Besides, she was alone in the dark with a very attractive man.

Somehow she got the idea he had more in mind than just a walk.

That she was very interested in. And like her favorite books, she couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

TWENTY-THREE

GRANT DIDN’T INTEND ON SCARING KATRINA, BUT HE could tell she took every step cautiously, as if she didn’t quite trust his intentions. He didn’t know whether to laugh or be insulted by that.

So he took his time leading her into the woods to the cabin by the pond.

“This is where you bring your victims, right?” she asked.

He turned to face her, unsure if she was really that scared. But then he caught the upturned corners of her mouth. Relief washed over him. For some reason it was important that she trust him.

“This is where I bring you. Only you. And sometimes where I go fishing. It was a big highlight of the property when I bought it.”

He led her along the path. He knew it well enough he could see it in the dark, but he still took his time, pointing out fallen limbs and rocks so Katrina wouldn’t trip over anything. When they got through to the clearing, he led her to the edge of the pond. There was just a sliver of moon tonight, enough for her to see the water.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, her voice lowered to a whisper.

“Yeah. It’s a nice peaceful place to get away on my own and do some thinking.”

She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Do you have a lot to think about?”

“Sometimes. If I have a bad game or occasionally pregame, I’ll come out here with my fishing pole and think about what went wrong or how I want to approach a game plan. It’s so quiet with nothing to distract me, it helps my mind-set.”

She stared out over the water, then nodded. “I can see that. It’s a good meditation spot.”

He’d always considered it a good fishing spot, but he understood what she meant. “Yeah.”

“What’s in the shack?” she asked.

“Fridge, sink, a small bathroom, and a bed. Not much, really. I’ve thought about tearing it down and building something bigger, like a guesthouse kind of thing.”

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.”

Since the property was well fenced, he never locked the door. He turned the knob and opened the door, waiting for Katrina to walk in before he closed the door and turned on the small light in there.

“This is interesting,” she said, moving into the very small sitting area that only had space for a couple of chairs.

Immediately past that was what one would generously call a kitchen, with a mini fridge and a sink. No stove, though.

“There’s a bathroom through that door on the right. Just a toilet and sink. No shower. And the bed tucked into this room.”

She peeked into the room and saw the twin bed. “Yes, you definitely need to tear this down and build a guest cottage. You need more space and a full kitchen.”

He could already see her mind whirling with ideas. “I assume you’ll drag Anya out here tomorrow with her tablet, and the two of you will sketch out some ideas?”

She was still looking around. “Maybe.”

He put an arm around her shoulders. “Good. I could use a few ideas, and so far the ones you’ve come up with have been great. Have at it.”

She turned in his arms, then laid her beer next to the sink. “I have a few ideas.”

He set his can beside hers and grasped her hips, enjoying the feel of her. “I’d like to hear those ideas.”

“Well, it involves getting naked. Or semi-naked. I feel like we were just warming up before the ball game tonight and we didn’t get to finish what we started. Being in such a hurry and all.”

Just the sound of her voice could get him riled up, hard, aching and ready in an instant. “Oh, I can definitely finish what we started. Right here and right now.”

He left her only long enough to turn off the light, shielding them in darkness. Not that anyone knew where this place was besides him, but he wanted the privacy.

Because she was wearing those pants, and he wanted her out of them.

“Shoes off.”

She toed out of her tennis shoes, and he grasped her pants, peeling them over her hips and down her legs. He tossed them in the chair. Her underwear went next, leaving her naked from the waist down.

There was just enough light in the room to see her, to see how beautiful she was. He kneeled, grasping her ankles and letting his hands roam up her legs, shouldering between them to spread her thighs.