Free Her Desert Treasure (Entangled Ignite) by Larie Brannick

firm warmth of his grasp.
    “I should probably be getting back.”
    Jake stood and threw his empty cup into the trash bin behind him. “You’ve had quite a day, you’re probably beat.”
    Meg still held her ice cream so he took her free hand and led her across the street and back to his pickup.
    …
    Well, well, well. Little Miss Reynolds had found a boyfriend. Monty couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been scoping out the town and had nearly tripped when he saw her in front of the ice cream shop. Even more surprising was seeing her with a man. At first, he’d thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He squinted to see better and realized it was her. After spending hours waiting for her to come back to the cabin, he’d finally given up and returned to his hotel.
    Breaking in through the old bedroom window had been a piece of cake, and getting rid of her would have been even easier. He doubted anyone would have missed her for days, but maybe he was wrong. He hadn’t realized she knew anyone in Big Rock, so maybe it was better that he hadn’t been too hasty. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he’d kept to the fringe of the seating area. Hearing their conversation had been difficult, but the laughing and flirting was obvious. It was clear from the way people stopped and talked with this guy that he was local. He hadn’t seen Meg with anyone when he’d tailed her in California. He had to find out who this guy was.
    He lingered at the table with his coffee until she and the man got up to leave. He let them get across the street before he motioned to a girl cleaning tables. Noticing her nametag, he asked casually, “Hey, Kim. I think I recognize that guy over there. Isn’t his name Ray?”
    She turned and followed his line of sight. “You mean him? No, that’s Dr. Jake. Well, Dr. Matthews. He’s the town veterinarian. He has an animal hospital on the other side of town.”
    “Really? I guess I’m mistaken then. He sure looks like my old friend Ray.” He handed her a twenty.
    “What’s this for?”
    “The service here is great. You keep it. And have a good night.”
    “Gee, thank you, sir.”
    Nodding at her, he turned and made his way toward his car, watching as Meg and her friend crossed the street and started down the block. When they turned into an alley a couple of blocks down, he lost sight of them. No worry, though. He wasn’t in any hurry as he unlocked his car and slid behind the steering wheel. After driving around this hole as much as he had, he knew where the animal hospital was. He’d give them a few minutes head start then follow and find a good place to settle in and watch.
    …
    Jake led Meg to his pickup and opened her door for her but she stopped. “Wait, I need to throw this away.”
    As she turned to toss the unfinished cone into a nearby Dumpster, Jake caught sight of her in the light from the pickup. When she turned back around, he touched her cheek, lightly stroking her skin with his thumb.
    “Thank you for rescuing Rex and helping me at the clinic today. And for coming out with me tonight. I had a great time.”
    Her eyes darkened to violet, they sparkled in the faint light with…hunger?
    How much more was a man supposed to take? He slowly lowered his head and touched his lips to the corner of her mouth softly, his tongue reaching out to slide across her lips to the other corner. She tasted sweet, like strawberries, and he kissed her gently. “You had a little bit of ice cream right there.”
    She licked her lips and asked, “Did you get it all? I think there might still be some…”
    It was all the invitation Jake needed, and he lowered his head again, this time kissing her full on the mouth. He slid his tongue over her lips, and she opened to meet it with her own as he tilted her head slightly so he could taste her more fully. His other hand went to her waist just above her hip, and his thumb began stroking her bare skin where her shirt stopped at the top of her