him.

Arousing Little Red was fun, indeed. And from what he could tell, she could use a little fun in her life. Maybe it’d take some of the starch out of her spine and some of the vinegar out of her speech.

He propped his crossed arms over the edge of the dock, facing her and smiling into her stern face. “Where’d you get that suit?”

Bemused, she looked at herself, then at him. She plucked nervously at the material by her waist. “I…well, I hadn’t owned a suit before this. You insisted we needed to swim, so I had to go get one last night. But I couldn’t see spending a lot of money on one when this would likely be the only time I wore it. So I grabbed the cheapest one I could find.”

“The cheapest one-piece?”

Her lips trembled, fascinating him. “I’m not exactly the type to wear a bikini.”

“Why not?” His voice dropped despite his effort to sound dispassionate. “You have an incredible body, Lizzy.” He was serious, but he could tell by the way her eyes darkened and she looked away that she didn’t believe him.

“Lizzy?” She wouldn’t look at him. His heart softened, felt too thick in his chest. Very gently he asked, “When was the last time you looked at yourself naked?”

Her head snapped up, her cheeks hectic with hot color. Her mouth opened twice, but nothing came out. Finally she glared and said with acerbity, “Why do you deliberately try to embarrass me? Is that your idea of fun, to make me feel…feel…”

“Feel what, sugar?” His hand was a scant inch from her small foot, and he caught her ankle, using his thumb to caress her arch. “Shy? You shouldn’t. There’s not a woman on this lake that looks better in her suit than you. Why don’t you know that?”

Her auburn brows snapped down so fiercely, he expected her to get a headache. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Gabriel Kasper, but I’m not blind. I’m well aware of how I look, and if it wasn’t for you and your ridiculous stipulations, I wouldn’t be here now, sitting in this ridiculous suit!”

“You’ve enjoyed yourself,” he felt compelled to remind her, then held on tight when she tried to draw her foot away.

“It was…unexpected.” She looked prim and righteous, and he felt his blood heating in masculine reaction to her silent challenge. “As you’ve already surmised, I haven’t done much kissing in my lifetime. I looked at this as sort of a…a learning experience.”

Gabe grinned, his thumb still brushing sensually over her foot, making her stiffen. “So I’m sort of a class project, huh? Will you write another thesis? What I did over the summer vacation?”

Like a small volcano erupting, she jerked away and scrambled out of his reach. Her hands flattened on the dock to push herself upright, then she squealed and lifted a finger to her mouth.

Gabe watched her antics with curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” she grumbled, still looking at her finger. “I realize now that you have no intention of answering my questions, and I can’t afford to waste the time with you otherwise.”

So he was a waste of time? Like hell! He’d make her eat those words. Gabe levered himself onto the dock, and his weight set it off kilter, causing Lizzy to tilt into him. Her attention was still on her finger.

“I’ll answer your damn question, so quit frowning.”

She gave him a skeptical, disbelieving look, then went back to frowning.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you hurt yourself?” He leaned over her shoulder to see her hand, and as usual, she pulled it close to her chest as if protecting it from him.

“I have a splinter, thanks to you.” As an afterthought, she added, “It hurts.”

Gabe wrested her hand away from her body and looked at the injured finger. A jagged piece of wood was imbedded under the pad of her middle finger. “Damn. That sucker is huge.”

She tried to pull her hand free. She did that constantly, he realized, always pulling away from him. Well, not constantly. When he’d been kissing her, she’d strained against him.

“I can get it out.”

“No!” She tugged again, finally gaining her release. “I can take care of it after I get home. If you’re ready to leave?”

Gabe chewed the side of his mouth. “Actually, no, I’m not ready to leave. You have a question for me, and I’ll answer it. But first let me take care of this.”

“Gabe…”

“Stop being such a sissy. I won’t hurt you.”

Her chin firmed, her lips pursed, and then she thrust her hand toward him. “Fine. Do your worst.”

Without hesitation, Gabe lifted her finger to his mouth. He heard Lizzy gasp, felt her tremble. Probing with his tongue, he located the end of the splinter, then carefully, gently closed his teeth around it. It pulled out easily.

He smiled at her, still with her hand close to his mouth. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She had that glazed look in her eyes again, like the one she’d had before the fishing boat had interrupted. Unable to help himself with her looking so flustered and shivering, he held her gaze and kissed her fingertip. Her pupils dilated, her lips parting. Damn, but she was quick to react—which made him react, too.

It was if they were connected by their gazes, an intimate hold that he’d never quite experienced before. Gabe touched the tip of his tongue to her finger and heard her inhalation of breath. Her eyes grew heavy, her lashes dipping down. He drew her finger into his mouth and sucked softly. With a moan, she closed her eyes.

Damn, it was erotic. She was erotic. Moving her finger along his bottom lip, he said, “Being in the water is second nature to me. It never scares me.”

He was shocked by how husky his voice had become, but still, it jarred her enough that her eyes opened. Gabe dipped his tongue between her fingers, licked along the length of one. “I’m as at home in the water as I am on land. Especially this lake. I never once considered there was any danger to me, because there wasn’t, so I wasn’t afraid.”

“Oh.”

He moved to her thumb, drawing it into his mouth and tugging gently, just as he might with a breast. The thought inflamed him.

“After the kids and their mother were out of the way, I didn’t have time to think or be afraid. I just reacted.”

“I…I see.”

Her voice was so low and rough he could barely understand her. She watched him through slitted eyes, her body swaying slightly. “I learned to drive boats when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I started working on boat motors when I was ten, knew more about them than most grown men by the time I was fourteen.”

He licked her palm, then the racing pulse in her wrist.

“Because I knew what I was doing, there was no danger, no reason to be afraid.”

“I see.”

Her eyes were closed, her free hand curled into a fist, her breasts heaving.

“Therefore,” Gabe added, as he started to lower her once again, “I’m not what you’d call a hero at all.”

Her back no sooner touched the dock than she bolted upright. Her head smacked his chin with the force of a prizefighter’s blow. She blinked hard, rubbed her head and scowled at him.

After working his jaw to make certain she hadn’t broken anything, Gabe asked, “Are you all right?”

“You’ve given me a concussion.”

He smiled. “I have not.” Then: “Why’d you get so jumpy?”

“I need to write everything down before I forget it.”

Rolling his eyes, Gabe said, “So you’re finally satisfied?” No sooner did the words leave his mouth than he looked at her spectacular breasts, saw her pointed nipples and knew true satisfaction was a long way off. Not that she’d ever admit it.

Her gaze downcast, she said simply, “I’m satisfied—for that question. But I have so many more.” Looking at him, a soft plea in her gaze, she asked, “Will it really be so difficult to let me get some answers?”

Damn, he wanted her. He wanted to see that look on her face when she was naked beneath him. It defied reason and went against everything he knew about his preferences and inclinations. She was so far from the type of woman who usually caught his eye that it was almost laughable.

But it didn’t change the facts.

Gabe chucked her chin. “I’m willing if you are.”

“Meaning?”

There was a note of caution in her tone that made him smile with triumph. “Meaning as long as we stick to our original bargain, I’ll answer your questions. One kiss per question.”

Lizzy turned her head to stare at the lake. There was a stillness about her that he hadn’t seen before, and it made him uneasy.

“Because this is important to me,” she said without inflection, “I’ll agree if you insist. But what we’ve just been doing…that was more than kissing.” She turned her big blue eyes on him and added, “Wasn’t it?”

Sure felt like more to him! But he’d never admit that to her. He had a feeling that if she knew how she’d turned him on, how close he’d gotten to losing all control, she’d never agree to see him again, much less let him kiss her. “It’s not a big deal, Lizzy. You don’t have to worry for your reputation or your chastity.”

Her lips tightened, giving her a wounded look. Gabe cursed. He’d wanted to reassure her, not make light of their mutual attraction. “I didn’t mean…”

“Why?” She turned to face him. “Why is it so important for you to toy with me?”

“I’m not toying with you, damn it.”

She obviously didn’t believe him. “Do you enjoy seeing me flustered, embarrassed? Do you enjoy knowing this is all very strange to me?”

A direct attack. He hadn’t been expecting it, no more than he’d anticipated her vehemence. He watched her, but she once again avoided his gaze. After some thought, Gabe said honestly, “I like you. And it’s for certain I like kissing you.” She made an exasperated sound, but he continued. “You’re different from the women I know around here.”

“You mean I’m odd?”

He laughed at the suspicious accusation in her tone and look. “No, that’s not what I mean. I’ve known most of the women in these parts for all of my life. They’re entirely comfortable with me and with their own sexuality.”

She slanted him a look. “I’m odd.”

“No, you are not!” He tucked a long tendril of hair behind her ear, still smiling. “You’re a…contradiction. Sweet and sassy—”

“What a sexist remark!”

“—and pushy but shy. You intrigue me. I guess it’s tit for tat. Just as you seem to want to know what makes me tick, I want to know what makes you tick. It’s as simple as that.”

“It doesn’t feel simple.”

“That’s because you’re evidently not used to men paying you attention.” She didn’t answer his charge, and he frowned. Catching her chin and bringing her face around to his, he asked the question uppermost in his mind. “Why is that, Lizzy?”

She shook her head, her lips scrunched together.

“I figure you must be…what? Twenty-two?”

She looked at the sky. “Almost twenty-three.”

“Yet you had no idea how to kiss. What girl gets through high school these days, much less college, without doing some necking?”

She glared at him and growled, “Redheaded, freckled, gangly girls who are shy and bookish, apparently.”

Gabe took a telling perusal of her body. “Sweetheart, you’re not gangly. Far from it.”

She stared at him hard for at least three heartbeats, then asked with endearing caution, “Really?”

Tenderness swelled over him, taking him by surprise. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you’d filled out real nice?”

She clasped her hands in her lap and shook her head. “My mother died when I was twelve.”

Gabe scooted closer to her and put his arm around her sun warmed shoulders. He didn’t question his need to hold her, to touch her. “Friends? Sisters?”

Shaking her head, she explained, “I’m an only child. And I didn’t really have that many friends in school.” As if admitting a grave sin, she added, “I was always very backward until recently.”

Gabe squeezed her gently. “You’re hardly a robust conqueror now.”

“I know. It’s not easy for me to do all these interviews, but they’re important, so I do them.” Her expression turned mocking. “Most of them have been fairly quick and simple.”

“Then it’s a good thing you ran into me, huh? Because lady, if anyone ever needed shaking up a little, it’s you.”

“I need to complete my thesis.”

“You have the rest of summer break, right?”

She nodded warily, obviously uncertain of his intent.

“So why don’t we indulge each other? I’ll answer any questions you have, and in return, you’ll let me convince you how adorable you are in that bathing suit.”

Her chin tucked in close to her chest. “Convince me…how?”

“By what we’ve already been doing. I won’t ever push you further than you want to go, you have my word on that. But I can promise there’ll be more kissing.” His hand cradled her head. “You won’t mind that so much, will you, Lizzy?”

She didn’t reply to that, and she didn’t look convinced. In a slightly choked voice that gave away her tension, she said, “I need you to be more specific than that.”

Gabe chewed it over, trying to think of how to couch his terms so she would be reassured. “Okay, how’s this. I’ll answer a question and you’ll cut loose a little, my choice of how. And before you start arguing, first I want you to go to a drive-in with me. You ever been to the drive-in?”

“With my father when I was young. I didn’t even know they still had them.”

“You’re in for a treat!” And I’m in for a little torture. “We can go over to the next county, to the Dirty Dixie.” He bobbed his eyebrows. “They play fairly raunchy movies—which will probably be another first for you, right?”

Looking dazed, she nodded.

“Perfect. How about this Friday? That’s two days away, plenty of time for you to get used to the idea.” And plenty of time for him to get a better grip on himself.

She hesitated once again and Gabe held his breath. Then she nodded. “All right. Where should I meet you?”

“Ah, no,” he told her gently, knowing she wanted to keep him at a distance and knowing, too, that he wouldn’t allow it. “You’ll give me your address and phone number. I pick up the women I take on dates, Lizzy, I don’t meet them.”

She seemed to consider that, then shrugged in feigned indifference. Taking up her pencil, she jotted her address and phone number. Gabe accepted the scrap of paper, then slipped off the edge of the dock and waded to the boat to put it in his cooler for safekeeping.

Lizzy, watching him in the water, said, “I’m renting the upstairs from this nice single mother. She has two young children and needed the extra money.”

Gabe knew she was prattling out of nervousness. He hated to see an end to the day, but he checked his waterproof watch and saw it was time to go. “We’d better head back. I have some work to do.”

“I thought you didn’t have a job.”

Looking at her from the other side of the boat, he gave her a wide grin. “Angling for another question? All right, I can be generous.” He propped his forearms over the metal gunwale and explained, “I don’t have a regular job, but I have more work than I can handle. I’m sort of a handyman and this time of year everyone needs something built, repaired or revamped. And that’s all I’m telling you, so get that look out of your eyes.”

“Spoilsport.”

Gabe maneuvered the boat close to the dock. “Since I now know you’re afraid of the water—something you should have told me right off—I’ll be gallant and hold the boat steady for you to climb in.”

“You won’t expect me to get in the water again?”

He shook his head at her hopeful expression. “Oh, I imagine we’ll get you used to it little by little. After all, what’s the use of taking a vacation near a lake if you don’t want to get wet? But for today you’ve had enough.”

She couldn’t quite hide her relief. “Thanks.”

Using exaggerated caution, she scooted off the dock and into the boat. Gabe watched the way her long legs bent, how her breasts filled the snug suit, how her bottom settled neatly on the metal seat, heated by the sun.

Damn, he was in deep. And he couldn’t even say why. In the normal course of things, a woman like Ms. Elizabeth Parks shouldn’t have appealed to him at all. She was uptight, pushy, inexperienced…but she was also funny and curious and she had about the sweetest body he’d ever seen.

With a muttered curse against his fickle libido, Gabe hauled himself over the side of the boat, which made her squeal and grab the seat with a death grip. “You can thank me Friday night,” he told her, and wondered if he’d be able to keep his hands off her even then. Two days didn’t seem like near enough time to get himself together.

But it did seem like an eternity when already he wanted her so bad his hands were shaking.

GABE FELT THE SUN on his shoulders, smelled the newly mown grass and breathed a deep sigh of contentment. Or at least, he’d be content if he could get a redheaded wonder out of his head. He steered the tractor mower toward the last strip of high grass by rote. He and his brothers had so much property, they only kept up the acres surrounding the house. Beyond that, the land was filled with wild shrubs and colorful flowers and mature trees of every variety. It was gorgeous in the fall, when the leaves changed color, but Gabe liked summer best.

His mother used to accuse him of being part lizard, because the heat seldom bothered him, and he was always drawn to the sunshine.

Life had been different since his two oldest brothers had married. Different in a very nice way. He enjoyed having Honey around. She made the house feel homier in some small indefinable ways, like the smell of her scented candles in the bathroom after she’d been indulging in a long soak, or the way she always hugged him when he left the house, cautioning him to be careful—as if he ran around risking his neck whenever he went out the door.

Gabe grinned. He could still recall how Honey had cried when Morgan had moved to his own house. Never mind that it was just up the hill; she liked having all the brothers as near as possible. It was a huge bonus that Morgan had married her sister, Misty. The two women were very close and managed to get together every day, especially since Misty had given birth to an adorable little girl seven months ago. Amber Marie Hudson was about the most precious thing he’d ever seen. And watching his brother fuss over the baby was an endless source of entertainment.

Females flat-out fascinated Gabe, whether they were seven months, twenty-seven or seventy. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of learning more about them.

He was pondering what he might learn from a certain redhead when he saw a car pull into their long drive. Gabe stopped the tractor and watched, a feeling of foreboding creeping up his sweaty back. The car, a small purple Escort, looked suspiciously like the one he’d seen Lizzy park at the docks. He’d noticed because the purple clashed so loudly with her hair.

And sure enough, even from this distance, when she stepped out of the car, there was no mistaking the fiery glint of the sun off her bright head.

Scowling, he put the tractor in gear and headed toward the house. He was aware of a strange pounding in his chest, hoping to intercept her before any of his brothers saw her. Or worse, before Honey or Misty saw her.

But his hopes were in vain. Just as he neared the drive the front door opened and there stood Honey, her long blond hair moving gently in the breeze, her killer smile in place.

Oh, hell.

He watched in horror as Lizzy was evidently invited in, as she accepted and as the door closed behind her. The tractor was too damn slow so he stopped it, turned it off and ran the rest of the way.

His chest was heaving and he was dripping sweat by the time he bolted through the front door. No one was in sight. He hurried down the hallway to the family room, finding it empty. He stopped, trying to listen. A feminine laugh caught his attention, and he raced for the kitchen. He had to stop her before she said too much, before she started in with her questions—before anyone found out he’d been kissing her....

He skidded to a halt on the tile floor. The kitchen was crowded, what with Honey and her sister and Amber and Sawyer… Gabe stared at Lizzy, seated at the table with her back to him.

Sawyer was looking her over—not politely, but in minute detail. He leaned over Lizzy with his fingers grazing her cheek, so close to her she could probably feel his breath, for God’s sake.

Gabe’s brows snapped down to match Sawyer’s frown, and he demanded, “What the hell is going on?”

Everyone looked up. Honey was the first to speak, saying, “Gabe. I was just about to come get you.”

Misty shook her head at him in a pitying way, as if he’d gotten himself into trouble somehow, and Amber cooed at the sound of his voice. Gabe ignored them all to stare at his oldest brother.

Of course Lizzy would have to call at lunchtime, he thought darkly, when everyone was bound to be around. Normally Sawyer would have been in his office at the back of the house, treating patients. Luckily, to his mind, Jordan always ate lunch in town. Morgan used to, too, until he married Misty. Now he was likely to show up any minute. Gabe needed to get Lizzy out of the house before she said too much about their association. He could imagine the ribbing he’d take if his brothers knew he was interested in—as in majorly turned on by—a prickly little redheaded witch with freckles!

His face heated at the mere thought.

Then Lizzy turned to look at him, and he knew the heat in his face was nothing compared to hers.

His frown intensified, but for different reasons, as he drifted closer, studying her every feature. “Damn, Lizzy, what happened?”

She was bright pink with sunburn, her nose red, her soft mouth slightly puffy. Without thinking about his rapt audience, he knelt in front of her chair and smoothed a wayward tendril of hair gently behind her ear. God, even the tops of her ears were red!

She licked her lips, looking horribly embarrassed and glancing around at the others. “I’m fine, Gabe,” she murmured, trying to get him to stand up while sneaking glances at his family. “There’s no reason for this fuss.”

He paid no attention at all to her words, too intent on discovering every speck of skin that had been reddened. “I thought you had sunscreen on yesterday.”

“I did,” she assured him, looking more wretchedly miserable by the minute. “I guess it wasn’t strong enough, or maybe it washed off in the water.”

Sawyer made an impatient sound, recalling Gabe to the fact that he was on his knees in front of Lizzy, treating her like the most precious woman in the world. He jerked to his feet, but he still couldn’t take his concerned gaze off her. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” She tried a weak smile, then flinched. “Truly. I’m fine.”

Sawyer rudely pushed Gabe aside. “I’m going to give you some topical ointment for the sting. In the meantime, stay out of the sun—” and here he glared at Gabe “—and wear very loose clothes. It doesn’t look like you’ll blister, but I’d say you’re going to be plenty uncomfortable for the next few days.”

Honey stepped up with some folded paper towels soaked in cool tea. “This’ll help. I’m fair-skinned, too, and it’s always worked for me.”

Misty leaned close to watch as Honey patted the towels gently in place on Elizabeth’s bare shoulders. Gabe realized that Lizzy wore a shapeless white cotton dress, so long it hung to her ankles. He looked closely and could see by the soft fullness beneath the bodice that she wasn’t wearing a bra. His heart skipped a beat.

She’d said she never went braless, and her breasts were so firm and round, he believed her. The sunburn must indeed be painful for her to go without one.

To distract himself, he looked around the room and settled on smiling at the baby. At his attention, Amber flailed her pudgy arms from her pumpkin seat on the table, gurgling and blowing spit bubbles. Gabe laughed. “Sorry, kiddo. I’m too sweaty to hold you right now.”

Elizabeth watched as he reached out and tweaked the baby’s toe, and he knew she was planning on putting that into her little notebook, too. He scowled.

Morgan stepped in through the kitchen door and went immediately to Misty, lifting her into a bear hug that led to a lingering, intimate kiss. The way Misty continued to flush at her husband’s touch always tickled Gabe. Morgan had been well and fully tamed.

He turned and hauled Amber out of her chair and against his chest, then nuzzled the baby’s downy black hair. Amber squealed as he settled her in the crook of his arm.

Only then did Morgan notice Elizabeth. One dark brow shot up. “Hello.”

Misty shook the dreamy look off her face and smiled. “Morgan, this is Elizabeth Parks, a friend of Gabe’s.”

Morgan’s enigmatic gaze transferred to Gabe, and Gabe felt his face heat again. “She looks done to a crisp, Gabe. I suppose you weren’t…ah, paying attention to the sun? Had your mind on…other things?”

Gabe stiffened and said, “You know I can’t hit you while you’re holding the baby. Care to give her to her mother?”

“Nope.” He kissed the baby’s tiny ear and with a grin turned to Elizabeth. “Nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”

She nodded. “And you, Sheriff.”

“You’re joining us for lunch?”

“Oh. No, please. I just… I’m sorry to impose. Really.” Her attention flicked nervously to Gabe as all his interfering relatives assured her she was no imposition at all. “I just had a few questions, if you have the time.”

Morgan pulled out a chair. “Questions about what?”

Gabe stepped forward before she could answer. “Lizzy, I’d like to talk to you. In private.”

She stalled, staring at him with a guilty expression.

Sawyer nudged him aside. “I’ve only got fifteen minutes left before I have to see a patient. You can wait that long, can’t you, Gabe?”

He wanted to say no, he damn well couldn’t wait, but he knew that would only stir up more speculation. So instead he took the cool towels from Honey and began placing them on Lizzy’s shoulders. A thought struck him, and he looked at her feet, set together primly beneath the long skirt. She wore thick white socks and slip-on shoes.

He gave her an exasperated look. “Your feet are burned, too, I suppose?”

Not since he’d met her had Lizzy been so withdrawn. She kept her wide eyes trained on him and nodded. In a tiny voice, she admitted, “A little.”

Gabe knelt and very carefully pried off her loose loafers, then peeled the socks off her feet. Like a wet hen, Lizzy fussed and complained and tried to shoo him away. He persisted, despite Morgan’s choked laugh and Sawyer’s hovering attention.

Her feet were small and slender. Looking at how red they were, Gabe had the awful urge to kiss them better, and instead looked at her with a warning in his gaze. “You should be at home, naked, instead of running around all over the place, asking your crazy questions.”

Honey gasped. Morgan guffawed, making Amber bounce in delight. Misty smacked Gabe’s shoulder.

But Sawyer agreed. “He’s right. Wearing clothes right now is just going to aggravate the sunburn. Taking cool baths and using plenty of aloe, and some ibuprofen for the pain, is the best thing you could do for yourself right now.” He glared at Gabe. “Of course if baby brother here had remembered that not everyone is a sun worshiper with skin like leather, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

Gabe gritted his teeth. “I’m well aware of how delicate a woman’s skin is. I thought she had sunscreen on. Besides, we weren’t really out in the sun that long.”

Lizzy stirred uncomfortably. “Gabe’s right. This is my fault, not his. I guess I hadn’t counted on the sun’s reflection off the lake being so strong.”

“Water does magnify the sun,” Sawyer agreed, then propped his hands on his hips and asked in his best physician’s voice, “Are you burned anywhere else?”

Lizzy shook her head and at the same time said, “Just my legs.” But as Gabe started to lift her skirt she slapped his hands away. Her tone was both horrified and embarrassed. “Don’t even think it!”

He grinned. She was behaving more like herself, and he was vastly relieved. He didn’t like seeing her so quiet and apprehensive. “Sorry. Just trying to see how bad it is.”

She scowled. “Mostly on my knees, and you can just take my word on that, Gabriel Kasper.”

Morgan leaned back in his seat, both brows lifted. Everyone stared at them, transfixed. Gabe remembered what he was doing and came to his feet again. How the hell did he keep ending up on his knees in front of her?

After setting a platter of sandwiches on the table, Honey said, “Join us for lunch, okay? What would you like to drink? I have tea and lemonade and—”

“Oh, no. Really, I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time.” Lizzy reached for the towels on her shoulders, meaning to remove them. “I can just come back another time if you agree to a short interview.”

Gabe let out a gust of relief. “That’s a good idea. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”

But Lizzy hadn’t even gotten the first towel removed before everyone rejected her intentions and insisted she stay. Hell, they begged her to stay, the nosy pests.

Well, they could do as they pleased, Gabe decided, but that didn’t mean he had to stick around and take part in it. “I’m going to go shower,” he announced, and of course, that was just fine and dandy. No one begged him to stick around! Irritated, he stomped out of the room, but before he’d even rounded the corner, he heard Morgan start chuckling, and before long, they were all laughing hysterically.

Everyone but Lizzy.

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