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Authors: Payton Lane
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quiet.
She didn't face him, but leaned her head to the side. “Yes?”
“I wasn't drunk.”
“I know.”
He heard the smile in her voice, but couldn't bring himself to follow suit. “It's still a mistake for us to go there. Not now.”
At his words she turned. “You're right. I know here.” Lynne pointed to her head. “And, here.” She pointed to her gut. She moved closer, until their chests were touching. “And, yet, it doesn't make me itch any less when I see you.”
Nate shouldn't have been pleased with her comment, but his lips curved. “I give you an itch? Like a rash? Or when you scratch it you hum a little?”
She placed a finger on his chest and traced a path down to his nipple. It hardened beneath the thin material.
“You should know, Nate.” She arched a brow, smug and certain, and sauntered back into her store.
He scratched where she had touched him and scowled. Yes, he did know.
CHAPTER TEN
A few tense days had passed but she exhaled with relief when she walked out onto the sidewalk in front of her store. Jeremy stopped ahead of her then shook his his head.
“What is it?” she asked.
“You know, I thought that guy was sharp.”
She followed his gaze and shook her head too. “What is he doing?”
Nate stood at the edge of the curb on full alert. Steam rose from a fancy Tupperware bowl. Lynne took in a breath and whatever it was, smelled good. She understood his tactic, though once again he would lose this battle.
Lynne pursed her lips. “I say forty he eats it when he tries to grab Suzie.”
“That's too easy. Look at his shoes.”
Lynne did. The shoes were shined within an inch of their life. “That is an easy one.” She sat down on the curb and tossed Jeremy the bag of popcorn.
“Oh,” she said. “I have a good one. Let's say when he falls, she uses him like a fire hydrant.”
“Deal,” Jeremy said.
Suzie trotted out of the bushes, her short legs moving fast as though late for an appointment.
Nate took one cautious step forward into the street. Suzie paused, lifted her nose in the air. It was like watching a tennis match. Lynne turned back to Nate. He took another step forward, and so did Suzie.
A car turned the corner and slowed. Her heart jack-hammered. No one was supposed to take this street, not when the call went out. The only saving grace was that no one could miss Nate.
Nate took another step, bending down with the bowl to put the food in the dog's line of sight. Suzie's little legs vibrated.
The driver slowed to a crawl—a tourist. The man behind the wheel waited a few more moments and then tried to go around both man and dog. That one decision finally made Suzie move. She bolted between Nate's legs toward the vehicle. The car stopped inches from the crazy ball of fur. Lynne shot up, a hand to her chest.
Nate tripped over his feet trying to turn around in time. He went down hard, dropping the meat and the bowl. The broth flew up, then down, spattering all over him.
“You should have kept the easy bet,” Jeremy murmured.
Lynne didn't bother to reply as worry filled her instead humor at the situation. Suzie barked at the car, wavering in her goal to get away for the first time. Before Nate could even scramble up, she climbed on top of his of back and stood there until she seemed sure the car wouldn't move.
Lynne edged forward to help but stopped when Suzie brushed her tongue against Nate's face. He reached up and she jumped off his back, picked up the roast, and disappeared into the bushes. The car sped away, leaving Nate dog-licked and soaked with broth.
Jeremy stood with his arms above his head and started to do doing the victory dance.
She dug into her pocket and handed Jeremy the money. “Get back to work, you loafer.”
“Sore loser,” he said before disappearing inside.
Lynne turned to glare at Nate, who had only sat up. Could be embarrassment or humiliation that kept him on the ground. Yes, different words, if only in degrees of,
She didn't face him, but leaned her head to the side. “Yes?”
“I wasn't drunk.”
“I know.”
He heard the smile in her voice, but couldn't bring himself to follow suit. “It's still a mistake for us to go there. Not now.”
At his words she turned. “You're right. I know here.” Lynne pointed to her head. “And, here.” She pointed to her gut. She moved closer, until their chests were touching. “And, yet, it doesn't make me itch any less when I see you.”
Nate shouldn't have been pleased with her comment, but his lips curved. “I give you an itch? Like a rash? Or when you scratch it you hum a little?”
She placed a finger on his chest and traced a path down to his nipple. It hardened beneath the thin material.
“You should know, Nate.” She arched a brow, smug and certain, and sauntered back into her store.
He scratched where she had touched him and scowled. Yes, he did know.
CHAPTER TEN
A few tense days had passed but she exhaled with relief when she walked out onto the sidewalk in front of her store. Jeremy stopped ahead of her then shook his his head.
“What is it?” she asked.
“You know, I thought that guy was sharp.”
She followed his gaze and shook her head too. “What is he doing?”
Nate stood at the edge of the curb on full alert. Steam rose from a fancy Tupperware bowl. Lynne took in a breath and whatever it was, smelled good. She understood his tactic, though once again he would lose this battle.
Lynne pursed her lips. “I say forty he eats it when he tries to grab Suzie.”
“That's too easy. Look at his shoes.”
Lynne did. The shoes were shined within an inch of their life. “That is an easy one.” She sat down on the curb and tossed Jeremy the bag of popcorn.
“Oh,” she said. “I have a good one. Let's say when he falls, she uses him like a fire hydrant.”
“Deal,” Jeremy said.
Suzie trotted out of the bushes, her short legs moving fast as though late for an appointment.
Nate took one cautious step forward into the street. Suzie paused, lifted her nose in the air. It was like watching a tennis match. Lynne turned back to Nate. He took another step forward, and so did Suzie.
A car turned the corner and slowed. Her heart jack-hammered. No one was supposed to take this street, not when the call went out. The only saving grace was that no one could miss Nate.
Nate took another step, bending down with the bowl to put the food in the dog's line of sight. Suzie's little legs vibrated.
The driver slowed to a crawl—a tourist. The man behind the wheel waited a few more moments and then tried to go around both man and dog. That one decision finally made Suzie move. She bolted between Nate's legs toward the vehicle. The car stopped inches from the crazy ball of fur. Lynne shot up, a hand to her chest.
Nate tripped over his feet trying to turn around in time. He went down hard, dropping the meat and the bowl. The broth flew up, then down, spattering all over him.
“You should have kept the easy bet,” Jeremy murmured.
Lynne didn't bother to reply as worry filled her instead humor at the situation. Suzie barked at the car, wavering in her goal to get away for the first time. Before Nate could even scramble up, she climbed on top of his of back and stood there until she seemed sure the car wouldn't move.
Lynne edged forward to help but stopped when Suzie brushed her tongue against Nate's face. He reached up and she jumped off his back, picked up the roast, and disappeared into the bushes. The car sped away, leaving Nate dog-licked and soaked with broth.
Jeremy stood with his arms above his head and started to do doing the victory dance.
She dug into her pocket and handed Jeremy the money. “Get back to work, you loafer.”
“Sore loser,” he said before disappearing inside.
Lynne turned to glare at Nate, who had only sat up. Could be embarrassment or humiliation that kept him on the ground. Yes, different words, if only in degrees of,
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