Sky Full of Promise. Teresa Southwick

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      “How about if you’re lying I turn my five brothers and four big, burly male cousins loose on you. And before you answer, I should warn you, my family is in law enforcement. My father is retired army and then a security consultant. One of those burly cousins I mentioned is the sheriff of Black Arrow. My brother Jesse is with the National Security Agency and Billy is a major in the army. They both know three hundred ways to kill a man with their bare hands. Then there’s my brother Grey—a judge. After the rest of them get finished with you, he could send what’s left up the river for a really long time.”

      By the time she finished, he was laughing. Sky blinked, then stared. She couldn’t believe the difference. He went from angry austere doctor to approachable human male in zero point three seconds. Her heart kicked into a lively cha-cha as she noted what a very attractive smile he had. He’d been a hunk-and-a-half a minute ago. Now he was off the scale.

      “You think I’m kidding?” she asked.

      She was stalling, trying to sidestep the emotional danger she’d unwittingly unleashed. If she were smart, she would turn on her heel and leave him in the dust. She didn’t want to be attracted to a man. Especially one who was on the rebound—a fact for which he blamed her. But she wasn’t smart. She stood there and continued to bask in the warmth of his smile until it faded.

      “I don’t think you’re joking.” He shook his head, but humor still lurked in his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth. “I believe you have contacts in law enforcement.”

      “So you want to make me a proposition and you don’t need a woman, right?”

      “Wrong. I want—actually, I need to talk to you. If you’re offended by what I have to say, bring on the family testosterone.”

      “All right then. But you don’t have to buy me dinner.”

      Sky trusted this man. Maybe because Shelby had talked about him as if he had wings, a halo and walked on water. Could it be that medical school training in bedside manner helped generate trust in patients? Whatever it was, except for one notable exception when her heart had been the only casualty, she was a good judge of people. Sky knew there was nothing to fear from Dominic Rodriguez.

      She angled her head toward the second story above her shop. “My apartment is over the store. I’ll cook dinner for you.”

      “You don’t have to do that—”

      “You don’t think I can cook?”

      “No, I—”

      She sighed—loudly. “You’re just digging yourself in deeper, Doctor.”

      “I meant no offense.” He blew out a long breath, creating a smoky cloud of white between them. “I’m sure you’re a fine cook. It’s just I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

      “No trouble. I like to cook. It’s relaxing. Besides, it’s Friday night. Restaurants in town will be crowded and we’ll have to wait. We can be warm and cozy in no time and I’ll whip up something that will fill that empty place in your tummy before you can say code blue.”

      “Code blue?” he questioned, lifting one eyebrow.

      “I watch TV.”

      “So you said.”

      “This way, Doctor,” she said, walking down the alley between her store and the one next door.

      “Can’t you get upstairs through the shop?” he asked.

      She glanced over her shoulder. “No. My cousin Bram—”

      “The sheriff?”

      “Yes. Bram and my dad checked out everything for security purposes. Since my business is expensive jewelry and a possible target for robbery, they both agreed my apartment should be inaccessible from the store. Just in case.”

      “Good point. But you still have safety precautions?”

      She nodded. “A security system approved by Bram and Dad. Also lots of insurance.”

      “Actually, I meant your apartment,” he clarified.

      “I have a separate system upstairs and lots more insurance. No need to worry your pretty head about me.” And he did have such a pretty face. But she didn’t for one minute believe he was worried about her.

      She turned right at the end of the brightly lit alley and led the way up the wooden staircase on the outside of the three-story, red-brick building. At the top, she took the key ring from the pocket of her coat and unlocked the door. After flipping on the lights, she punched numbers into a keypad on the wall, waited for the all-clear beep, then closed the door.

      “Home sweet home,” she said, removing her coat and hanging it on the wooden tree in the corner. “Can I take yours?”

      He nodded, then shrugged out of his leather jacket and handed it to her. It was warm from his body and smelled pleasantly of cologne mixed with man.

      “Thanks.” Looking around her living room, he said, “Nice place you’ve got here.”

      “I like it.”

      The apartment was spread out over two floors. Upstairs were three bedrooms and two baths, plenty of space for a home office and a guest room if needed. The main floor, where they now stood, was comprised of a living room, dining area off the kitchen and service porch big enough for her washer, dryer and freezer. Her sofa and matching love seat were upholstered in a floral print of green, coral and beige. A glider covered in a coordinating fabric took up a corner of the room with a brass table lamp beside it for reading.

      She led the way to the kitchen through the dining room, which was decorated with an ornate oak table with the ball-and-claw feet and surrounded by four chairs. A matching hutch took up most of the one wall.

      In the kitchen doorway, she stopped to flip the switch, illuminating the spotlights in the ceiling. “Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Wine? Coffee? Tea?” Me?

      Please God, if there was any justice in the world she hadn’t just said that out loud.

      “Beer would be great.”

      “Coming right up.”

      Whew! What was it about this guy that unnerved her so? Enough to invite him up to her apartment. Her personal code of conduct was three dates, minimum, before a guy got the green light to enter her personal space. She hadn’t known Dominic Rodriguez three hours and already she was breaking rules.

      The refrigerator was on the far wall with a cooktop beside it. The narrow room had countertops on both sides, with a divided sink and disposal bisecting the one on the left. The window above gave her a view of the city of Black Arrow, now lit up for the night.

      The heels of her low black shoes clicked on the tile as she walked to the fridge and opened the door.

      She leaned over and grabbed a bottle, then straightened and shut the door. When she glanced at him, satisfaction coursed through her as his gaze quickly lifted from her backside. Then she saw an approving look steal into his eyes.

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