Town of Chance: Sweet Caroline (The Dare 5)

“Who is she? Where did she come from?” he asked and his mom looked shocked as she raised one of her eyebrows up at him. He knew his tone was commanding and bossy. He couldn’t help it. He answered to no one anymore. Only to himself.

“She’s Shelby’s sister. That’s all I know. Let me get rid of this ice,” his mom said and then the phone began to ring.

“Darn it. I need to answer this. It may be the dads calling about the plumber,” she said and then she looked toward Caroline.

“Caroline, could you show Hunter those shirts that just came in that you arranged this morning, please? I need to take the call,” she said and then answered the phone and walked into the back room.

Hunter looked at Caroline, who shyly placed her hair behind one ear.

He had a bunch of questions popping into his head about the woman, but he shook those thoughts away as he headed toward her.

“They’re over here,” she whispered and he followed her. His eyes glued to her ass as he realized she had one hell of a body.

“There are some on this rack over here and then a bunch more on this shelf here. Do you need help finding a size?” she asked, looking him over.

“Maybe,” he said, staring at her. She sure was pretty. Holy shit, he was acting like some horny teenager. Meanwhile he had to be a good ten years older than this woman.

She looked at him.

“You don’t know what size you are in a shirt?” she challenged.

“Didn’t say that,” he replied.

She raised one of her eyebrows up at him in challenge, and he couldn’t help but feel lighthearted. It surprised him. No woman ever made him bite his tongue or to feel on pins and needle for the right things to say. He was hardcore, but this little angel, she did something to him.

“I could use the help. Maybe pay me back for saving you from further broken bones,” he teased as he started thumbing through the shirt rack. He could hardly concentrate on the colors and patterns. His mind was solely on Caroline and her response to him.

“I appreciate you catching me. It could have been worse.”

He looked at her as she started looking through the rack aimlessly, too.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he teased about the thank you and she smirked, shook her head, and looked through the shirt rack.

“So how did you break your arm?” he asked and her dainty manicured fingers stopped and gripped the hanger on one shirt.

“I was a bit clumsy and broke a heel in a crack in the sidewalk. I used my arm to brace the fall.”

“Ah, so you’re a klutz?” he teased, staring at the shirt he was holding. He heard her gasp and then he looked at her, eying her over. “A very beautiful klutz,” he added, surprising himself by being so flirty and forward, and obviously shocking her. Her face turned a nice shade of red and she looked panicked.

“So what size did you say you were?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“Extra large. Tall, too, if ya have it,” he said, letting the words move slowly off his lips. Damn, his cock was hard, and his mind imagined getting lost in exploring her sexy little body for hours upon hours. She was really something else. No woman ever got him this hot and bothered and definitely not in some chance meeting in the damn clothing store. He imagined exploring her breasts with his mouth—hell, every inch of her—slowly, carefully. She was feminine and petite, dainty, and he would be protective, cautious, and caring in his exploration. His gut clenched. Could he be too much of a man for such a sweet little angel to handle? He felt unworthy. Sort of unconfident for thinking he could get a woman like her, hell, be enough for a woman so sweet. He shook his head. What the fuck is wrong with me? What am I thinking?

“Of course we do. It’s a common size around here,” she said, deflating his bubble and making him squint at her. Then she locked gazes with him and seemed to bite her lip in an attempt to stop from laughing. She did like him. She was definitely attracted to him, but she wasn’t the flirty type. Hell, maybe inexperienced and he was older.

They looked through the shirts and he pulled out one in gray.

“This one?” he asked, holding it up against his chest. She shook her head.

“Why not? I kind of like gray.”

“It’s okay, but it doesn’t do much for you. This color would be great,” she said and took out a deep blue color. He wasn’t too sure as he took the shirt and looked at it.

“Hold it against the front of you and look into the mirror

over here,” she said and when she placed her hand on his arm to turn him and direct him toward the mirror, hot damn did he feel something. Tiny little vibrations of awareness rocked through his veins. She pulled away, but not before he saw a similar reaction in her eyes. She felt it, too.

“What do you think?” she asked, standing next to him.