wear makeup. Do you want to end up like your sister?
I shut her out and went to the kitchen to check on the pot roast. It was almost done, and I had an apple Betty ready to go in the oven for dessert. I put another log in my little wood-burning fire and tried not to freak out.
Still, the familiar rumble of Jesse’s bike had me jumping.
He was here.
It’s fine. You’re fine.
I walked down the short hall and stood there like an idiot, waiting.
The bike shut off, followed by the thud of his boots of the front porch. He knocked and nerves spiked through me along with a shot of excitement.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open. I took him in and was torn between shrinking back from the sheer overwhelming gorgeousness of him and diving on him.
His gaze slid over me, taking me in as well, thoroughly, and I squirmed. I couldn’t help it.
When his gaze finally landed on mine, his nostrils flared and he licked his lips. “Christ, Bambi,” he muttered, then curled an arm around my waist and hauled me up against him.
He grinned before bringing his mouth down on mine for a hard kiss. His tongue slid along my upper lip, making me shiver, not going deep like I desperately wanted him to.
“Hey,” I said, breathless when he lifted his head.
He grinned again, wider this time and he stepped inside, kind of carrying me in with him, and closed the door behind us. “Smells fucking amazing in here.”
When I’d been angry at him, I hadn’t had nearly as much trouble talking or telling him what I thought. With all that aggression and anger gone, I was struggling to find my bearings.
I cleared my throat. “Pot roast and apple Betty for dessert.”
That grin lit up his eyes and he gave me another kiss, just a lingering press of lips, but damn, it made me weak all over. “Sounds awesome. Show me your place.”
When he went away I hadn’t been living in Rocktown long and was staying with Kate, so he’d never seen my cottage. I straightened and he released me, but then grabbed my hand. His hands were rough, calloused, with large, wide palms and long fingers. I loved his hands.
“Um…well, there’s not much to see.” On the left of the hall was the living room and the right was my bedroom. The bathroom was beside that and the kitchen was at the end. There was also a decent-sized deck out back that would be awesome in summer.
“Show me anyway,” he said, low and raspy.
I fought back a shiver and led him into the living room. I glanced at him as he took it in.
“You weren’t lying when you said you liked pink, huh?” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
I laughed and smacked his hard, flat stomach. “What can I say, I’m a girly girl.”
“No shit,” he said, chuckling, and grabbed my hand, tugging me close again. “Show me the rest.”
He was behind me, his arms around my waist, and we walked like that across the hall. I pushed my bedroom door open and flicked on the light.
He’d gone quiet and I twisted to look up at him. He had an odd look on his face. “Jesse?”
“Christ.”
“Hey! I’m not showing you my bathroom now, you’ll only mock my towels.”
“What’s up with your towels?”
“They’re pink with dark pink polka dots.”
He nuzzled my throat. “I like it, it’s you. Soft and sweet, and it smells good, too.”
I drew in a giddy breath. “Your reaction when you saw my room makes me think otherwise.”
“That reaction had nothing to do with the color.”
I glanced at him over my shoulder again and raised an eyebrow.
He made a rough sound. “That’s what you sleep in, Bambi?”
A bit of tangerine silk and lace peeked out from under my pillow. I liked pretty nightwear as well. “It’s just my pj’s.”
He dragged his nose up the side of my throat. “Sometime soon, I’m gonna need to see you in those.”
My heart banged harder in my chest. “Okay,” I whispered.
He flicked the light off suddenly and all but towed me out of the room, pulling the door firmly shut behind him.
“You heard from Brooks?” he asked.
“No. And I doubt very much I will after what happened.” There was also the fact that everyone had seen Jesse and me leave the bar together the night Bull kicked Brooks out. That news had spread all over town.
“Good. Now let’s eat, woman,” he said gruffly and