Page 37 of Baby, It’s Hotter Inside

“It’s just a few days. I’ll be back before Christmas so no worries on that. Are you working today?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Of course I am. This is our busiest season.”

Roni works at the downtown sweet shop where she helps make fudge and other spun sugary treats to sell for her boss, Nash Lloyd.

“Is he giving you any time off?” I ask.

Roni makes a sweet sound. “I don’t need time off, Jack. I love my job.”

I’m pretty sure she thinks she loves her boss, besides the fact that he’s way too old for her. But I don’t say anything because we’ve argued about that way too much.

“Just don’t let him take advantage of you,” I say.

“He would never. Nash is so good to me,” Roni says.

“You better have Christmas day off.”

She laughs. “Of course I do, silly. We’re closed on Christmas.”

“I’ll be back by then and we can have some sister time.”

She hums in agreement. “Sounds nice. You sure you’ll be okay up in that cabin all alone?”

“Yes. I’ve got my e-reader fully loaded with steamy holiday rom-coms to keep me entertained. My cooler in the back is loaded down with food I already cooked and then froze, and now all I’ll have to do is heat it up.”

“You’re all set then,” Roni says.

“I am. Take care of yourself while I’m gone and go see Ren and Savannah if you need anything.”

“I’m good, big sis. Promise.”

“Love you, Roni.”

“Love you too, Jack.”

It’s quiet the rest of the drive to the cabin. Dusk is approaching and the way the light snow bounces off the road and hood of my car makes me smile. It will be so nice to have some quiet alone time.

Fifteen minutes later I pull into the gravel drive and park. I’ve already got to pee so bad I can barely stand it, so I head to the cabin door in search of a bathroom.

Instead, I find the cutest squatty black dog with a white splotch on her chest. Her long ears nearly scrape the ground when she tilts her head in curiosity.

I get down to her level to read her tags. Maybe I’m in the wrong cabin. But that wouldn’t explain how Savannah’s instructions for the keypad worked to unlock the door.

I finger the bone-shaped silver tag hanging from the pup’s collar.

“Mabel, huh? Well, then Mabel, what do you suppose you’re doing here all alone? I don’t suppose you have a gorgeous owner here with you who is fully equipped to hand out mind-blowing orgasms?”

“Fuck my life.”

chapter twenty-two

Luca

I’ve only been at the cabin for about half an hour when I hear another car drive up. I walk back around to the front with my armload of firewood that I’d been gathering from the shed out back to see a black SUV with Texas plates.

You don’t get as far as I have in the FBI without being a suspicious sort, so I quietly set down the firewood and pull the gun I have in my back holster. I open the door without making a sound and come face to face—face to ass? Shit. There is a curvy as fuck woman, on her hands and knees, plump, round ass, encased in red, white and green plaid leggings, in the air as she baby talks to my dog.

Wait a minute, I know her voice. My eyes eat up the dangerous curves in front of me. I know her body too. Lord knows I’ve spent enough time staring at it and fantasizing about it.