Jaci Burton - Hope Flames

“Hi,” she said, her face heating in embarrassment.

“As usual, Logan, you have lousy timing,” Luke said.

“So I noticed a second too late. Sorry.”

“It’s no problem. We were just . . . uh . . . talking,” Emma said, mentally trying to cool down her flaming face.

“Looked to me like there wasn’t any talking going on.”

Just then Ben came out from the barn, all the dogs trailing after him. Grateful for the distraction, she pivoted and headed toward them. When Daisy saw her, the dog took off at a fast run, with Annie doing her best to keep up. Boomer sauntered over like he was in no hurry.

“Hey, kids. Did you have fun today?” She busied herself petting all the dogs while Luke climbed the steps to have a word with his brother. She tried not to think about that kiss. And how much her body still throbbed as a result.

“They had a good time in the barn,” Ben said to her. “They even chased a few chickens out back.”

She laughed. “Good to know they weren’t napping the whole time.”

“I don’t think much napping went on. They were all too busy playing. I know our dogs will likely pass out the rest of the day.”

“I’m sure mine will, too. Thank you for keeping watch over them.”

“It was no problem.”

Luke came down the steps. “We should probably head out.”

She stood, not yet able to meet his gaze. “Okay, sure.”

They went inside, and she thanked Martha for lunch again. Then they said their good-byes.

“I’ll see you again soon,” Logan said, shaking her hand.

“You come around for Sunday dinner anytime,” Martha said, pulling her in for a hug.

They wrangled the dogs into the truck, then climbed in, and she waved good-bye.

Emma was silent the whole trip back to her place, not knowing how to work through the awkwardness that had settled in between them since that kiss. Luke must have been having the same problem because he was as mute as she was.

He’d started it, and by the time he pulled into her drive-way, she had no idea how to get past it and back to the fun friendship they’d settled into.

But was that what she wanted?

Yes. Of course it was what she wanted. She hadn’t wanted him to kiss her.

Had she?

Lord, could she be more conflicted? As an adult, couldn’t she make up her damn mind about what she wanted in life? Or from a man?

She had the life part down. She had her career trajectory in motion.

The man part? Not so much.

“Okay, here we are.”

She lifted her head to see he’d opened her truck door. The dogs were eager to get out, so she supposed she should stop pondering and get away from temptation.

She slid out of the truck and the dogs followed. She tracked her gaze back to Luke.

“Thanks for today.”

His attention stayed on her. “Anytime.”

Even in the dark, she noticed the tilt of his head, the way he looked at her. The chemistry between them was unmistakable, and utterly dangerous.

“I have to get to work early tomorrow, so I should go in.”

His lips curved, as if he knew she was trying desperately for a polite way to disengage herself from his presence.

“Sure.”

She walked to the front door, unlocked it, and the dogs went in. She flipped on the light, then turned back to him.

Before she could say good night, he’d pulled her against him, his mouth on hers in another of those mind-melting, blistering hot kisses that made her forget all her logical, reasonable convictions. She fell against him and kissed him back, her arms winding around him.

But as soon as things got started, he pulled back.

“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow, too.”

She blinked, still trying to reassemble her brain cells. “Uh, okay.”

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“This isn’t over between you and me. We need to talk . . . or something.”

Yeah. Or something. “Okay.”

“’Night.” He got in his truck and backed out of her driveway.

Exhaling, she closed the front door and locked it, then leaned against it.

Whoa. What had just happened? Her body knew what to do, what it wanted her to do. It acted on its own. It wanted to be kissed, to lean into him, breathe in that sexy male scent of him. There was a part of her that eagerly wanted to explore him, with her hands, and her mouth.

And as soon as he’d pulled her against him and kissed her, her body went with its natural reaction to go for it. If Luke hadn’t stopped, he’d be in her bedroom right now and she’d be tearing his clothes off with her teeth so she could get at all the good parts of him.

Which was pretty much all of him.

She shuddered as the mental images bombarded her. He’d looked good today in his jeans, boots, and tight T-shirt.

He’d look even better out of them.

Yeah, she’d definitely like to run her hands over his tight, muscled body, to get him hot and bothered and make him sweat, and then he, in turn, could make her sweat.

And thoughts like that didn’t fall in line with her “no men” plan.

With a frustrated sigh, she pushed off the door to go see to the dogs. Dogs were a woman’s best friend. Dogs weren’t complicated. They would never hurt her, or break her heart.

The trouble was, that whole “no men” plan?

It was crumbling as fast as her resolve to stay away from Luke.

OUT ON PATROL, Luke’s mind wandered, especially when he pulled up along a stretch of Highway 66 to lay a speed trap.

It had been a slow day, and he and Boomer had been riding around for the majority of it. Except for the stop he had to make at the Davidson’s house—something he had to do at least once a week. Paul was ninety-two and convinced that his eighty-nine-year-old wife, Maureen, was trying to kill him. Since Maureen was confined to a wheelchair and on oxygen, it was highly unlikely she’d been coming after him with a butcher knife. Paul and Maureen’s daughter, Athena, who lived with them, always apologized and said it was the medication, coupled with her father’s growing dementia. And it typically seemed to happen whenever Athena ran to the store or hopped into the shower. Paul would get hold of a phone and dial 9-1-1.

By the time Luke arrived, Paul had no idea what Luke was doing there. But it was his job to check it out, and he figured Athena enjoyed the company. Sometimes, if Paul was lucid, Luke would stay and visit with him for a few minutes, and Paul would recount his experiences in the South Pacific during World War II.

Other than that, nothing eventful happened that day, so he and Boomer sat back in the shade under an overpass and pulled over a few cars going well past the speeding limit. He wasn’t one of those asshole cops who was going to ding someone if they went five or six miles over. But if they hit more than ten miles over the limit, they were getting a ticket.

In the hour he’d sat there, he’d only had to hand out two tickets. Not bad, though he’d registered some hotshot pulling twenty miles over the limit. That one was going to cost him. And the guy had been a belligerent dickhead on top of that, claiming he was late for a meeting.

Too bad. Luke explained it didn’t much matter what he was late for, since twenty miles over the speed limit was still illegal. The guy said he was the son of a local congressman, which didn’t bother Luke any. He could be the son of the president. He was still getting a ticket. So when Luke handed him the form to sign, he smiled at him.

Mr. Stanley A. Lexington III hadn’t appreciated that much. In fact, Luke was certain he’d heard a whispered fuck you as he’d walked away from Stanley’s Cadillac.

Luke grinned.

Sometimes it was good to be a cop.

“How’s it going back there, Boom?” Luke asked.

Boomer snored.

“Some partner you are.”

Boomer responded with a snort, then rolled over on his back, feet stuck up in the air.

“Yeah, I’d like a nap, too. Or maybe a beer. Neither one is gonna happen right now.”

He cracked a smile when Will Griffin pulled alongside him in his highway patrol cruiser. Luke rolled down the window.

“Infringing on my territory?” Will asked, resting his forearm on the side of the car.

“I think there are plenty of douchebags on this stretch of highway—you can afford to share the wealth.”

Will grinned. “You’re right about that. How’s it going?”

“Interesting day. You?”

“Wreck over on 75 North this morning. People in a hurry or on their cell phones don’t pay much attention to road-construction signs. Someone plowed right through a construction barrier and went airborne.”

Luke grimaced. “Anyone hurt?”

“Minor injuries, fortunately. The mess was in the cleanup and the rerouting of traffic. And the report I had to spend two hours writing.”

“Fun.”

“Yeah. Not really.”

Luke pulled his attention away as a car sped past. He caught the brake lights in his rearview mirror, then checked radar. Seven miles over. Close, but since Will was there, he’d give the guy a pass.

“Gonna go after him?”

“Not this time.”

“I’m sure he’s sweating bullets and checking his mirror.”

“Good. Let’s just hope he slows down.”

“He will. For a mile or two, until he’s sure you’re not throwing lights and showing up on his bumper or that you don’t have a partner who’s going to pick him up the next mile over the rise.”

Luke let out a laugh. “Yeah. That’s always fun.”

“Especially if you’re the one who gets to write the ticket. I never get tired of that deer-in-the-headlights look. Just when they thought they were out of the woods . . .”

“You’re a little sadistic, Griffin.”

Will shrugged. “Gotta have some fun in this job, ya know.”

“How are Jane and the kids?”

A genuine smile lit up Will’s face. “Good. Really good. We see each other almost every day—my stupid work schedule permitting. I’m coaching Ryan’s baseball team, and Jane’s busy with Tabby’s dance classes. And we’re house-breaking the new puppy, which isn’t as much fun.”

Luke laughed. “No, it never is. But I’m sure he’ll get through it. And so will you.”

“Yeah. And the kids like taking him for walks, so he’s getting plenty of exercise. They really love him.”

Luke liked seeing Will happy. “So, you’ve basically become a father to her kids.”

“I love those kids. And their mom.”

“Any marriage plans?”

“We’re still taking it slow, and I don’t want to push her, since Jane needs to believe I’m always going to be there for her.”

“Because of that asshole ex of hers who ran out on her and the kids.”

“Yeah. But we’re talking about it. Actually, we talk about it a lot. I want to marry her and become a father to her kids. A legal father.”

“Is that even possible, given the fact no one can locate her ex?”

“It’s possible. We’re talking to an attorney who can get us a court date to have his parental rights permanently removed due to abandonment. But again, no rush on that. I don’t want to push Jane into anything she’s not ready for. It’ll all happen at some point. The most important thing is for her and me to get hitched so I can move in with her and the kids. We don’t feel it’s setting a good example for the kids for us to live together until we’re married, so we’re waiting. Which is hard.”

“I imagine it is.” He liked seeing Will happy and settled. Maybe it hadn’t worked out for Luke, but Jane was awesome, and he could definitely tell she was the right woman for his best friend. “I’m glad things are going well for you.”

“Me, too. How about you and Emma Burnett?”

Luke cocked a brow. “What about me and Emma?”

“Heard she was out at the ranch last weekend.”

“What the hell. Is my personal business published on Facebook or something?”

“Uh, not that I’m aware of. But maybe. I haven’t checked Hope’s town Facebook page yet.”

“Funny. How did you know Emma was at the ranch?”

“Jane told me.”

“Oh.”

Will shot him a wry grin. “Touchy, aren’t we?”

“Maybe a little. Everyone just seems to assume Emma and I are dating.”

“And you’re not.”

“No.”

“But you’d like to be.”

He paused. “Maybe. We’re taking things slow. Or maybe I’m taking things slow. I don’t know what the hell she’s doing.”

“Yeah, I understand that whole slow thing. But you know, a woman who’s worth it is worth going slow for.”