I inhaled a deep breath of night air and filled my lungs completely. Being late June it was warm but not humid. I was sure that was coming around the corner.
I was only putting off what I came here to do. To return his manuscript with my recommended changes.
Yes, that was the only reason why I had driven ten minutes into town.
Sure it was.
I had no other reason to be here.
None at all.
I gritted my teeth and hiked up the steps.
His deck might be small but it was cozy with a couple of chairs, a small table, some string lights that were currently off, a couple of tall potted plants and even one of those canvas canopies overhead to give him shade in the heat of summer.
The rear of the building faced a side street that was currently quiet. I’m sure it stayed that way all day long, since Eagle’s Landing wasn’t a bustling town, it was a sleepy one. Another bonus to buying the cabin.
Just blissful peace and quiet.
At least until Rett.
I pounded on the door with a tiny half-circle window at the top. I couldn’t hear his footsteps. Instead I heard Timber going nuts barking and growling behind the door and could see the top of Rett’s head in that decorative window as he approached. All while yelling at the German Shepherd to “cool his jets.”
After a click of the deadbolt, the door was cracked open and Rett’s bare but hairy leg jammed into the gap, most likely to keep the Shepherd from squeezing out.
Or biting a possible intruder.
Once Rett’s face appeared in the space between the door and the frame and he saw it was me, his eyes widened and the door swung open enough for Timber to rush out and onto the deck. The dog immediately did circles around me, wagging his tail and yipping in excitement. I winced when the high-pitched shrieks pierced my ears like an ice pick.
I had no idea that dogs could be so damn dramatic.
Since Rett didn’t turn on the porch light next to the door, behind him the brightly lit apartment made him appear as a dark silhouette. When he stepped back, I could finally see him much more clearly. “What are you doing here?”
My throat was as dry and scratchy as sandpaper when I swallowed. My gaze rolled over him from his messy bedhead all the way to his bare feet. He only wore a loose pair of dark boxers, maybe black or navy, and a stretched-out, threadbare T-shirt that advertised the local bar, The Roost. It was so old, one nipple flashed me through a small hole and it had a questionable kidney-shaped brown stain right above his navel.
“Were you sleeping?”
He shook his head. “No, but I was chilling in bed with a beer and a movie.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
He shrugged, drawing my attention to how the old T-shirt hugged his broad shoulders and clung to his biceps. “The beer’s now flat and the movie sucks.”
I rolled my lips inward until the urge to grin passed.
“Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming in?” He swept his hand toward the interior in invitation.
Stepping into his place might not be smart.
Just hand him the envelope, Chase, then get the hell out of there.
Rett tilted his head. “I’m not going to bite you.”
But I want to bite you. I lifted the manilla envelope. “I’m just returning this.”
His eyes flicked down to his manuscript and back up to my face. His brow furrowed. “You could’ve returned it in the morning.”
“I didn’t want to wait.”
“I’ve got plenty of time to get it to my editor. I’m not planning on releasing it for six months yet.”
“Like I said, I didn’t want to wait.”
“Apparently. Since it’s after ten.”
“Is it?”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “You don’t know what time it is?”
“I lost track.”
“Come in,” he insisted, gave me his back and walked away from the open doorway. He called out over his shoulder, “You want a beer?”
Did I?
I did, but I wasn’t sure if I should. The man was tempting enough, but for me to add alcohol? That might make my steel resolve turn into molten metal.
It was bad enough seeing Rett in his skivvies made liquid heat roll through my veins.
My attention caught on the smooth roll of his hips as he moved away from me. I made sure Timber followed me inside before shutting the door.
My heart pounded in my chest since I was stepping into a situation I wasn’t quite comfortable with. I focused on the apartment instead to try to kill the ants crawling under my skin.
The bookstore was a pretty good sized building, so it made sense that his home above it was also spacious. I scanned everything in my view, and I was right. It was larger than my cabin. The walls were covered with photos, both of family and wildlife, along with some general nature shots.