Free Tipping Point by Rain Stickland Page A

wonder if we share a property line. I’m pretty sure we’re back-to-back here, though I wouldn’t want to travel through that way in the middle of the night, not knowing exactly where I was going.”
    “We’re really that close then?”
    “We are. If you really want to come see me, I’ll tell you how to get here. What do you think?”
    “I think I’m already there.” She gave him directions, brushed her teeth, put on her sandals, and headed out the door. She could hear Cameron calling out behind her, so she turned around.
    “I’m just going to the road. Neil’s going to be here in a minute.”
    “Are you kidding me? Just like that?”
    “We probably would have run into him anyway. Turns out we’re neighbours.” For the second time that day, Cam’s mouth hung open. Not the most becoming expression, of course, but Mac was enjoying it. She’d been far too predictable for years now, so when the opportunity came to give her daughter a bit of a jolt, she just couldn’t resist.
    “Seriously?”
    “Yeah. I guess it’s not that surprising. We’re both into the whole prepping thing, so I’m sure he was looking for the same things that we were looking for, when he bought his property. Anyway, I have to get out there or he’s going to drive right by it. I’ll be back in a bit and you can meet him. Then you can judge for yourself if I’m crazy or not.”
    “Mom, I already know you’re crazy. This is not news. I’m just wondering what happened to your lovable cynicism.” Mac smirked and stepped outside.
    She made it out to the tree and leaned against it, waiting for his lights to appear so she could flag him down. When he got there, she stepped out. He stopped the car and got out. She walked straight to him. When she was a foot away his right hand came up to brush her cheek.
    “Yup, still beautiful,” he said. She stepped a little closer, feeling the heat radiating from his body. His thumb just barely grazed her bottom lip, and she inched forward again.
    “I think maybe you should try doing that with something else.” His left eyebrow shot up at the multiple implications.
    “I guess I’ll try this for now.” His left arm slid around her waist and he lowered his head very, very slowly. Mac stood on her toes and pressed herself full length against him. He groaned hoarsely and covered her mouth with his. Mac whimpered as a spear of heat pierced her through the middle.
    Within seconds she was reduced to a mass of seared nerve endings. His tongue slid against hers while his lips moulded hers with pure heat. His erection pressing against her made her writhe. Finally she remembered the cameras, and had to pull away, panting.
    “We’re probably being watched right now. I’ve got night-vision cameras on the gate. We cannot keep doing this here.” Neil swallowed, nodded, and then rested his forehead against hers.
    “Yeah, okay. If there’s a time and place where we can keep doing this, though, you gotta let me know, because I am there .” Mac let out a weak laugh.
    “You and me both,” she said hoarsely, trying to resist the temptation to start using her mouth on his neck.
    “Give me a second to get the gate open, and then you can pull your car into the driveway.” He looked around.
    “Concealed, huh?”
    “You know it. You’re gonna love this, cowboy.” She slid behind the tree to put her thumb on the plate, and then heard his low whistle as he watched the bushes split and swing backward. She stepped back out to his car.
    “After you,” she said, gesturing to the driveway.
    “You are good, honey. And I do mean that in every possible way.” With that he got back in his car and pulled through the gate. She followed him through and waited for them to close. This was not the time to take a chance. Well, any more chances, she amended mentally.
    Neil stopped his car and waited for her to catch up. She leaned in his open window to talk to him for a second. Before she could speak, he cupped the back