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"You look sexy as hell in that dress, Melanie"

"Thank you" She wouldn’t let his coo home with me"

"Too bad for you, too" Carter’s head dipped to hers, his o home with anyone but my sister"

"Or what? You’ll cause a scene, ood ol’ boy’s butt, just to show that redneck in you hasn’t been coreen eyes bore into hers "I’ words suppose to iot, I’m a beauty school drop-out," she said, but her heart wasn’t in it In fact her heart thrilled at the thought of hi so possessive of her

A soft smile pushed up the corners of his sexy mouth He brushed an invisible strand of hair away from her face "You just haven’t found the career that interests you enough, but when you do--watch out Holland Springs Hell, watch out world"

"You really think all that aboutto discover exactly what she wanted to do, or be So far, the only thing that interested her cost too much to invest in, and her camera, the one she’d inherited froo

"I do" He searched her face "I think you’re gorgeous, sexy, shtful Too good for a dumbass jerk like me"

Tears gathered in her throat "Stop teasing me"

"I’m dead serious Sometimes, my mouth shifts to fifth while my brain stalls in first, and it’s your job to call hed "I’ll think on it"

The song ended, but they keptCarter seemed no more inclined to leave her than she did him Out of the corner of her eye, the band walked back onto the stage

"Song’s over" Lifting her chin, he gazed down at her Closing her eyes, she waited for the inevitable For hiive hiled up in each other in his bed

"Carter," she breathed

"Thank you for the dance, Melanie," he said and her eyes popped open "I’ll be at the bar until you leave with Zoe"

She gasped "Of all the high-handed--"

"Still your choice" He touched her cheek, then walked away, leaving her wantinguntil we do, is he?"

"Nope"

Carter sat down on an elass in salute

"And you’re okay with that?"

Unable to lie to herself or her best friend, Melanie sighed "Yep" Then she grinned at Zoe "Doesn’tanyti until closing ti Carter watch her, Melanie made it to work five minutes before nine

Of course he was already there The damn man rose with the sun She didn’t kno he did it, because being a non- person ," she said, come to a halt in the doorway of his office She blinked There were roses everywhere Pink, purple, white and blush "What’s all this?"

Carter a the side of his lip "Part of y I know it’s pretty standard, but--"

"It’s not standard withthe closest vase "These sood"

"You like?" He stood behind her, so close that she could feel the heat his body threw off In that moment all she wanted to do was touch and kiss hiainst his front "Forgive ht direction"

"It’s nine o’clock" His hands fell away "Ti, she set down the vase and whirled to face hirinned "Welco on a yawn

"I’ht"

Oh dear God There was so much pro tiet that forto a box on a top shelf on the far wall "I need to go through those files"

"Sure thing, Miss Se, lean body pressed against her as he grabbed the box He set the box right in front of her, his arood for you?"

Was it good for her? She wanted to whihs "Y-yes," she said, scooting away fro behind him and her heart sped up Thankfully, just as she put the box down on the table by the file cabinet, her phone rang

"Feel free to answer that I don’t have a no cell phone policy," he said from behind her "Besides it could be your dad"

"Hope not, because my dad only calls me for two reasons: He’s in jail, or he needs me to co "Hello?"

"Ms Sood No phone call that started with a Ms Anything was ever good "Yes?"

"This is Jane Ellen, calling fros Bank You had two debits that overdrew your account Since this is the first ti your time with us, we paid the bills anyway"

Her brow furrowed Needing privacy, she ht back" at Carter and headed out the door "That was really nice of you, but I don’t understand why my account would be overdrawn I have almost forty-five hundred dollars in there" And the only two bills she had were car insurance and cell phone, which totaled no where near that amount

"As of two pm you had a balance of twenty five dollars That is, until the debits hit "

"I don’t understand I haven’t taken out anyof dread washed over her She closed her eyes and leaned against her car, bracing for the bad news

There was an audible breath, then a throat cleared "Your daddy ca and withdrew four thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars from your account LeeAnne waited on him, like usual "