The Charmer. Kate Hoffmann

had been different. There had been no men and the solitude had begun to wear on her.

      She handed him a carrot to munch on, using the opportunity to study him more closely. Alex Stamos. For some reason, the name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. He was here on business. Maybe he was one of those real estate developers from Illinois, interested in building yet another resort on the peninsula. She’d probably seen his name in the local paper.

      And she didn’t understand this sudden attraction. Tenley was usually drawn to men who were a little rougher around the edges, a bit more dangerous. She usually chose tourists who were certain to leave at some point, but she had indulged with a number of willing single men from some of the nearby towns. Her grandfather called them “discardable,” and Tenley had to agree with his assessment.

      Tenley looked down at her vegetables. There weren’t many women who’d kick Alex Stamos out of their bed.

      Tenley glanced up again, to find him still staring. She drew a deep breath and met his gaze, refusing to flinch. For a long time, neither one of them blinked.

      “I like this game,” he said. “My sister and I used to play it when we were kids. I always won.”

      “It makes me uncomfortable,” Tenley said. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it wasn’t polite to stare?”

      He shrugged and looked away. “Yeah, but I didn’t think that applied in this case. I mean, it’s not like you have a big wart on the end of your nose or you’ve got two heads. I’m staring because I think you’re pretty. What’s wrong with that?”

      “I’m not pretty,” she muttered. She grabbed an onion and tossed it at him, then shoved the cutting board and knife across the counter. “Here, cut that up.”

      She didn’t invite this attraction. In fact, over the past year, she’d done her level best to avoid men. The last man she’d invited into her bed hadn’t been just a one-night stand. She’d actually found herself wanting more, searching for something that she couldn’t put a name to.

      She knew the risks. Physical attraction led to sex which led to more sex which led to affection which ultimately led to love. Only love didn’t last. It was there one day and gone the next. She’d loved her brother, more than anyone else in the world. And when he’d been taken from her, she wasn’t sure she’d ever recover. She wasn’t about to go through that again.

      “I’m wondering why you wear all that makeup. I mean, you don’t need it. I think you’d look prettier without it.”

      “Maybe I don’t want to look pretty,” Tenley murmured.

      Alex chuckled at her reply. “Why wouldn’t you want to look pretty? Especially if you are?”

      The question made Tenley uneasy. She didn’t tolerate curious men, men who wanted to get inside her head before they got into her bed. What business was it of his why she did what she did? He was a complete stranger and didn’t know anything about her life. Why bother to act as if he cared?

      She turned and tossed the chopped carrots into the cast-iron pot on the stove. Maybe the town’s speculation about her would come true. She’d slowly devolve into an eccentric old spinster, living alone in the woods with only her animals to talk to.

      “Do you like peppers?” she asked, turning to open the refrigerator.

      “Do you ever answer a direct question?”

      “Red or green? I prefer red.”

      “You don’t answer questions,” Alex said. “Red.”

      Tenley gave him a smile. “Me, too. They’re sweeter.” She handed him the pepper, then grabbed a towel from the ring beneath the sink. Bending over the basin, she quickly washed the makeup off her face, wiping away the dark liner and lipstick with dish soap.

      When she opened her eyes again, she found an odd expression on his face. “Better?”

      “Yeah,” he said softly, his gaze slowly taking in her features. “You just look. different.” He paused. “Beautiful.”

      She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from smiling. “Thank you,” she murmured. “You’re beautiful, too.”

      The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. This was what came from spending so much time alone, talking to herself. She expressed her thoughts out loud without even realizing it.

      He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “Thanks.”

      “I’m not just saying that. You are. Objectively, you’re very attractive.” Oh, God, now she was just digging a deeper hole. “I just noticed, that’s all. I’m not trying to. you know.”

      “I don’t know,” he said. He picked up the pepper and walked around the island to the sink, then rinsed it off. “But you could try to explain it to me.”

      There was no going back now. “The way you’re looking at me. I just get the feeling that you’re…flirting.”

      He turned and leaned back against the edge of the counter. “I am. Is there something wrong with that?”

      “It’s not going to work. I—I’m not interested in…that.”

      “What?”

      “Sex,” she said.

      He frowned, then shook his head. “Is that what you think I’m doing? I was just having some fun. Talking. I didn’t mean to—”

      “I didn’t want you to think that I was—”

      “Oh, I didn’t. I guess, I’m just used to—”

      “I understand and I don’t mean to—”

      “I do understand,” he said softly. He took a step toward her and she held her breath.

      This was crazy. She wanted him to kiss her. With any other man, she would have already been halfway to the bedroom. But Alex was different. All these strange feelings stirred inside of her. She longed for his touch, yet she knew how dangerous it would be. Need mixed with fear and she wasn’t sure what to do.

      But then Alex took the decision out of her hands. He smoothed his hand over her cheek and bent closer. An instant later, his lips met hers and Tenley felt a tremor race through her body. He lingered over her mouth, taking his time, waiting for her to surrender.

      With a soft sigh, Tenley opened beneath the gentle assault. A delicious rush of warmth washed through her body. Lately, she hadn’t felt much like a woman. It was amazing what one kiss could do to change all that.

      She pushed up on her toes, eager to lose herself in the taste of him. It didn’t matter that they’d just met. It didn’t matter that she knew nothing about him. He made her feel all warm and tingly inside. That was all she cared about.

      He drew back slightly, his breath warm against her mouth. “Maybe we should get back to dinner,” he suggested.

      With a satisfied smile, Tenley stepped out of his embrace. They did have the entire night. With the blizzard raging outside, there was no way he’d be able to get into town. “There’s white wine and beer in the fridge and red wine in the cabinet above. Pick what you want.”

      “What are you making?” He stood over her shoulder and peered into the cast-iron pot steaming on the stove. “It smells good.”

      “Camp supper,” she said. “It’s just whatever’s at hand, tossed into a pot. There’s hamburger, potatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. I think I’ll add some corn.”

      It wasn’t gourmet. Cooking had never been one of her talents. In truth, Tenley wasn’t really sure what she was good at. Right about the time she was ready to find out, her life had been turned upside down. Her grandfather was an artist and so was her father. And her mother was a poet, so creativity did run in her veins.

      But