me.”
They worked in tandem well, their arms occasionally brushing as they passed from the sink to the counter. And every minute Justin grew more aware of the woman beside him. In the back of his mind was the nagging reminder of how wrong it was for him to fraternize with a suspect. Conversely, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so attracted to someone.
The oven timer dinged, and Lori took the pan of lasagna out of the oven. She placed it on the island on a hot pad. Justin put the bowl of salad next to it.
“Could you watch the garlic bread?” she asked as she took dishes off the shelf to set the table.
Justin obediently bent over so he could see into the lower oven, where the bread was toasting under the broiler. He heard the refrigerator door open.
“Are you off duty?”
He twisted his head around and saw that she was holding a bottle of wine. Was he off duty? His day had officially ended, and he wasn’t exactly focusing on the case right now. Sure, they had talked about Mark, but to be honest, the dead man was no longer dominating his thoughts. Could he keep his objectivity if this evening turned from business to social?
But then he considered that everyone deserved some downtime, and was it a crime to want to spend it with a beautiful woman?
He took his gun out of its holster and reached over her to put it on top of the refrigerator. He would have towered over most females, but Lori was only about four inches shorter, so that when he looked down and she looked up, their faces were close…too close.
Lori could feel the warmth of his body radiating out. He smelled like mint and sunshine. Her breath caught in her throat, and a rush of blood pumped through her veins. Her eyes focused on his lips, strong, masculine lips, and she had a sudden, irresistible desire to taste them. It had been so long since she had been kissed or caressed.
Not that there hadn’t been a steady stream of men who had found their way to her doorstep, hoping she would be lonely enough to invite them in, including her creepy neighbor, Winston. It wasn’t that the man wasn’t attractive, in a Harrison Ford kind of way. He was just so pushy and hit on her a lot harder than she felt comfortable with, considering the difference in their ages and the fact that she had been, at that time, neither a divorcée nor a confirmed widow.
The truth was, she had just not been tempted or ready for a new relationship. Having Mark simply disappear had left Lori in limbo. She never knew if he was going to come back and try for a reconciliation, which she wouldn’t have welcomed but, for Mackenzie’s sake, would have tried. Or he could have come back and kicked her and her daughter out on the street. But she wasn’t going to give him a reason by becoming involved with another man.
Until a tall, handsome Texas Ranger walked into her life.
Of course, his reason for being here complicated matters rather than simplified them. Still, she couldn’t cool the urge to rip Justin’s clothes off and make mad, passionate love with him right here on the kitchen floor.
Not that he would be interested in satisfying her desires. He was here as an officer of the state, investigating a murder. And she wasn’t naive enough not to realize that she was probably the number one suspect. She loved suspense movies and books. Didn’t they always assume the spouse did it? Justin was likely hanging out just to see if she would slip up and tell him something that would solve the mystery of Mark’s death.
Damn it, she wished he weren’t wearing that star. In over eight years, even more if you considered how little attention she had gotten from her husband the years before that, she had not had such a strong, immediate physical reaction to a man. She knew that under that white shirt were well-toned muscles…tanned skin…strong but gentle hands…and a dick that could ease that ache in her groin.
Horrified at the direction of her wayward thoughts, she
They worked in tandem well, their arms occasionally brushing as they passed from the sink to the counter. And every minute Justin grew more aware of the woman beside him. In the back of his mind was the nagging reminder of how wrong it was for him to fraternize with a suspect. Conversely, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so attracted to someone.
The oven timer dinged, and Lori took the pan of lasagna out of the oven. She placed it on the island on a hot pad. Justin put the bowl of salad next to it.
“Could you watch the garlic bread?” she asked as she took dishes off the shelf to set the table.
Justin obediently bent over so he could see into the lower oven, where the bread was toasting under the broiler. He heard the refrigerator door open.
“Are you off duty?”
He twisted his head around and saw that she was holding a bottle of wine. Was he off duty? His day had officially ended, and he wasn’t exactly focusing on the case right now. Sure, they had talked about Mark, but to be honest, the dead man was no longer dominating his thoughts. Could he keep his objectivity if this evening turned from business to social?
But then he considered that everyone deserved some downtime, and was it a crime to want to spend it with a beautiful woman?
He took his gun out of its holster and reached over her to put it on top of the refrigerator. He would have towered over most females, but Lori was only about four inches shorter, so that when he looked down and she looked up, their faces were close…too close.
Lori could feel the warmth of his body radiating out. He smelled like mint and sunshine. Her breath caught in her throat, and a rush of blood pumped through her veins. Her eyes focused on his lips, strong, masculine lips, and she had a sudden, irresistible desire to taste them. It had been so long since she had been kissed or caressed.
Not that there hadn’t been a steady stream of men who had found their way to her doorstep, hoping she would be lonely enough to invite them in, including her creepy neighbor, Winston. It wasn’t that the man wasn’t attractive, in a Harrison Ford kind of way. He was just so pushy and hit on her a lot harder than she felt comfortable with, considering the difference in their ages and the fact that she had been, at that time, neither a divorcée nor a confirmed widow.
The truth was, she had just not been tempted or ready for a new relationship. Having Mark simply disappear had left Lori in limbo. She never knew if he was going to come back and try for a reconciliation, which she wouldn’t have welcomed but, for Mackenzie’s sake, would have tried. Or he could have come back and kicked her and her daughter out on the street. But she wasn’t going to give him a reason by becoming involved with another man.
Until a tall, handsome Texas Ranger walked into her life.
Of course, his reason for being here complicated matters rather than simplified them. Still, she couldn’t cool the urge to rip Justin’s clothes off and make mad, passionate love with him right here on the kitchen floor.
Not that he would be interested in satisfying her desires. He was here as an officer of the state, investigating a murder. And she wasn’t naive enough not to realize that she was probably the number one suspect. She loved suspense movies and books. Didn’t they always assume the spouse did it? Justin was likely hanging out just to see if she would slip up and tell him something that would solve the mystery of Mark’s death.
Damn it, she wished he weren’t wearing that star. In over eight years, even more if you considered how little attention she had gotten from her husband the years before that, she had not had such a strong, immediate physical reaction to a man. She knew that under that white shirt were well-toned muscles…tanned skin…strong but gentle hands…and a dick that could ease that ache in her groin.
Horrified at the direction of her wayward thoughts, she
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