Chapter Three

Lacey glanced once more around the little hardware store, trying not to feel so open and exposed, but it was difficult. Clearly, this was a man’s domain. It made her want to grin at the way the old guys had watched her when she’d walked in, as if she was either a creature from another planet or a sweet little thing who might break a nail if she wasn’t careful. Maybe she was both, she considered, as she filled her cart with what she needed. She definitely didn’t feel as if she belonged here, that was for certain. But, for now, she had reasons for being here.

Besides, she was on a mission. She had a wood-burning stove, but no wood to burn. She had trees down on her land. It seemed a waste of money to buy wood when she could use her own. She had eighteen acres of wooded, beautiful property filled with more timber than she could possibly need. All she needed was something to cut the fallen trees into fireplace sized pieces with.

Easy peasy.

She spotted chainsaws two aisles down and pushed her cart over to give them a long look, considering their size and how heavy they would be with all the vibrating and shaking going on. And noise. Could she even start one? And use it to cut up a tree?

Geez, if Dad could see me now, she thought. He’d freak. He’d been all about her learning how to care for her car—no one should operate equipment they didn’t know how to run and repair, had been his motto—but she could guess chainsaws and his baby girl hadn’t exactly been what he was thinking about when he’d given her that little lecture.

Still, they didn’t look too bad. She was a woman. She could conquer such loud, vibrating and annoying things. Right?

Well, Lacey had thought so until getting up close and personal with the monsters. Geez, would the little ear buds she’d picked up on aisle two be enough? The package holding the tiny ear buds looked way too wimpy for the amount of noise one of these heavy beasts made. The ear buds were ugly, too. Why orange? Yuck. Who would want slightly soft and squishy orange foam in their ears? They were supposed to go right inside each ear, too. No strings attached, no band to hold them together, just two odd little buds that looked reasonably able to keep out the sound of a cricket.

Lacey paused with the ear buds in her hand and glanced around at the rickety shelves, which were lined with anything anyone could want. There were a lot of things she’d had no idea a man could want, she realised. What she wanted was the old drill sergeant who owned this place. He’d been here all three times she’d come by the store previously, though why he’d followed her she still didn’t have a clue.

Or maybe she did. It must be obvious that she had no idea what to do with her time, so she’d come in three times for different things. Paint, the first trip, and then back again for rollers, drop cloths and paintbrushes, before driving back over for a ladder, which he’d convinced her she didn’t need and hooked her up with some extension thing that twisted on the end of a roller. Pretty cool, actually. She’d told him that when she’d walked in today she’d disturbed all three old guys from their talk and coffee. He hadn’t been pleased. But now, when she could use the little guy, he was where?

Maybe he actually did do more than follow her around. Eyes back on the task. She sighed. So, chainsaw. Black ones, orange, some red huge-looking thing, but no pink ones. That made her laugh. Picking up a lightweight one, she hefted the thing, wondering how it would feel once it was switched on. The weight wasn’t too horrible. She was about to set it down when a deep voice behind her made her nearly drop the thing on her toes.

“You’ve got to be joking.”

Her heart fluttered like a butterfly on the breeze. Russ.

It’d been two days since she’d talked to the handsome Russ Ryland. She’d spotted him yesterday when she’d had lunch with Irene, but he’d merely passed by the diner in his big truck, giving her a long, slow look. He’d tipped his hat when she’d glanced at him, but he’d not come in. And, of course, she hadn’t been the least disappointed that he hadn’t. Sigh. She had been, but he’d made up for it by tripping all over himself at the one and only little grocery store in town, when he’d turned down an aisle and seen her. He’d looked so cute, all big and pushing a grocery cart.

She kept hold of the chainsaw and didn’t stop the happy grin from splitting her face when she turned to confront Mr Russ Ryland. She might get the thing, simply to see him have a small fit. The man was impossibly chauvinistic and more than a little arrogant, but sexy enough to take her breath away.

Dark black brows went down at a sharp angle at the chainsaw, then zeroed in on her face. God, he was handsome. Such a bad boy. Why, oh why was she drawn to someone who looked like he could eat her for lunch? The idea of this man and his mouth between her thighs… She was not going there. Keep him off balance, not yourself, Lacey.

“Good afternoon, Mr Ryland.” They had some kind of unspoken battle going on over the name. He kept telling her, quietly, that his name was Russ, and she just as quietly called him Mr Ryland. He’d done it at the real estate office but, when he’d done it again at the grocery store, she’d been tickled to watch him when she ignored his request to call him Russ. Each time his jaw would clench slightly, like he was gritting his teeth. It was fascinating stuff, but she felt a bit like she was bear baiting.

“Listen, S—”

“Hey! Major! What the hell are you doing back? It’s good to see you, sir.”

She glanced away from Russ’ deep grey eyes to see a young man—a soldier, his look said—grinning and striding up. The short blond hair recently shaved to the scalp, the broad shoulders, lean body and the way he walked all said he was probably about a year out of boot camp. Long enough for him to feel like a man. Geesh. Her dad had loved to show them how they weren’t quite there yet.

Her dad. All things went there, it seemed. Stilling the urge to sink into a self-pity party, she glanced back up at her big bear instead. Her big bear who had not looked away from her for more than an instant, it seemed. Her heart fluttered, but she still mouthed, “Major?” at him. She mocked a shiver at the forbidding look he gave her and turned back to set the now much heavier chainsaw down. To jerk his chain, she squatted down to examine the boxes on display, as if she was going to buy one.

“Bud, good to see you. How was your stint? Heard you were headed back in a few.” Russ’ voice seemed to be more gravelly than usual. It made her shiver.

“Yeah, it was good. Nice stint, sir. I have leave for a few weeks—elk season, and you know my dad.” His words trailed off slowly as Lacey stood back up. “Hot damn…ahem, Miss, can I help—?”

“I got it. Tell your dad to come by any time. The elk have been pasturing about a half-day ride from the ranch, heading southwest. Good little five point buck.” She felt Russell’s body heat against her skin and suddenly she was being ushered down an aisle by a firm, but gentle hand and a large, hard body. A very firm, strong hand, she noticed, and a body that felt like velvet over steel. “Call me later. I have to have a word, here,” he called back over his shoulder.

She got a glimpse of the guy’s surprised face before Russ had all her attention. Holy cow, did he have her attention. He had manhandled her down an aisle, away from her cart and the fun of teasing him with the chainsaws. So maybe bear baiting wasn’t the smartest move, but, wow, did her body go hot for him. Just the touch of his hand on her arm had her breathless. Why was that more exciting than irritating?

“A word, here?” she echoed, glancing up at his worried expression. A word, here? Was he completely nuts? It was one thing to be so sexy he had her all hot and bothered, but to pull her down an aisle as if he were entitled to? Wow. She so couldn’t let him know how hot that was. Right? “Hey, I have my things back there, big guy, and this is a free shopping zone for everyone, right?”

His grey eyes darkened in warning and his nostrils flared. And no, that should not be sexy, but man, oh, man, could he not be sexy? Impossible. Too bad he was also a bit arrogant and bossy.

“Listen here, Sunshine, I’ve had about enough of that. You are not buying an axe or a chainsaw.” Her body felt a happy little burst of adrenaline at the cute nickname, but, when he turned her gently but firmly to cup both of her upper arms and look down at her, she lost the ability to breathe. His hands were rough with calluses, but he made sure to hold her carefully. Not so with his fierce expression.

Well, he was about to get what her dad called an education.

She pulled back her arms, forcing him to either tighten his hold and hurt her, or let go. He let go. Quickly, too. But his frown deepened.

“Now, would you like to repeat that? Because I’m certain I’m well over eighteen and able to think on my own. Oh, and chew gum and walk, too. I can even count higher than ten.”

Hands on lean hips, now, he eyed her as if reassessing her. Good. He should. She might have got beaten up badly and been scared half the time—well, most of the time—but she wasn’t scared of this man. Her dad had been a guy like this—big, tough and meaning business with that look. Only Russell wasn’t her dad. Not even close.

“And Major?”

He broke eye contact to contemplate the floor. She chose to believe it was most likely the first time he’d been forced not to do what he pleased. If he was in the military, which was beginning to fit, and a major, for goodness’ sake, he wasn’t used to hearing ‘no’. Or being questioned.

His broad chest expanded and she blinked. Could a man have that many muscles? He wasn’t wearing his jacket today—the light brown one that hung down over his hips and made his broad shoulders look huge. No, today he was wearing a grey tee that hugged his big biceps and thick chest, and made her heart flutter a bit too much at how it also stretched over thick stomach muscles. Oh man, oh man. And for some reason he looked even bigger without the jacket. His dark hair still looked wet. From a shower? She even noticed how his skin looked as if he might have a tan line where his neckline met his firm throat.

He looked back up and she was glad he spoke, because she had to swallow at the intensity in his face.

“I was in the Navy.”

Navy. God. Her stomach bottomed out. “And a major?”

“Yeah, retired now.”

“Ah…” She let that stand, not quite sure she believed him. A major was a big deal.

His brow rose as if he sensed her disbelief, and his lips quirked up before he caught himself. Then he did it. He actually smiled. It was amazingly effective. She held her breath and felt every drop of blood zing through her. He was dazzling with that slow grin. It was sexy and, yes, she admitted, made him look a great deal younger. More manageable? Maybe not that—good Lord, he would never be that—but more approachable. More human, less warrior. Did he have dimples? God, she was in trouble.

She smiled up at him. She couldn’t not have. He seemed to be trying so hard. At what, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know…but still.

The man wasn’t a smiling kind of guy. Or a talker. But he was a persistent man. And she was beginning to feel like an entirely different kind of prey. He wasn’t out to kill. No, he was out for something altogether different and perhaps more dangerous. He definitely wanted to shake up her world. But telling her what to buy? With her own, or Uncle Sam’s, money? No, no, Mr Big Bad Wolf.

“And this title, retired Major Ryland, gives you authority over my MasterCard?”

His lips quirked again at that, then he nodded, straight-faced. “Damn straight, if you’re thinking of buying something that could cut your leg off.”

“What if it only cut up all the wood in my backyard? Then would it be out of your jurisdiction? And oh, by the way, I don’t see any ocean around here, Major Ryland. Aren’t Navy men supposed to be near it?”

“Still no, still in my jurisdiction, and I can visit the ocean. I’m retired,” he said, his grey eyes twinkling with a bit of humour. He was enjoying this. And man, oh man, was he good. And, God help her, was she in trouble. He had that ‘dark, but you can make me light’ thing going on. That was it. That was what drew her, the ‘bad boy needing to be saved’ thing.

“Now, let’s talk about what else you have in that cart. Why do you need a new lock? Didn’t you just get the house? Doesn’t it have a security system?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa there, big guy. My house and my cart are not your concern. Really, I am perfectly capable of spending my money, making my own decisions, driving and oh…all that other stuff adults do. Brush my teeth before bed, drink beer…all that adult stuff.”

“Adult stuff?” He shifted closer, reminding her how very much bigger he was. She had to look up or get lost in how his pectorals filled his lightweight shirt. Really, were those allowed? They looked like slabs of muscle.

“What did you do in the military, Major Ryland?” she asked sweetly, to try to calm her racing heart. He smelt good, too. Darn it. Leather, horses and some male scent only he had, she was certain.

A slow smile slid across his face. Odd…it seemed like he was remembering how to smile and now couldn’t stop.

“Special ops. SEALs, Sunshine. Like me better now?”

God, that explained so much, she thought—the attraction, the attitude, all of it. She tried to keep her reactions to herself and sniffed at him, “Not hardly. But it fits.”

His brow lifted a tiny bit. Then his eyes dipped to her breasts before he met her eyes again. Had her nipples tightened? Oh, God, that was way too exciting. This was exciting. And had to be wrong.

“I’m sure it will,” he murmured, moving into her personal space.

He was throwing off heat like a furnace and she was tempted to back up, but Geez, the man was intimidating enough without knowing it.

Then his words hit home. Oh, the devil. The man had a sense of humour. He was handsome, obviously smart, deadly with weapons and funny. Her stomach did a little dip on the rollercoaster called Russ Ryland. He was bad enough at a distance, but up close? He was more sexually attractive than anyone she’d ever met. She tried not to shiver, but heck, he was the only man she had ever been sexually attracted to who wasn’t on some television show. He looked like he could chew her up, for a long, long time, then spit her out and move on without a backwards glance. This was a small town. She was alone. And she didn’t do casual sex with tall, handsome SEAL strangers. Did she? And heck, he didn’t look like he did anything casually.

“Well, well, Major, you can smile and make nice. Very funny, but, if you don’t mind, I was shopping.” She edged around him, deciding that playing it safe was best, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

He bent down and bracketed her between the aisle and him, until all she could see were his grey eyes and the strong angles of his face. He had a shadow-beard, that sexy, rough stubble men got from not shaving. His lips were soft-looking, the bottom a bit fuller than the top one. She swallowed and met his eyes. His had darkened to something that reminded her of storm clouds.

“Sunshine, I won’t bite. No need to be frightened. I’m harmless.”

She gave him the look that deserved. Yeah, right. “Why are you calling me Sunshine?”

“Because your smile reminds me of it.”

Smooth, real smooth. And this was getting strange, like some movie where she’d missed the first half and was now scrambling to keep up. Had she missed something? Had they known each other in another lifetime?

She tried to think what to say while he glanced around quickly, as if he was assessing the area. Then, before she could open her mouth, he dipped down and kissed her, hard, fast and skilfully. Heat rushed over her like a brush fire. He cupped her neck and eliminated the inch of space between them until their chests melded together. She held back a sigh at the strong feel of his body along hers. His lips caressed and smoothed over hers before she felt his tongue glide erotically along the seam of her lips. When she gasped and opened he dived in, his flavour minty with a taste of coffee and something else, something she guessed was all Russell. Whatever it was, she was hooked. Just as she raised her arm to touch him, he slowed the kiss and pulled back. His gaze burned into hers when she blinked her eyes open, and she felt weak and fluttery as he brushed a big thumb over her lips, where she could still taste peppermint.

“What—?”

He covered her lips with his thumb again, stilling her words.

“I had to have one taste,” he murmured in a low, husky voice. “Listen, this is how it’s going to be. You’re not going to buy that chainsaw or axe. And Sunshine? You can’t run forever. I’ll see you soon.”

With that arrogant announcement he sauntered out of the aisle, leaving her breathless and off balance.

Chainsaw? What chainsaw?

He tossed her a grin that looked more like sunshine than anything she’d seen in months, and dipped his head before he left her line of sight.

He’d see her soon? Heck, she might not survive seeing him soon. She glanced around, but no one had seen the sneaky SEAL. Even so, she felt heat flush her face. She’d let him kiss her.

Oh man, oh man, she probably would let him do anything, wouldn’t she? Suddenly, the little town of nothing in the middle of nowhere held a lot more possibilities than she’d considered.