Anything But Sweet (14 page)

Tilting her head back, she looked up and lifted her hand to touch his cheek. “What
is it, Reno? What’s got you so tangled up inside?”

He placed his hand over hers, closed his eyes, and savored the softness of her palm
against the rough stubble of his beard. He wanted to say it was
her
who had him tangled up, but right now he could think of better things to do with
his mouth than talk. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

Because he was a man who never took what wasn’t offered, he ended the kiss and leaned
away. Her hand on the back of his neck stopped his retreat. She looked up at him with
understanding, desire, and need.

“Kiss me again, Cowboy.”

Permission granted.

Again he bent his head and covered her mouth with his own. On a slow intake of air,
he blotted out everything in his mind but her—the sweet scent of barbecue that lingered
in her hair, the softness of her skin, the slick slide and tangle of their tongues.
She tasted like honey, and passion, and promise.

She swayed against him and slid both her hands up and around his neck. He stepped
into that warm space between her thighs. Pulled her up and against him. Beneath the
thin handkerchief blouse, her nipples tightened and pushed against his chest.

A simple tilt of her head gave him better access and turned up the heat. The kiss
turned urgent, wet, and visceral. Fire spread through his body and made him light-headed.
He welcomed the loss of control, grabbed hold of her with both hands, and drew her
firm against the bulge straining against his jeans. As his body reacted to hers he
completely forgot why he’d tried to convince himself to keep his distance.

Her fingers weaved into his hair.

His hands slipped beneath that flimsy little top and connected with soft, warm, bare
skin. He slid his palms up. His thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts. She moaned
in his mouth, and sensation tingled in his fingertips.

A hard knock on the back door broke them apart.

“Wilder?” the deep voice on the opposite side said. “That you in there?”

“Shit.”

Reno ran a hand through his hair while he looked at Charli, her lips moist and red
from his kiss. He wanted to ignore the man at the door, take her in his arms, and
kiss her again.

“Who is
that
?” she asked with a little giggle.

“Brady Bennett.”

Her eyes widened. “
Deputy
Bennett?”

“The one and only.”

“What do you think he wants?” she whispered.

When he looked at her rumpled hair, her well-kissed lips, and flimsy little blouse
askew, he couldn’t have cared less about what the good deputy wanted. “Guess we’d
better find out.”

He opened the door. “What’s up?” he asked when he found Brady standing back, hand
hovering above his sidearm.

“Took you damn long enough.” Brady dropped his arm to his side. “Thought maybe you
were being robbed.”

Reno stepped out the door, hoping the darkness would be a screen for any
evidence
going on below his belt. “Nope.” He popped the P and figured if he got Brady the
hell out of there, maybe he and Charli could get back to business. “I was just—”

“Deputy Bennett.” Charli slipped beneath Reno’s arm and turned on the charm. “How
nice of you to check on things at this late hour. It’s really nice to know all our
materials are safe with you on patrol.”

Brady touched two fingers to the brim of his Stetson. “Ms. Brooks.”

Reno didn’t like the way his childhood friend and a favorite of the single ladies
in town was looking at her. Then again, it wasn’t all that different than the way
most of the men in town looked at her. Men who included his own brothers.

“Mr. Wilder and I were trying to find some items he misplaced.” She flashed a smile
and clasped a hand to the front of the blouse he’d just had his hand up. “I hate to
admit that our production company seems to have overrun his stockroom.”

“Uh-huh.” Brady looked at Reno. Looked at Charli. Then looked back at Reno and smiled.
“Guess I’d best let you two get back to your
search.
”

“Thanks for stopping by.” Reno began to shut the door as Brady stepped away.

“Oh. And Wilder?” Brady turned back again. “You might want to tuck in your shirt.”

Reno looked down, and sure enough, his shirt looked like he’d had it about halfway
off. He smirked. “Yeah. I’ll get right on that.”

Charli looked up at Reno and grinned. “Busted.”

“Big-time.”

Once he closed the door, she curled her fingers into his shirt and leaned in. “Now.
Where were we?”

Fortunately—or unfortunately, however he chose to look at it—the cool air and the
sight of a deputy badge flashing at him in the dark of the night brought all his senses
back.

Charli wasn’t the type of woman a man
did
on top of a desk the first time. She deserved to be treated like a lady. And as much
as it killed him, he knew the fun and games were over.

At least for now.

“I was about to take you to your car so you can go home and get some sleep.”

Her bottom lip came out in a sexy little pout. “What if I told you I wasn’t tired?”

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could think of at least a thousand
ways to wear her out.

“You won’t think that come morning.” He reached down and took her hand in his. “Didn’t
you say you were working tomorrow, so you can get Town Square done for Paige and Aiden’s
wedding?”

Her slim shoulders lifted, then dropped with an exaggerated sigh. Her nose wrinkled.
“Yes.”

He reached behind her and grabbed his hat off the hook near the door. “Then it might
be best to call it a night.”

“But what about my ceiling tiles,” she asked, as he began to close the door behind
them.

He glanced back at the jumbled mess of a stockroom and flipped off the light. “I’m
afraid they may be lost forever.”

Chapter 11

S
unday morning, Charli woke up and slid out of bed. She’d never wanted to sleep in
more.

Well, that was a lie.

She wanted to sleep in every day, but most days weren’t her “day off,” when she
should
be able to sleep in. But last night’s encounter with Paige and Aiden changed that.
In order to give them their dream wedding, Charli knew she had to move fast. Push
hard. And do some general scrambling to get things done.

To Charli’s delight, Paige had agreed to let her decorate the newly renovated Town
Square for the wedding. Which meant Charli would also need to rework her dollar allotments
for each project. Which meant she would have to do some returns of smaller items and
come up with something equally awesome for less.

She rubbed her eyes and stretched. God, she was tired already.

Yet how could she not jump at the chance to give the adorable couple the wedding
of their dreams? Former Army Ranger Aiden Marshall had survived multiple deployments
to Iraq and Afghanistan and had lost his best friends in the process. When he’d come
home,
he’d
been lost, and Paige’s love had saved him.

Charli sighed.

She’d move glaciers if need be to give them a wedding of pure heaven. They deserved
nothing less.

From the top of the comforter, Pumpkin stretched her little poodle paws and yawned.
Her pink tongue clacked against her tiny teeth as her mouth closed.

“Come on, sleepyhead. We’ve got work to do.”

Pumpkin gave a slow “you’ve got to be kidding me” blink, then laid her head back down.

“I’m making scrambled eggs,” she taunted in a singsong voice.

The dog’s fuzzy topknot came up, and when Charli shuffled from the room, Pumpkin leaped
from the bed and followed.

When Charli got to the kitchen, she grabbed the glass carafe from the coffeemaker
and went to the sink. She flipped on the faucet, and, as the carafe filled with water,
she glanced out the window to the bright sunshine peeking over the hilltops. Being
on the second story did have an advantage for the amazing views. Her gaze shifted
from the wide-open meadow, where cows grazed, to the movement she’d caught in Reno’s
garden.

She snapped off the faucet and watched as the man moved about the raised beds with
a large wire basket. He looked at ease in that garden. At peace. And she really hated
to go annoy him. But that wouldn’t stop her.

Last night, they’d shared something more than just amazing kisses. They’d had a moment
where she thought they’d truly connected. It had been brief, but she hadn’t imagined
it.

After Deputy Bennett’s interruption, Reno had crept back into that dark place where
he seemed the most comfortable. No matter how she teased or taunted, he’d not taken
the bait. Much to her total disappointment, he’d been a complete gentleman. And when
the opportunity for a good night kiss arose, he’d given her a smile instead.

A while later, when she’d arrived at the ranch, his truck was nowhere to be found.
She’d marched up the stairs to the apartment, then spent half the night wondering
where he’d gone.

Around four in the morning, she’d woken to the sound of tires pulling into the gravel
drive. She’d been too tired to get up and go look, but she figured he’d finally come
home from wherever he’d been.

Where
had
he been?

A girlfriend’s?

Maybe.

Her eyebrows scrunched together.

She hoped not.

She hadn’t seen him with anyone, nor had his mother mentioned that he was seeing someone.
And though he had kissed her socks off last night, she couldn’t imagine that the women
of Sweet would let a man like him slip through their fingers.

Just one more solid reason she should be sticking to her man-ban resolution.

Charli poured a scoop of coffee grounds into the filter compartment, punched the
ON
button, and went in search of her flip-flops. After she washed her face and made
some semblance of her unruly morning curls, she poured two steaming mugs, spooned
in sugar, and headed down the stairs. Pumpkin, sensing Bear wasn’t far, ran ahead.

As Charli made her way across the neatly clipped yard, her flip-flops made a snick-snick-snick
sound and gave away her surprise appearance. Well, that and the fact that her dog
had pounced on Bear and proceeded to engage him in a game of yap and tag.

The garden gate creaked as Charli nudged it open with her hip and stepped inside.
Reno’s head came up, and she couldn’t tell if his intense glare was caused by the
bright sunshine or if he was unhappy about the intrusion.

“Morning,” she said, and received a dark-headed nod. “I brought you coffee.” As she
joined him in the tomato, onion, and jalapeno aisle, she handed him the mug.

His hair was damp, and the silver at his temples gleamed in the sunlight. The fresh
scent of soap clung to him. Though he’d apparently showered, his dark eyes looked
sleepy, and a beard shadowed his jaw. His jeans were faded and worn and hugged his
lean hips with just the right amount of snugness. A clean, slightly wrinkled, white
T-shirt lay over his broad shoulders, and the sleeves cupped a pair of sizeable
biceps.

As he accepted the mug from her hand, his gaze slid from her eyes down the length
of her body. He took that trip slowly, like he wasn’t in any hurry. When his gaze
came back up, a smile tilted that sensual mouth, and those rarely seen dimples made
an appearance.

Charli sipped her coffee if only to calm her racing heart.

“Thank you.” His voice was low and rough. From lack of sleep no doubt. His lips pursed
over the rim of the mug, and he sipped. “Perfect.”

Okay, it was only a cup of coffee and two spoonfuls of sugar, but the compliment made
her smile.

“Careful you don’t get bit by mosquitoes,” he said. “There’s some spray over there
by the gate.”

“I’ve always been pretty fortunate.” She glanced down to her sleep shorts and tank
top. “They don’t seem to like me. Even when we were in the Bayou last fall.”

“Lucky you.”

She looked him over again, from his boots to the eyes that watched her with interest.
Desire. Hunger.

Yes.

Lucky her.

“I guess I just don’t taste very sweet.”

“That would be a matter of opinion.”

“Is that a compliment?” She laughed. “Because I’ll take it.”

Those amazing dimples flashed again.

“Are you flirting, Mr. Wilder?”

“Nope.” He sipped his joe. “Just being polite.”

A grin swept her mouth. “Uh-huh.” Why the possibility sent a sizzle of exhilaration
through her electrical system was anybody’s guess. Then again, when a man like Reno
showed any kind of interest at all, a woman would be out of her mind not to care.
And isn’t that what always got her into trouble?

He started to move down the aisle. She followed.

“So what’s with the mile-high wire fence?” she asked.

“Keeps the whitetail out. They’ll eat most anything, and within a couple of nights,
they’ll ravish your entire garden.”

“Ravish.
Now there’s a fascinating but seldom-used word.”

He chuckled as he reached for a Roma tomato and tested its ripeness. She couldn’t
help but remember what those large hands and strong fingers felt like on her skin.

“Gardening in Texas is a challenge,” he said. “If the deer and other critters don’t
get to it, the drought and heat will.”

“Yours seems very prosperous.”

“The fence . . . and my mom help.”

“Yes. I talked to her out here the other day. She seems to really like getting her
hands in the dirt.”

He moved farther down the aisle, pulled off a ripe cherry tomato, brushed it against
his shirt, and handed it to her. She popped it into her mouth, closed her eyes, and
moaned when the sun-warmed sweetness burst in her mouth.

“From the watering system to the layout, my mom helped plan out the garden. It’s hers
as much as it is mine.”

“Tomatoes, green beans, okra, sweet potatoes . . . you have quite the crop.”

“We share,” he said. “Anyone who’s down on their luck, we share vegetables and beef.”

“Because that’s what neighbors do?”

“Absolutely.”

“I can’t imagine that happening where I live. Once I actually saw two women in the
seafood aisle of Trader Joe’s arguing over who deserved the last package of salmon.”

His dark brows pulled together. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.”

“I could never live somewhere like that.”

“I often wonder why I do.”

He brushed off another cherry tomato and popped it into his mouth. “You come up with
an answer?”

She shrugged. “Originally, I moved to California to get as far away from my father
as possible. I went to college at Pepperdine—for which I might be repaying student
loans the rest of my life.” She chuckled. “I made friends there, and I just stayed.”

“Friends are a good reason to stay.”

“I don’t see them that much anymore. Most are married. A few have kids. Everybody’s
busy. And then there’s all the travel involved with my job.”

He shook his head. “Sounds lonely.”

At the sound of understanding in his tone, she looked up. In his eyes, she recognized
that kindred spirit again. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

Then he looked at her with a directness most people never mastered. “So why do you
stay?”

A sigh lifted her chest as the deeper meaning behind the simple question sank in.
“I don’t know.”

A myriad of emotions grabbed hold of her heart, and the reality of her feelings pumped
new energy. She might not have all the answers, but one thing she did know? She was
always open to new adventures.

Maybe it was time to rethink this merry-go-round she called life. Maybe it was time
to push the button and get off the ride. She glanced at her surroundings—the beautiful
rolling hills, the green meadow, and the amazing man looking at her like he was genuinely
interested in what she had to say.

Maybe it was time to make a different plan.

“I was planning to make some scrambled eggs.”

He reached down, pulled a sweet onion out of the ground, and handed it to her. “Maybe
you could add some of this.”

“Maybe you’d like to share?”

He gave her a hesitant look, then finally said, “Sorry. I’ve got plans I can’t cancel.”

With an über polite “Have a good day,” he picked up his overflowing basket of vegetables,
and, once again, she was left with nothing but a view of his retreating backside.

A
n hour later, Charli finally pulled herself together enough to get in the Hummer and
head into downtown to start her work on the candy store. This morning, she’d treated
herself to an omelet of vegetables fresh from Reno’s garden. Seated in his brother’s
kitchen looking out the window at the picture-perfect scenery outside had been wonderful.
Eating alone took away some of the flavor. She’d wanted conversation. Instead, she
got a begging dog whose cute little paw-waving dance made her hard to refuse.

It wasn’t until Charli was headed down Main Street that she realized most of her conversations
with Reno were focused on her. He shared little of himself. A situation she’d make
sure to remedy the next time she had the chance. There were too many mysteries about
the man. Other than the fact that Jana and Joe Wilder weren’t his birth parents, that
he’d been named after a city, and that he’d lost both his brother and father in a
short period of time, she knew squat. But it didn’t take Einstein to know there were
stories galore locked up behind those warm brown eyes. Secrets that had dug their
claws into his soul and wouldn’t let go.

In her mind, he was like the treasure in an Indiana Jones movie. If she wanted to
capture the prize, she would have to don her fedora and go on a little expedition.
The risks might be high, but even Indiana got a happily ever after.

Didn’t he?

She eased the Hummer to a stop in front of Goody Gum Drops, gathered up her dog, and
walked up to the door. She slid the key she’d been given into the lock, stepped inside,
and set Pumpkin and her purse down. She turned. And gasped.

The entire ceiling had been covered in the missing ceiling tin tiles.

Charli raised her hand to her mouth and walked farther into the store, looking up
at the impeccable workmanship. There could be only one person who could have installed
those tiles. Her heart gave a quick thump against her ribs.

So he hadn’t been out all night with a woman or carousing around town. He’d been working.
For her. So she could meet her deadlines and move on to provide the perfect place
for a wonderful couple’s wedding.

This morning, he hadn’t said a word.

Tears filled her eyes.

She didn’t need to go on an expedition to find out what kind of man Reno might be;
he’d just confirmed what she already knew in her heart.

F
or the candy-store reveal, Reno made sure he wasn’t within coercion range. He’d suffered
through one, and that had been enough. Plus, he didn’t want anyone to know he’d been
involved in any way. Especially his brothers. He’d never hear the end of it. They
were bad enough now as it was.

Guilt and nothing more had made him go back to the hardware store the night he’d taken
Charli to Sweet Pickens. Guilt had made him drive the boxes of ceiling tiles over
to the candy store. Guilt had made him put the damn things up.

Nothing more.

In the past few days, he’d done a good job avoiding her—even if there had been a
couple of times he’d taken the longer route just to catch a glimpse. He’d managed
not to be within arm’s distance, where he could catch the scent of whatever flavor-of-the-day
body lotion she wore. Or where he could view those naturally ripe lips of hers inviting
him in for a taste. Or lose his mind again and pull her into his arms.

It had seemed necessary, so he’d developed a mantra:
Do not get close. Do not get involved. Do not get attached.
And when his brothers were around, he added:
Do not give them any kind of ammunition to fling at him like monkey shit in the zoo.