“Never be it said that I’m your standard female. Da always chided me for doing things a little differently from others.” She shrugged and dropped the shoes to the floor. Tipping them up the right way, Sassie wiggled her toes into them and rose a good few inches. “I don’t see the point in changing, do you?” Her gaze met his.
“I like you the way you are.” He sucked in a breath as she walked toward him, looking intent on trouble.
Sassie lifted her hand and traced a finger across his bottom lip before pulling it gently to open his mouth. Her gaze pinned on his lips, she licked her own cupid’s bow with the tip of her tongue, sending a jolt of electricity straight to his groin. He swallowed, nipping her finger between his teeth to capture the moment.
“Oh.” A small gasp escaped her lips, and Riley reached for her hips, holding her in place as he tortured her fingertip with his tongue. The colors in her eyes changed like a child’s kaleidoscope, the sultry green with a flickering of gold and then to a molten emerald. He was beyond fascinated with this Irish lass who looked like a tomboy one minute and a stunning woman he wanted to lay down on his sheets the next.
“Don’t you think we should head out—for dinner, I mean?” She tugged her finger back, but not before Riley noticed her erect nipples pushing against the soft silk of her blouse. Well, he was more than willing to help her undo those buttons after their get-to-know-each-other dinner was over and done with.
“Of course, how remiss of me to forget about food. We’ll no doubt need our energy for later on.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand, bringing her face back to his. Reaching closer, he tasted her lips, drawing in the scent of her before letting go. Small, quick breaths came from her lips, and the slightly stunned look in her eyes was a huge turn-on. She was as enthusiastic as he was to get into bed. Hopefully, she didn’t want to order dessert, because as far as Riley was concerned, she was going to be it.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet and fraught with an undercurrent of sexual tension that left Riley squirming in his seat. Sassie sat with her hands in her lap, watching out the window, and he kept his gaze on the road, taking quick peeks her way every few seconds. The parking lot was almost full when they arrived, and he maneuvered into a space between two large, four-wheel drive trucks.
“Wait there.”
He hurried around to her side and opened the door, holding out a hand to help her. She gripped his fingers and slipped her legs out of the car, the leather skirt riding higher on her thighs. The amount of leg she showed off made him rock hard. She was deliberately trying to arouse him…and it was working.
“Thanks.” Her voice was a soft purr, and she dropped his hand to smooth the skirt down over her legs before standing tall again. With a flick of her head, the mass of red curls rolled down her back. The blouse floated around her, the pale white fabric almost cloud-like as it draped over her shape, leaving no doubt as to the stunning figure underneath, previously hidden from his view by jeans and baggy shirts she wore to work on the house.
“You…um…look very nice tonight.” Being tongue-tied had never been a problem for him. Now he was finding it hard to string two sensible words together.
Her gaze raked over his body in a slow, deliberate move, focusing longer than necessary on his crotch. “So do you.” He adjusted himself as she turned away. Her heels clicked on the pavement, leaving Riley to catch up with her. The tumble of flowerpots at the entrance seemed to fascinate Sassie; she bent down, knowing full well that he stood right behind her. Her hair fell over her face, and she drew in a deep breath, the heady smell of lavender overlaid with citrus teasing both of their senses as they crossed the threshold.
“Riley!” A small blonde woman came running from the back of the restaurant. Her white apron was long and fluttered around her calves as she hurried, the smile on her face one of welcome and excitement. Sassie watched as the two of them collided in an enthusiastic hug.
“Liza, it’s so good to see you.”
“Where have you been? We haven’t seen you for ages. The wedding didn’t count because Grady and Lara were the star attractions, and we never really got a chance to catch up with you.”
“I’ve been rather busy at work. You know how it is. Liza, I’d like you to meet a newcomer to town. This is Sassie. Sassie, my cousin Roger’s wife, Liza.”
“How do you do?” Sassie held out her hand and it was engulfed with an enthusiastic hand pump.
“You bought the old Barker house, didn’t you? I heard there was a newcomer in town.” She glanced at Riley and winked. “I hear you have plans to turn it into a B&B. The town needs something like that, and it’s such a great old place, too. I look at it longingly when I drive past, wishing we had the time to take on something like that. Luckily, this place keeps us far too busy to take on another project.” She laughed and shrugged. “If you need anything food-wise, we’d be only too happy to help out. Roger makes some pretty good marmalades and sauces—if you were thinking of doing something locally supplied, that is.”
“Actually, this is exactly what I want to do, keep everything local as much as possible. Not sure if the zoning board will even contemplate giving me a license yet, but once the kitchen is in and I have the bedrooms sorted,
