Herschel nodded and then clapped his hands. “Well, I don’t mean to keep the two of you. Where you headed?”
“Oh, Gramps, we’re not…” she licked dry lips and avoided Shane’s probing gaze. “I mean, we’re not you know…”
“Uh huh,” Herschel said with a grin. “Whatever it is you are or aren’t doing isn’t any of this old man’s business.” He winked and smiled up at Shane. “But I’m glad she’s doing it with you. Gerry wasn’t the right fit.”
With that Herschel left them alone.
“So, about our discussion.” Shane took a step inside and closed the door behind him. “I was wondering if you’d given it any more thought.”
“I might have pondered the idea,” she admitted, loving the thrill that shot through her body when his grin widened. For that one moment, Shane Gallagher looked a whole hell of a lot like the young man she’d fallen in love with.
“But I…” her words drifted off as a haze of confusion washed over her. What the hell was she doing? Shane was the devil in disguise. Did she really think she could tango with him and not get hurt? Was she that fucking stupid?
“Here’s the thing, Bobbi.”
Her name on his lips was like whiskey over ice, smooth with a kick.
“Why don’t we forget about all of that for tonight.”
Her mouth was dry but she managed to speak. “Forget about it? Then why are you here?”
He shoved his hands into his front pockets and hunched his shoulders forward. Again his scent filled her and an image of his large hands cupped around her….
Bobbi gave herself a mental shake. Do not think of Shane and sex.
Or naked bodies.
Or his damn tattoos.
She swallowed again.
Or the way his eyes glittered like chocolate diamonds just before he…
“A bunch of us are taking sleds out and heading to the Lainey estate. Rick’s been up there all day tapping the maple trees and invited us up.”
“Maple trees,” she murmured.
Lainey’s estate. Wow. A lot of memories there. Sugar shacks, snowmobiling, and that massive hot tub.
“Billie and Logan are already up there.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t going to go but then I thought maybe if you wanted to…” His voice trailed off for a moment, his eyes intense as he gazed down at her. “We can put our deal off the table for tonight and just hang out.”
A thrill shot through her at the look in his eyes.
“Just hang out,” she repeated dryly.
“Well we can try can’t we? I mean,” his grin slid into something seductive. “I have no problems with a hands off policy, if you’re game,” his eyes drifted to her lips and she had to eat the groan inside her mouth as the ache between her legs intensified.
Bobbi bit her lip and glanced toward the family room. Could she do this? Spend an evening with Shane as just friends? Were they even friends?
The television blared and she smelled the popcorn that Gramps and her dad always had. It was Sunday night and she could cuddle up in an afghan on the sofa with them, or she could go snowmobiling.
“The deal is off?” she asked softly.
He nodded, his dark eyes glittery. “Just for tonight.”
Don’t do it. You’ll cave. You always do when Shane’s involved.
But she wanted to cave didn’t she? Maybe she needed to feel as alive as she did when she was with him. And this wasn’t just about sex. No way. It was about the way he anticipated her every thought and need. It was about how he got her jokes even before she spoke them. How he knew that she hated peas and loved sweet potato.