Page 93 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“I can show you,” Justin said. “Just come over to the ranch.”
“I’d enjoy that.” They came up with a date and the boys ran off.
“Kids love you, don’t they?” Dana pulled a ball out of the return machine. “At first I thought you just bribed them with Otter Pops. But they genuinely like you.”
“Of course they do. Everyone likes me.” He said it teasingly, but it was true.
She wondered why a popular guy like him would like a wallflower like her. “I don’t think kids like me that much.”
“All you have to do is make an effort and they’ll like you. Kids are pretty easy that way.”
She flung the ball down the lane, watching it bounce, swerve right, and take down two pins. “Why do you like me?”
Aidan sat next to her on the bench. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“No. I’m not generally insecure.” On second thought, maybe she was when it came to relationships. But as far as her professional life, she was damned proud of her accomplishments. She was smart, enterprising, and self-sufficient. A lot of women—and men—couldn’t say the same. “You’re just so outgoing and I’m a loner.”
“I don’t think you’re a loner,” he said. “I think you’re shy. You’re also clever, interesting, beautiful, sexy, and a tremendous businesswoman. All part of the reasons I like you, but not the biggest reason.”
“What’s the biggest reason?”
“You make me feel like I light you up from the inside out.”
She sat there for a while, taking that in. That’s how he made her feel, like she was perfect the way she was, regardless of their differences. Not second but first.
He nuzzled her ear. “Let’s go home.”
They changed back into their real shoes, brought the pitcher back to the snack bar, and walked to Aidan’s truck, holding hands in the balmy night air.
“If I had a pool, we could go for a swim.” She tossed him a salacious grin. That night at her parents’ had been the most erotic of her life.
“We could sneak into the pool at Sierra Heights. Naked.” Aidan sounded serious.
“I didn’t realize you were an exhibitionist. Sorry, bucko, I like privacy.”
“Do you now? Then we’ll go straight home.” He kissed her, letting his hands wander over her body before she climbed into his Expedition. Inside the cab, he continued his exploration over her clothes, making her nipples pebble against the soft cotton of her blouse. “I don’t know if I’ll make it.”
“You’ll make it.” She laughed.
He took her hand and guided it over the giant bulge in his pants. “I don’t think so.”
“What are you suggesting?” She let her hand linger on his crotch.
“That we do it right here. It’s dark; no one will see us.”
“You’re crazy.” But his eagerness turned her on. No one had ever made her feel this hot or this sexual. She reached over and started to undo his belt, hearing him suck in a breath. Then she got down on her knees on the floor in front of the seat.
And his phone rang.
Chapter 18
Talk about bad timing. Aidan looked at the caller ID and muttered a curse.
“McBride here.”
“Dangburnit! We’ve got another one,” Captain Johnson said, and Aidan pivoted his head so he could take in the whole square. No flames, no smoke.
“Where is it?”
