Page 56 of Sunkissed Colorado

I held it out of her reach. “Are you kidding? I love this. A gnome of my own! I’ll put him in my room and think of you whenever he’s staring at me.”

She relaxed into her seat, fighting a smile. “I just wanted to do something to show my appreciation. For earlier. I’ll get our coffees tomorrow from Silver Linings, too.”

“Thank you.” My gaze stayed glued to her. Until a honk came from behind us. Oops. I was blocking the way.

With an apologetic wave at the driver behind me, I set my gnome in the cup holder and started driving again.

“So where are we going?” she asked.

“You can’t take the suspense?”

“You’re the one who couldn’t wait another moment to open his present.”

“This is different.Thisis a surprise. Are you the type who turns to the end of the book because she has to find out how it ends?”

“Do you even read books?”

“Oh, harsh.” I grinned. “If you really need a hint, you can look in the backseat.”

She reached into the back, digging around inside the grocery bags I’d left there. During our brief separation this afternoon, I’d paid a visit to Main Street Market to pick up everything we’d need.

“What is all this for?”

“I said I’d give you a hint, not spill all the beans.”

She kept digging in the grocery bags. “Are there beans here too?”

“Your jokes need work, Z.”

“You started it.”

While I drove, I kept glancing over at her, feeling the wide grin on my face. She was just…freaking cute. But beautiful too, and I kept noticing new details about her, even though you would’ve thought I’d had the woman’s face memorized over the last few weeks. Like the way the skin just past her mouth creased when she was trying not to smile.

“Here we are,” I said, putting the truck in Park in front of a sprawling, ranch-style house.

“And where is that?”

I took a breath, surveying the property where I’d lived happily for several years now. And somehow, it felt important that Zandra see it. Not only that, butlikeit.

“Welcome to my place.”

“You told me this was work-related.”

I unbuckled her seatbelt. “It is. Ye of little faith.”

The day was warm and sunny as we got out. I waved to a kid riding past on a bicycle, then got the groceries from the backseat, tucking my gnome into one of the bags.

“I can carry something,” she offered.

“Nah, you just keep looking pretty. There you go. Just like that.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You sure?” My eyes took a trip down her body and back up again. Those shorts were killing me. The hint of shoulder every time her sweatshirt drifted down. Fuck. She was doing all kinds of things to me.

“Stop that,” she said.

“Stop what?”