Beverly Barton 3 Book Bundle. BEVERLY BARTON

Norton’s fault. Damn the man!

      Despite her best efforts not to let her emotions overrule her common sense where her chief deputy was concerned, she was falling for the guy. Yeah, sure, she’d had a major crush on him when she’d been a teenager—one of those hero-worshipping-from-afar deals. But it wasn’t memories of star athlete Jimmy Norton that put butterflies in her tummy or made her cream her pants. No, that would be world-weary, rode-hard-and-away-wet, devoted father, all-around good-guy, forty-year-old Captain Jim Norton.

      For the first time in years, Bernie had planned ahead. Last night she had chosen what she would wear today—Saturday. Jeans, just a tad too tight. A red tank top that clung to her breasts, and a short-sleeved, oversize red and white shirt that hung down to just below her hips. Her wide hips.

      After taking out the items of clothing from her closet, she laid them across the foot of her bed, then retrieved her underwear from her dresser drawer. She didn’t own anything except plain white cotton panties and bras. What was the point of investing in beautiful lingerie if she was the only one who ever saw it?

      When she sat down on the edge of the bed, Boomer wriggled free from beneath his small blanket atop the king-size pillow and came over to her. His little wet nose nuzzled her naked hip. She reached out and picked him up, hugged him to herself and mumbled nonsensical baby talk to him. He licked her face, which made her laugh. He was such an adorable mutt, with his funny white face, his big, black bug-eyes, and his loving disposition. It amazed her how attached she’d become to him in a week’s time. And she wasn’t the only one. Kevin Norton had become Boomer’s best buddy, the two practically inseparable when her parents acted as baby-sitters for boy and puppy.

      “Do you need to go out again?” Bernie asked. She’d taken him outside first thing this morning when she woke at her usual five-thirty and he’d done his job, but he was just a pup and not housebroken yet, so better safe than sorry.

      He looked up at her with those soulful eyes and wagged his cropped tail. “Okay, okay. Give me a couple of minutes to put on my clothes and we’ll go.”

      She dressed hurriedly. She’d do her makeup and hair when they came back inside.

      A few minutes later, as she raced through the kitchen to the back door, Boomer in her arms, she glanced at the wall clock. Twenty till eight. She had twenty minutes to tend to Boomer, do her hair and makeup and put on a fresh pot of coffee before Jim and Kevin arrived. Although it was Saturday, she and Jim had to work half a day and had decided to meet at her house so he could bring Kevin with him. While they worked, Kevin could spend the morning with his new best friend.

      Bernie opened the back door and made it out onto the porch before she felt something wet and warm spreading out over her arm. She groaned.

      “Boomer! Couldn’t you wait another minute?”

      So much for color-coordinating her tank top and blouse. The red and white blouse now had a large yellow stain on one sleeve. She took Boomer out into the yard, set him down, and then removed her shirt. She hoped this incident wasn’t an indication of how the rest of her day would go.

      “That’s it. Fuck me harder … faster.” Oh, Jim … Jim … “God, you’re good, baby. So good. Mmm …”

      Trembling and crying out, Robyn came. While she spiraled back to earth, the man on top of her came a couple of minutes after she did. He jetted into the condom he wore, groaning as he clutched her hips.

      When he fell to her side and flopped onto his back, she nuzzled his shoulder and sighed. He lay there for several minutes, breathing hard, his big hand idly caressing her thigh; then without saying a word, he got up and headed for the bathroom. Robyn opened her eyes and looked at his naked backside. Sleek, slender, firm. A real pretty boy. And a damn good lay.

      But he wasn’t Jim Norton. And she wanted Jim Norton. But Jim hadn’t called her, hadn’t taken her up on the rain check she’d given him—so to hell with the guy. Robyn knew herself well enough to realize that the main fascination with Jim was the fact that he was playing hard to get. She wasn’t used to a man turning her down, not for any reason.

      Maybe he’s not playing hard to get. Maybe he’s really not interested.

      But she didn’t intend to give up without one more try. Tonight, at her parents’ anniversary party, she’d give Jim one final chance.

      “Hey, babe, where’s your shampoo?” Paul Landon called from the bathroom doorway.

      Robyn glanced at him and smiled. “It’s in the caddy hanging inside the shower stall.”

      He grinned at her. “Want to join me? I could scrub yours and you could scrub mine.”

      Robyn stretched like a cat warming herself in the sun, then languidly crawled out of bed and sauntered toward the bathroom. Paul—rich, handsome, attentive—held out his hand to her, and when she put her hand in his, he drew her close and kissed her.

      Robyn clung to Paul, all the while pretending he was another man. An older, tougher, stronger man. A man she intended to seduce, somehow, someway. Maybe tonight.

      “Can I take Boomer with me and watch TV in the den?” Kevin asked as he dumped the remnants of his breakfast into the garbage can under the sink.

      “Would you mind taking him out first?” Bernie asked.

      “Sure,” Kevin replied. “Hey, Bernie, what are you going to do with Boomer tonight while we’re all at your parents’ big party?”

      “I’ve got that covered,” she told him. “I’ve hired a babysitter for him.”

      Kevin grinned as he picked up the puppy from where he lay beneath Bernie’s feet under the kitchen table. “You’re a lucky dog, Boomer. You know that, don’t you? You’ve got Bernie for a mom.” Kevin headed for the back door, Boomer tucked securely under his arm.

      Bernie sensed Jim staring at her, and although she tried her best to not look his way, she couldn’t stop herself from hazarding a quick glance. A shiver danced up her spine when their gazes met and locked for a split second. Was she imagining things, seeing what she wanted to see, or was Jim actually aware of her as a woman? The way he was looking at her made her go weak in the knees.

      “Kevin really likes you,” Jim said.

      Bernie cleared her throat. “I really like him. He’s a great kid. Smart and funny and kind and …” When Jim laughed, she frowned. “What is it?”

      “You should hear Kevin singing your praises. He thinks you’re a really special lady. You and my son seem to have formed your own mutual admiration society.”

      “What can I say other than that Kevin and I both have great taste and good judgment?”

      “I agree.” Jim kept looking at her, studying her, as if he was trying to figure out what it was about her that made her so special to his son.

      When Bernie felt a warm blush creeping up her neck, she hurriedly looked away, and then she gathered up the discarded paper wrap from her biscuit and sausage. Jim had told her yesterday afternoon when they’d made plans to work at her house this morning that he’d stop by the King Kone and pick up breakfast for the two of them and Kevin. In the past week, she had spent five of the seven evenings with Jim and his son. They’d stayed for dinner at her parents’ house twice, had eaten out twice, and had ordered takeout and eaten at Jim’s duplex one night. She wanted to think Jim enjoyed her company, that he was actually interested in her the way she was interested in him, but more than likely he was spending so much time with her because of Kevin.

      She and Jim’s son had formed an almost instant friendship, partly thanks to Boomer, but partly because they simply liked each other. She saw so much of Jim in Kevin, more than just a strong physical resemblance. She didn’t think Jim realized how much alike he and his son were.

      “Finished?” Bernie asked Jim.

      “Yeah, I’m finished.”

      She