Doubt hit her hard and fast What did this man expect? What if she couldn't live up to his expectations?

Sheer panic came next Where were the kids?

She looked past Joe's bemused expression and over one of his perfect broad shoulders to see that everyone was still in the backyard, a safe distance from the house. She must be insane, but immediately she was back to figuring out how she could keep kissing him until the last possible second. But first, she had to be certain he understood.

"That night in the drive, Joe, when I… uhm… touched you?"

"I think I recall that."

"I don't know what came over me. Or today, for that matter. I've not been myself lately. I told you, I'm not that girl from thirteen years ago. I never was."

"Yes, you told me." He was obviously trying not to smile.

"You don't seem convinced, Joe."

"That's because I'm not, and I don't think you are, either." His smile broke free.

"I'm glad I amuse you."

He stroked her cheek with such a gentle touch that she trembled. "I want to know everything about you. Every little thing."

"There's nothing to know. I'm pretty dull."

"That's just an act, Charlotte. I know better."

"I may not be what you're looking for. That's all I'm saying."

Joe leaned in close to drop sweet little kisses all over her temples and cheeks and chin and throat. She shivered.

"As it happens…" He nibbled at her clavicle."… I've been in the market for a sex goddess for about thirteen years now."

"Oh God."

"In fact, you're exactly what I've been looking for." He sucked on the hollow of her throat.

"I am?"

His tongue flicked under her jaw to her left earlobe. "Yep. I've been looking for this one particular hot little redhead in a convertible Miata. She gave me her virginity. Ring any bells?"

"Lots of 'em."

She jolted at the feel of Joe pressing his erection against the vee of her thighs; "So it's okay with you if I stay?"

"Yes."

Joe's black eyes drilled her. 'Tell me how much you want me to stay."

She could barely get the breath to say what he wanted to hear. "I need you to stay, Joe. More than anything in the world."

"Now show me."

She couldn't help it. Only Joe did this to her. Only Joe. So she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his and let it all flow out of her-more than a decade of pent-up need for this man found its way into that one kiss. So much need that it made her dizzy.

Joe didn't seem to mind.

His hands felt so damn good all over her breasts and then he pinched harder, kissed her harder, and pushed aside the fruit bowl, climbed up on the chopping block, and pushed her down on her back.

That's when Hoover started barking.

LoriSue threw open the family room door and tried to shoo away Charlotte's big doofus dog with a three-inch spike heel. She tossed him the after-dinner mint she'd just dug out of the bottom of her purse, which seemed to do the trick.

Ugh. She now had a long trail of drool on her panty hose.

She set Justin's sleeping bag and backpack on the couch and looked around.

"Everybody decent?" She heard a ruckus in the kitchen and turned toward the noise.

Well, damn.

Charlotte and Joe had apparently been going at it on the butcher block! And now they were scrambling down and smoothing out their clothes and looking at her with the most guilt-ridden expressions she'd ever seen on two adults.

As Charlotte stepped around Joe, LoriSue watched her pretend nothing awkward had just happened-that Joe really wasn't about to take her to heaven next to a bowl of Bartlett pears.

"Hi, LoriSue. Come on in. Let me get Hoover."

Charlotte lunged for the dog's collar and pulled him into the mudroom off the garage, where he continued to bark. LoriSue wasn't sure if she should tell Charlotte that her bra was a bit discombobulated. She decided not to mention it.

She let her eyes slide from Charlotte back to Joe. "Well, pardonnez-moi and all that I just needed to drop off Justin's stuff for the overnight."

Damn Charlotte Tasker! She looked like she'd just hit the Powerball. And all LoriSue wanted to know was how the hell did the Good Widow Charlotte snag the likes of Joe Mills? What in the world did he see in her?

'Thanks. That's great," Charlotte said.

"Well. Obviously, I had no idea it was so cozy in here."

Joe cleared his throat. And didn't he just look too delicious?

"Hi, LoriSue."

She had to laugh. At least she could stop buying those goddamn gift baskets now. She looked at Charlotte and gave her a sweet smile.

"You know, I was going to ask if you needed help with the cookout, but it looks like you've got all the extra hands you need."

"I'd love your help." Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest, apparently just now aware of her little bra problem.

"That's nice of you to offer." Joe added.

LoriSue made her smile as big and bright as she could, considering she wanted to cry. "Have fun, kids." Then she turned and exited the family room, making sure she slammed the door as she left.

Charlotte slowly returned her gaze to Joe, who leaned up against the dishwasher, his fingers laced on top of his head.

"That was bad. I'm so sorry, Charlotte."

A thousand thoughts raced through her head as she went to the mudroom door and guided the still-barking Hoover outside. Bad? Yes. Stupid? Oh, that was about as stupid as they could get!

She'd lost control with him-again-and now LoriSue knew. It could've easily been the children. She needed to get ahold of herself. Fast.

"We need to set up some rules if you're staying."

"Of course."

"I have no idea how we're going to do this."

"It's okay, Charlotte. We'll work it out together."

She turned away from Joe, suddenly overcome with shyness, and shoved her boobs back into her bra, then adjusted the straps;

When she turned around he was smiling at her with… well, affection. That was the only way she could describe it.

"LoriSue seemed pretty pissed."

Charlotte decided to busy herself with getting things ready for dinner and walked past Joe to the sink. She started to wash spinach;

"She's going through a rough time right now, Joe. She's in the middle of a divorce and getting ready to move out on her own. She's made no secret of the fact that she's got the major hots for you."

She looked up to see Joe's eyebrows arch high.

"Until you moved in, she rarely came over here."

"No kidding?"

"You're jthe most exciting thing to happen to us Minton ladies in a long while."

"O…kay."

Charlotte laughed a little. "Just don't kick the woman when she's down. That's my only advice."

She put the spinach in a colander. "The rest of the kids will start arriving soon. I need to get everything ready."

"I'll get out of your hair, then." Joe pushed off from the counter and moved toward her. As she watched him advance, she couldn't stop marveling at the fact that he was really in her house. His feet were on her floor. His hand was trailing along her countertop. He was breathing the air she breathed. He was real, and the rooms seemed to shrink in the presence of all that male energy.

It had been a long time since any man other than Ned was in her house. A long, long time.

"Unless you'd like me to help," he added, now standing just inches from her. "I'm not doing anything today."

Charlotte looked up into his face and remembered how the heat of the Miata door had radiated through her hiking shorts and into the flesh of her bottom. She recalled the press of his loins against her belly. She heard the words he used to tease her, tempt her, take her where she longed to go.