Free Out Of Control by Desiree Holt Page A

feet were shod in worn Western boots, so similar to those in
her dream, she wondered if he’d somehow been in her mind. A black T-shirt clung
like a glove to his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and well-worn jeans did
little to conceal his long legs and muscular thighs.
    Or
the erection that was visibly pressing against his fly. What was that all
about?
    She
didn’t know what terrified her more—his presence, his arousal, or her reaction
to both. Heat grabbed her like a fist, and every bit of saliva in her mouth
dried up. She had to swallow twice before she could make a sound.
    “Uh…hi.”
Well, it wasn’t poetry, but at least she got the words out. “What can I do for
you?”
    His
eyes burned into hers like smoldering coals. “I have something of yours and
figured you might want it. Is it all right if I come in?” One corner of his
mouth turned up in a semi-grin. “I promise not to attack you. I am the sheriff,
remember?”
    Dana
felt the heat of embarrassment flush her body. She backed up and swung the door
wide, and Cole removed his hat and stepped into the house. As he brushed past
her, she caught his scent again, the same blend of male and horses from her
dream, and again she shivered. She’d never reacted to a man this way, not even
those she’d forced herself to go to bed with. Cole Landry should have danger painted on his forehead, in flashing red letters.
    Digging
for a calm she didn’t feel, she waved him into the tiny living room, closed the
door and stood as far away from him as the limited space allowed. Being this close
to a man she’d just imagined having sex with totally unnerved her.
    She
watched his gaze roam lazily around her space, and she sensed his brain
registering every detail. Not that there was much to see in the small cottage.
A living room and dining area with a view into a small but well-equipped
kitchen. A narrow hall that led to the two bedrooms and bathrooms.
    She
cleared her throat. “You said you had something for me? I don’t mean to be rude,
but I’m in the middle of doing some work.”
    He
turned back to her, his mouth turning up in a smile that made her knees knock.
Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a small electronic unit. Her PDA.
    “This
was under some stuff on the table where you were working today.” He held it out
to her. “You probably missed it, being in such a big hurry to leave and all. I
figured it was important enough not to leave it there until tomorrow.”
    “Yes.”
She gave a small sigh of relief. “I realized when I started to work tonight
that it was missing. Thank you for bringing it by.”
    She
reached for it. Their hands touched, and she felt a bolt of something akin to
lightning shoot up her arm and impale her smack in the center of her chest.
That traitorous pulse in her pussy was pounding hard enough to play in a rock
band. She yanked her hand back at once, but he reached for it and gently placed
her BlackBerry onto her palm. The flare of light in his eyes was the only
indication that he’d felt the electricity, too. And he didn’t seem to be in any
hurry to move away from it.
    She
swallowed past the panic that flooded through her and backed away further into
the room. She couldn’t let him get any ideas about her or do anything that
might force her to leave High Ridge before she finished what she’d come here to
do.
    “You
know,” he drawled. “It’s only common courtesy to offer someone a cold drink or
a cup of coffee in a situation like this. I’m good with either one.”
    Coffee?
A cold drink? Was she supposed to make casual conversation with him, too?
    “I
know this sounds rude, but I really do have a lot of work to do.”
    He
shook his head, almost dismissively. “Those cases are older than dirt, Miss
Moretti. Another half hour won’t make a difference one way or another. Besides,
you look like someone who could use a break.”
    Her
chin lifted automatically. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
    He
moved closer