Piled
high with presents for family and friends, Cyndy could barely see around them
as she exited the store. With over half of her shopping completed, she was
mighty pleased with herself. Thankfully, her car wasn’t far away. As she
stepped down off the sidewalk, the top parcels began shifting sideways. She
made a mad grab for them, but that move put the rest in jeopardy. Visions of
picking up soiled clothing and broken glassware assailed her. Then suddenly,
the packages righted themselves and all was okay.
“Steady now,” spoke a low male voice from nearby. “Let me help you with those.”
“I think I can manage.”
“I insist,” he said, relieving her of the top few parcels. “Where to?”
Cyndy got her first look at him and was momentarily lost for words. He was gorgeous, and even better, he was taller than her by a good six inches.
“Ma’am?”
“Oh, mine is the silver Fusion right over there.” She nodded the direction with her head as her hands were still full, and started walking. He fell in step at her side. “Are you new around here? I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.” Hell, if she had, she’d certainly remember. Tall, dark, broad, and muscular, he was a delight to the senses. And those emerald eyes. Wow! They seemed alive, as if they could see right through her.
“Fairly new. My brothers and I took over Dad’s ranch when he died. Nate Hudson, at your service.” He glanced down at the parcels in his hands. “I’d shake your hand, but we both have better uses for them at the moment.”
She gave him a sharp look at the innuendo and then realized what he meant. “Oh, the packages.”
“Yes, well, hmmm. Is this your car?”
He seemed rattled, shy and uncomfortable at her misunderstanding. Amazed to see him blush at such a trite comment, Cyndy turned to look and nodded her head. How was she supposed to unlock the doors and open them with her hands full?
“Need me to take a few more packages?” Nate asked, piling the ones he now carried on one arm.
“I’m afraid the entire lot will fall. They’re precariously balanced. Could you reach my keys? They’re in my pocket.”
“Uh, sure. Which side?”
“On the right,” she said as she thrust out that hip.
As he reached his hand into her pocket, his knuckles rubbed her skin through the thin lining. Where he touched, she turned hot…very hot. Why hadn’t she just handed off the packages and gotten them herself? Free of his touch at last, she breathed a sigh of relief as he turned, unlocked the car, and deposited his parcels on the seat. He held the rear door open and she moved forward, stepped into an unseen pothole, and tumbled, parcels and all, into the back seat.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His hands closed around her waist as he helped her up.
Oh, those hands. They made her feel hot all over. “Yeah, just some fractured pride. I hope nothing got broken when I landed on the packages.” She straightened and turned to face him, catching a glimmer of amusement in those telling green eyes. “Thanks for your help, Nate. I’m Cyndy Dillon, your neighbor.”
“Steady now,” spoke a low male voice from nearby. “Let me help you with those.”
“I think I can manage.”
“I insist,” he said, relieving her of the top few parcels. “Where to?”
Cyndy got her first look at him and was momentarily lost for words. He was gorgeous, and even better, he was taller than her by a good six inches.
“Ma’am?”
“Oh, mine is the silver Fusion right over there.” She nodded the direction with her head as her hands were still full, and started walking. He fell in step at her side. “Are you new around here? I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.” Hell, if she had, she’d certainly remember. Tall, dark, broad, and muscular, he was a delight to the senses. And those emerald eyes. Wow! They seemed alive, as if they could see right through her.
“Fairly new. My brothers and I took over Dad’s ranch when he died. Nate Hudson, at your service.” He glanced down at the parcels in his hands. “I’d shake your hand, but we both have better uses for them at the moment.”
She gave him a sharp look at the innuendo and then realized what he meant. “Oh, the packages.”
“Yes, well, hmmm. Is this your car?”
He seemed rattled, shy and uncomfortable at her misunderstanding. Amazed to see him blush at such a trite comment, Cyndy turned to look and nodded her head. How was she supposed to unlock the doors and open them with her hands full?
“Need me to take a few more packages?” Nate asked, piling the ones he now carried on one arm.
“I’m afraid the entire lot will fall. They’re precariously balanced. Could you reach my keys? They’re in my pocket.”
“Uh, sure. Which side?”
“On the right,” she said as she thrust out that hip.
As he reached his hand into her pocket, his knuckles rubbed her skin through the thin lining. Where he touched, she turned hot…very hot. Why hadn’t she just handed off the packages and gotten them herself? Free of his touch at last, she breathed a sigh of relief as he turned, unlocked the car, and deposited his parcels on the seat. He held the rear door open and she moved forward, stepped into an unseen pothole, and tumbled, parcels and all, into the back seat.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His hands closed around her waist as he helped her up.
Oh, those hands. They made her feel hot all over. “Yeah, just some fractured pride. I hope nothing got broken when I landed on the packages.” She straightened and turned to face him, catching a glimmer of amusement in those telling green eyes. “Thanks for your help, Nate. I’m Cyndy Dillon, your neighbor.”