find a pick or a backhoe in your garage—”
“You think I’d have a backhoe?”
“Or a pick…”
“You were rummaging through my garage?” she said, her voice raising.
“It wasn’t locked.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you digging up my yard?”
“We saw the stakes, found the pool that fits the space you marked off…” He shrugged again, a little smile tilting up the corners of his mouth as he gave her body another sly once-over.
She hoped like hell the bright sunshine wasn’t giving him that x-ray vision. “I don’t need your help. And now I have a huge mess—”
Jason cleared his throat, pulling her attention to a sharp, crystal gaze alight with amusement. “It only looks like a mess ’cause of the mud. But actually, we have more dug here than you can see.”
Molly gaped at both men, covered in sweat and dirt, but somehow still looking more attractive than she could stand. She felt moisture pool beneath her feet and glanced down at the hose still gurgling water into the pit they’d dug. Before she could suppress the urge, she bent and picked it up, pressed her thumb over the end to increase the pressure and aimed it at Jason, spraying him with water.
His eyes closed and he stood in the stream, water running off his face to his chest and soaking his jeans.
Mace erupted in laughter, but quickly shut up the moment she turned the hose on him. When he lifted a foot to climb out of the hole, he slipped and landed on his butt in the middle of the muddy pool.
Elation filled her and she laughed, still spraying. But Jason climbed on his hands and knees, over the edge, toward her. She dropped the hose and turned to make a run for it, but he caught the hem of her bathrobe, and jerked it toward him.
Her feet slipped beneath her and she began to fall backward…into a pair of strong arms which wrapped around her and carried her down to one side of the muddy pit, to soft, gooey ground—with those same arms buffeting the fall.
When she caught her breath, she was covered head to toe by one very wet, very amused man. Mud oozed between her toes and beneath the back of her robe, and both lapels had pulled apart. Although his body shielded her from view, nothing stood between their naked chests.
Jason leaned to one side and lifted one finger.
Her eyes nearly crossed watching it descend toward her face.
He pushed up her glasses. “Seems we got ourselves a situation here,” he drawled, settling on his elbows to take a little of his weight off her.
She opened her mouth to demand he move, but then Mace sauntered into view to take up a position leaning against her back porch to watch the couple in the muddy hole. If Jason did move, both men would have an unencumbered view of her torso.
Molly became aware of every sensation: the heavy chest pressing against her stiff nipples, the jut of his jeans-enclosed sex against her mound. She swallowed hard. “Seems we do. I…apologize for acting like a crazy woman.”
Jason grunted and his chest jerked against hers. “You’re not sorry.”
Knowing she was at a distinct disadvantage, she nevertheless lifted her chin. “It’s just plain rude to disagree with me. I’m trying to handle this delicately.”
“Only handlin’ to be done will be done by me—and Mace here, if you ask real pretty.”
Her mouth dropped open. Shock vibrated through her. “You did not just say that to me.”
His eyes narrowed. His jaw tightened just a fraction. “I said it. I’d like to do a whole lot more. Fact is, I like the way you feel, Miz Pritchet, all stretched out underneath me.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “This was a mistake.”
“Moved up our timetable a bit, but this is no mistake.”
“Your timetable?” she parroted dumbly, her mind and tongue seeming to freeze as he moved against her, snuggling the bulge in the front of his jeans between her legs.
“We planned to woo you gently, like you deserve,” he said, his tone silky, “by spendin’ time with