trap? Kasey rolled her eyes and sighed. “Do I seem like the kind of girl who’d leap onto a chair at the sight of a teensie-weensie mouse?”
Her stomach did a little flip in reaction to the quick once-over from his brown, brown eyes, flipped again when she saw a flirty grin lift one corner of his mouth. Then one dark brow rose on his forehead.
“I’ll admit, you don’t look like the ‘eek’ type.”
Kasey recalled the way she’d behaved when Adam first opened the cabin door. “Do I detect a ‘but’ in that statement?”
His grin grew. “Never said the trap was for a mouse.”
Why was her mouth suddenly dry? “Chipmunk, then?” He stood, feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed over his chest. If he shaved his head and got a big gold earring, he’d look even more like that cartoon sailor in the cleaning commercial.
“Nope.”
She licked her lips. “Squirrel.”
He shook his head.
Her heart began beating a tad faster. “What, then?” She prayed he’d say “fox” or “bobcat,” anything but “snake.”
He looked at her out of the corner of one eye. “Maybe I need to revise my statement.”
“Excuse me?”
“Maybe you are the type who’s scared of things that go bump in the night.”
To her knowledge, snakes didn’t “bump.” But then, her encounters with reptiles had been few and far between…deliberately. Still, it was far too early in their relationship to show him what a scaredy-cat she could be. Kasey grabbed the poker from the hearth and struck a fencer’s pose. “Anything that goes bump in my night will leave here wearin’ a bump!”
Wait—had she thought the R word? She’d only met the man a few hours ago! Just because he’d been nice —and she’d appreciated it—didn’t mean they’d started a…a relationship.
Did it?
Adam laughed, and she realized he was just teasing her.
“All right,” he said, “you win. But if you’re going to sleep out here, at least let me get you some clean sheets, another pillow, a comforter, maybe.”
Kasey was still reacting to the delicious sound of his laughter when she said, “You must be kidding. There’s so much wood on that grate, I’ll probably roast during the night.”
“Then, maybe I oughta come back in a couple of hours,” he mumbled around a yawn, “to turn you over and baste you.”
She headed back to the fireplace, to put the poker back into its stand. Looking over her shoulder, she began, “And maybe you oughta—”
Kasey’s right foot came down on the toe of the too-big left sock Adam had loaned her, throwing her off balance. The poker clattered onto the brick hearth as she held out both hands to soften the landing.
Adam, lightning-quick, grabbed her wrist. One well-timed tug kept her from falling face-first into the blazing fire—and put her directly into the protective circle of his arms.
Pressed tightly against his barrel chest was just about the last place Kasey should be, she knew. And yet, it was precisely where she wanted to be, where she’d pictured herself—a time or two, anyway—during the past few hours.
She looked up slowly, past the wide shoulders and the broad chin. She hadn’t noticed before—perhaps because they’d stayed a careful distance apart, perhaps because of the semidarkness—but a shadowy stubble peppered his face. It made him look even more rugged, even more handsome, if that was possible. When had he last shaved, Kasey wondered. Yesterday? The day before? And what might it feel like if that slightly fuzzy upper lip should graze her mouth with a soft, searching kiss…?
She saw a similar question simmering in his dark brown orbs. Her heart thudded, because she sensed that Adam was going to kiss her, and soon. Sensed, too, that she’d like it, that she’d want another, and maybe another after that.
Dear Lord, she prayed, if You’re trying to tell me Adam is ‘the one,’ I’m getting the message loud and clear!
Adam held her close, torn between pushing her
Her stomach did a little flip in reaction to the quick once-over from his brown, brown eyes, flipped again when she saw a flirty grin lift one corner of his mouth. Then one dark brow rose on his forehead.
“I’ll admit, you don’t look like the ‘eek’ type.”
Kasey recalled the way she’d behaved when Adam first opened the cabin door. “Do I detect a ‘but’ in that statement?”
His grin grew. “Never said the trap was for a mouse.”
Why was her mouth suddenly dry? “Chipmunk, then?” He stood, feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed over his chest. If he shaved his head and got a big gold earring, he’d look even more like that cartoon sailor in the cleaning commercial.
“Nope.”
She licked her lips. “Squirrel.”
He shook his head.
Her heart began beating a tad faster. “What, then?” She prayed he’d say “fox” or “bobcat,” anything but “snake.”
He looked at her out of the corner of one eye. “Maybe I need to revise my statement.”
“Excuse me?”
“Maybe you are the type who’s scared of things that go bump in the night.”
To her knowledge, snakes didn’t “bump.” But then, her encounters with reptiles had been few and far between…deliberately. Still, it was far too early in their relationship to show him what a scaredy-cat she could be. Kasey grabbed the poker from the hearth and struck a fencer’s pose. “Anything that goes bump in my night will leave here wearin’ a bump!”
Wait—had she thought the R word? She’d only met the man a few hours ago! Just because he’d been nice —and she’d appreciated it—didn’t mean they’d started a…a relationship.
Did it?
Adam laughed, and she realized he was just teasing her.
“All right,” he said, “you win. But if you’re going to sleep out here, at least let me get you some clean sheets, another pillow, a comforter, maybe.”
Kasey was still reacting to the delicious sound of his laughter when she said, “You must be kidding. There’s so much wood on that grate, I’ll probably roast during the night.”
“Then, maybe I oughta come back in a couple of hours,” he mumbled around a yawn, “to turn you over and baste you.”
She headed back to the fireplace, to put the poker back into its stand. Looking over her shoulder, she began, “And maybe you oughta—”
Kasey’s right foot came down on the toe of the too-big left sock Adam had loaned her, throwing her off balance. The poker clattered onto the brick hearth as she held out both hands to soften the landing.
Adam, lightning-quick, grabbed her wrist. One well-timed tug kept her from falling face-first into the blazing fire—and put her directly into the protective circle of his arms.
Pressed tightly against his barrel chest was just about the last place Kasey should be, she knew. And yet, it was precisely where she wanted to be, where she’d pictured herself—a time or two, anyway—during the past few hours.
She looked up slowly, past the wide shoulders and the broad chin. She hadn’t noticed before—perhaps because they’d stayed a careful distance apart, perhaps because of the semidarkness—but a shadowy stubble peppered his face. It made him look even more rugged, even more handsome, if that was possible. When had he last shaved, Kasey wondered. Yesterday? The day before? And what might it feel like if that slightly fuzzy upper lip should graze her mouth with a soft, searching kiss…?
She saw a similar question simmering in his dark brown orbs. Her heart thudded, because she sensed that Adam was going to kiss her, and soon. Sensed, too, that she’d like it, that she’d want another, and maybe another after that.
Dear Lord, she prayed, if You’re trying to tell me Adam is ‘the one,’ I’m getting the message loud and clear!
Adam held her close, torn between pushing her
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