strong and powerful and naked, except for the boots….
Her nipples tingled. Her thighs trembled. And she felt dampness between her legs.
She drew a deep breath and reached for a canister of peanuts with one hand and a pack of batteries with the other.
“Good choice.”
“Thanks. You can recharge these if you want…” Her words faded as she realized he wasn’t talking about the pack of AA’s, but the box of Trojans he’d retrieved.
Embarrassment flooded her. “Those aren’t—” she started but then her eyes collided with his.
Hunger.
There was no mistaking the sudden flash in his deep blue stare. For several fast, furious heartbeats, she was seventeen all over again, staring at him over an open algebra book, wanting him and wishing that he wanted her the way he wanted the blueberry muffin she’d brought for him that day.
But this was no daydream. And there was no blueberry muffin. He was looking back at her now, and he wanted her just as much. It was right there in his eyes. In the way his gaze hooked on her lips…
“You always invest in such a big box?”
“They’re not—” she started before common sense kicked in and she bit her tongue. “Um, bigger is always better.”
A sexy grin tugged at his lips. “And here I thought size wasn’t a big issue with women.”
“Small is okay, but big is more economical. You get more bang for your buck.” Heat crept up her neck and she drew in a steady breath. “Especially with this brand. They give you three free.” Okay, she’d wandered into the land of goober again. Here she was discussing condoms with Austin Jericho.
“I’ve always bought the red pack myself, but maybe I’ll give these a try.”
“They’re much better.” As if she knew. “Better value and they’re, um—” she glanced at the colorful package “—lubricated.”
He nodded. “Lubrication’s good.”
“And they have spermicide. You’ve got to have that.”
“Absolutely.”
“So what were you saying about us having a—”
“I’ve really got to go,” he cut in, his expression abruptly closing as if he’d just remembered something vitally important. He stuffed the condoms into her bag and pushed to his feet.
Madeline gathered up the last of her stuff and stood. Had she heard him wrong? “But what about that diet cola?”
“Can’t stomach the stuff myself. Too much aftertaste.”
“You can have a float and I’ll have the diet cola.”
“I’d love to, darlin’, but I’ve got a sick horse waiting.” He retrieved a written prescription from his pocket. “The vet says I need some of Ben’s liniment.” He handed the sack to her. “Here you go. Nice to see you again, Maddie.”
“It’s Madeline. No one really calls me Maddie anymore.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes again as he watched her for a few fast, furious heartbeats. “Madeline,” he finally repeated, a frown on his face, as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth. “Take care.” And then he strode toward the pharmacy counter, leaving her to wonder what had just happened.
First off, he’d actually noticed her and—ring!
Her thoughts were dissolved by the shrill sound of her cell phone. Madeline tore her attention from Austin’s delectable backside and turned to her oversize purse.
“I’m walking out the door right now,” she told a frantic Janice when she finally managed to answer.
She swallowed a sudden thirst for diet cola, gathered up her purchases and headed out to her black Mustang waiting at the curb. The phone rang again as she climbed behind the wheel.
“Girl, we need ice,” Janice quipped.
“Ice,” Madeline said, and stabbed the off button.
She was barely able to ignore the urge to kill the power completely. She was irritated, not irresponsible. She knew Duane, her lab assistant, might need her.
A wave of anxiety went through her as she thought of the young man. She turned on the car, flicked the air conditioner on high and quickly punched in the familiar number.
Duane was a maverick—fresh and creative, and not much for following rules. That’s what made him so brilliant. He wasn’t afraid to try new things. To take chances. Unfortunately, fearlessness equaled carelessness sometimes.
Madeline stifled a nervous flutter. She’d taken time off before, albeit only a few days, and her lab had still been standing when she’d returned. Of course, her desk had been a little charred around the edges after Duane had ignored the no-food rule and chowed down on a chili dog while mixing up a new acidic skin peel just inches away. Unfortunately, the chili had contained several spices that, when mixed with some of the acid compounds, proved combustible.
“Are you okay?” she demanded when he picked up the phone after the tenth ring.
“I’m not even eating chili today. But, man oh man, I could use a good cup of coffee. And a peanut-butter sandwich.”
She did a mental evaluation of the ingredients of both, and tried to pinpoint any contrary elements. Nothing. Still, she wasn’t taking any chances. “Eat in the break room.”
“Don’t I always?”
“Actually—” she started.
He rushed on. “I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’m a new man. Walking around without eyebrows for six months will do that to a guy.”
She thought about arguing the point, particularly since she’d found an empty coffee cup stuffed under the counter where she kept the petri dishes. But Duane was the type who had to learn on his own.
“Have you finished the trial tests for the new lotion?”
“Finished number five today. It’s good to go.”
“We need six before we make that determination.”
“I’ve had the same outcome for five. It’s not going to change. Trust me.”
“Did I tell you that I found a tattoo shop that does permanent eyebrows? Two hundred stabs of the needle and you won’t have to worry about growing yours back.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll do another test. What about you? Have you decided what we’re going to do to spice up this stuff? How about a flavored lotion?”
“That’s already been done.”
“We could do unusual flavors. Coffee. Peanut butter. Mmm.”
“We
