“This heat is spectacular. Thank goodness for the shade. I don’t know how you all deal with it.” She leaned her head back, her spine arched.

He coughed as the erotic carnival of delights returned to his head. “Uh, yeah, it’s bad but you’ll get used to it. How’s the sandwich?” Must not think of sex, must not think of sex…

“It’s as good as advertised. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Really, thank you for thinking of me.” Her voice suddenly turned shy and he saw a delicate blush work up her neck.

“Well, it’s not hard. Thinking of you, that is. So uh, what did you do back in Los Angeles?” Jeez, the woman had the power to make him babble. Him, Shane Chase, a man thought of as smooth and cool, turned into a mass of babbling, lovesick fool. His brothers would have a field day.

She blinked at him a few times and he wasn’t sure if it was about his question or the comment about thinking about her.

“A little of this, a little of that. Nothing major really.”

He may be a small town cop but he was still a cop. He knew when someone wasn’t telling the whole truth and Cassie Gambol was not telling anywhere near the whole truth.

“Okay, if you say so. Do you have any family?”

“I have a brother.” She smiled.

“Ah, progress! Older or younger? Parents?”

“He’s older by three years. My mother died when I was twelve and my father nearly two years ago now.”

“I’m sorry. It must have been hard to grow up without a mother. And then to lose your father at a young age too.”

“It was, yes. But my brother was always there for me and my dad was a good man. He worked a lot but he was home every night for dinner. We survived as families do.”

“Did you grow up in LA then?”

“Born and raised. My father too and his father before him.”

He liked the way her voice changed when she talked about her family. There was a fondness there that appealed to him.

“Which high school did you go to?”

She snorted and balled up her wax paper as she finished the sandwich. “Where’s my lemon bar?”

He laughed and handed it to her. Her eyes lit up with greed as she pulled the plastic wrap free, amusing him. The way her eyes slid half closed and she moaned as she took a bite did other things to him entirely. He had to put his napkin over his lap to hide the ridge of his c**k pressing against his zipper.

“That’s so good.”

“You have a sweet tooth to go with that sweet voice, huh?” His voice was hoarse.

“I love sweet things. My big failing.” She smiled sheepishly, avoiding the rest of his comment.

“You’re doing well being friends with Maggie then. She’s quite a hand in the baking department.”

“You seem very close to her. To all your family.”

“I have a great family. My parents are the best, they’ve supported me in everything I’ve ever done and Maggie is my family now too. She and Kyle are great together.” He leaned forward and drew the pad of this thumb over her bottom lip. Her eyes widened and he saw the pulse at the base of her throat flutter. “You had a bit of powdered sugar there.”

She brought her hand to her lips briefly and the moment between them stretched until she licked over the spot he’d just touched. The unwitting eroticism of it sent him reeling.

Clearing her throat she took a deep breath. “Uh thanks. That’s lovely. About your family I mean. Oh, I’m nearly done with your mother’s necklace. If you like, I can leave it at Matt’s for you in a few days. Or I can bring it to work on Friday and you can get it then. When is her birthday? I didn’t want to miss it.”

Impulsively, he took her hand and held it in his own for a few moments. She turned, her gaze locked with his. Relief rushed through him to see there was no fear in her eyes.

Bringing her hand to his mouth, he brushed his lips across her knuckles ever-so-softly and laid her hand back in her lap. Her taste tingled on his lips.

“Her birthday is Labor Day. So you have three weeks. And I’ll drop in the shop Friday. We can have lunch again.”

She bristled. “I don’t know. I told you before, I don’t know if I’m ready to do this yet.”

He turned to her, bending his knee between them. “Do I make you feel pressured?”

“No.”

“You said you didn’t have any feelings for your ex, right?”

She shuddered and he dug his fingers into his calf, wanting to demand she tell him about it. Instead he waited.

“No. God, no. Well, not any good ones. It’s just, I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship or dating.”

“We’ll take it one step at a time. This is step one here, friendship. It’s going pretty well, don’t you think?”

She cocked her head and studied him carefully. “You’re running a game on me, aren’t you?”

“A game?” He fought a smile, liking her pluck.

Sighing, she sat back.

“It’s just lunch. Look, you know I’m interested in you, there’s no pressure there at all. You know where I stand and I know you’re interested in me too. You’re the kind of woman who’d tell me to hit the road if I got too uppity.”

“I used to be.” Her voice was quiet, sad.

He paused a moment, not knowing how to approach and not wanting to put her off or make her upset. Aw, hell, he could only be who he was. “Cassie, you know you can tell me. You’ll feel better for sharing it. Not as the sheriff, tell me as your friend.”