chicken.”
“I like anything I don’t have to cook.”
Liz squirmed and called for Kathy to come meet their guest.
*
When she heard Liz call, Kathy’s shoulders stiffened. Mentally preparing to face the brute with the foul mouth, she pasted on a happy face and marched into the sitting room.
The first view of her illustrious neighbor was of his back. He was facing away from her, but at the sound of her footsteps, he turned and Liz made the introductions.
Kathy’s head was at chest level. He was tall, very tall. She raised her eyes to meet his, and when she did the prepared greeting died in her throat. Oh. My. God. It’s Adonis. Her heart did a back flip. Her brain short-circuited. She felt like she’d been sucker punched.
A quirky little smile lit his face as he extended his hand. “So nice to meet you at last Kathy.”
The soft baritone voice cut across her turbulent thoughts and was a seduction of the senses. The nanosecond she left his hand suspended in midair won her a discreet elbow in the ribs from Liz.
“Nice to meet y’all too, Shane,” she said, her nervousness making her drawl more pronounced. As she put her hand in his, electrical pulses shot up her arm. The unfamiliar jolt caused her to pull away in surprise, but she held his gaze.
“I hope you ladies like Chardonnay.”
With her heart fluttering, but with no sign of recognition in his deep blue eyes, she breathed a silent sigh of relief and took the bottle of wine he handed her.
“Perfect, I’ll just get the opener and wine glasses from the kitchen,” Liz offered.
“No, no,” Kathy interrupted. “I’ll get them. I need to check on dinner anyway. Would you prefer wine or beer?” She directed the question to him.
“A beer would be great.”
Kathy skedaddled. She’d absorbed every itty-bitty detail and wanted to process it with breathing space. He was even more phenomenal up close. His size alone commanded respect. His ocean blue eyes edged with ebony lashes held such depth she was in danger of drowning in them. His chiseled jaw, strong and defined with a slight cleft in the center, softened his features and gave him an almost boyish charm. A small white scar, half an inch long, ran perpendicular to his bottom lip and a dimple formed in his left cheek when he smiled. The glaring black and purple bruise on his forehead just above his right eye was incongruous with the rest of his appearance but didn’t dull his good looks; if anything, it made him more bad boy sexy appealing. As she got the drinks and picked up the fruit and cheese platter, she asked herself whether this was what love at first sight felt like.
*
To say he was gob-smacked when she’d entered the room was an understatement. Heck, he felt like he’d been slammed by a Mack truck. Miss Bellamy was no gray-haired spinster but his fantasy girl, Doe Eyes. The gods at last were smiling on him.
She was even more bodacious up close. Words like ravishing and delectable sprang to mind. She had lips that begged to be kissed and come-to-bed eyes, liquid brown with thick black lashes, but she’d stared at him like he was the devil incarnate.
Ice realized that the sight of him had her rattled. Hell, he was a bit rattled too. He wanted things to get off to a smooth beginning, didn’t want to spook her, so decided to play it cool and feign ignorance. His plans of a quick retreat flew from his mind, and his attitude did an about face. This was turning out to be one hell of a night.
“This is Cindy, the cause of last night’s kerfuffle.” Liz butted into his thoughts.
“How could such a little dog make such a commotion?” he muttered reaching down to scratch his new best friend behind the ears.
“Beats me, as I said before, I didn’t hear a thing. Have a seat Shane.” Liz indicated the single armchair as she slid onto the sofa.
Ice folded himself into the chair as Kathy re-entered the room.
“Help yourself,” she said, placing a platter on the table and handing
“I like anything I don’t have to cook.”
Liz squirmed and called for Kathy to come meet their guest.
*
When she heard Liz call, Kathy’s shoulders stiffened. Mentally preparing to face the brute with the foul mouth, she pasted on a happy face and marched into the sitting room.
The first view of her illustrious neighbor was of his back. He was facing away from her, but at the sound of her footsteps, he turned and Liz made the introductions.
Kathy’s head was at chest level. He was tall, very tall. She raised her eyes to meet his, and when she did the prepared greeting died in her throat. Oh. My. God. It’s Adonis. Her heart did a back flip. Her brain short-circuited. She felt like she’d been sucker punched.
A quirky little smile lit his face as he extended his hand. “So nice to meet you at last Kathy.”
The soft baritone voice cut across her turbulent thoughts and was a seduction of the senses. The nanosecond she left his hand suspended in midair won her a discreet elbow in the ribs from Liz.
“Nice to meet y’all too, Shane,” she said, her nervousness making her drawl more pronounced. As she put her hand in his, electrical pulses shot up her arm. The unfamiliar jolt caused her to pull away in surprise, but she held his gaze.
“I hope you ladies like Chardonnay.”
With her heart fluttering, but with no sign of recognition in his deep blue eyes, she breathed a silent sigh of relief and took the bottle of wine he handed her.
“Perfect, I’ll just get the opener and wine glasses from the kitchen,” Liz offered.
“No, no,” Kathy interrupted. “I’ll get them. I need to check on dinner anyway. Would you prefer wine or beer?” She directed the question to him.
“A beer would be great.”
Kathy skedaddled. She’d absorbed every itty-bitty detail and wanted to process it with breathing space. He was even more phenomenal up close. His size alone commanded respect. His ocean blue eyes edged with ebony lashes held such depth she was in danger of drowning in them. His chiseled jaw, strong and defined with a slight cleft in the center, softened his features and gave him an almost boyish charm. A small white scar, half an inch long, ran perpendicular to his bottom lip and a dimple formed in his left cheek when he smiled. The glaring black and purple bruise on his forehead just above his right eye was incongruous with the rest of his appearance but didn’t dull his good looks; if anything, it made him more bad boy sexy appealing. As she got the drinks and picked up the fruit and cheese platter, she asked herself whether this was what love at first sight felt like.
*
To say he was gob-smacked when she’d entered the room was an understatement. Heck, he felt like he’d been slammed by a Mack truck. Miss Bellamy was no gray-haired spinster but his fantasy girl, Doe Eyes. The gods at last were smiling on him.
She was even more bodacious up close. Words like ravishing and delectable sprang to mind. She had lips that begged to be kissed and come-to-bed eyes, liquid brown with thick black lashes, but she’d stared at him like he was the devil incarnate.
Ice realized that the sight of him had her rattled. Hell, he was a bit rattled too. He wanted things to get off to a smooth beginning, didn’t want to spook her, so decided to play it cool and feign ignorance. His plans of a quick retreat flew from his mind, and his attitude did an about face. This was turning out to be one hell of a night.
“This is Cindy, the cause of last night’s kerfuffle.” Liz butted into his thoughts.
“How could such a little dog make such a commotion?” he muttered reaching down to scratch his new best friend behind the ears.
“Beats me, as I said before, I didn’t hear a thing. Have a seat Shane.” Liz indicated the single armchair as she slid onto the sofa.
Ice folded himself into the chair as Kathy re-entered the room.
“Help yourself,” she said, placing a platter on the table and handing
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