Maybe she should have stayed silent, but she’d been surprised to find him out here.
Standing on her back porch, she’d been soaking up a few moments of peace when the bouncing beam of a flashlight in the woods had caught her attention. They didn’t often have issues, but this was high rental season, which meant outsiders who were looking for fun sometimes found trouble instead.
She’d grabbed her own flashlight and handgun from the gun safe and headed out to investigate.
The last person she’d expected to see standing at the edge of the lake was Brett Newcomb.
He’d looked so...remote and stunning. Untouchable. And somehow sad. It bothered her. She didn’t want to think of him as upset. She wanted to despise him.
Unfortunately, she didn’t.
“I could ask the same of you. What are you doing out in the woods in the middle of the night? It can’t be safe out here.”
His hands popped into the pockets of his pants, pulling the material against his hips and drawing her attention down where it shouldn’t be.
“Really?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “At least I live out here. I’ve been running these woods since I was a little girl. You’re more likely the one in danger. Do you even know where you are?”
“Bowen’s property.”
“Wrong. You left that behind somewhere over there.” She gestured with her free hand.
The gun hung quietly at her side, but Brett’s gaze was drawn to it anyway. His icy eyes sharpened, glittering dangerously through the darkness.
“Why do you have a gun?” His voice was tight with controlled anger.
“I’m a single woman living beside a huge forest on the outskirts of town. We have bears, coyotes and bobcats. Besides, I had no idea who was out here tromping around in the woods after dark. My brother’s an ex-ranger. Do you really think he or my daddy would let me live out here without a way to protect myself?”
Instead of mollifying Brett, that knowledge seemed to piss him off. He stalked forward, closing the gap between them.
He crowded into her personal space. Lexi backed up slowly until her spine collided with the trunk of a tree. Brett towered over her, his face dark with an anger she didn’t understand.
But she wasn’t frightened. Maybe she should have been, alone in the woods with a strange man who was glaring at her. But she was the one with the gun, even if it was pointed at the ground.
“Put it away,” he growled.
Her heart fluttered uncomfortably in her chest. The scent of him overwhelmed the earthy, comforting smell of her woods. It filled her. The wide expanse of his shoulders blocked out her view of everything but him. Heat slowly seeped through her body, radiating from deep inside her belly.
She recognized the sensation, knew exactly what it meant, but didn’t do anything to stop it or fan it. Instead, she slowly shook her head. “Not until you tell me why it bothers you.”
Lexi had no idea why it mattered, but it did. She wanted to know.
Brett’s jaw tightened. He rolled his neck sideways, the cracking sound of it echoing down her spine. But the gesture wasn’t a sign of power. It was an unconscious motion while he gathered his thoughts.
“Where I come from nothing good ever happens when guns are around. I spent years trying to protect my little brother and mother from them. I don’t like them.”
Beneath the heated words, Lexi caught the briefest glimpse of a hunted little boy. He wasn’t there long before Brett stuffed him away again, though.
“Please. Put it away.”
With slow movements, Lexi lifted the hem of her shirt, took the weapon and popped it into the holster clipped to her waistband. She let the soft material fall back across her thighs, hiding the bulge of the gun.
Brett’s shoulders visibly relaxed, easing down. But he was still close. And without the tension crackling between them, there was nothing to blunt the attraction.
He shifted. The air around her stirred.
Needing something to fill her hands, Lexi reached behind her and pressed them tight against the tree. Rough bark abraded her skin. But it was better than reaching for him and doing something she’d regret.
Brett stood in front of her, silently watching. She didn’t like being watched, but his intense scrutiny had the opposite effect from what she was used to. Instead of making her self-conscious and uncomfortable, it made her burn.
A blue flame flickered deep inside his eyes. As she watched, his pupils dilated, pushing against the cool ring of color. Her breath hitched in her chest.
His gaze roamed, snagging on her mouth and pausing so long that her lips parted. She could practically feel the pressure of him there.
Lexi thought he was going to kiss her. Her body wanted him to, but her brain screamed a warning that was hard to listen to.
To her surprise, instead of bridging the gap between them, Brett took a single step backward.
But she didn’t want that.
Maybe it was the night. Or the setting. Or the man. But suddenly she wanted to touch him. More than her next breath. And while she’d worked very hard on impulse control in every aspect of her life, tonight those lessons failed her.
Instead of letting him go, Lexi fisted her hands into the front of his shirt and pulled him to her.
On either side of her head his hands pressed tight against the tree. His tall body angled above her. Beneath her fist his heart hammered against her. That single telltale sign made her want to rub her entire body against his.
He wanted her.
But still he didn’t kiss her.
Lexi leaned forward. Her mouth grazed his. It was little more than a gossamer touch, but the low rumble that echoed through Brett’s chest had her gasping.
And then he devoured her. With nothing more than his mouth he pulled her in and sent her body up in flames. His tongue stroked deep into her mouth. She sagged against the tree, needing something to hold her up. But it wouldn’t be Brett, because he didn’t even touch her.
Beside her head, his fingers flexed against the tree. Her own dropped numb and useless to her side. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but where they actually touched.
She expected him to be cool and calculating. Instead, his mouth was hot and demanding. She tasted the sharp edge of his desperation and recognized it because she was caught by it, as well.
Need wrapped around her, clenching deep inside.
He sucked at her bottom lip. She leaned into the kiss, nipping back.
Finally, he broke away, ending what she’d started. They stared at each other. His eyes were hooded and hidden. Lexi knew hers were probably round with badly disguised need and surprise.
Never in her life had a single kiss left her so shaken. And needy. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.
The intensity of it scared her. She didn’t want this. Especially not with him.
What had she been thinking?
Ducking beneath his arm, Lexi put much-needed space between them. Should she apologize? Probably. But she couldn’t find the words.
And he didn’t move to stop her. He just watched as she took measured steps. Finally, she turned away, but a few seconds later she heard the rustle of underbrush behind her.
Glancing back, she caught a glimpse of him through the trees.
Was he coming after her? Did he expect to finish what they’d started?
Alarm, seriously delayed and poorly timed, finally clanged through her. She found her voice to ask, “What are you doing?”
His voice was deep and dark, floating to her through the night. “Making sure you get home okay.”
Lexi stopped, turning to look at him. Was he serious or was he making fun of her?
His face was half hidden by a tree several feet away. He stood silently and she realize
d he meant it.
It was probably the last thing she’d expected Brett Newcomb to do, follow her through unfamiliar woods to make sure she got home safely. A startling blast of warmth suffused her chest.
“But who’s going to keep you safe?”
* * *
LEXI WAS A bundle of nerves. It had been one of those days. The kind where nothing went right. She’d scorched a batch of caramel. Her peanut butter fudge seized. It never seized. She hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything. Anything except the memory of that kiss.
Why had she done that?
She knew better. She didn’t even like the guy. Did she? He had a personal agenda that had nothing to do with the good of Sweetheart. Brett Newcomb had no idea what the town was about. And if he didn’t understand, how could he possibly design a resort that would fit?
He couldn’t.
What was worse, she didn’t think he really wanted to. Those designs—the same ones he’d submitted and presented to the council before—indicated he didn’t give a damn.
But that didn’t quite mesh with the man she’d found staring across the lake last night. That man had been pensive and quiet. He’d gotten upset at seeing her gun and had followed her back to her cabin, making no move at all to come inside when she’d reached the deck.
Instead, he’d stood in the shadows until she’d closed the door behind her.
The entire town was waiting for him to get frustrated and leave. Lexi wanted him to leave. Or she should have. But the electricity that snapped through her body at the mere memory of his lips on hers called her a hypocrite and a liar.
Needing a break, Lexi popped the “back in 15 minutes” sign onto her front door, turned the lock and headed to the diner to grab something for lunch. Normally she stayed as far away from that kind of fat-laden comfort food as possible—preferring to get her indulgence calories from her own concoctions—but today was an exception. Even she recognized that everyone had to let go once in a while.
But the moment the bell chimed as she walked in the front door she regretted the decision. Brett was there holding court, a group of the old guard spread out across the tables around him. Men who’d been ancient when she was a little girl talked animatedly among themselves.
“He makes a good point,” Mr. Luker interjected, slapping the table with his palm for emphasis.
“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to change our minds about the Bowen project,” Arthur Edmunds countered.
Lexi wondered if her dad knew Brett was stirring up support. While none of the old guard held any real power anymore, they still had plenty of influence on the people who did.
Brett might not be from a small town, but apparently he knew enough to start with the people who’d been around forever.
With a frown, Lexi crossed to the counter and placed her order. She studiously ignored the group, refusing to turn around and look at them. It might be childish, but it was the best defense she had against him and the itchy need that crackled beneath her skin when Brett was close.
The weight of his stare made her nervous. If he didn’t stop staring someone was going to notice. And then she’d never hear the end of it. Just what she needed, to be the butt of even more gossip.
Although maybe it was just her imagination, or twitchy libido, because the low rumble of his voice continued without missing a beat of the conversation.
Her skin tightened. Her muscles bunched with the need to look, to know whether the scalp-tingling sensation was real or imagined. She fidgeted with the menu, running her fingers up and down the laminated edge. She knew the thing by heart, but it gave her something to do besides wait.
Finally, unable to stop herself, Lexi snuck a quick peek. The muscles in her belly tightened with unwanted anticipation and her mouth went dry. He was watching her. But not with the cool stare she’d expected. His light blue eyes burned; heat swept up her skin.
Lexi couldn’t look away. Dammit! She didn’t like being powerless over her own body. She didn’t like the awake, nervous expectation that jangled down all of her nerves.
His mouth moved. Her internal muscles flexed. Without looking away, he continued the conversation. Slowly, his eyelids slipped down, hiding the sleepy, sexy heat from everyone but her. Every cell in her body knew it was there, reacted to the unspoken promise.
“Here’s your order, Lexi,” Rose Harriman, who’d worked behind the counter for the past ten years, said, finally snapping the connection.
Lexi grabbed the bag, spun on her heel and rushed from the diner, happy to get away from the relentless tractor beam of Brett’s gaze. Out on the street she blew a slow, steadying breath. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite take the edge away.
She really just wanted to forget that Brett Newcomb was anywhere close. Easier said than done. Especially since he seemed to be everywhere today.
In between customers and bites of her grilled chicken salad, she couldn’t help but notice him crisscrossing back and forth down Main Street. The hardware store. The corner grocery. Petals, the flower shop, although he didn’t stay in there long. He even headed into Willow and Macey’s wedding boutique at one point. Imagining him in there reminded her of the black dress and red shoes.
When would he leave?
* * *
HE WASN’T GETTING anywhere. After a solid eight hours of talking, smiling and arguing with anyone who would listen to him, all he had to show for the effort was a scratchy throat, a pounding headache and a sense that he’d spent all day chiseling at a wall and only managed an invisible chip.
No one in town was interested in being his ally.
If he had any hope of swaying them and getting that bonus, he was going to have to change tactics. If he could get one person to side with him, it would make all the difference.
Lexi, the way she’d looked right after he’d kissed her, popped into his mind.
He headed back to the inn and ended up staring at the copy of the drawings loaded onto his computer. It was either that or the dossier on Lexi, and he really didn’t need to read it again. As it was, he practically had the thing memorized.
Starting the design over from scratch was not his intention, but somehow he’d spent an hour with his mouse and CAD program. By the time he looked up it was dark, his stomach was growling and his neck was stiff from hunching over the miniscule desk in his room.
He threw on running clothes, deciding that putting in a few miles would work out the kinks, clear his head, and if he planned it right, he could finish at the diner and grab a greasy cheeseburger as a reward for good behavior.
He never made it. After running the grid of streets around the inn he headed down Main, but only made it halfway. On the opposite side of the street, his gaze was pulled to Sugar & Spice by the magnetic force that seemed to surround Lexi Harper. Asphalt, glass and wood couldn’t even blunt it.
His feet slowed and then stopped. Standing in the shadows, he watched her. Her body rocked to an unheard rhythm, her ponytail swaying back and forth. He wondered if the music was in her head or piped through the store.
She pulled out trays, placing them atop the glass case as she transferred her goodies to airtight containers. It was late. He wondered what had kept her tonight.
She paused, swaying back and forth, her eyes closing for a second as she gave in to the music. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. His hands clenched into fists at his side. A half-hard erection tented the running shorts he’d thrown on.
“Use the daughter.” Bowen’s voice echoed through his brain.
He wanted her. That had nothing to do with the resort and everything to do with Lexi Harper. She was nothing like the women who usually caught his attention. And maybe that’s why he couldn’t get her out of his head.
The way she’d responded to him last night, he knew she wanted him, too. She mig
ht not want to admit it, but there was no denying her reaction.
They were inevitable. Two roads heading toward each other were destined to meet at some point.
He didn’t want to sleep with her because he needed her influence. But if that was a perk of having her, he’d take whatever help he could get. This town was killing him and any chance he had at that bonus.
She disappeared behind the red curtain and without realizing what he intended, Brett found himself across the street, opening her door.
5
SHE WAS LATE closing the shop. A last-minute rush order from her online store had taken her almost an hour to prepare, box and schedule for shipment. Luckily, she’d gotten a jump on the baking for tomorrow so at least she’d be able to squeak out an extra half-hour or so of sleep.
Taking some of the leftover inventory into the back, Lexi wished she could juggle the rest of her problems as easily.
The bell at the front door chimed. Lexi cursed her preoccupation. Why hadn’t she turned the sign and locked the door? With a sigh, she wiped her hands on the towel hanging from the waistband of her apron and headed to the front. Now that the customer was inside she couldn’t order them out. She didn’t have much left in the cases so hopefully the sale wouldn’t take long.
Halfway through the curtain separating her kitchen from the display area she changed her mind. Brett leaned against the case. Awareness rippled through her belly. He hadn’t noticed she was there yet. She could turn around and leave.
His eyes rolled upward, nailing her to the spot. Too late.
She’d just pretend that last night had never happened. He was a customer, like a ton of others she’d helped over the past few years.
“You’re smudging my glass.” Overcompensating for the unexpected nerves, her voice was harsher than she’d meant.
Instead of being perturbed, a knowing grin tugged at his mouth. It irritated her. She wanted to wipe it away. But not with her own mouth. Not at all. She wasn’t going to kiss him again.
She's No Angel Page 5