impression. Actually, she kind of liked the dominant side of him. It made her feel…cared for? Wanted? Wasn’t that peculiar!
She carefully balanced an apple pie on her pile of groceries. There had been something else “odd” about Seth, something slightly wild, barely tamed. The intense look in his eyes? The strained look to his beard stubbled face? She couldn’t quite decide what it had been, maybe all of it together. And he had emanated a raw animalistic sexuality that had sent shivers of desire through her. Her attraction to him was growing stronger every day…even when he wasn’t around. She sensed he was fighting it as well. She should leave. Today. Forget these groceries; forget going back for her few belongings. Just get in the pickup truck and head on down the road.
The rapid staccato of heels heading in her direction snared her attention. In the next instant a model-thin, long-legged woman stopped next to her cart. Perfectly coiffed brunette hair surrounded what might have been a beautiful face if not for the anger pinching it. “You’re Seth’s housekeeper, aren’t you?”
She’d said the word “housekeeper” as if she’d meant something far more slimy…like “slut.” Teri recognized the woman’s voice from the phone call the other day. Seth’s ex-wife, the one everyone in town—at least Maybelle and the Dunston sisters—detested. Maybe she could accidentally run one of the cart’s wheels over her sandaled foot. No, too tacky.
“I am.” She attempted to push the basket down the aisle.
The woman latched onto the side and stopped her progress. “I told you to have Seth call me. He hasn’t.”
Teri sent her most fierce glower in Sarah’s direction. “I told him. Evidently he doesn’t want to call you.” She shrugged. “Not my problem. Yours.”
“These little games of his will only cost him more.” Sarah released the cart, but continued to look down her nose at Teri. “When I’m finished with him, he won’t even have the money to pay your measly salary. If he pays you that way.”
It occurred to her that the woman saw her as competition for the husband she no longer wanted except to torment. Time to bring her down a notch. “Jealous much?”
“Of you? Hardly.” Sarah snorted and stood taller, thrusting out her less-than-impressive chest. “Seth needs a real woman, not a…near child.”
Okay, she’d had enough. Teri took a quick glance around to make sure they were alone and then lowered her voice. “Honey, I’m a long way from being a ‘child.’” She allowed Seth’s ex to see an older side of her—though still something easily in the mortal range of reality—that of a still attractive woman in her 60s. The change came and went in a second.
Sarah paled and backed away, blinking in disbelief. “You…you…”
“Don’t mess with me again,” Teri said quietly, firmly. “And leave Seth alone, too.” She could have forced the command into Sarah’s mind, but decided to leave it at a threat.
Although she took another step backward, the color returned to Sarah’s face. “You can’t tell me what to do about my husband.”
“Ex-husband.” Teri corrected with a smile. “Seth is my--”
“Your what?” Seth’s familiar deep voice questioned as he walked up behind her. He didn’t sound angry, more amused.
Surprised and curious, because Teri had never heard him sound anything close to being amused, she turned to face him. A hint of amusement lingered in the depths of his dark eyes, but it morphed into heat as he held her gaze. She trembled from the force of it and from her body’s instant reaction to him. She wanted him. Now.
“You can play kissy-face with your lover later, Seth. I want to talk to you.”
“Kissy-face?” Teri asked on a laugh. “I wish.” Then she felt her face heat as she realized what she’d admitted. Yes, she wanted him to kiss her again. But what she really wanted was something much more intimate, much more…well,
She carefully balanced an apple pie on her pile of groceries. There had been something else “odd” about Seth, something slightly wild, barely tamed. The intense look in his eyes? The strained look to his beard stubbled face? She couldn’t quite decide what it had been, maybe all of it together. And he had emanated a raw animalistic sexuality that had sent shivers of desire through her. Her attraction to him was growing stronger every day…even when he wasn’t around. She sensed he was fighting it as well. She should leave. Today. Forget these groceries; forget going back for her few belongings. Just get in the pickup truck and head on down the road.
The rapid staccato of heels heading in her direction snared her attention. In the next instant a model-thin, long-legged woman stopped next to her cart. Perfectly coiffed brunette hair surrounded what might have been a beautiful face if not for the anger pinching it. “You’re Seth’s housekeeper, aren’t you?”
She’d said the word “housekeeper” as if she’d meant something far more slimy…like “slut.” Teri recognized the woman’s voice from the phone call the other day. Seth’s ex-wife, the one everyone in town—at least Maybelle and the Dunston sisters—detested. Maybe she could accidentally run one of the cart’s wheels over her sandaled foot. No, too tacky.
“I am.” She attempted to push the basket down the aisle.
The woman latched onto the side and stopped her progress. “I told you to have Seth call me. He hasn’t.”
Teri sent her most fierce glower in Sarah’s direction. “I told him. Evidently he doesn’t want to call you.” She shrugged. “Not my problem. Yours.”
“These little games of his will only cost him more.” Sarah released the cart, but continued to look down her nose at Teri. “When I’m finished with him, he won’t even have the money to pay your measly salary. If he pays you that way.”
It occurred to her that the woman saw her as competition for the husband she no longer wanted except to torment. Time to bring her down a notch. “Jealous much?”
“Of you? Hardly.” Sarah snorted and stood taller, thrusting out her less-than-impressive chest. “Seth needs a real woman, not a…near child.”
Okay, she’d had enough. Teri took a quick glance around to make sure they were alone and then lowered her voice. “Honey, I’m a long way from being a ‘child.’” She allowed Seth’s ex to see an older side of her—though still something easily in the mortal range of reality—that of a still attractive woman in her 60s. The change came and went in a second.
Sarah paled and backed away, blinking in disbelief. “You…you…”
“Don’t mess with me again,” Teri said quietly, firmly. “And leave Seth alone, too.” She could have forced the command into Sarah’s mind, but decided to leave it at a threat.
Although she took another step backward, the color returned to Sarah’s face. “You can’t tell me what to do about my husband.”
“Ex-husband.” Teri corrected with a smile. “Seth is my--”
“Your what?” Seth’s familiar deep voice questioned as he walked up behind her. He didn’t sound angry, more amused.
Surprised and curious, because Teri had never heard him sound anything close to being amused, she turned to face him. A hint of amusement lingered in the depths of his dark eyes, but it morphed into heat as he held her gaze. She trembled from the force of it and from her body’s instant reaction to him. She wanted him. Now.
“You can play kissy-face with your lover later, Seth. I want to talk to you.”
“Kissy-face?” Teri asked on a laugh. “I wish.” Then she felt her face heat as she realized what she’d admitted. Yes, she wanted him to kiss her again. But what she really wanted was something much more intimate, much more…well,
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