the door.
Jaclyn caught the disappointed look on the mother’s face as her glance went from her child to the puddle of melting pink cream.
Hands out, palms up, Jaclyn said, “It was my fault.”
Ignoring Jaclyn, the mother grabbed her child by the arm. “Candace, look what you’ve done. How many times do I have to tell you to be careful? You should have listened to me when I told you to choose a cup over a cone.” She pulled the child away from the spreading mess and whispered, “So clumsy,” under her breath.
Jaclyn’s heart skipped a beat as she looked down at the whimpering little girl. Having been the recipient of many disappointed parental glares over the years, Jaclyn felt sorry for the child. Little Candace couldn’t help her clumsy nature any more than Jaclyn could help her sexual one.
Jaclyn intervened. “Uh, it was my fault.”
The woman spun around and Jaclyn felt herself wilt under her pewter glare. If looks could have killed, Jaclyn’s family would have been picking out their funeral attire.
Seconds before the child put a chocolate in her mouth, her mother’s eyes widened and she grabbed all the mints from her hands. “Where did you get these?” she shrieked.
The child pointed to Jaclyn.
Oh shit, Jaclyn thought again, realizing her day had just gone from bad to worse.
The mother waved the candy in Jaclyn’s face. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just give candy to children.”
Jaclyn shrugged. “I never thought—”
Enraged, the mother cut her off. “That’s right. You never thought. This stuff will kill her. She’s allergic.”
Jaclyn frowned. Sure chocolate made babies sick—heck, it could even kill dogs—but she’d never heard of anyone being allergic before. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Is there a problem here?”
Jaclyn spun around and came face-to-face with Mr. Testosterone in a T-shirt. Well, actually it was more like face to chest. Her face. His chest. And oh what a magnificent chest it was. She quickly tipped her chin to meet his eyes. When their gazes connected and locked, she felt like she’d just received a blow to the midsection.
His commanding manner drew the attention of all those surrounding them. A hush fell over the sidewalk. The mother physically retreated, even the child stopped whimpering in his presence.
Jaclyn strived for normalcy. “We had an accident.”
He stepped toward her to peer over her shoulder, and she was certain she heard him inhale. She took a quick moment to wonder if he liked her new jasmine-vanilla perfume.
He inched closer. His nearness made her breathless, and the earthy scent beneath the clean smell of soap made her feel a little wild and wicked. When bewitching green cat eyes turned back to hers, Jaclyn faltered, her legs turning to overcooked noodles beneath her. Warmth flooded her system as one large hand circled her waist to support her, preventing her from escaping, which, ultimately, would have been the smart thing to do. Too bad common sense wasn’t ruling her actions at this particular moment.
At first contact, sexual energy swirled throughout her body and exploded her senses. As life surged in her veins, she became hyperaware of the way her flesh began to itch and burn. She clawed discreetly at herself, scratching her arms as though she were trying to shed a layer, to crawl out of her skin.
His brow furrowed in concern, and a lock of dark hair fell over one eye. She fought the sudden urge to flick it back.
“Are you okay?” he asked, meshing her body to his.
She nodded and tried not to think about the powerful tingling sensation rushing its way through her bloodstream as her flesh connected with his in such a personal way.
As though he could read her every thought, feel her every desire, the corner of his mouth twitched. His smile was slow, inviting. “Then why are you turning red?”
Jesus, she hadn’t even realized she’d stopped breathing. She inhaled and filled her oxygen-deprived lungs with the aromatic country air. She waved one hand in front of her face, fanning herself.
“Heat,” she managed to get out, and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear as she righted herself and escaped the enticing circle of his arms. She watched the way Mr. Testosterone carefully tracked her every movement, studying her intimately as she took a tiny step back. The hungry look he sent her way had her body quivering almost uncontrollably. As her body shifted into overdrive, foreign emotions and sensations ripped through her and practically rendered her speechless.
With remarkable success she managed