Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12)(43)

She returned with a bowl of bean dip. “Be careful. It’s spicy.”

“I like spicy.”

They sat at the table under the awning. A cool breeze tickled the back of his neck.

This was what he’d come home for, he thought as he took a drink of the beer. Yard work, spicy bean dip and a beautiful woman. Maybe not in that order.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked, reaching for a chip.

“Maybe it’s the company.”

She laughed. “Maybe you’re full of crap.”

“You don’t think you’re good company?”

“I think I’m great company, but I don’t think that’s a reason to smile the way you were.”

“Then you don’t know me.” He motioned to the yard. “This is a top-ten moment.”

She leaned back in her chair and grinned. “Why do I know you have more than ten of them?”

“You should have a top-ten moment every day.”

Her T-shirt was old, her jeans worn. She’d washed off her makeup and brushed out the curls. The more casual look suited her as much as the other had. She was a beautiful woman, with pretty features and a ready smile.

He supposed what he liked best about Isabel was how well he knew her. As they’d joked about over the weekend, he’d watched her grow up. He knew her character. He’d listened to her pour her heart out to him. She’d confessed things to the page that she would never have said in person, and in that, she had revealed her true self.

She was good to the bone. Oh, sure, she had faults, but she was a decent, caring person. Affectionate and giving. There were so many days he’d faced desperate situations and barely survived. There had been injuries and death and times when he’d stared down the barrel of his rifle and wondered why he had to kill yet another person.

But he’d done it all, and at the end of the day, her loopy writing and easy conversation had pulled him back from the edge.

“Lauren came in and bought the dress today,” she said.

“Good for her. She’ll be a beautiful bride.”

“She will. I’m really happy for her.”

“It must be nice to be a part of that. Someone’s wedding. You’ll always have a piece of that memory.”

“I hope so,” she admitted. “My grandmother told me it’s about the right dress, not the sale. She sent more than one bride to another store, because none of the dresses we had were right. It’s an interesting business.”

“You’ll miss it when you leave.”

“Maybe a little.” She picked up her beer. “I told you about those clothes Dellina brought in, right?”

“Yes, you have headless mannequins in your windows and everyone is talking.”

She giggled. “No one is talking.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. Anyway, everything sold and Dellina is bringing in more. We’re going to raise prices a little and see what happens. I figure this is good practice for when I go into business with Sonia.”

His gaze lingered on her blond hair. He liked the way the light hit it. She didn’t have much of a tan, but he still wondered about where she might be a little paler than her arms and neck. From there it was a quick journey to her naked and him exploring.

His bed? Her bed? He was comfortable with either. Of course, he was pretty hot and sweaty after his yard work. He should clean up first. Or they could take a shower together.

“You’re not listening to me,” she complained.

He met her gaze. “That would be true.”

“What were you thinking?”

He took a swallow of the beer. “You don’t want to know.”

She shifted in her seat. “I can’t decide if I believe you or not.”

“I’ll never lie to you.”

“Wow. There’s a statement. So, what were you thinking?”

“That I need to go take a shower and that you could join me.”

Isabel’s cheeks darkened with color and she looked away. “You weren’t thinking that.”

“Sure I was. Want details?”

Her gaze returned to his. “Something else I’m not sure I should ask.”

He put his beer on the table and slowly stood. For a woman who’d been married a few years, she was surprisingly naive about what went on in a man’s mind. He supposed that most of the reason was that her ex was g*y. He doubted Eric had thought all that differently, only that the object of his interest must have been someone else.

He circled around the table and pulled her to her feet.

“Never doubt,” he told her right before he kissed her.

* * *

ISABEL REMEMBERED THE LAST time with Ford. The passion had built slowly, catching her off guard and making it difficult for her to understand what was happening. This time, that wasn’t the problem. Her body recognized the upcoming kiss and apparently approved. Even before his mouth settled on hers, her nerve endings were buzzing in anticipation.

His lips claimed hers with a combination of heat and passion. Her eyes closed, allowing her to concentrate on the feel of his hands gently cupping her face. She rested her fingertips on his shoulders.

He was strong, she thought absently. Strong and powerful and very male.

Their mouths brushed once, twice before she parted for him. Just like that—kiss me more, she thought, a little shocked by her reaction. He obliged and slipped his tongue inside.