And then she knew. The beast. She bolted from her bed and ran to the window like she had weeks earlier, and there he was, riding on the back of the beast as if he hadn’t a care in the world, like he hadn’t shattered her. As usual, he was shirtless and too hot for his own good.

How dare he show up here at… 5:45 a.m. like he has a right to be here! He had no right after what he’d done to her! Enraged, she charged down two flights of stairs and out into the same pearly dawn light as the last time. Like before, she wore only a thin tank and skimpy underwear. And just like before, she went straight for the ripening tomatoes and started hurling them at him, one after the other. Three in a row hit him—one on his back, another on the side of the head and the third, square in the ass.

Her heart might be broken, but there was nothing wrong with her aim.

He killed the engine and slowly turned to her, grinning like a loon.

She threw another tomato that splatted against his chest.

He began walking toward her with the kind of determination that had her taking a step backward because she was out of ammo. “Still not a morning person, huh?”

“You’ve got some nerve showing up here.”

“Why? It’s my job to cut your grass, so I’m cutting your grass.”

“You could’ve sent someone else. You should’ve done that.”

“Maybe so.” His gaze took a slow perusing journey from the top of her head to her chest, where he lingered for a moment before he continued on down.

He may as well have touched her, because he set her on fire with those dark-chocolate eyes that seemed to see right through her.

“Don’t come any closer.” Jenny wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad when he did as he was told and stopped with six feet between them. “Why are you here?”

“I told you. I came to cut the grass.”

“Why you and not someone else?”

“Because I couldn’t take the chance that one of the other guys might see you in that getup. You know how jealous I am.”

“You have no right to say that to me. Not anymore.”

“Yes, I do,” he said coming toward her again. Even with tomato remnants in his hair and stuck to his chest, he’d never looked better to her.

Self-preservation had her backing up until her back was against the mudroom door and he was standing a foot from her. Looking up at him, trying to gauge his mood and intentions, she licked her lips and ignited a flashpoint of desire in his eyes.