Never mind that some asshole was pestering her, and if I wasn’t in her bed, I couldn’t be there to protect her.
Drake appeared out of nowhere beside me.
“Oh, he got his ass handed to him by a woman. Again.”
Jack and Donnie wore identical expressions of doubt.
“I thought you were a fucking monk these days.”
“I was,” I ground out, pouring myself another drink. I tossed it back and refilled the glass.
“She turned him down, wouldn’t even let him get to first base.”
I shook my head.
“That’s yesterday’s news.”
“So what, you finally nailed her?”
I gave Drake a look. He was a real jackass sometimes.
“It’s been two days. And no. Not yet. We just…”
Everyone leaned in.
“We made out.”
Silence.
And then they exploded in laughter. Callaway poked his head in from the tat room next door.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Mac got himself a girl! But she won’t put out.”
Everyone dissolved into laughter again.
“Play your guitar for her, Mac. She’ll throw her panties at you.”
I scowled. I wanted those panties, dammit. I had been so close.
“She’s a widow, okay? She’s fucking been through a lot. She’s shy, that’s all.”
That shut them up.
I stared at my cousin. He stared back. Then he toasted me.
“That’s more words than I’ve ever heard you say at one time, Mac.” His serious expression dissolved into a smirk. “She must be something special.”
They all started laughing again.
“Bunch of jackasses,” I muttered.
“Hey,” Jack rumbled. “I take offense.”
I just shook my head. I was never going to live this down. And I had a feeling the situation with Suzanna wasn’t going to change as fast as I wanted it to.
Damn it, I’d just wanted to get laid when I saw her. Now I didn’t know what the hell I wanted. Sex, yes. Lots and lots of sex. But I was also thinking about the way she was all alone out there right now. There were coyotes and bears and scumbag lawyers in those woods.
I wanted to keep her safe from all of them.
I wanted to see her first thing in the morning. I wanted to eat with her, to watch her pretty lips and face while she ate. Maybe cook for her too.
I wanted much more than sex, I realized with a sinking feeling. The truth was, I was feeling possessive as fuck. Seeing that lawyer hassling her today had really triggered something in me. I’d wanted to do more than scare him off. I’d wanted to punch him in his stupid, smug face. And now, the urge to ride out there and stand guard over her was almost overwhelming. I wouldn’t even go inside.
I just wanted to protect what was mine.
But if I showed up there at this time of night, she’d probably shoot me. Knowing her, there was a rusty rifle somewhere in that shack of hers. Somehow, I didn’t find that remotely reassuring.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and made a mental note to get a roll of screen to fix her front door tomorrow. It would be nice for her to leave it open when it was warmer out.
“Don’t worry, Mac. You’ll get there.” Donnie started laughing again. “Eventually.”
I cursed under my breath and took another drink.
Chapter 10
Suzanna
I had blown it.
Mac hadn’t even said hello. He’d just shown up and gotten to work, sanding and reapplying the sealant to the window frames. “Way to go, Sussy,” I muttered to myself under my breath.
It was chilly out today, so I had on jeans. Mine were all ripped at this point, not a cute ‘going out’ pair of jeans to be found. But these were my favorites. I’d also put on a floral button-down that I’d had forever. It wasn’t anything fancy, but I always got a little confidence boost when I put it on. I thought it was pretty.
I put a dab of lip stain on my mouth and blended it in. Then I squared my shoulders and went outside to acknowledge the six-foot-something hunk outside who was working on my house for free.
Without a word, I handed him a cup of coffee. He took it, his dark eyes boring into me as he took a sip. He knelt there, the soft-looking denim encasing his strong thighs. His forearms were thick and tanned, with the spirals of an ornate tattoo peaking out from under the rolled-up cuffs of his work shirt.
“About last night…”
He lowered the coffee cup and waited.
“I am cooking dinner. To make it up to you.”
“Make what up?”
He stood, and suddenly, he was towering over me. I stared at his massive chest, trying to ignore the warm, masculine smell of him.
Dear lord, he smells good.
“I thought I should… explain. I’m just…” I trailed off, my thoughts getting lost as I stared at him. “Not used to…”
“Used to what?”
His voice was low and intimate.
“Men, I guess.”
“You were married, weren’t you?”