by Lori Wilde
“Leigh, I’m fine,” Megan tried, but Leigh finally saw Chase and yelled at him to come over and join them.
Chase made his way through the crowded room. The city council meetings usually drew a big audience, but Megan was happy to see even more people than usual had turned out to listen to her presentation of fund-raiser ideas for new playground equipment
When Chase got even with Megan and Leigh, he leaned across Megan to ruffle his sister’s dark hair. Then he dropped into the folding chair next to Megan and winked at her. “Ladies, how are you tonight?”
Megan tried to keep her expression pleasant, but it wasn’t easy. Ever since she’d moved back to Honey last year, pretending her feelings for Chase were platonic was proving harder and harder. At six-two, with deep black hair and even deeper blue eyes, he made her heart race and her palms sweat.
“Don’t ruffle my hair, bozo.” Leigh huffed at Megan’s right, smoothing her hair. “I’m in college. I’m too old to have my hair ruffled.”
To Megan’s left, Chase chuckled. “Squirt, you’re never going to be too old for me to ruffle your hair. When you’re eighty, I’m going to totter up to you and do it.”
“You and what orderly?” Leigh teased. “And just for the record, I like Nathan and Trent much better than I like you.”
“Oh, please.” Megan rolled her eyes at that one. Leigh loved all of her brothers, but everyone knew Chase was her favorite. When she was home from college, she always stayed with Chase.
“I love you, too, squirt,” Chase said, not rising to his sister’s taunt Instead he nudged Megan. “You okay?”
“I told her to imagine the mayor naked if she got nervous, but she doesn’t want to do that,” Leigh supplied.
“I can see why not” Chase said. “Earl’s not exactly stud-muffin material.”
“Oooh, I know what she should do.” Leigh practically bounced in her chair. “Megan, if you get nervous, picture Chase naked.”
Megan froze and willed herself to stay calm. The absolute last thing she wanted to think about was Chase naked. Okay, maybe she did want to think of him naked, but not right now. Not right before she had to speak in front of a large portion of the entire town.
“I don’t think so,” Megan muttered, shooting a glare at Leigh. The younger woman knew how Megan felt about her brother, and this was simply one more not-so-subtle attempt to get the two of them together. In the past few months, Leigh’s matchmaking maneuvers had grown more extreme.
“I don’t think I’ll need to picture anyone naked,” Megan stated.
On her other side, Chase offered, “Well, if you get flustered and it will make things easier for you, you go ahead and think of me naked Megan. Whatever I can do to help.”
Megan knew Chase was teasing her, but suddenly she realized how many years she’d wasted waiting for him to take her seriously. She’d fallen for him when she’d moved to town at eight. Dreamed about him since she’d turned sixteen. And tried like the dickens to forget him when she’d been away at college and then later working at a library in Dallas for five years.
But nothing had helped. Not even seriously dating a man in Dallas had helped. In her soul, Megan believed she and Chase were meant to be together.
If only she could get him to notice her.
“Hey there, Chase,” a smooth, feline voice fairly purred over their shoulders. “You’re looking yummy. Like an especially luscious dessert, and I positively love dessert.”
Oh, great Megan glanced behind her. Janet Defries. Just what she needed tonight.
Chase smiled at the woman half leaning on his chair. “Hey, Janet. Do you plan on helping Megan with her committee?”
From the look on Janet’s face the only thing she planned on helping herself to was Chase, served on a platter. She leaned toward Chase, the position no doubt deliberate since a generous amount of cleavage was exposed. “Are you going to help with this committee, Chase? Because if you are, I might be able to pry free a few hours.”
Yeah, right. Megan shared a glance with Leigh. They both knew Janet would no more help with the committee than dogs would sing.
“I’d like to help, but it’s a busy time on the ranch,” Chase said.
“Shame.” Janet slipped into the chair directly behind him. “I think you and I should figure out a way to spend some quality time together.”
Her message couldn’t have been clearer if she’d plastered it on a billboard. Megan hated herself for wanting to know, but she couldn’t not look. She turned to see what Chase’s reaction was to the woman’s blatant come-on.
Mild interest. Megan repressed a sigh. Of course. Janet was exactly the type of woman Chase favored. One with a high-octane body and zero interest in a lasting relationship.
“Maybe we’ll figure it out one of these days,” Chase said, and Megan felt her temperature climb.
Okay, so she didn’t have a drawer at home full of D-cups, but Megan knew she could make Chase happy. She could make him believe in love again.
If the dimwit would give her the chance.
Janet placed one hand on Chase’s arm and licked her lips. “Well, you hurry up, else I might decide to go after Nathan or Trent instead. You’re not the only handsome fella in your family.”
Chase chuckled as he faced forward in his chair once again. “I sure am being threatened with my brothers tonight. But I’d like to point out that neither of them stopped by to lend their support, and I’m sitting here like an angel.”
Leigh snorted. “Angel? You? Give me a break. You could make the devil himself blush, Chase Barrett”
Chase’s grin was pure male satisfaction. “I do my best.”
As Megan knew only too well. She’d watched him beguile a large percentage of the females in this part of Texas. Why couldn’t he throw a little of that wickedness her way? Just once, she’d like to show him how combustible they could be together.
But even though she’d been back in Honey for almost a year, the man still treated her like a teenager. She’d just celebrated her twenty-ninth birthday. She wasn’t a sheltered virgin with fairytale dreams of romance. She was a flesh and blood woman who knew what she wanted out of life.
She wanted Chase.
After a great deal of commotion getting the microphone to the right level, the mayor finally started the meeting. Within a few minutes, it was time for her presentation. Megan stood, adjusting her glasses.
“Remember, picture Chase naked if you get nervous,’’ Leigh whispered but not very softly.
Megan was in the process of scooting past Chase, who had stood to let her by. She froze, standing directly in front of the man who consumed her dreams and starred in her fantasies.
He grinned.
“You know, I think I just may do that,” Megan said. “And if he gets nervous, he can picture me naked, too.”
**
Had to be the heat, Chase decided as he settled back in the wobbly folding chair. Or maybe the water. Either way, something was weird because Megan Kendall had just flirted with him.
Leigh moved over to sit in the chair next to Chase. “You talk to Nathan or Trent today?”
Chase glanced at Megan, who was straightening her notes, so he had a couple of seconds to answer his sister. “Nathan and all of his employees are working overtime trying to get that computer program done. Trent has a new officer who joined the force today, so he’s busy, too. You’re stuck with me.”
Rather than looking upset, Leigh’s expression was downright blissful. “Megan and I are thrilled you’re here.”
Through narrowed eyes, Chase studied his sister. She was up to something as sure as the sun rose in the East, and he’d bet his prize bull it had something to do with him breaking up her necking session with Billy Joe Tate last night
“Whatever you’re doing, stop it” Chase told her. “It won’t work.”
Leigh fluttered her eyelashes at him, feigning innocence. “Who me? I’m not up to anything. How could I be with you and Nathan and Trent on me
every second of every day? I’m almost twenty-two, Chase.”
“Spare me the melodrama. Just because I don’t want my baby sister having wild sex in a Trans Am in front of my house doesn’t make me a meddler.”
Leigh snorted loud enough to make some of the ladies in the row in front of them turn to see what was happening. But Leigh, as usual, ignored everyone around her and barreled on.
“If it were up to my brothers, I’d still be a virgin,” she actually hissed at him. “Thank goodness I decided to go away for college. No one in Austin has ever heard of the Barrett brothers.”
Chase opened his mouth to say something but ended up gaping at his sister like a dead fish. He was still formulating what to say to Leigh’s pronouncement when Megan started her presentation.
Good manners, drilled into him over the years, forced him to remain silent and listen to the speaker. But what in the blue bejesus was up with the women tonight? And why was he the lucky man who got to be trapped in the middle of it?
And since when wasn’t Leigh a virgin? He glanced at his sister, who was nodding and smiling at Megan as she went over the reasons why the city park needed new playground equipment. He had to face facts. Their father had run off with a waitress when Leigh had been four. Their mother had died when Leigh had been eleven. She’d been raised by three older brothers who might have been strict with her but who did a fair amount of hell-raising on then- own.
He should count his lucky stars that Leigh hadn’t made him an uncle already.
But for crying out loud. He was all for liberated women, but did they all have to liberate themselves in front of him at the same time?
He turned away from Leigh, but not before making a mental note to talk to her once more about safe sex and nice boys.
Behind him, Chase could actually feel Janet Defries staring at the back of his head. No doubt she was planning all the things she could do to him if she had plastic wrap and an economy jar of mayonnaise.
And then there was Megan. Frowning, he looked at her. She was carefully explaining how the city could build a large play castle like so many bigger cities had if they raised enough money and had enough volunteers. Her talk was going well, as expected, but Chase could tell she was nervous. They’d been friends for so long, he recognized the signs.
He gave her an encouraging smile.
And the look she gave back scorched him. Good Lord. She was picturing him naked.
Before he could stop himself, before he could even think about how downright stupid it was, he found himself picturing Megan naked, too.
And really, really liking what he pictured. Sure, a few times over the years, he’d turned the idea of Megan over in his mind. After all, she was attractive in a sedate sort of way. She had long ash-blond hair, pretty green eyes, and a slim body with just enough curves to keep a man interested. Sweet curves that would be soft to the touch, and silky to the taste and—
Whoa. What in the blazes was he doing? Megan Kendall was one of his best friends, not to mention a woman who actually believed in things like love and marriage. He blinked, and mentally tossed a thick, woolen blanket over Megan’s naked body. That would be the end of that.
“I think Chase should co-chair the committee with Megan,” Leigh announced, bringing Chase’s attention back to the meeting going on around him.
He glared at Leigh. “What? I don’t have time to co-chair a committee.” He glanced at the city council, the mayor, and finally, at Megan. “Sorry. I’m too busy at the moment.”
“Everyone is busy,” Earl said. “But you make time for something as important as this.” The mayor leaned forward. “Don’t you want your children to have a nice park to play in someday, Chase?”
“I don’t have any children, Earl, and I don’t plan on having any.”
He looked at Megan, whose expression could only be called sad. Great. Just great Now he’d disappointed her by saying he wouldn’t co-chair the committee. Well at least he’d found a way to get her to stop picturing him naked.
“Hold on a minute here,” Leigh said. “It’s your turn to help, Chase Barrett. Trent’s the chief of police, so he does a lot for this town. And Nathan’s computer company supports practically everybody. I’ve volunteered at the senior center, and I’m coming back to town next fall to do my student teaching. It’s your turn to do something to help.”
A slow, steady throbbing sensation started somewhere in the back of Chase’s brain. Leave it to his sister to put him in an awkward position. “I don’t have the time right now, Leigh. I’ll be happy to make a donation, though.”
Megan’s expression softened. She forgave him. He knew she forgave him. Naturally sweet Megan would understand.
Dang it. Now he felt lower than a rattlesnake’s rump.
‘‘What would it involve?” he half groaned, wanting to do whatever it took to get out of this room and away from these women.
‘‘It wouldn’t be much,” Megan told him. “Just help with the carnival and the auction. I’d only need a couple hours of your time for the next few weeks.”
Like he believed that. A carnival and an auction sounded like a lot of work. “Why do we have to have both?”
Leigh thwacked him on the arm. “Weren’t you listening? Megan explained that the carnival will bring in the people, then the auction will bring in the big money.”
Chase frowned at his sister. “Oh.”
“I’ll be willing to help on this committee if Chase is co-chair,” Janet said from over his shoulder.
The throbbing in the back of his head grew more intense as several other single women in the room also agreed to help on the committee, that is of course, if he did, too.”
“See there, Chase, you’re a popular guy. Lots of folks want to help out if you join in,” Earl said. He glanced at the members of the city council “I think this sounds like a great plan. Let’s take a vote.”
Chase wasn’t surprised the council agreed with the mayor. What wasn’t to like? Everyone was happy except for him.
‘‘I never agreed to help,” he pointed out to Leigh after Megan gathered her things and headed back to sit down.
‘‘Oh, let it go, Chase. You’re like a neutered hound dog, going on about something that’s long gone,” Leigh said.
A soft, sexy, feminine laugh floated around him, raising his body temperature. Who in the world... He turned, bumping right into Megan. The smile she gave him was so very unlike the Megan he’d known for years and years.
Her smile was pure seduction.
‘‘Trust me, Chase is nothing like a neutered hound dog,” she said softly.
The water. Something was definitely wrong with the water in this town.
Also by Lori Wilde
TEXAS RASCALS SERIES
Keegan
Matt
Nick
Kurt
Tucker
Kael
Truman
Dan
Rex
Clay
Jonah
* * *
With author Liz Alvin
Handsome Rancher
Handsome Boss
Handsome Lawman
Handsome Cowboy
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Did you love Rex? Then you should read Brodie by Lori Wilde!
FOLLOW THAT BRIDE!All Deannie Hollis had to do was woo and wed Brodie Trueblood to honor the promise she'd made her father. Regaining her birthright was all the feisty single gal had ever dreamed about. But never, in all those imaginings, had she considered what she would do if she actually fell in love with the sexy cowboy she had to marry - and couldn't keep!So, as the pianist played the wedding march for the third time and the preacher's eyes turned heavenward, the wedding guests waited for
the bride to make her appearance. Would Deannie walk down the aisle or hightail herself to the nearest town…and hope that her own Texas Trueblood would find her?
Read more at Lori Wilde’s site.
About the Author
Lori Wilde is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 85 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well. Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie.
Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics, and is also a certified yoga instructor.
A fifth generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.
Read more at Lori Wilde’s site.