Free Wild & Hexy by Vicki Lewis Thompson

that.’’
    ‘‘But I do really want to go kayaking. It’s always looked fun to me, but I never knew anybody who could teach me how to do it.’’
    ‘‘Then I’m your guy.’’ He pulled away from the house. ‘‘You look great, by the way.’’
    ‘‘Thanks, but these are really old clothes.’’ Ever since seeing Jeremy at Click-or-Treat today, she’d been trying to figure out what was different about him. The easy compliment was a typical example. Yesterday he would have stuttered over it. Today he was as smooth as glass.
    ‘‘You looked great earlier today, too,’’ he said with the same calm assurance. ‘‘I just didn’t have a chance to say so.’’
    ‘‘Billie and her bobble-heads do tend to take over.’’ She glanced at him and discovered that his profile was quite nice to look at. The leash he’d attached to his glasses made him look like the athletic type, but it was more than his accessories turning her on.
    Until this moment, she’d never taken the time to notice all of his attributes—his thick, dark hair, strong nose, sensuous lips, and square jaw. She could tell he’d shaved before picking her up, which gave him points in her book.
    ‘‘We need to get something straight.’’ Then he laughed. ‘‘Absolutely straight. That’s me, Annie.’’ He flashed her a grin. ‘‘I’m not even slightly gay.’’
    The words registered, but the grin was the part that supercharged her libido. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been that attracted to a man’s smile. Well, yes, she could—Zach when they were sophomores. He’d been able to make her panties wet with a smile before she even understood what wet panties were all about.
    Now she knew all about the wet-panty syndrome, and Jeremy, of all people, was creating the same effect. ‘‘I guess I jumped to conclusions.’’
    ‘‘Yeah, well, I didn’t explain myself well. I’d told Ambrose I’d come over to his place so we could talk magic. He was the guy I was seeing.’’
    The whole magic schtick was working on her, too. She’d never known a magician, but she’d seen The Illusionist, and the whole concept of a magician oozed mystery and sex appeal. Any man who could say a magic word and produce a perfect red rose sprinkled with dew would certainly get her phone number. If he played his magic cards right, he’d probably get a whole lot more than that.
    But she was jumping the gun. Right now they were having a friendly conversation, and she needed to hold up her end. ‘‘Ambrose seems like a fascinating person. ’’ She thought Jeremy was ten times more fascinating, but she wasn’t ready to tip her hand quite so soon. ‘‘I wonder if he’d let me interview him for my next story.’’
    ‘‘You could always ask. He and Dorcas came to town last summer, and nobody can figure out the attraction to Big Knob. You haven’t met Dorcas yet, but she’s pretty polished, too. They both seem to belong in some upscale boomer community with gourmet restaurants and art galleries lining the street.’’
    ‘‘Maybe it’s the beginning of a trend—sophisticated urban dwellers head for the classic simplicity of small-town America. How’s that for a story angle?’’
    ‘‘Very good.’’ He turned down the dirt lane that led to Deep Lake. ‘‘I can see why you’ve done so well in Chicago.’’
    ‘‘I’m hanging on by my fingernails in Chicago.’’
    Jeremy pulled into a parking space close to a small beach and turned to her. ‘‘That’s not the word in Big Knob. In this town you’re a superstar.’’
    She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t like hearing that. ‘‘Then I shouldn’t spoil the image.’’
    He reached across the console and took her hand. ‘‘Couldn’t happen. Not with me. I’ve had a crush on you since I was fourteen.’’
    She drew in a quick breath. So Gwen had said, but Annie hadn’t expected Jeremy, always the shy type, to say it out loud. ‘‘That’s very