A laugh sounded low in her throat. “Believe me, you are. I can’t believe I spent all this money on new underwear. Neither one of us appreciated it.”

No, he thought, nothing like what he’d expected of her. On every level, a whole hell of a lot better. “Were you wearing underwear?”

“See? And I still am. Just not where it’s meant to be worn.”

Still flat on his back, he reached over, down, skimmed his fingers over the lace-edged bra bunched with the dress around her waist.

“You can put it back where it goes. Then I’ll appreciate it later before I peel it off you. We’ll go for full naked next time.”

“I could use some full naked. You’ve got a really nice body, but—well, in a hurry . . .”

She turned her head, studied his profile—those strong bones, those hard curves. After a moment, he turned his so they stared into each other’s eyes.

So damn beautiful, he thought. It ought to be against the law to look like that. It messed up a man’s head.

“We must look ridiculous,” she murmured.

“Don’t look.”

“I won’t if you won’t. Are you hungry?”

“That’s a loaded question, considering.”

She smiled as she worked her bra back into place. “Why don’t we go down and eat, pretend we’re civilized adults.”

“Too late for the second part.”

“It’s never too late to be civilized.”

“You’re starting to think about the kids in W&B.”

“Avery made us a beautiful meal, and we should eat it. And it gives me the opportunity to be available in case. Then we can bring the wine—should there be any left—back up here. You can appreciate my new underwear.”

“It’s a good plan.” He levered up enough to pull up his shorts, his jeans. “And maybe next time I’ll manage to get my boots off before you jump me.”

She wiggled back into her dress, smiled. “No promises.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE

RYDER COULDN’T QUITE DEFINE THE SITUATION WITH Hope. They weren’t exactly dating. They weren’t exactly friends. They weren’t exactly what his aunt Carolee called An Item.

But however he angled to consider the situation, he liked it.

Maybe it included a few elements of strange, the way he parked his truck behind Vesta or over by the fitness center job site rather than right behind the inn.

It wasn’t as if someone couldn’t figure out what was going on if they paid attention. Someone always paid attention. Still, it didn’t sit right with him to be blatant about it.

And maybe it added more strange the way he went up The Courtyard stairs to the third floor, and into the building that way.