door.
When she pulled into the store parking lot, she let a small, wistful smile lift the corners her mouth when she saw a very familiar black Ford. She grabbed her purse and keys before she slipped out, shut the door, and headed for the front of the store. As she slipped the key into the lock to unlock the door, she felt a warm breath against her ear. She shivered when Cole's hand came up to rest at her waist.
“Mmm…you smell good.”
“What are you doing here?” She leaned back against his chest for a moment.
“I thought I’d come by and help for a little while,” he whispered, his lips nibbling at her ear.
She pulled away and turned around, flashing him a smile. “I can always use cheap help.”
“Cheap? I’ll have you know, ma’am, I’m very expensive.”
She cocked her head to the side as her eyes roamed over his chest, down his lean hips to his boots and back again. “I’m not sure I can afford you then.”
A slow, sexy-as-hell grin spread across his face, showing off his dimples, and her heart skipped a beat. “I’m sure we can negotiate something.”
They moved inside the store. She went and grabbed the cash bag before she walked back to the register. The bell over the door tinkled, announcing the arrival of a customer.
“Carrie?”
She groaned, and Cole frowned when Ken walked up to the counter.
“What can I get for you, Ken?”
His gaze ricocheted from her to Cole, who stood not far behind her, and then back to her. “Who’s he?”
“None of your business. Is there something you need?”
“You know what I need.”
“That’s not happening, Ken, so forget it. If that’s all you came in for, you can leave now.”
* * * *
He didn’t like the man. Something about him rubbed Cole the wrong way. Maybe it was his beady eyes. Maybe it was the possessive way he looked at Carrie. Whatever it was, the man brought out a protective side of his nature he didn’t know he possessed. Stepping closer to Carrie, he laid his hand on her waist.
“Somethin’ I can help you with, mister?”
Ken’s eyes narrowed. “Some other time.” He turned his back and walked out.
Carrie shivered and closed her eyes.
He pressed his lips to her temple and whispered, “You okay?”
She nodded and stepped out of his reach. He didn’t like how she pulled away from him after their encounter with the other man.
The bell tinkled again and several customers came in. The two of them went back to the routine they had on Saturday with him filling orders and her ringing the purchases up until eleven rolled around.
Jessica walked in precisely on time, and he wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Carrie physically relax. They hadn’t had a chance to talk at all since earlier that morning, and he wished he had time now, but he didn’t. He had to ride in an hour.
“Hi. Cole, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. How are you feeling?”
She dropped her eyes. “Fine.”
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
Her gaze came back up to his, and she shrugged before she moved toward a corner of the store while Carrie was busy. She looked at him questioningly when they stopped near the back wall of the store.
“About last night…”
“It’s okay. Carrie and I talked this morning.”
“I just don’t want you to think your sister goes around sleeping with guys she just met all the time.”
She cocked at eyebrow at him and waited for him to explain.
“What I mean is—what happened between me and Carrie wasn’t planned.”
“I think that was obvious since, until three days ago, she didn’t know who you were.”
He shuffled his feet. Damn! She’s making me feel like the teenager here.
“I don’t begrudge Carrie anything. She gave up a lot when our parents died. Her dream was to have a career, not babysit her little sister, but she did it without complaining. She took over running this store to pay the bills, never once thinking about what it meant or how her life would change. Don’t get me wrong, she has
When she pulled into the store parking lot, she let a small, wistful smile lift the corners her mouth when she saw a very familiar black Ford. She grabbed her purse and keys before she slipped out, shut the door, and headed for the front of the store. As she slipped the key into the lock to unlock the door, she felt a warm breath against her ear. She shivered when Cole's hand came up to rest at her waist.
“Mmm…you smell good.”
“What are you doing here?” She leaned back against his chest for a moment.
“I thought I’d come by and help for a little while,” he whispered, his lips nibbling at her ear.
She pulled away and turned around, flashing him a smile. “I can always use cheap help.”
“Cheap? I’ll have you know, ma’am, I’m very expensive.”
She cocked her head to the side as her eyes roamed over his chest, down his lean hips to his boots and back again. “I’m not sure I can afford you then.”
A slow, sexy-as-hell grin spread across his face, showing off his dimples, and her heart skipped a beat. “I’m sure we can negotiate something.”
They moved inside the store. She went and grabbed the cash bag before she walked back to the register. The bell over the door tinkled, announcing the arrival of a customer.
“Carrie?”
She groaned, and Cole frowned when Ken walked up to the counter.
“What can I get for you, Ken?”
His gaze ricocheted from her to Cole, who stood not far behind her, and then back to her. “Who’s he?”
“None of your business. Is there something you need?”
“You know what I need.”
“That’s not happening, Ken, so forget it. If that’s all you came in for, you can leave now.”
* * * *
He didn’t like the man. Something about him rubbed Cole the wrong way. Maybe it was his beady eyes. Maybe it was the possessive way he looked at Carrie. Whatever it was, the man brought out a protective side of his nature he didn’t know he possessed. Stepping closer to Carrie, he laid his hand on her waist.
“Somethin’ I can help you with, mister?”
Ken’s eyes narrowed. “Some other time.” He turned his back and walked out.
Carrie shivered and closed her eyes.
He pressed his lips to her temple and whispered, “You okay?”
She nodded and stepped out of his reach. He didn’t like how she pulled away from him after their encounter with the other man.
The bell tinkled again and several customers came in. The two of them went back to the routine they had on Saturday with him filling orders and her ringing the purchases up until eleven rolled around.
Jessica walked in precisely on time, and he wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Carrie physically relax. They hadn’t had a chance to talk at all since earlier that morning, and he wished he had time now, but he didn’t. He had to ride in an hour.
“Hi. Cole, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. How are you feeling?”
She dropped her eyes. “Fine.”
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
Her gaze came back up to his, and she shrugged before she moved toward a corner of the store while Carrie was busy. She looked at him questioningly when they stopped near the back wall of the store.
“About last night…”
“It’s okay. Carrie and I talked this morning.”
“I just don’t want you to think your sister goes around sleeping with guys she just met all the time.”
She cocked at eyebrow at him and waited for him to explain.
“What I mean is—what happened between me and Carrie wasn’t planned.”
“I think that was obvious since, until three days ago, she didn’t know who you were.”
He shuffled his feet. Damn! She’s making me feel like the teenager here.
“I don’t begrudge Carrie anything. She gave up a lot when our parents died. Her dream was to have a career, not babysit her little sister, but she did it without complaining. She took over running this store to pay the bills, never once thinking about what it meant or how her life would change. Don’t get me wrong, she has
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