Good Husband Material. Susan Mallery

in his worn cowboy boots. Barefoot, he only had four inches on her. Now she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze.

      The look in his eyes nearly took her breath away. There was a combination of confidence and fire that made her insides sort of melt and her breathing turn ragged.

      What on earth was wrong with her? She couldn’t possibly be feeling anything like anticipation. That would be crazy. That would be—

      “You’re still the prettiest girl in Possum Landing,” he said as he took a step toward her.

      She suddenly felt overwhelmed by the Texas heat. “I, um, I’m not really a girl anymore.”

      He smiled a slow, easy, “I’m in charge here and don’t you forget it” kind of smile that didn’t do anything positive for her equilibrium. She seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

      “I know,” he murmured as he put his hand on the back of her neck and drew her close. “Did I mention I like your hair short?”

      She opened her mouth to answer. Big mistake. Or not, depending on one’s point of view.

      Because just at that moment, he lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t have time to prepare…which was probably a good thing. Because the second his lips touched hers, protesting seemed like a really silly idea—when Gage could kiss this good.

      Kari wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing that was so special. Sure there was soft, firm pressure and plenty of passion. As if the night wasn’t warm enough, they were generating enough heat between them to boil water on contact. But there was something else, some chemistry that left her desperate and longing. Something that urged her to wrap her arms around him so that when he pulled her close, they were touching everywhere it mattered.

      He moved his mouth against hers, then lightly licked her lower lip. Pleasure shot through her like lightning. She clutched at his strong shoulders, savoring the hardness of his body against hers, liking the feel of his hands on her hips and his chest flattening her breasts.

      Her head tilted slightly, as did his, in preparation for the kiss to deepen. Because there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that they were taking this to the next level.

      So when he stroked her lower lip again, she parted her mouth for him. And when he slowly eased his tongue inside, she was ready and very willing to dance this particular dance.

      He tasted sweet and sexy. He was a man who enjoyed women and knew enough to make sure they enjoyed him. Kari had a hazy recollection of her first kiss with Gage, when he’d been so sure and she’d felt like a dolt. Right up until he’d touched his tongue to hers and she’d melted like butter on a hot griddle.

      Now that same trickling sensation started deep inside. Her body was more than ready for a trip down memory lane. She wasn’t so sure the rest of her could play catch-up that fast…even if the passion threatened to overwhelm her.

      He moved his hand up from her hips to her sides, then around to her back, moving higher and higher until he cupped her head. He slid his fingers into her short hair and softly whispered her name.

      She continued to hold on to him because the alternative was to fall on her rear end right there on the porch. When he broke the kiss and began to nibble along the line of her jaw, she didn’t care where she fell as long as he caught her. And when he sucked on her earlobe, every cell in her body screamed out that sex with Gage Reynolds would be a perfect homecoming.

      Fortunately, the choice wasn’t hers. Just when she was starting to think they were wearing too many layers, he stepped back. His eyes were bright, his mouth damp with their kisses. She was pleased to see that his breathing was a tad too fast and that parts of him were not as…modest as they had been a few moments before.

      They stared at each other. Kari didn’t know what to say. Finding out that Gage kissed better than she remembered meant one of three things: her memory was faulty, he’d been practicing while she’d been gone, or the chemistry between them was more powerful than it had been eight years ago. She wasn’t sure which she wanted it to be.

      He didn’t speak, either. Instead, he leaned close, gave her one last hot, hard kiss, and walked down the porch steps, into the night.

      Kari was left staring after him. Restlessness seized her, making her want to follow him and…and…

      She sucked in a breath before slowly turning and heading back into the house. Obviously, coming back to Possum Landing was going to be a whole lot more complicated than she’d first realized.

      Chapter Three

      Gage ambled toward the offices of the Possum Landing Gazette the following morning. Under normal circumstances, he would have put off this meeting for as long as possible. But ever since the previous evening, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on his work, so he figured this was a better use of his time than staring out the window and remembering.

      He’d always known that Kari would come back to Possum Landing one day. He’d felt it in his bones. From time to time he’d considered what his reaction to that event would be, assuming he would be little more than mildly interested in how she’d changed and only slightly curious as to her future plans. He hadn’t thought there would still be any chemistry between them. He wasn’t sure if that made him a fool, or an optimist.

      The chemistry was there in spades. As were a lot of old feelings he didn’t want to acknowledge. Being around her made him remember what it was like to want her…and not just in bed. There had been a time when he’d longed to spend his whole life with her, making babies and creating a past they could both be proud of. Instead, she’d gone away and he’d found contentment in his present life. While the kiss the previous evening had shown him that parts of him were still very interested in the woman she’d become, the rest of him couldn’t afford to be.

      Kari was a beautiful woman. Wanting her in bed made sense. Expecting anything else would take him down a road he refused to travel. He’d been there once and he hadn’t liked the destination.

      So, for however long she stayed in Possum Landing, he would be a good neighbor and enjoy her company. If that led to something between the sheets, that was just fine with him. He hadn’t had much interest in the fairer sex these past few months. Instead, a restlessness had seized him, making him want something he couldn’t define. If nothing else, Kari could prove to be a welcome distraction.

      Gage entered the newspaper office and nodded at the receptionist. “I know my way,” he called as he headed down a long corridor. “I’d be obliged if you’d tell Daisy I’m here.”

      The woman picked up the phone to call back to the reporter. Gage pulled off his cowboy hat and slapped it against his thigh.

      He didn’t much want to be here, but experience had taught him that it was safer to show up for interviews than to allow Daisy to come to him. This way, he was in charge and could head out when he felt the need to escape. He’d figured out that by leaning against the conference room chairs just so, he could activate the test button on his pager. It went off, and he could glance down at the screen and pretend something had come up, forcing him to leave. He was also sure to seem real regretful about having to head out unexpectedly. He was just as sure to ignore Daisy’s not-so-subtle hints that they should get together sometime soon.

      Daisy was a fine figure of a woman. A petite redhead with big green eyes and a mouth that promised three kinds of heaven if a man were only to ask. They’d been in the same class in high school but had never dated. Newly divorced, Daisy was more than willing to reacquaint herself with Gage. He appreciated the compliment and couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he wasn’t interested. But he wasn’t. As he’d yet to decide on an easy way to let her down, he did the next best thing and avoided anything personal.

      He wove his way through the half dozen or so desks in the main room of the newspaper office. Daisy was in the back, by a window. She looked up and smiled as Gage approached. Her long, red hair had been piled on her head in a mass of sexy curls. The sleeveless blouse she wore dipped low enough to prove that her cleavage