Page 36 of Armed ’N’ Ready

And speaking of hardness, all she wanted was to run her fingertips all over his glistening chest.

“What, exactly, were you doing?” She straightened and pointed to the float.

“Balance training.” His gaze dipped to the sweat-soaked tank that sagged low on her breasts. “As K-9s go, Saxon is at the top of his game. But he needs more experience maintaining balance on uneven, unstable surfaces, and this is a good way to supplement his training.”

Saxon’s ears pricked as he listened avidly to their conversation.

“I see.” A whole lot of bare skin, to be precise. She turned to leave, having taken her fill of glistening muscle for one morning.

“Wait.” Nick stood motionless, his hands on his hips. Hips that were completely devoid of fat and without any evidence of impending love handles. “Where were you just now?”

“Running.” Her attire should have made it obvious.

“I know that.” He shot her an annoyed look. “I meant, where.”

She tipped her head to the tree line. “The woods. It’s got good shade cover.”

When he turned to look at the trees, her gaze drank in the breadth of his muscled shoulders and back, his high, tight butt, and those long legs that looked strong enough to kick down a twelve-inch-thick wall of bricks.

“You shouldn’t be out there alone.” When he turned back to her, he was frowning. “Especially when some guy might be lurking around the café. Next time you go for a run, I’ll go with you.”

“You’re exasperating.” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ve been going for runs by myself in those woods for over a year. I promise you, there are no bad guys lurking behind the trees.” Only a deer that had scared the shit out of her.

“Don’t be so dismissive.”

“Don’t be so smothering.” From the corner of her eye, she’d caught Saxon watching them, turning his head alternately from her to Nick as if he were a spectator at a ping-pong tournament.

“I’m not.” Even though he’d begun to sweat, the look he sent her was as cool as ice. “What I am, is worried.”

“About me? I’m not in any danger. Joe is.”

“Humor me.”

Knowing it probably wasn’t worth arguing over, she sighed. “Fine.” Then she turned and began walking to the house.

“Admit it,” he called after her. “I’m growing on you.”

“Not,” she shouted over her shoulder.

Deep, rich laughter followed her as she walked briskly home and yanked open the screen door. Only when it slammed shut behind her, did she take an easy breath. She’d never admit it, but he was right. She had begun to like having him around.

Bar sales had gone up significantly since he’d started working at the café. That was the only reason his presence didn’t annoy her quite as much as it had in the beginning. It definitely wasn’t because she kinda liked him as a person, or that the man’s body was more chiseled than Mount Rushmore. Definitely not that.

Continually reminding herself that he had a different set of priorities and couldn’t be trusted was the best medicine for keeping her libido in check. That and the itsy-bitsy other thing about how he might throw her in jail for money laundering.

Without getting up from the ultra-cushy dog bed Andi had purchased at the local pet store, Stray raised her head, her dark eyes brimming with curiosity. A moment later, she rose from the bed and walked to where Andi stood by the door.

Since she’d started letting Stray stay in the house overnight, the dog had begun anticipating her moods even more. Stray sniffed her hand—the one she’d been petting Saxon with. Andi recognized the second Stray identified the smell of her new canine buddy. Her head lifted, and she let out a soft whimper, taking quick, mincing steps with her front paws and pushing at Andi’s hand with her snout. The message was loud and clear: Stray was excited and wanted to play with Saxon.

As she stared at the dog, it struck her that Stray’s reaction to Saxon was eerily similar to Andi’s reaction to Nick. When the man was near, it was as if someone had flipped a toggle switch that sent electricity shooting through her body. This had to stop.

Cold. Shower.

She gave Stray a quick pat on the head, then grabbed a bottle of water and went upstairs. Before heading into the bathroom, she checked her phone on the nightstand. No missed calls.

After turning on the shower, she stripped off her damp clothes and stepped beneath the cool spray. When she began soaping up, far too realistic visions of what Nick’s incredible physique would look like beneath the shower swam before her eyes. Shame on me for having such thoughts. Then again, he’d seen her practically naked in the shower, so she shouldn’t have anything to be guilty about. Fair’s fair.

That evening, Andi glanced around the DPC’s dining room. The musician she’d hired was due in less than an hour for setup and sound check. Customers were starting to trickle in for dinner, but the real crowd wouldn’t begin arriving for another hour to get seats for the show.