“The guy with the Australian accent. The outfitter’s son.”
“Yep. Another story for another day.” Boone picked up his laser pointer and switched it back on. He idly traced star paths as he reflected. “I put the frat rats on the floor pretty fast that night. Not difficult because they were already blitzed. That fact didn’t matter to Mary. From that moment on, she thought I hung the moon. I was her hero and her champion. She introduced me to her friends as her knight in shining armor.”
“I’ll bet that made you feel good.”
“I soaked it up. It made me feel like I was ten feet tall.” A contemplative note entered his voice as he added, “Mary needed me. The longer we were together, the more she leaned on me, and the more I liked it. My buddies thought I was crazy, but donning that armor suited me. In hindsight, I think that’s why I was so unhappy practicing corporate law and why the move to the DA’s office worked for me. I really liked being the guy people turned to for help.” He hesitated a moment, then added, “Until it exploded in my face.”
“Why do you—”
“No,” he interrupted. “No more. Not tonight. So, what did you think of Jackson’s ring bearer?”
Hannah didn’t resist the change of subject. She laughed out loud, then said, “That was a surprise. I’ve read about people who include their pets as part of their wedding party, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. River is a well-trained dog, and he and Haley looked so cute together walking down the aisle.”
“Let’s hope they do just as well tomorrow. I don’t know which worries me more—the fear of Haley having another out-of-the-blue meltdown or River getting distracted by a squirrel and taking off.”
“He’s not actually carrying the real wedding rings, is he?”
“Nope. River’s part is all for show. Which reminds me…” He sat up and slid back into the driver’s seat. “Probably ought to begin making our way home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and for me, it begins bright and early.”
Hannah followed his lead and slid down from the sundeck. He put the boat in gear and idled forward, cutting smoothly through the calm surface of Hummingbird Lake. Despite his mention of his early morning, Boone took his time cruising home. They didn’t speak, but the silence between them was comfortable. Hannah relaxed and sensed that she’d sleep well tonight. She’d been mildly tense about attending the party, and even though she’d enjoyed herself, she was glad to have that event behind her.
“This is so peaceful,” she observed. “I’ve missed nighttime boat rides.”
He reached over and patted her hand. “I’m happy to take you out on the lake anytime you wish.”
“Thank you.” Hannah leaned her head against the cushioned seat back, stared up at the sky, and absorbed the peace. She thought of her girls and imagined Zoe sitting in her lap with Sophia snuggled up against her side. When she saw a star go shooting across the sky, it seemed like a message from heaven.
All too soon, Boone guided his boat into a slip of a boat dock. Hannah sat up and looked around. “I’m lost.”
“We’re in a protected little cove that’s hidden from the main body of the lake. It’s also not readily visible from either the house or the cabin.” Boone climbed from the boat and went about securing the lines to the cleats. “I keep a few other toys here you’re welcome to use—canoe, paddleboat, a little one-man sailboat. Life jackets are in the deck box. Key to the box is beneath the fake rock just to the right of the walkway.”
“That sounds lovely.”
Hannah waited until he had the lines tied off to pick up her purse and rise. Boone offered her his hand. She took it and stepped from the boat. Uncharacteristically, she lost her balance, teetered, and tumbled into his arms.
“Well now,” he murmured, his voice a deep, sexy rumble as he held her firmly against him. “Isn’t this nice. Word of warning, Ms. Dupree. When an opportunity presents itself, I’m the kind of guy who’s going to take advantage of it.”
His signal came through loud and clear. If she didn’t do something to stop him, Boone McBride was going to kiss her.
So long. It’s been so long—a lifetime.
And she’d never been kissed by a man like Boone McBride.
Hannah lifted her face, and he bent his mouth to hers. Her eyes drifted shut as his lips brushed hers, testing, teasing, his touch the softest of satin, the lightest of silk. Anticipation skittered up Hannah’s spine.
“Nice,” he murmured, his voice a deep-throated purr before he got down to business. With his firm, hard body molded against hers, he took his time tasting and nibbling and sparking into life a yearning that Hannah had all but forgotten.
It was an entirely appropriate first-date first kiss, steamy but not hot. His hands skimmed up and down her back before his fingers sank into her hair. He held her head, and for the first time, she realized just how large his hands were. His fingers played with her hair even as his lips moved over hers. The kiss was inquisitive but not invading. Gentle but oh so exciting. He kissed her like she was fine wine, and he a connoisseur.
Hannah loved it. It was perfect. The approach, the atmosphere, the attention. She melted against him and allowed herself to enjoy it.
When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, she couldn’t hold back a little sigh of dismay. His voice sounded throaty when he said, “Me too. But if I’d kept that up much longer, I’m not sure I could have kept it friendly. You pack a punch, Hollywood.”
“So do you, Texas.”
“Texas?”
“Big, bold, and brash.”
“I can live with that.” Then his left arm dropped to his side, and he stepped away. His right hand cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking softly over her cheekbone. She shivered.
“Thank you,” he said simply. “I enjoyed this evening very much.”
“I did too,” she replied, speaking the truth.
He let his hand slide down to capture hers, and then he lifted it and pressed a gallant kiss to her knuckles. A knight-in-shining-armor gesture, she thought. Her lips twisted in a wry smile as, holding her hand, Boone led her up the walkway and onto a path that led, she soon discovered, to Serenity Cabbage.
At her door, he tugged her back into his arms for a quick, hard kiss. “Good night, Hannah.”
“Good night.” Then, because her old habits died hard, as he turned and sauntered away, she added, “Sweet dreams.”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t know about dreams, but I sure intend to indulge in a sweet fantasy as I lie in bed tonight. After watching you savor that strawberry pinwheel cookie served for dessert tonight, well, I have this vision of you and me and lots of naked skin and a bowlful of that filling.”
Hannah’s mouth gaped in shock at the picture his words created in her mind. With a wave and wicked wink, he was gone, leaving Hannah to wonder aloud. “Knight in shining armor? Or fox in the henhouse?”
Most likely, both.
And damn if it didn’t make him all the more appealing.
* * *
As the weekend’s festivities progressed, Boone’s success at compartmentalization weakened. With every hour that passed, his thoughts returned more often to the gigantic life change on his horizon. Saturday, he managed to stay in the moment at the wedding itself due to the gravity of the event. The time spent in Hannah’s company proved to be a great distraction, also. However, being around his parents and his sisters was becoming a problem.