embroidered jeans and a tie-dyed blouse. Her colorful glass earrings reached to her shoulders and they tinkled as she worked with the key.
“Let me.” He took the keys and got the door open. He fought the urge to cup her earrings in one hand to quiet the music while he nibbled on her tender earlobe. He’d read somewhere that earrings were a sexual invitation and he was more than ready to accept.
“Thanks. I must have had too much caffeine.”
He hadn’t had a drop but he was as wired as if he’d mainlined a whole pot. “Speaking of that, if you’ll show me the coffee routine, I’ll make some.”
“I’ll put some on. I’m sure you want to start setting up your equipment.” Her gaze met his and skittered away.
“How about if I help you feed the cats first?”
“You don’t have to.” She gave him another quick glance, this one more pointed, as if silently warning him to back off.
“Are you worried that I’ll scare Fred?”
She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her tiny sigh of resignation was almost too faint to hear. “If you come out with me and keep still, it should be fine.”
“I can do that.” He wasn’t about to stay away from her, even though that was clearly what she thought she wanted. “Since they’re the reason I’m here, I’d like to get better acquainted.”
Her smile said she didn’t quite believe that, but she nodded. “You can make the coffee while I fill the food bowls.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He followed her into the small space. Close quarters, which made it a great spot for a seduction, but he wasn’t going to attempt one. He could feel the tension radiating from her. If he remained patient, she might surrender to it and seduce him, instead. Not this morning, but maybe before the week was over.
“The coffeepot and coffee are down there at the end. It’s a basic model.”
“Good. I like basic.” He filled his water jug before making the coffee. He’d need the hydration once he started welding. “Ben and Molly said to say hi.”
“They’re good people.” She got out the bowls and opened a bin of fishy-smelling dry cat food.
“They think the same of you. They’re excited about this event to generate donations for the shelter.”
She smiled at him. “Glad to hear it.” She began scooping food into the bowls.
“Did you get your paperwork finished?”
“What paperwork?”
“You know, the paperwork you rushed home to work on last night.”
“Oh...yeah.” Her cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t finish but I made a sizable dent in it. Thanks for asking.”
He started the coffee perking and turned to watch her. “Actually, I didn’t know until last night that the event is to raise money for the cat shelter and the work they do with feral colonies. Ben and Molly filled me in.”
“I didn’t tell you?”
“You might have. I wasn’t focused on that aspect.”
She paused and looked over at him. “Are you saying you only agreed to be here because of me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She might as well know it.
She groaned. “I didn’t mean to give you the wrong idea.”
“Or maybe you gave me the right idea. Three weeks ago I glanced in the rearview mirror as I was driving away from here and you were standing there watching me go. I extrapolated from that and figured we might have a good time when I came back.” He held her gaze. “I still believe we can.”
Her breath caught and desire shimmered in her turquoise eyes. He’d bet good money that if he tried kissing her again, she’d let him. They weren’t in a public parking lot anymore, either. He imagined lifting her to the counter and unbuttoning her blouse.
The image was followed by thoughts of openmouthed kisses and intimate caresses as he sought the moist recesses of her trembling body. By the time he was finished loving her, they’d have bowls and cat food scattered everywhere and a mess to clean up. The cats still wouldn’t be fed.
He took a calming breath. “We need to feed those cats.”
SAPPHIRE COULDN’T DECIDE whether she was relieved or disappointed that Grady had passed up the chance to kiss her. Her thoughts had run in circles all night long, but one intriguing concept kept coming back around. What if they could have sex without any emotional entanglement?
The idea had merit. He lived in Cody, after all, and he was a very busy guy. She’d made the mistake of becoming emotionally invested in those other men and that had seemed to bring out the worst in them. If she didn’t allow that to happen with Grady... Yeah, getting involved with him would still be somewhat of a risk, but he could be worth it.
She was touched that he’d wanted to interact with the cats this morning and that he’d taken it seriously enough to give the job priority. He’d clearly had other things on his mind a moment ago. Yet here he was helping her carry bowls out to the same spot where he’d found her the night before.
He glanced at her as they set the bowls in the grass. “Couldn’t you just use a couple of large bowls?”
“I could, but some cats might be crowded out and not get their fair share. This way I know everybody gets a decent helping.”
“Must be tricky hauling them all out here by yourself.”
“A little. I’ve learned to manage it.”
He crouched down beside her, which meant she was able to breathe in the scent of his aftershave. Whatever he used had a smoky, seductive quality that suggested an activity involving hot bodies and soft sheets. Rolling around in the grass sounded like a good alternative. Being with Grady was a party waiting to happen.
If she didn’t concentrate on something else, she’d be fighting the urge to grab him the entire time they were out here. “Normally, some of the cats would be here waiting but we’re a little earlier than usual.”
“So you’re feeding them, but how does the shelter come into the picture?”
“The biggest contribution is medical.” She kept her attention on the tree line as she looked for cats emerging from the shadows. “If we can get the cats into carriers, that’s great, but mostly we have to trap them. Then they’re either spayed or neutered, vaccinated and checked for any other issues. If the vet finds anything else, she treats it for the cost of the meds and supplies.”
“Sounds like a great program.”
“It is. The cats stay healthy but they don’t keep adding more strays to the population.”
“Have
