Search and Seduce

“You need to eat.” He nudged the bag in her direction. “Blanche sent me home with a burger, fries and pie.”

Amy looked up and shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I need to finish this. But what can I say to all those people? They’ll want to hear about Darren, not the puppies. And I’m just not sure...”

“Wing it.” Mark pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.

“I can’t get up there without a plan,” she said. “I need to know what I’m going to say.”

“Then tell the truth.” He took her hand in his. “Explain what this place means to you. Tell them about your dream to train and raise dogs. I think you might find there are more people than you think who look at this place and see you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Amy stared at the papers.

“I am. Don’t worry about it now. You’ll get through tomorrow. I promise.” Mark raised his free hand to her face, running his fingers down her cheek and lifting her chin so she met his gaze. “Right now, I owe you a thank you for sharing your truck.”

She stared at him, and he wished he could read her thoughts. Judging from the hot, wild and enticing gleam in her blue eyes, she was mentally running through scenarios that would more than take the edge off his need to feel and taste every inch of her.

But then she turned away, pulling free from his touch.

“I can’t, Mark,” she said softly. “I wrote my rules, but I don’t know if you’re going to like them.”

He pushed back from the table, reaching for her, drawing her up with him. Pulling her close, wrapping one arm around her waist, he held her, feeling the rise and fall of her chest.

“Try me.”

Amy drew a deep breath, which had the added benefit of pressing her breasts against his chest. He looked down, his hands itching to touch, to explore...

“Rule number four—”

“Wait.” His gaze returned to her face. “What happened to the first three?”

“They don’t apply if we follow the fourth rule,” she said. “No strings and no promises.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. No ties between him and Amy? A lifetime of friendship was a damn big string. She was the only person left in Heart’s Landing he made promises to—even if there were some he couldn’t make to anyone.

“I want to know the other rules,” he demanded, holding her tight.

Amy sighed, dropping her chin as her hands ran up his back. “First one, trust. But I do trust you.”

“Good.” His shoulders tensed at the thought of her giving that up. In his book, trust was never optional—not between friends, teammates or lovers. “And the other two?”

“Number two—no one tied to Darren’s memory. And number three—no one in the military.”

“I can’t change the past.” His brow furrowed. Stepping back, he released his hold on her. He didn’t want to erase the memory of his best friend, and he wasn’t willing to walk away from his future. He needed to return to his team.

Her face fell as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. He’d witnessed her grief, her determination and her happiness. But seeing her like this? Wanting, but uncertain?

“There is too much history between us. I know that.” She drew her low

er lip between her teeth. “But the idea of starting something with a stranger...it’s thrilling, and at the same time terrifying.”

“Thrilling?” Mark felt his chest tighten. He wanted her to move on, but not with some random guy. Not Amy, who should be cherished—who should be his.

“I want to cast off the past. Lose myself in the moment. But it’s a fantasy. I know that. One big, wild fantasy.”

He hated the sad resolve he heard in her voice. She stepped to the side, trying to move around him. He reached for her, unable and unwilling to let her go. He was in the military, and her late husband’s friend. He’d move mountains for her, but he couldn’t rewrite the facts.

But no strings? A fantasy?

“Amy.” He held her arms as he stared down at her. “I’m in.”