The Tycoon's Secretive Temptress Read online

  When she left, he knew that she’d leave behind a disaster in her wake and he wanted to protect the people who lived here. Their lives were tough enough already. No need to get them used to something and then have it ripped away.

  The woman tossed that rag into the bar sink and leaned against the counter, arms spread out wide as she watched him. Blue eyes, he noticed. And dark, curly hair, pale skin, soft lips. Too soft. Everything about her was too soft.

  It would be one thing if this woman were here only for a weekend. Yeah, he could manage that. He might even like her, if she was just here for a short visit. A visitor wouldn’t stir things up. A visitor could be enjoyed and then he’d simply wave as she moved on to a life that was a bit more interesting than life up here in this small, mountain town. Winters were brutally cold and the summers were filled with tourists. Eve Henderson wouldn’t make it here. Too soft.

  “You ready for that beer, Sheriff?” she asked, trying to hide her exhaustion, but he could still see it. It was there and he had the crazy instinct to pull her into his arms and kiss her until he earned a real smile from her.

  Damn, she was enticing!

  “Nope. Seen the Miller twins yet?”

  She paused, her head tilting slightly, which drew his gaze to the gentle curve of her neck. He wondered if she smelled as good as she looked.

  “Honestly Sheriff, I’m not sure if I could tell the difference between any of the men around here. They all wear thick, flannel shirts, every one of them seems to be in a competition to grow the thickest beard possible, and by the time they’ve ordered their fifth beer, I doubt any of them could tell the difference between themselves and their neighbor. So no, I don’t think I’ve seen these mischievous Miller twins although, if they were here tonight, they didn’t introduce themselves.”

  Mack chuckled. “Fair enough. And no, I doubt either of the twins would take the time to introduce themselves to you, but you’ll know them when you see them.”

  “Are they lost?” she asked, suddenly worried. “I know the temperature drops pretty fast out here once the sun goes down.”

  The sudden urge to pull her into his arms and bury his nose in her soft, dark mass of hair hit him square between the eyes. In reaction, he pulled back, refusing to even contemplate get involved with a woman who was going to be around only long enough to realize that she didn’t fit in around here.

  The question in her eyes pulled his mind away from the tempting scent of her hair. “No. They’re not lost. Those boys know these woods better than anyone. I’ll check in with their mother. They’re probably home by now.”

  He tipped his hat towards her and tried to walk away, but her mouth falling open stopped his retreat. “What’s wrong?”

  Her mouth opened and closed. Mack suspected she had absolutely no idea of how tempting she looked.

  “Did you just tip your hat back, Sheriff?” she asked, that distractingly sunny smile forming on her pretty, full lips. Lips that were still pink even though all of the lipstick he’d noticed earlier was gone. She actually looked prettier now, with her makeup worn off and the soft, overhead lights creating shadows on her pale skin.

  It irked him that he was focused on trying not to kiss her and she was focused on his hat. What the hell is wrong with his hat? “I guess so. Was that wrong?”

  That sexy smile widened. Then her pretty white teeth bit down on her plump lower lip. “No. Not wrong.” She did that head tilt thing again. “It’s actually pretty hot, Sheriff.” With a wink, she turned around and headed over to the last two customers. For a long moment, he stood there, stunned while he enjoyed the soft sway of her hips.

  Mack realized where his mind had gone and he shook his head. Sexy butts were not on his agenda tonight.

  He stomped out of the bar, relieved by the bite of the cold night air hitting his face. What was it about her? Yeah, it had been a long, hard winter, but even during the cold months, he could make it down the mountain to one of the other towns and find female companionship when he needed it. He wasn’t sex starved, but the way his body had reacted to her round curves and sweet smile, one would think he hadn’t seen a woman in a decade!

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