Lonesome Ryder. Carol Finch

him. He wanted to feel Laura’s lush mouth beneath his again, to feel her shapely body brushing against him. But he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop with a few kisses.

      Afraid. There was that word again. The more he thought about it, the more he thought Laura might be right. He was afraid. Not of women in general, but afraid of her. Afraid his self-control would slip and his suppressed feelings for her would come pouring out. Afraid of this ever-growing attraction. Afraid of the pleasure he derived from being with her—and not just in bed. He could’ve accepted and acknowledged the sexual attraction. It was a given. It was these deeper feelings that really had him worried.

      Wade knocked back another drink, shuffled the cards and played solitaire until he was tired enough to hit the sack. But when he retired for the night, he kept picturing Laura smoking a cigar, squinting up at him with a cocky grin, sipping a longneck—in attempt to broaden her horizons.

      Wade fell asleep with a grin on his lips.

      SATURDAY NIGHT, BORED nearly to death, Wade sat in his recliner, surfing the TV channels and finding not one decent program to watch. When an unexpected knock rattled the front door, Wade glanced sideways. “It’s open!”

      His curious gaze transformed into a sour scowl when Kevin Shelton, the history teacher, walked inside. Brown hair neatly clipped and styled, Kevin stood there on two good legs, his hands tucked in the pockets of his khaki slacks. His trendy clothes and good looks caused Wade to mutter under his breath. In comparison to Mr. Teacher of the Year, Wade felt like a beat-up old geezer.

      “Hi, Wade,” Kevin said. “Is Laura ready?”

      “Probably not,” Wade grumbled. “She’s a woman, after all. Isn’t it indigenous of the gender to always be late?”

      “Hi, Kevin,” Laura called out—proving Wade wrong about her punctuality. She emerged from the hall, looking all too seductive in a tight-fitting miniskirt that emphasized the length and feminine curve of her legs and thighs.

      “Well, isn’t this cute?” Wade said under his breath. “Here’s Ken and Barbie, decked out for a night on the town.”

      He stifled the feelings of possessiveness that roiled through him. He didn’t want Laura to go out with Kevin, but he had no right whatsoever to object. “You better have her home early,” Wade demanded before he could stop himself.

      Laura’s sculpted brows elevated in surprise as she glanced over her shoulder to stare curiously at Wade.

      “Sure thing,” Kevin said, smiling awkwardly.

      “She punches the clock at seven sharp in the morning. I don’t want her dragging butt when there’s work to do.” God, he sounded like a grumpy idiot. Jealousy was gnawing at his male pride and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

      “Not to worry, boss.” Laura slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, causing the clingy fabric of her knit top to strain against her breasts. Wade glowered when he noticed Kevin’s attention had dipped to her bosom. “My duties won’t suffer, you can count on it,” she assured him.

      Wade crooked his finger at her, summoning her to him. When Laura walked toward him, his male hormones started bouncing around like a pinball. He willfully ignored the drastic effect she had on him.

      “What do you know about this guy?” Wade asked quietly.

      “Not much, but Annie likes him,” Laura reported.

      “Then maybe Annie should date him,” Wade muttered. “For all we know he might be the modern version of the Boston Strangler and Jack the Ripper rolled into one.”

      Laura snickered. “That should make you happy. If he murders me and dumps me in the nearest river you’ll be rid of me without dirtying your hands with the dastardly deed.”

      “Hadn’t thought of it that way,” he said, just so she wouldn’t get the idea that he cared what happened to her.

      “Anything else, boss?” she asked when she noticed Kevin had shifted impatiently from one well-shod foot to the other.

      “Yeah, if he drinks, you drive home,” he instructed. “He’s probably a lush in hiding.” He shot Kevin a black look. “And if he gets fresh, let me know and I’ll send my cousins over to kick his preppy butt.”

      She grinned outrageously. “Maybe I want him to get fresh. Maybe I’m looking for a little action. Ever think of that? It’s my life, you know, and I’m broadening all my horizons.”

      Wade went into a slow burn. Envy and jealousy ate at him like battery acid. “If you aren’t home by midnight I’m coming to find you, broken leg or not. Got it?” He flashed Kevin another thunderous glare for good measure. If Mr. Teacher of the Year wasn’t on his best behavior, Wade wanted it understood that there’d be hell to pay. When Kevin squirmed beneath the piercing stare, Wade was pretty sure he’d gotten his silent message across.

      “Just stay on guard, Seymour,” Wade cautioned. “You’ve broadened your horizons enough for the week.”

      “Your concern is touching,” she said, grinning. “That’s really sweet of you, Ryder.”

      “I’m anything but sweet and you know it,” he grumbled before she sauntered over to join her handsome date.

      When the door closed behind them Wade swore ripely. He knew Kevin Shelton was closer to Laura’s age and more her type, but that didn’t stop him from wishing that blond knockout was on his arm tonight.

      Frustrated, Wade switched to the Discovery channel to watch the next exciting installment on baboons that got liquored up on fermented fruit in the jungles and awoke with hellish hangovers.