Evening Hours

“Kaylee,” he repeated.

She responded to the soft steel in his tone.

“What?”

“You’re a lovely woman with all the right stuff. You have to know that.”

For a moment she was mesmerized by his long brown fingers as they toyed with the stem of his now empty wine-glass. She concentrated on the splattering of wiry black hair on his wrists.

He was a man’s man and the sense of suffocation she felt at his nearness almost overwhelmed her. She’d never had this kind of strong reaction to anyone, but then when it came to the opposite sex, she’d had only one close encounter and that was with Kenny, who in the scheme of things didn’t count.

So why should she be so drawn to a man she could never have?

“You’re wrong,” she said at last. “I don’t have any of the right stuff.”

“Someone sure did a number on you.”

Kaylee blinked. “What makes you think that?”

He ignored her question. “I’d like to get my hands on the bastard.”

This time she was taken aback and didn’t bother to hide the fact. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know that much,” he said flatly.

She felt color flood her face, but she didn’t deny it because it was, after all, the truth.

“I’d like to change the subject, if you don’t mind.”

“Fine, but first, know that I’m here with you, right now, because I want to be.”

Kaylee fought the urge to get up and get away from him. She didn’t like his being sweet to her. She didn’t want to feel this unwelcome attraction toward any man, especially Cutler.

She looked away one more time. “Tell me about your reelection chances.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Okay, you win. For now, that is.”

“Thanks,” she said with a tinge of sarcasm.

His smile stretched into a grin, then disappeared. “My reelection bid. I’d say there’s a chance I might be defeated.”

“Surely not.”

“Winston Gilmore’s a formidable opponent.”

“Still, it’s awfully hard to beat an incumbent.”

“Not if you’ve chalked up a lot of enemies.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

Cutler shrugged. “I’ve been told I’m too hardheaded and hard-assed.”

She smiled. “At least you admit it.”

“Oh, I know my shortcomings, all right, only—”

“You’re not willing to do anything about them.”

“Ah, you’ve already got me pegged.”

His smile again sent her pulse racing. “Not hardly.”

He let that slide. “I’m due to try several controversial cases, any of which could sink my ship.”

“Even if you win them.”

“Either way, I’m going to piss someone off.”

She blew out a breath. “So how do you de-stress?”

“My ranch. Whenever I get the chance, I hightail it there and hole up. Takes the starch out every time.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me—the ranch, that is.”

“I betcha the boots were a dead giveaway.”

“You think so,” she said in a teasing tone.

Cutler laughed outright and then sobered, with the exception of the gleam in his eyes that was centered on her, and her pulse quickened even more. He was flirting with her, and she was flirting back. But how could she not? His magnetism could incite a riot in a nunnery.

“So how do you chill?”

“I don’t.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh?”

“You’re chilling now.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Wanna bet?”

Kaylee pursed her lips, which drew another laugh from him.

“Gotcha, right?”