leisurely stance.
She gritted her teeth and frowned at him. “Just because you have screwed your way through half the women in North America when you dropped me doesn’t mean every one of is comfortable with your ogling. I’m not going to be next on your list. Now, turn around so I can change.”
He was very still for a moment before turning to the side so he was no longer looking at her. He kept the light aimed in her direction. She quickly stripped off her pajama shorts and pulled the jeans up and over her hips. She went back to the closet and pulled a sweatshirt over her head. No way was she stripping off her tank and putting on a bra while he half watched.
“I haven’t slept with half the women in North America. Just so you know, I didn’t drop you so I could sleep with anyone else. I left because I had something to prove, mostly to myself, after my mother died. I haven’t slept with anyone here since I broke things off with you.”
Here. She noticed the distinction, not that she had expected that. He had no reason not to sleep with every woman he crossed. No doubt they had been willing. Even now, in a disaster situation late at night, he was so masculine even her elderly neighbor was probably biting her lip anxiously waiting for another look at the wet t-shirt stretched across his broad back. He handed her a bag from the bottom of her closet, and she pushed clothes inside before returning to the dresser.
“It makes no difference to me. I haven’t exactly been waiting for you.”
He was on her in an instant, his arms wrapped around her, gentle but urgent as he pulled her into his chest and tucked his face into her neck so his breath hit her skin. “We’re going to talk about that just as soon as we get to a safe place. You might have thought we were over. Now you should know different. I’m back and you owe me.”
She winced at the grip he had over the fresh cuts. He loosened his arms but didn’t let go.
“Whatever.” She pushed until he let go and finished her packing before leading him down the stairs.
She was surprised to find Mrs. Harris gone. Several vehicles with headlights were aimed at her house, and men she’d never met worked on her front porch to cover the hole in the wall with tarps, hammers and loose boards from the debris. They had draped the covering over the tree as tightly as possible, and the outside was once again separate from her living room, save the top of the tree.
The men stopped working and made their way to Mark, hugging and slapping his back or shaking his hand. She had assumed these men were with the insurance agent, but they seemed to be Mark’s friends. He really had come to the rescue.
“Thanks for your help.” He nodded to the dark haired man closest to him. “Gretchen, this is Derek.” He looked stern and sexy. Like a school girls’ naughty dream. She shook off the thought.
Another man approached, equally sexy, and stretched out his hand for her to take. “This is Jack.”
“Hey there sweetheart.”
She smiled quickly at the stranger.
“And of course you know Brent.”
She nodded at the local game warden. She’d seen him around Sebastian’s house several times. He’d been there to welcome Mark back to town just days ago. He had a clear allegiance to Mark after being saved after a gunshot by Mark and his team. He had been out of the military for over a year but still held the quiet reserved stance of a military man not quite at ease.
“These men are all from my unit. We’ve been through hell and back together.”
“Here, here. But let’s not depress the lady. Give me a hand, Saint.”
She gave Mark a startled look. A saint he wasn’t. She knew better. He ignored her curiosity and went to give Jack a hand.
“Looks like you all have it secured. I’ll get a carpenter out here in the morning to see how bad the damage
She gritted her teeth and frowned at him. “Just because you have screwed your way through half the women in North America when you dropped me doesn’t mean every one of is comfortable with your ogling. I’m not going to be next on your list. Now, turn around so I can change.”
He was very still for a moment before turning to the side so he was no longer looking at her. He kept the light aimed in her direction. She quickly stripped off her pajama shorts and pulled the jeans up and over her hips. She went back to the closet and pulled a sweatshirt over her head. No way was she stripping off her tank and putting on a bra while he half watched.
“I haven’t slept with half the women in North America. Just so you know, I didn’t drop you so I could sleep with anyone else. I left because I had something to prove, mostly to myself, after my mother died. I haven’t slept with anyone here since I broke things off with you.”
Here. She noticed the distinction, not that she had expected that. He had no reason not to sleep with every woman he crossed. No doubt they had been willing. Even now, in a disaster situation late at night, he was so masculine even her elderly neighbor was probably biting her lip anxiously waiting for another look at the wet t-shirt stretched across his broad back. He handed her a bag from the bottom of her closet, and she pushed clothes inside before returning to the dresser.
“It makes no difference to me. I haven’t exactly been waiting for you.”
He was on her in an instant, his arms wrapped around her, gentle but urgent as he pulled her into his chest and tucked his face into her neck so his breath hit her skin. “We’re going to talk about that just as soon as we get to a safe place. You might have thought we were over. Now you should know different. I’m back and you owe me.”
She winced at the grip he had over the fresh cuts. He loosened his arms but didn’t let go.
“Whatever.” She pushed until he let go and finished her packing before leading him down the stairs.
She was surprised to find Mrs. Harris gone. Several vehicles with headlights were aimed at her house, and men she’d never met worked on her front porch to cover the hole in the wall with tarps, hammers and loose boards from the debris. They had draped the covering over the tree as tightly as possible, and the outside was once again separate from her living room, save the top of the tree.
The men stopped working and made their way to Mark, hugging and slapping his back or shaking his hand. She had assumed these men were with the insurance agent, but they seemed to be Mark’s friends. He really had come to the rescue.
“Thanks for your help.” He nodded to the dark haired man closest to him. “Gretchen, this is Derek.” He looked stern and sexy. Like a school girls’ naughty dream. She shook off the thought.
Another man approached, equally sexy, and stretched out his hand for her to take. “This is Jack.”
“Hey there sweetheart.”
She smiled quickly at the stranger.
“And of course you know Brent.”
She nodded at the local game warden. She’d seen him around Sebastian’s house several times. He’d been there to welcome Mark back to town just days ago. He had a clear allegiance to Mark after being saved after a gunshot by Mark and his team. He had been out of the military for over a year but still held the quiet reserved stance of a military man not quite at ease.
“These men are all from my unit. We’ve been through hell and back together.”
“Here, here. But let’s not depress the lady. Give me a hand, Saint.”
She gave Mark a startled look. A saint he wasn’t. She knew better. He ignored her curiosity and went to give Jack a hand.
“Looks like you all have it secured. I’ll get a carpenter out here in the morning to see how bad the damage
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