She chuckled as she looked at him. “I already do.”
Smiling, he joined her on the path. He tossed the dregs of his cider onto the dry grass as he considered Misty. She was good. He had to give her that. If he hadn’t seen Texas Timber on her phone, he’d be about as far as he could get down the road she was leading him.
“Guess it’s time to get some sleep before our big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” He caught her sweet scent and heard her soft breath before she turned and started up the path toward the house. Devil or angel?
He didn’t give a damn. He still wanted her.
Chapter 22
Misty sat at her desk in Twin Oaks the next day. She was open for business with her laptop ready, her cell phone nearby, and her mind in gear.
Sunlight warmed her suite, birds chirped outside, and soft quiet surrounded her. She reached to the side of her laptop and picked up the glass bluebird she’d bought at Adelia’s Delights. She stroked the smooth contours, thinking about the warm and friendly and helpful people she’d met in Wildcat Bluff, before she set the bird back down on the desk.
She still felt a little high—truth be told, more than a little—from those exhilarating moments with Trey the night before.
She’d looked him up online. She’d learned as much from what wasn’t there as what was there. No website for Wildcat Ranch. No Facebook. No Twitter. No anything else. He was mentioned in a few newspaper articles at benefits or other functions for Wildcat Bluff Fire-Rescue, but that was mostly it except for his string of impressive rodeo wins. He obviously didn’t do social media, but she wasn’t too surprised by that fact. He was a hands-on kind of guy.
And that thought set off a heat wave, earthquake, tsunami. She tingled all over with extreme body memory. She’d felt too hot since the moment he’d brought her to the brink, then nudged her over with masterful strokes. She wanted more, needed more, craved more. But she was a professional on a job and he was part of her investigation, so she was trying to be objective about him.
Yet she was feeling anything but objective with her thoughts swirling around him like a whirling dust devil. He was a package of pleasure waiting to be unwrapped for hours of decadent indulgence.
She needed to keep her mind on business. Cindi Lou was due a call and would definitely get her thoughts back in the right place. She picked up her cell and hit speed dial for her BFF.
“Misty, how is every little thing in your neck of the woods?” Cindi Lou asked when she answered the phone.
“Bumping along,” Misty said automatically before she quickly put her thoughts in order. “Did Audrey call you?”
“You know it.”
“She had bad timing last night. Interrupted me.” Misty knew she sounded too abrupt, but couldn’t seem to help it.
“Audrey’s just getting antsy. What did she barge into?”
Misty felt a wave of heat roll over her as thoughts of Trey leaped to the surface. “Oh, well—”
“What’s going on?”
“You saw my report, didn’t you? I wrote and emailed it to Audrey this morning.”
“Yep, I got my copy. Read it. Liked it. Filed it.”
“Good.”
“Audrey’s a fine VP, but she’s got Texas Timber brass breathing down her neck. They want an answer before the situation blows up in their faces.”
“I’m only on my third day in Wildcat Bluff.”
“She knows that. I know that. But do the big honchos care? They want their problem solved yesterday.”
Misty sighed, knowing that was always the case. “I’ve gathered facts fast here because everyone is so kind and helpful.”
“Not all. Somebody’s a ringer.”
“You’re right. But I’ll find that troublemaker.”
“You always do. Now, Audrey said you sounded distracted or something. She’d waited to call at night when she thought you’d be free to talk longer.”
“I wasn’t free.” Misty caught her breath on a sharp intake as little bursts of memory exploded in her mind—Trey’s hot breath against her earlobe, soft kisses across her breasts, strong fingers raising her dress.
“Oh my.” Cindi Lou’s voice lowered intimately. “It’s that hunky cowboy firefighter, isn’t it?”
“He’s helping me with my investigation.” Misty tried to sound professional but knew she missed it by a long shot.
“Sure he is. Bet he’s trying to discover if you buy your undies at Victoria’s Secret or Walmart.”
Misty couldn’t help but chuckle. This was a good example of why she loved her BFF. Cindi Lou had a knack for getting quickly to the bottom line. “Honestly, he’s like every dream guy you could ever imagine rolled into one big—”
“Orgasm?”
Misty laughed harder. “That’s one way to put it.”
“But is it the right way?”
“Yeah.”
Cindi Lou chortled loudly over the phone. “This calls for a fresh Dr Pepper. Hang on a sec.”
Misty heard her friend crack open a can and take a big swig.
Cindi Lou smacked her lips. “Darlin’, I hate to be the one to break the news, but you’ve got it bad.”