Chasing the Runaway Bride by Susan Meier Page A

right now hers was envisioning her fingers rippling along those corded muscles. “There is?”
    He smiled again, but the automatic doors swished apart. Bunny entered for her shift. “Morning.”
    Cade and Piper simultaneously said, “Morning.”
    As Bunny stowed her purse under her register, Cade gestured to the office again.
    She almost followed him but couldn’t quite get her feet to move. Given her desire to run her hands down the smooth line of his torso, she wasn’t sure being alone with him was such a good idea. She wasn’t worried that she’d actually touch him, but she might stutter. Or her voice could quiver. Or her tongue could tie.
    And wouldn’t that be embarrassing?
    …
    Cade watched her debating coming into the office and frowned. Why the hell was she hesitating?
    Then her eyes met his. Their green hue glistened. His gaze moved to her throat where her pulse beat just enough that he could see it jumping. Just as it had on Saturday, at the drugstore, when she flirted with him.
    He smiled.
    He’d thought the attraction had fizzled when she realized who he was.
    Apparently not.
    A wave of heat surged through him. Vivid images popped into his head. All those things he’d wanted to do that day at the drugstore came tumbling back in great detail. The devil took his impulse control and tossed it so far away, Cade grinned.
    “Come on, darlin’. Ten minutes. That’s all I need.”
    “Ten minutes?” She met his gaze. “A lot can happen in ten minutes.”
    She pressed her fingers to her lips as if she couldn’t believe she’d said that, and he laughed. So she does remember our encounter in the drugstore.
    “I can make it ten minutes you’ll never forget.”
    But he suddenly noticed Bunny Farmer, standing in her checkout aisle, watching every move he made, hearing every word they said.
    “If you wanna count green beans, go ahead.” He took a step back, too. The reminder that this entire town had eyes and ears brought him back to reality. What was he doing flirting with Piper O’Riley? Was he insane? “We can talk whenever you’re ready.”
    He turned and headed back to the office, forcing himself to think about finding the proof that his grandfather hadn’t cheated her dad. The day before, he’d skimmed through the computer records but hadn’t found a file marked “proof I didn’t cheat Sean O’Riley.” It was absurd to think his grandfather would be so brazen about whatever it was, but he’d have been a fool not to look for the obvious. Today, he’d get into the subtleties.
    He worked for two hours, once again seeking files that might have the word “proof” in them. When that didn’t pan out, he searched for Sean O’Riley. Nothing. He searched poker game. Nothing again.
    Rubbing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair just as there was a knock at the door.
    “Come in.”
    The door opened slowly. Piper entered hesitantly. “Hey.”
    Seeing her brought back their thirty seconds of flirting that morning, after she’d given him the once-over. He bolted up in his chair. His gaze ran from her long inky-black ponytail, down the press of her breasts against her pink T-shirt, along her delectable behind. Heat swooshed through his blood.
    He caught her gaze.
    Glancing away, she headed for one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I…um…You’d wanted to talk to me this morning?”
    She clearly intended to pretend the attraction between them didn’t exist and, honestly, that was probably the best way to go. But he’d just spent two hours staring at a boring computer screen. And besides, they were alone…and her family and friends had tortured and tormented his for years. Was it so wrong to want a little payback?
    Especially since he had such an innocent way to get it?
    He rose from the chair behind the desk and walked to the front corner—close enough to her that when he leaned against the desktop, their knees almost touched.
    “I was going to suggest a strategy session.”
    Her gaze