that the man was out of her life. As soon as he left, she’d scoured his room from top to bottom with Lysol, wanting to get every last trace of his musky scent out of her house. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy to get him out of her head. The kiss they’d shared that morning just kept playing over and over in her mind.
Reba had always been the sturdy girl who teachers asked to help move tables or carry heavy boxes. The girl who was recruited for cheerleading, but only because the coach needed someone who could toss the fragile, dainty girls in the air and catch them without throwing out her back or pulling a muscle. The girl who boys never tried to pick up to prove their strength. Or catch to keep from falling.
But Valentine had caught her.
He had caught her, and he hadn’t acted the least bit put out by her weight. When his steely arms wrapped around her waist and he effortlessly pulled her against his hard body, she had felt as light and dainty as a fragile violet. Then he’d kissed her. Not a peck, but a deep, tongue-thrusting kiss that had her body melting like grease in a sizzling hot skillet. No one had ever kissed her like Valentine Sterling had kissed her.
Even now, her body tingled all over at the memory of his scorching lips and lusty tongue that had made her feel like he couldn’t get enough of her taste. And his strong hands that had slid into her hair and made her feel like he never wanted to let go. And his hard erection that had pressed against the crux of her legs and made her feel like he desired her above all other women.
But a lot of men desired her. Unfortunately, they only desired her for a fast tumble in bed. They didn’t want her as a girlfriend they proudly paraded around town on their arm. They wanted skinny women like Penny Cassidy and Evie McCord for that. The two Gardener sisters had had more than their fair share of boys chasing after them and were now happily married to two of the hottest men in Simple.
Valentine Sterling was just as hot as his Double Diamond friends. Maybe more so with his deep brown hair, topaz eyes, and muscled body that filled out a pair of boxer briefs so—
“Reba?”
Sadie’s voice pulled Reba back to the book club meeting. Sadie Truly had been the housekeeper for the Gardener Ranch for years and had been like a second mother to Evie and her sister Penny after their own mother passed away.
“I’m sorry,” Reba said. “I was woolgathering. What did you say?”
“I asked you how you liked the ending.”
Reba hadn’t finished the book. She hadn’t read more than a few pages. She had chosen Valentine Sterling’s latest novel for the book club when he first arrived at the boardinghouse in the hope that she could talk a real-life author into joining in on the meeting and answering questions. But that was before she knew him. Once she found out what a conceited, arrogant jerk he was, she’d refused to pick up the book again. Which left her in an awkward position now.
“Umm . . . well, I think it ended like it should’ve ended,” she said. Everyone’s confused expressions told her that was the wrong answer.
“You think he should’ve gotten away with murder and ended up in San Francisco stalking that sweet little bank teller?” Penny asked.
“See!” Raynelle said. “Even Reba was rooting for him.”
Luanne shook her head. “I shiver to think of what kind of lunatic men you two are going to end up with.” She rubbed her hands together. “Now that we’ve talked about the book, let’s talk about the upcoming vote to change the town’s name. Did you hear what Sassy Peterson wants Simple to be called?”
Since Reba had no desire to hear another zany name one of the townsfolk had chosen for the town, she quickly got up. “I’ll just go get dessert.”
Evie must’ve felt the same way because she jumped up and followed Reba into the kitchen. “I swear if the town votes to change the name from Simple to something Sassy Peterson chooses, I’m moving. She named her dog Chandelier, for God’s sakes.”
Reba laughed. “She does call it Chandy, which isn’t so bad.”
Evie sent her a sly look. “You didn’t finish the book, did you? Just like you didn’t finish the book last month. And I’m sure