Laughing a little at herself, Trisha went inside her apartment. Not messy, yet far from spotless, it definitely had that lived-in look. Books and magazines littered the coffee table, but why clean them up before she’d finished reading them? In the middle of the chaos lay Duff, fast asleep on his back, spread-eagled.

“Just like a man,” she told him, scratching his belly until he awoke to rub his head affectionately against her.

With over an hour to kill before her so-called date with Hunter, and her mood so light and unexpectedly carefree, she looked around for something fun to do. “I need to try something different,” she said aloud as she raided her disarrayed hall closet.

Duff followed curiously.

“Something challenging, something fun. Something that I won’t have to think about. They’re in here somewhere… ah, here they are.”

Triumphantly, she held up a pair of Rollerblades. She’d purchased them several months before and had never quite gathered the nerve to try them. She had that nerve now. “Hey,” she said to a clearly startled Duff, “anyone who can sort through that box of sensual stimulators can certainly learn to Rollerblade.”

Duff stared at her doubtfully and walked away. With a shrug, Trisha padded herself up and headed out. On the driveway she carefully put on the skates and took a deep breath.

Wobbling, she headed down the slight slope. At the bottom of the driveway, as if standing watch, sat Duff. As she headed toward him, gathering momentum, she waved her arms and murmured, “Oh, dear.”

Gaining more speed, she yelled, “Move, Duff!”

He crouched, but because of his complete faith in Trisha, he didn’t move.

“Get out of the way!” she called to him, wildly waving her arms now, ankles trembling with the effort to stay upright.

Too chicken to fall on the ground, and even more afraid to keep going, Trisha did the only sensible thing.

She closed her eyes and screamed.

Duff screamed back and, at the last instant, raced up the closest tree.

Trisha, not as lucky, crashed directly into the trunk of the tree, which rained leaves and twigs down onto her.

It took her a minute to regain her senses, and while she was doing so, she lay still on the sidewalk, sprawled gracelessly on her back, her eyes closed from the brightness of the setting sun. A mental inventory told her nothing was broken – except her pride.

A car engine revved close by, then the vehicle pulled into the driveway a little recklessly. The door slammed, footsteps slapped on the ground as they ran to her.

Leather shoes, Trisha reflected, her eyes still closed. Which meant only one person she could think of. She braced herself for the impact of that incredible voice.

“My God, Trisha.” It was low and concerned, and every bit as sexy as she remembered. She heard his knees hit the ground beside her, pictured the new holes in his pants, and marveled at the amount of dry-cleaning damages she owed this man.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” he demanded as his large, gentle hands touched her.

Hysterical laughter threatened. Blading definitely was not one of those things that was as easy as it looked.

“You’re crazy,” he muttered, his fingers skimming down the backs of her legs. “Absolutely bonkers. Which makes me bonkers. God, Trisha. Say something.”

That’s when the giggles hit her – the kind that couldn’t be subdued.

“Please talk to me.” His hands shifted to her arms, carefully checking each limb, each joint. “You’re shaking.”

Yeah, she was shaking, she was laughing so hard she couldn’t talk. Would she ever stop making a fool of herself in front of him? Unable to help herself, she continued to choke on laughter until her ribs ached. Images came to her, of all the idiotic things she’d recently done – falling into his arms while he’d been going to the bathroom, ruining the kitchen floor, accidentally setting off the fire alarm. She remembered the indescribable expression on his face that night as the sound of approaching fire trucks interrupted their lovemaking.

Hunching herself into a ball and grabbing her stomach, she let loose with another round of laughter.

Hunter swore, a little desperately. His hands, low on her back, obviously checking for broken ribs, stilled. “I don’t think anything’s broken,” he said in a hoarse voice. “But I’m calling an ambulance anyway.”

“No,” she gasped, getting ahold of herself with some effort. Lifting her head, she wiped her tears of mirth away. “Did you see it, Hunter? Did you see that terrific slide into the tree? Come on, admit it, I’m the most graceful person you know.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re – you’re laughing.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t be crying, not now.” She sniffed and ran a finger beneath her eye, checking. “My mascara is going to run before our date.”

“You’re laughing.” He shook his head. “I was sick… and you’re laughing.”

“You have to admit, it was pretty funny. I smashed into the tree at full speed.”

He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. “Trisha, you’re going to be the death of me, I swear it.” He swiped a hand hard over his face. “Did you know you just about gave me a heart attack? I’m cruising down the street and I see you slam yourself face-first into a tree. God.” He rubbed his chest and she suddenly cheered even more.

“You care about me,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.

He looked at her, shaking his head. “I have absolutely no idea why. I’ve never been so attracted to someone who laughed at me constantly.”

So attracted. Her heart soared at the telling words, but she faked a wince. “That tree… was pretty hard,” she said softly, wrinkling her forehead as if in sudden pain. “I think I’m feeling… dizzy.”

He looked at her doubtfully. “Are you?”

“Yeah. Real dizzy.” For effect, she swooned a little.

Though he dropped the doubtful act, he clearly saw right through her. Still, he opened his arms. She went willingly, sighing as they folded around her with delicious strength and warmth. He pulled her close and she ducked her face under his chin, pressing against his throat and neck, inhaling deeply.

“Trisha?”

“Hmm?” She was in heaven.

“You’re not hurting one little bit, are you?”

“No. Not really,” she murmured, hugging him close. His arms tightened imperceptibly.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” he demanded in a low whisper. “And you’re slowly driving me into that same state.”

“I gave you an out,” she whispered. “I told you to stay out of my life, but you didn’t listen.”

“I’m going to live to regret that decision, believe me. But later, not now.” His head dipped down, a fraction of an inch from her lips, and her heart started beating hard and fast in anticipation.

“Just a date,” she said softly. “It’s just one little date.” But oh, she wanted so much, much more. “You can handle that, can’t you?”

His lips met hers in answer.

“Mew.”

She’d forgotten Duff. Pulling back with dismay, Trisha glanced upward at a second, more pitiful cry. “Oh, no, Duff. I’m sorry, boy. Come down here.”

Hunter rose spryly and shook his head as the badly frightened cat backed higher up the tree. “He’s not coming down, Trisha. He’s really scared.”

Trisha had gotten Duff the day she moved into her apartment. They were a team, a family, and she had to get him down safely. “Then I’ll have to go get him,” she declared, reaching her arms up for the lowest branch of the towering oak tree.

“You can’t do that.”

In exasperation, she turned to Hunter, who stared at her with a mixture of pique and sympathy. “Why not?”

“Because you’re still wearing Rollerblades.”

That was easily fixed, and she bent to unlace them, but he pulled her back up. “No way. You’ll likely kill yourself on my property. Come on now, move.” He set her aside and reached for the branch.

“You’re going to get him?” she asked.

“Yes.” With weary resignation, he shoved up the sleeves of his shirt. He hauled himself up that first branch with a lithe ease that startled her. Before her eyes, he nimbly climbed the tree, reaching Duff in less than a minute.

It took a great deal of balance, and more than a few muttered curses when a frightened Duff lashed out with razor-sharp claws, but Hunter finally managed to coax the cat into his arms and down the tree.

Trisha grabbed Duff, hugging and kissing the humiliated cat before letting him go. She raised shiny, grateful eyes to Hunter, looking so lovely, his breath caught.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, beaming.

She still wore her helmet and pads, though she’d removed her skates. When he thought about her crash into the tree, and how serious it could have been, his heart rate sped up. Or maybe it raced in reaction to the way she was looking at him.

Heat filled her gaze as he watched, and again his heart reacted. Definitely the way she looked at him, he decided. Which didn’t make it any easier to accept. He didn’t want to be affected by this woman.

He could control this. He didn’t have to feel this way.

Oh, sure. And he didn’t need air to stay alive either. “Promise me you aren’t going to ride hell-bent for leather down that driveway again.”

“At least not until I learn how to brake,” she said solemnly, lifting her hand in promise as she looked at him. Then she gasped. “You’re hurt. Oh, I’m sorry.” She grabbed his arm and carefully pushed up the sleeve, which had fallen over several nasty, bleeding cuts.

Her hair fell over him, smelling clean and flowery. Her warm breath tickled his skin. Her concerned murmur made him feel more wanted and cared for than he’d felt in a long time. He was falling for her, he realized, quite hopelessly. And right then and there he knew he had to get away, now, before things got any further out of control.