He was good at being single, and he was great at winning female attention. She had to remember that at all times.

So what to do?

It took a few deep breaths for her to make up her mind. Men like Adrian were a dime a dozen; she and her sister had both had their share of shrugging off the jerks, the users, the fakes and phonies. But a man like Jett?

One in a million.

And he wanted her.

She’d be a fool not to take everything he offered, and if that meant navigating the uncomfortable social scene, or even meeting his family, so be it.

With her mind made up, Natalie went to the living room where she had everything she’d need for the trip piled up by the door. One tote bag held her beauty supplies—makeup, hair brushes, lotion and the like. She had her laptop case and her camera. Another bag held a few snacks for the road. Yes, she liked to stop often on the long drive, but she also liked to munch while driving.

She dragged her sparsely packed suitcase back to her bedroom, plopped it up on the bed and opened it. Now that Jett would be joining her, she needed to exchange her warm, practical thermal pajamas for something more appealing. After she’d loaded in a thin nightgown, some sexy panties and a negligee she’d never had reason to wear, she closed up the suitcase and put it at the end of the bed.

Standing there in the dim, silent bedroom, alive with expectation for the coming week, Natalie detected the sound of an engine in the parking area.

She was ridiculously attuned to Jett, so she easily distinguished the distinct sound of his SUV. Wherever had he been?

Knowing she’d have a better view of the lot from her dining room, she left her bedroom and went to the patio doors to peek out the curtains. Sure enough, Jett parked his shiny black SUV, and his headlights went dark.

Puzzled, Natalie stood there, wondering where he’d gone and why. For her, it was late, but then she kept a school teacher’s hours. Being late March, it still got dark early, and even worse, wind whistled and tree branches bent beneath a gathering storm.

But as a bachelor, Jett often went out late. Before they’d gotten sexually involved, he’d sometimes come home in the wee hours of the morning. Natalie frowned as she watched him open the driver’s door and step out. Thanks to the well-lit parking area, she saw him heft an overflowing bag into one arm. Beneath his other arm he carried a big padded item—and she realized it was a doggy bed.

Struck by his caring, she bit her bottom lip.

The cold wind blew Jett’s dark hair into his face and parted his unzipped jacket, but he didn’t rush. He lifted Buddy from the vehicle and set him on the ground. Buddy now wore a collar attached to a leash that Jett had wrapped around his wrist.

Natalie squinted at the bags he carried. She could just make out a dog dish and a giant chew bone on the top of the stuffed bag.

He’d gone shopping for Buddy.

Ahhhhh….

She put a hand to her mouth and tried to fight back the emotions—without success. Knowing what he’d done, and that he probably thought nothing of it, left her staggered by his bighearted nature.

That damned emotion swelled even more, choking her, making her feel both hot and soft. They’d both put in a full day, the weather was turning nasty, and still Jett had gone out of his way to make Buddy comfortable.

Natalie’s quickened breathing fogged against the icy window. She rested her forehead there, but it did nothing to cool her.

She couldn’t wait to get to Tennessee tomorrow. It wouldn’t be summer-warm, but it should be milder than the brisk Ohio weather, especially now with a storm blowing in. She and Jett would be all alone together. She anticipated all the things she’d missed in life, like quiet meals together, maybe a few joint showers, walks in the woods with Buddy, talking, exploring and…growing closer.

When Jett glanced up at her window, Natalie ducked away. With her apartment dark he wouldn’t be able to see her anyway, but she didn’t want to take a chance. At the same time, she liked it that he’d glanced toward her place, because she always glanced toward his.

And sometimes she saw him in his window, as if he, too, could recognize the sound of her arrival.

It occurred to her that Buddy looked not the least traumatized by the trip in the car, which negated her need to go along with Jett in the morning. But she wanted to go anyway. He’d invited her, the dog was half hers and…she wanted to spend every minute with Jett that she could.

Not that she’d start making assumptions. No. Even if it killed her, she would make this a no-pressure relationship for him. Somehow she would adapt to the social standards of casual dating.

An hour later, despite the pep talk she’d given herself, Natalie went to bed thinking about things she shouldn’t, things like a lasting romance, a future and a happily ever after—with Jett.

Chapter six

NATALIE FUMED IN SILENCE.

For over an hour now they’d been on the road to Tennessee, and she was still rattled. After Jett had loaded all of Buddy’s new belongings into the back of his SUV, he’d carried out her bags while she did her best to urge Buddy back into the vehicle.

He may have been fine leaving the vehicle last night, but he was not so keen about getting back into it. In fact, he’d behaved as though she wanted to drag him to his death.

How Jett had managed the night before, on his own, Natalie had no idea.

Finally, after much effort, cajoling and insisting, she had gotten Buddy into the SUV and they’d arrived at Connie’s veterinarian clinic bright and early with a fractious, frightened Buddy in tow.

Jett, damn him, hadn’t seemed the least bit surprised to find all three of his sisters there. He’d merely shaken his head in fond exasperation while the women wore various expressions of curiosity and offered up differing excuses for the early morning visit, none of them viable or believable.

They were there to meet her, and Natalie knew it.

Feeling shanghaied and on display, she’d stood there, self-conscious and out of her element, watching them in awe. They were the most boisterous, outrageous, out-spoken and lovely women she’d ever met.

All laughing and talking at once, the sisters had taken turns hugging Jett, and much to Buddy’s delight, they doted on him as if he were the most special dog ever.

The family resemblance between brother and sisters was strong; the woman all had eyes as dark as Jett’s, but lighter and much longer brown hair. While they were tall, between five-eight and five-ten, they weren’t as tall as Jett. And where Jett was all man, the sisters were ultrafeminine, but no one could deny the similarities in features.

Their open affection and bold teasing had rendered Natalie mute and she’d remained in the doorway like a dolt. She and Molly were close, and sometimes when alone together they would crack up for one reason or another. But this…this demonstrative display was very new to her.

Her father and her stepmother would be appalled by such an animated show of emotion.

Somewhere deep down inside herself, Natalie wished she could be a part of it all. It seemed very natural the way they teased each other, touched and laughed.

Only after harassing their brother wore thin did the sisters finally peer at Natalie with unabashed interest.

Putting his arm around her, Jett had pulled her forward and gone through rather formal introductions.

Connie smiled hugely and, while staring at Natalie, said to her brother, “’Bout damn time.”

When he only hugged her closer, Heidi said, “Good grief, Jett, I barely recognize you in territorial mode, but I like the new you!”

And the youngest sister, Betts, had propped her hands on her slim hips. “So she’s the reason you ran me off the other day, hmm?” She’d eyed Natalie critically until Jett growled at her, and then she’d laughed loudly, elbowed the closest sister and said, “Okay, I get it.”

Confused, Natalie asked, “Get what?”

But instead of an answer, she got a giant hug from Betts.

While squeezing Natalie tight, Betts said to Jett, “Since you brought her here, you’re off the hook.”

Heidi grinned. “I’d say he’s totally redeemed himself.”

Not long after that, Connie had scooped up Buddy and headed off into a back room with him. Since Jett had the leash around his wrist, he went along to help.

Natalie attempted to follow, but the remaining two sisters intercepted her. As if trying to learn all they could in a short span of time, they fired casual and friendly questions at her. They asked about her work, her hobbies, even her vacation, but they never once crossed the line into prying. Apparently they saved that for Jett.

After remarks about the cooling weather, the talents of teachers, lakes, dogs and other mundane topics, Heidi remarked about Natalie’s “beautiful” hair. Ill at ease, Natalie tucked a springy curl behind her ear. Her stepmother had always described her wildly curly hair in none-too-flattering terms. She’d grown accustomed to hearing that she looked tawdry, unkempt, cheap and tangled.

As yet, Natalie wasn’t used to flattery from Jett, and now she heard it from his sisters, too.

Heat flooded her face as she stammered her thanks. “You’re very kind.”

Waving that off, Betts started a new thread on how sweet it was for Natalie to take Buddy along on her vacation. “You’ve changed his entire life. Dogs are meant to be part of a family, not alone on the street. It’s fantastic that you’re including him like this.”

More heat scalded her neck. “Jett’s the one who first thought to keep him. I’m not really used to animals—”

“You’ll be great. I can tell.” She brushed her hand along Natalie’s arm, disturbing clinging dog fur from her sweater. Grinning, Betts said, “Looks like he’s already breaking you in.”

“And I don’t hear you complaining,” Heidi added with a wide smile. “I like a woman who doesn’t get all fussy over the little things. Shows you’re a natural with pets.”

The inane chitchat and unending good humor wore on Natalie. “I hope so. But I’m glad I’ll have Jett to help me get acclimated.”

Both women grinned hugely. “Oh, you definitely have him,” Betts said, again poking her elbow at her sister. Heidi chuckled in agreement.

Just when Natalie thought she’d expire from awkwardness, Jett stuck his head out of the back room. He looked at Natalie’s drawn expression and then scowled at his siblings.

Having no real clue what had transpired, he said to them, “Mind your own business,” and then he held out a hand to Natalie. “Come on in. You can help us with Buddy.”

But the sisters didn’t take Jett’s comment to heart. If they did, they wouldn’t have followed her into the back room and turned Buddy’s appointment into a family affair.

There was laughter, warmth and jokes aplenty.

It would have been wonderful—only Natalie wasn’t family, didn’t know anything about family and had no idea how to take part in the camaraderie they all shared. It wasn’t that they excluded her, only that she didn’t know where or how to jump in. She answered questions directed at her, laughed quietly at the humor and watched it all in yearning.

She and Jett were at the clinic for almost two hours.

Two hours that felt like ten and left her starkly aware of the vast differences in the components of her family and Jett’s.

Not once since they’d gotten on the road had Jett mentioned his family, why they’d all been there waiting, what they had wanted or what he thought about it.

Now, after so much silence, Natalie felt strained to the breaking point. She glanced at Buddy, well-groomed and worn out, settled in his cushy bed on the floor between the seats in the back of the SUV, gnawing on a giant chew bone. He’d really been worked over with a flea bath, shots, ear cleaning, nail trimming, tests for parasites, a good brushing and various other things that had all combined to make him forget his displeasure with riding.

Without the dog’s anxiety to occupy her, Natalie had no way to distract her turbulent thoughts.

Trying for subtlety, she shifted her gaze to Jett’s profile.

She wasn’t subtle enough.

“All right.” While still appearing very pleased about something, Jett gave her a quick telling look. “Out with it.”