“It’s story hour, but I have a volunteer helping me today. Are you here in an official capacity, Warden Barnett?”
He smiled and leaned on the desk. “I could be. I do want to talk to you at some point about doing another OHRV safety course this winter, in preparation for snowmobile season. But I really came by to get some books.”
“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” She stood and stepped out from behind the desk. “I happen to be very good at recommendations, but I don’t know your reading tastes since you haven’t unpacked that box of books in your garage yet.”
“I like true crime stuff. Thrillers. Biographies. Science Fiction. Westerns.” He paused, trying to remember what he’d read recently that he enjoyed. “Are you aware it’s freezing in here?”
She gave him a look that told him everything he needed to know about her feelings regarding their HVAC system. “I have a call in, but having too much air-conditioning is apparently less of a priority than not having it at all. I should be wearing flannel today. It’s June.”
He kept pace with her as she walked around the bookshelves, and took a careful look around to make sure there was nobody within earshot. “I may have fantasized about you in flannel.”
“You’re kidding”
“Nope. You in my button-down flannel shirt...and nothing else. I’d tell you more, but this isn’t a good place to talk about it.”
“But we will talk about it later.” Her cheeks were flushed as she looked over the shelves, pulling out a few books. “Try these. Though your tastes are broad enough so I could give you almost anything and you’d probably like it.”
“Sorry. I’ll try to be more narrow in my reading choices next time.”
“Oh, hush. It wasn’t a complaint.”
He took the books from her and followed her back toward the desk. “Being hushed by you is kind of sexy, too.”
“Stern librarian in flannel fetish? I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.”
“I’m unique.” He fished his library card out of his wallet and waited while she checked out his books. “You’re sure that’s the right return date?”
She blushed at the reminder she’d forgotten the day he’d taken her out in the woods and kissed her. “I’m sure. How late are you working tonight?”
“Barring any emergency calls, probably by six. You stopping by?”
Handing him his books, she shrugged. “I might.”
“I hope you do.”
When he finally walked through his front door at ten after seven, he knew something was up because Bear just lay on the couch and looked at him. Matt gave him a pat, wondering if the dog wasn’t feeling well, but then he realized Bear was looking at something behind him.
He turned and saw Hailey at the bottom of the stairs. She was wearing his red plaid flannel shirt.
And nothing else.
The shirt hit her at mid-thigh, making her legs go on forever. And she’d left enough of the top buttons undone to give him a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. He was instantly, almost painfully aroused, and he told the dog to stay.
“You’re late.”
They were words he’d had thrown at him in the past, and they took the edge off the need that had flared at the sight of her. “I had a call. It happens.”
He waited for her to complain. To tell him she had better things to do than hang around waiting for him to decide to come home.
“I guess we’ll have to make up for lost time, then,” was all she said, and then she crooked her finger at him in a come-hither gesture that re-fired his engines in a big way.
Just as he got to her, Hailey turned and went up the stairs. With each step, he was gifted with a teasing flash of skin and, by the time they got to the top, he had his shirt and T-shirt off.
When she reached his room, Hailey turned to face him, though she kept walking slowly backward. She fiddled with the top button of the shirt, drawing his gaze there. Undoing his pants to relieve some of the pressure, he watched her unbutton two of the buttons.
“Shit, it takes me forever to get these boots off,” he said, wanting desperately to be naked.
“Don’t worry about the boots. Just sit in the chair.” He sat on the straight-back chair in the corner like she told him.
Hailey slowly unfastened every button on the flannel shirt, but she didn’t let it fall to the floor. It hung open, giving him access to everything he wanted to touch if she’d just come a little bit closer.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
She smiled, moving almost close enough to touch. “Enjoy this look because there’s a good chance you’ll never see me in plaid flannel again.”
“I’ll see it every time I close my eyes for a good long time.”