And speaking of the puppies…Hmmm. Usually they waited for her right outside the shower and pounced on her the minute she emerged, licking the water droplets from her toes. She walked into her bedroom, then whistled and called their names. “Here, P.B. and J. C’mon, boys.”

The fact that they didn’t appear and she didn’t hear any noise could only mean one thing.

Doggie mischief was afoot.

“Great,” she muttered heading swiftly toward the kitchen. “Listen, guys. I do not have time for this. You better not be turning my new slippers into a chew toy.”

She entered the kitchen and skidded to a halt at the sight of the unlatched doggie door. Uh oh. She must have forgotten to secure it before she showered. Probably because, thanks to Daniel, her brain cells were all kerflooey. She yanked open the back door then hit the light switch.

Light flooded her backyard, illuminating her small patio. Her hole-pocked lawn. Her flower beds. The fence separating her yard from Daniel’s.

Her puppies digging their way under the fence.

“Stop!” she yelled. Clutching her towel, she dashed outside. They must have heard her coming because it seemed they redoubled their digging efforts.

“Bad puppies! Stop that!”

The patio flagstones were cold beneath her feet, and she stepped as quickly as she could onto the grass, which was not only cold, but damp as well. Goosebumps rose on her wet flesh and she winced as a rock bit into her instep. Jeez, could this situation get any worse?

She instantly cursed herself for asking because the situation immediately got worse as both dogs disappeared under the fence. Since there wasn’t a gate between the two yards, she couldn’t just snatch the little bandits. No, now she’d have to go back inside and call Daniel and ask him to grab the culprits-quick-before they could dig any more holes in his newly repaired yard. If she waited until she was dressed, Lord knows what havoc they might wreak. And Lord knows what havoc that might wreak with her plans with Daniel. Probably he wouldn’t be feeling very amorous if he discovered a fresh batch of holes in his yard.

Grasping her towel, her teeth chattering, she hurried toward her back door. And realized that things could go from worse to worser.

The damn door was locked.


WHEN THE KNOCK sounded on Daniel’s front door, his heart performed one of those contortionist-type maneuvers it had recently started executing, and he frowned. Ridiculous. She was just a woman. The world was littered with them. Two weeks from now they’d be nothing more than former neighbors with, he hoped, a few hot memories between them. Tiny blips on each other’s radar screens.

Yeah. But in the meantime…

He had to force himself not to sprint to the door. “Be cool, be calm, be suave,” he muttered as he entered his small foyer. “Yeah, that’s the ticket. Just do your best James Bond.”

Pausing to draw a deep, soothing breath, he opened the door. And stared.

At Carlie, her skin damp, her hair a riotous tangle of glistening, wet curls. At Carlie, wearing a pale pink towel that-yowza-barely covered the essentials.

Holy crap, he’d swallowed his tongue again. Damn it, James Bond wouldn’t do that. Hell, no. But then, James had never faced a nearly naked Carlie.

The dam behind the pent-up hunger he’d fought against all day burst, and with a groan, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

That same incredible rush of heated pleasure he’d experienced last night roared through him, erasing any doubt that he’d simply imagined it.

She moaned-or was that him?-and parted her lips, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers. Her hands slid into his hair, and his arms tightened around her, his head swimming from a combination of the feel of her curves and moist skin pressed against him and the incredible, fresh scent of her.

When the need to yank off her towel right there on the porch threatened to overwhelm his better judgment, he lifted his head. His glasses were only partially fogged this time. He was gratified to note that she appeared as dazed and bamboozled as he felt.

Clearing his throat, he said, “I don’t know much about fashion, but I’m really liking this Bed, Bath and Beyond look you’ve got going here.”

She blinked several times, then her eyes widened. Splaying her hands on his chest, she leaned back and said, “Daniel, we have a problem-”

“Not from where I’m standing.”

“I’m so embarrassed-”

“Believe me, you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.” And if he didn’t get her in the house pronto, the neighbors were going to get one hell of a show. Stepping away from her, he opened the door. “C’mon in.”

“Thanks.” She stepped across the threshold and he breathed in the sexy, feminine fragrance she left in her wake. He closed and locked the door, then turned. And was treated to a back view of her in that short, short towel.

Before he could recover, she grabbed his hand and tugged. “Hurry,” she said, pulling him toward the back of the house.

“Anything you say.” He’d planned a slow, leisurely seduction, but hey, he was flexible. The lady wanted quick? Fine by him. He was more than willing and, after spending an entire night and day fantasizing about her, definitely more than ready.

“Hurry,” she repeated, in a breathless, urgent voice, leading him into the kitchen.

Whoa, baby. A little on-the-counter action? This just got better and better. Damn it, he should have stashed a condom in here-

“They’re outside. I hope we’re not too late.” She released his hand then jerked open his back door.

Huh? “They? Who’s they?”

But she’d already disappeared outside. His question was answered when he heard her calling, “Peanut Butter, Jelly, where are you?” followed immediately by, “Hey, Daniel, can you hit the lights, please?”

Uh oh. This didn’t sound good. Neither for that kitchen-counter quickie he’d envisioned nor for his backyard. He quickly flicked on the light switch, then headed outside.

“There you are, you devils,” Carlie said, dashing toward the far left corner of his yard where two balls of fur, one pure black, the other brown and white, were digging furiously.

“Stop that this instant!” Carlie yelled, still running.

Jogging after her, Daniel watched P.B. and J. pause and raise their heads. The instant they saw Carlie, they abandoned their digging. After a series of joyful yips, they raced toward her, tongues lolling, tails wagging. He glanced at the hole they’d made and ruefully shook his head. Good thing he had some sod left over.

Probably he should be annoyed or aggravated, at least something other than amused. But one look at Carlie trying to hold her towel in place and not get knocked on her ass by her exuberant, jumping pups-well, he couldn’t help but smile. When he joined them seconds later, Carlie was kneeling on the grass, the recipient of a frenzied overabundance of canine happiness as the dogs yipped and licked and wagged.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, looking up at him, stretching her neck to avoid P.B. and J.’s attempt to bestow frantic kisses on her lips.

Hmmm. Smart dogs.

“They escaped into my backyard through the doggie door while I was in the shower. Before I could catch them, they’d dug under the fence.”

He crouched beside her and was immediately besieged by a frenzy of pure puppy joy. “Not that I’m complaining about your outfit, but you could have called me,” he said, trying to evade receiving his own puppy kisses on the lips. “I would have held down the fort until you were dressed.”

She picked up Peanut Butter and cuddled the squirming bundle of black fur while he did the same with Jelly. “That was my intention-until I discovered I’d locked myself out.”

Their gazes met over doggie heads and he couldn’t help but chuckle at her exasperated expression. Her eyes instantly narrowed. “Are you laughing?”

He immediately sobered. “Who-me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“Heck no.”

“Good. Because this is not funny.”

“Right.” Still clasping Jelly to his chest, he reached out and brushed his fingers over her bare shoulder. “Clump of dirt,” he said, fighting the urge to laugh.

She looked skyward, then shook her head. “Clump of dirt. Perfect.”

“Do you have a spare house key hidden somewhere?”

“If I did, do you think I would have shown up at your house wearing a towel?”

“I don’t know, but hope springs eternal.”

“Ha, ha. No hidden key. But you better believe I’m going to remedy that situation tomorrow. Of course, that doesn’t do me much good now. And naturally all my windows are locked.” She stretched out her arms and held Peanut Butter in front of her. “What on earth am I going to do with you?”

Peanut Butter wiggled and yipped, trying to lick anything his tongue could come in contact with. “You are so lucky you’re cute,” she muttered to the squirming dog. Heaving a sigh, she pulled the puppy against her then looked at Daniel with big brown eyes filled with dismay. “This is not exactly how I envisioned this evening going.”

“Oh? What had you envisioned?”

“Brutal truth?”

“Absolutely.”

“You. Me. Chocolate. Naked.”

Okay, who lit the blow torch in his jeans? “That sounds good to me.” Good? When the hell had he become such a master of the understatement?

“Definitely no puppies,” she continued. “And definitely me wearing something other than a towel. At least to start with.”

His gaze roamed over her. “I like your outfit just fine.”

A huff of laughter puffed past her lips. “Thanks.”

He stood, then held out his hand. “C’mon. Let’s go inside before you catch a chill. We’ll get the dogs settled, then call the locksmith. While we wait for him, we can enjoy some truffles.”