Page 54 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

Ellie gasped as her eyes scanned the landscaped paradise and Mike squeezed her hand. “What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah, it is. Mr. Jameson built it for his wife over a twenty-year period. His wife is a big fan of Jane Austen, and he designed it to remind her of her favorite books and characters.”

“Oh, my God, that is the most romantic thing I have ever heard!” Ellie walked down the gravel trail that lead to the middle of the garden where a large fountain stood. The pool surrounding the tiered middle as easily two-and-a-half feet deep.

Unable to tear his eyes away, he watched as Ellie bent over and started unzipping her boots.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

She glanced up at him, her long hair veiling half her face. “Dipping my feet?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You don’t think it’s warm out here?” She shrugged out of her jacket and the temperature notched up.

“Nah, it’s fine,” he said.

Ellie reached for the button of her pants and Mike panicked. “Why are you taking off your pants?”

“They’re too tight to roll up.” As she peeled the black leather down her curvy thighs, Mike forgot how to swallow. She stepped out of them clad only in her red top and a pair of shiny black panties.

I should turn around and be a gentleman.

Only she turned around first and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the black boy-cut underwear playing peek-a-boo with her butt cheeks.

“I saw you walk out of Jensen’s today, and it’s all over Miss Know-It-All’s blog that you broke up with Forrest.”

“Yep.”

“She also mentioned it was because of me.”

Ellie met his gaze, and shrugged. “Not fully. He tried to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. And I let him know in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be owned.”

“How was he trying to own you?”

“He told me I couldn’t hang with you anymore, to which I responded, have a nice life.”

Her words erased all the hesitation and excuses he’d been putting up as roadblocks to keep her at a distance. He was tired of fighting his feeling for her, and he was hoping that maybe she was done playing games, too.

Ellie glanced around, her gaze never meeting his as she walked through the water. “We weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, so breaking up is a strong word, anyway.”

“But when it came down to him or me, you chose me.”

She hesitated. “If you’re suggesting that I dumped him because I had some kind of overwhelming desire for you, then no, that wasn’t it.”

“Then tell me what it was.” He advanced on her, moving closer while she stayed glued in the water.

“He just irritated me, is all, and I realized he wasn’t what I wanted.”

He was only about a foot away when he asked, “What do you want, Ellie?”

“What do you think I want?” Her tone was teasing, but he heard the nervous tremor and knew she was on the brink.

“Don’t play with me.” He was so close now the tips of her breasts grazed his chest. “What do you want?”

Ellie hesitated, and finally whispered, “You. I want you.”