Sinfully Sweet

match” would be some unemployed loser who hated dogs and had an aversion to bathing.

“Why don’t you look around, Carlie,” Ellie suggested, “while I show Daniel a few things for his mother?”

“All right.”

“Just holler if you see something you like,” Ellie said with a wink as she led Daniel toward the counter.

“Will do,” Carlie said, sorely tempted to holler as her gaze took in the very fine view of Daniel’s jean-clad butt.

Oh, yeah, she’d seen something she liked all right. And it had nothing to do with chocolate.

3

DANIEL USED THE sharp end of his shovel to break open another bag of topsoil. In spite of the cool, early evening breeze, his T-shirt stuck to him like a second skin. Nothing like lugging heavy bags of dirt, then filling in holes and laying sod to work up a sweat. Kevin had stuck with him for the rest of his errands, but once they’d arrived back at the house, his brother had taken one look at the backyard and made a hasty exit.

“Gotta study, man,” Kevin had claimed as he’d headed swiftly for the door. “Big test on Monday. Good luck with those holes. And your neighbor,” he’d added with a broad wink.

Now, three hours later, with the sun’s waning light streaking the sky with fiery reds and smudges of mauve, and casting long shadows across his yard, only two rolls of sod remained. After finishing, he’d shower, grab some dinner, and then…nothing.

With a sigh, Daniel thunked his shovel point into the ground and stacked his hands on the handle. And then another evening alone stretched out before him like a dark, yawning cavern, forcing him to admit what he’d tried so hard to deny.

He was lonely.

So lonely he ached with it. Sure, there were friends he could call, e-mail, or chat with online, but as he well knew, neither the phone nor the computer would relieve the growing emptiness inside him. He supposed he could walk around the block and find a neighbor to talk to, but a brief “hi, how are you?” wouldn’t satisfy him either. That would be like settling for a fast-food burger when you craved filet mignon.

The mere thought of the word “neighbor” brought a vivid, mental image of Carlie into his mind. Carlie, with her shiny, cinnamon curls, sunny smile, and jaw-dropping curves. Carlie, whose golden brown gaze had skimmed over him in Sinfully Sweet in a way that had made him feel as if he’d been dropped into a steaming cauldron.

Carlie, who didn’t have boyfriend.

Well, he’d wanted to know and he’d found out. And had very much liked the answer.

Now he just needed to decide what to do about it, a mental debate that had raged in his head all afternoon.

I should ask her out.

It’s crazy to ask her out-I’m moving.

Yeah, but I’m not moving to Mars, for cryin’ out loud.

A two-thousand-mile distance between two people might as well be a galaxy.

So just have fun with her for the next two weeks. She’d know the time limit right up front. We could enjoy each other, then say sayonara, adios, buh-bye.

He couldn’t deny that last option sounded pretty damn appealing. Worst-case scenario? After one evening together they’d realize they couldn’t stand each other and, so what, since he’d be gone in two weeks? Best-case scenario is they’d have some no-strings-attached fun, then he’d drive away from her and her zany dogs with a happy wave and head toward his exciting new job and life. Yeah, that sounded like a great idea.

But there was one possible hitch in his great idea. What if Carlie told him to get lost?

Except for that unmistakable ogle this morning, she’d never given him any indication she found him attractive. But there’d definitely been interest in her eyes today.

Hadn’t there?

He blew out a frustrated breath and dragged a hand through his hair. Maybe not. Maybe he’d read her all wrong. Maybe she’d just had something in her eye. Who the hell knew? Figuring out women was like navigating a mine field wearing a blindfold. According to Nina, Daniel couldn’t have traveled through the mine field with a map, a guide, and a GPS system to show him the way-an assessment he totally didn’t agree with, by the way. Like most men, he might suffer from bouts of confusion where women were concerned, but he wasn’t as completely clueless as his ex-girlfriend claimed. Still, why couldn’t women just look like women, but be easy to figure out-like men? Which only brought him back to the question of whether Carlie had really ogled him, or if it had just been a case of wishful thinking. Maybe-

A soft, low moaning sound cut off his thoughts.

“Ooooooh.”

His brows furrowed into a frown. What the hell was that?

“Aaaaahhhh.”

His frown deepened. Whatever it was, it sounded-

“Oooooooh. Yeah. Mmmmmm.

Human.

“Hmmmmmm…ohhhhhh…myyyyyy…”

And female.

“Yeah, ohhhh…that’s incredible…”

And sexually aroused.

“Soooooo good…so, so good…”

But where-? His head whipped around and his gaze zeroed in like a laser beam on the fence separating his and-

“Ohhhh, God…”

Carlie’s backyard.

“That is sooooooo…aaaaaah…good…”

Everything inside him stilled. For about two seconds. Then, whoosh, heat sizzled through him like he’d been struck by lightning, pulsing fire to every nerve. A series of low, guttural, velvety-rough gasps drifted toward him, luring him like a siren’s call. Unable to resist the enticement, he released his shovel and moved toward the sound. That sexy, aroused female sound that had everything male in him on red alert.

His conscience spoke to him, as though in the form of a mini, halo-wearing angel. “Daniel Montgomery, don’t you even think about looking over that fence.”

Another voice, which obviously belonged to a pitch-fork toting horned devil, said, “Are you kidding me? Whatever’s going on over there is definitely a must-see.”

“It’s none of our business,” the angel voice said primly.

Daniel paused and dragged his hands down his face.

“Hey, if we can hear it in our yard, then we have every right to see it, too,” the devil’s voice shot back.

“Ohhhh, God. Ohhh, God…”

Unable to stop himself, Daniel moved toward the fence, feeling like one of those rats being led by the Pied Piper’s seductive music.

“The girl is entitled to her privacy,” the angel whispered.

“Oh, button it, Miss Goody Two-Shoes,” the devil sneered.

Daniel frowned and mentally shrugged off the two combatants and continued walking. One quick peek. Just to make sure she was okay.

“Whoaaaaaaaaa, baby…”

Damn. She sure sounded okay. And since her moans were the only ones he heard, it seemed clear she was alone. ’Cause show him a guy who could elicit those incredible sounds from a woman and still remain silent himself, and he’d show you a guy with no vocal chords. Just listening to her had Daniel aroused and pressing his lips together to contain a groan.

The fence loomed before him, cast in the deepening shadows from the oncoming twilight. Drawing a deep