Chapter Three
Chapter
Three
The man peering at me through parted branches could have stepped right out of one of my favorite romance novels.
With his faded jeans and white button-down shirt, he managed to look both casual and chic.
He had tousled dark hair, eyes that were nearly black, and light brown skin with a hint of a bronze undertone.
From the way he was stooped down to peer at me, I knew he had to be over six feet tall.
He had the top button of his shirt undone, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscular forearms. I didn’t fail to notice his broad shoulders either.
Yep. Right out of one of my fantasies.
Except this was more of a nightmare.
“I’m fine, thanks!” Edged with hysteria, my voice sounded unfamiliar to me.
“You sure?” he asked. “Because it looks like you’ve gone a few rounds with this rhododendron, and I hate to say it, but it doesn’t look like you’re winning.”
With a grimace, I wriggled around, desperately trying to free myself. “I’m sure I can…” The sharp end of a branch just missed stabbing me in the eye, instead hitting right beneath it, drawing a hiss of pain out of me.
The mild amusement on the man’s face morphed into concern. “Here, let me help you.”
He pushed branches aside and maneuvered his way in behind me.
Great. Now he had a full view of my exposed back, including my fraying, totally-not-sexy beige bra. I didn’t even like beige underwear, but this one had come in a pack of two with a cute pink one. Why couldn’t I have worn the pink one? Or any of the other far cuter bras I owned?
Because this was the life of Emersyn Gray, that’s why. Of course I had to meet a superhot guy while half dressed in the most unflattering way possible. The universe, which apparently loved to laugh at me, wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The stegosaurus is cool, but I’ve always been more of an ankylosaurus fan myself,” Mr. Hot-Cowboy-from-My-Dreams said.
It took me a second to realize that he was talking about the bandage on my knee, which, apparently, he’d had a good look at before moving around behind me.
“Why the ankylosaurus?” I was so used to talking dinosaurs with Livy that the question flowed out of me naturally.
“They were built like living tanks.” With surprising gentleness, he freed each lock of my hair from the rhododendron’s evil grip. “Plus, there’s something Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle–ish about them, and I was always a Turtles fan.”
“Huh,” I said with interest. “I can’t say I ever made that connection.”
He held the sleeve of the dress out for me so I could slip my arm into it. Then he zipped up the back.
I suppressed a shiver as his fingers brushed the base of my neck for the briefest and most tantalizing moment. Then I reminded myself that this was a nightmare, not a fantasy. A ridiculous farce of a nightmare, with me the butt of all the jokes.
Speaking of butts, I hoped the open zipper hadn’t been so low that he’d caught a look at mine.
I brushed off said butt and ran my fingers through my tangled hair. I remembered at the last second to reach into the pocket of my discarded jeans and pull out the fake business card.
My rescuer squeezed out of the bushes ahead of me and then held the branches aside so I had a clear path out into the open.
“Thank you,” I said, the words coming out grudgingly, not because I wasn’t grateful, but because embarrassment was still overshadowing every other emotion.
“Anytime,” he said with a grin.
I bit back a groan.
This was totally not fair.
His dark eyes twinkled with humor. Actually twinkled! And when he grinned, a killer dimple appeared to one side of his mouth. A mouth that probably knew how to kiss as well as my ultimate dream cowboy.
He cleared his throat, shattering my nascent daydream before it could really get started. And that’s when I realized he’d caught me staring at his mouth. I quickly wiped the back of my hand over my lips, in case any drool had dared to escape.
Get ahold of yourself, woman! I scolded myself silently.
I stood straighter and fluffed up my hair. “Thank you for your help,” I said, this time sounding rigidly polite rather than grudging.
“You know, there are restrooms inside,” he said, his grin now bordering on infuriating. “Nice ones. With plenty of room for changing clothes.”
“Not for people like me.”
I turned on my heel, ready to march away with my head held high, but then remembered that I was currently barefoot.
My cheeks flaming, I reached beneath the rhododendron and grabbed my ankle boots, probably giving the guy a clear view of my booty.
At least it was fully covered by the dress.
Although I needed to be careful not to lean too far.
I had a few inches of height on Jemma, which meant that the skirt of the dress—already short on my friend—was perilously short on me.
I straightened up as soon as my hand closed around the black ankle boots. Not the footwear I would have chosen if I’d known I’d be wearing this dress, but it’s not like I had any other options.
I wobbled precariously as I tried to jam my feet into the high-heeled boots on the soft grass.
“Careful,” the man said, catching my elbow with a gentle but firm grip.
Tingles radiated up my arm, sparked by his touch.
The business card slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the ground. He picked it up before I had a chance. I saw curiosity on his face as he read the print before handing the card to me.
“You’re a private investigator?” he said with a mixture of surprise and interest.
“No.” I didn’t offer any further response. As far as I was concerned, this encounter had already stretched on far too long.
I was about to turn away when he spoke again.
“I like the hair accessories. Very…earthy.” That amused twinkle was back in his eyes.
My hand shot to my head, patting around. He reached out and snagged something from my hair, holding it up for me to see.
A twig.
“Doesn’t quite match the dress, though.” He dropped the twig and brushed dirt from his hands.
Strong hands that…
I would most definitely not imagine running over my body.
Nope, nope, nope.
I shoved all such thoughts aside.
“I appreciate your help, but I have somewhere I need to be.” I strode off with as much dignity as I could muster, considering that the heels of my boots kept sinking into the soft ground.
When I made it to the driveway, walking became easier, and I regained some of my composure. Not that I’d had a whole lot to begin with.
I forced myself to keep my gaze fixed straight ahead. I didn’t want the guy catching me looking back at him. He might have been easy on the eyes, but I hoped I’d never see him again. The crumbled ruins of my dignity wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Besides, I needed to focus.
It was time to put Operation Make Hoffman Pay into action.