She opened the door as he walked up onto the porch and she wasn’t quite sure where her breath went. He seemed to steal all the oxygen from the area where he stood.

While she tried not to gawk, he looked her up and down and smiled. “Wow. You look beautiful.” He reached out to touch her hair. “I like the curls but this is nice, too. You can see all of the different colors of red better this way.”

She blushed. “You’re really good at that. Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself, Sheriff.” Dark denim jeans hugged his long muscled legs. A black and gray sweater brought out the blue in his eyes and contrasted the color of his hair. Man, he looked so good she wanted to grab him and jump on him.

One corner of his mouth rose. “Thank you, Maggie. Shall we then?” He indicated his truck with a tip of his head and she nodded. He helped her into his ridiculously large truck and they drove to Vincent’s. They shared small talk on the way over. Maggie was surprised by how easy he was to talk to.

Heads turned as Shane led Maggie to a dark table in the back. But she soon forgot the scrutiny as they ordered. Dinner was good, conversation came easy and they finished and took off to get to the drive-in before the show started.

Shane parked toward the back as his truck was so high and big it would have blocked the view. He pushed the bench seat all the way back and moved away from the steering wheel and into the center. Bringing him very close to her.

“I brought a blanket. It’s been getting so cold in the last few days. I would have brought beer but you know, being the sheriff means I can’t do illegal things, even when they’d be fun. I did bring snacks, though.” Reaching behind the seat into the rear cab, he pulled out a sack of chocolate, red vines and some bottled water.

“You think of everything, Shane Chase.” Maggie moved in a bit closer. It was very nice to be there beside him.

The double feature, two action movies with Bruce Willis, was entertaining. It didn’t matter that the audio wasn’t that good if you could see things blowing up. It was easy enough to follow the plot. By the middle of the second movie Maggie had snuggled up against Shane’s body. Her feet curled under her, his arm around her shoulders, she felt utterly lazy and warm—and very turned on by the way he felt against her. It had been a year since she’d slept with anyone. She’d dated but none of them were people she’d wanted to sleep with. Shane Chase brought a level of physical desire into her life that she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt before.

“Shane?”

“Hmm?”

“I do believe you promised something regarding making out?”

He looked down at her, surprise on his face. She blushed as the surprise heated into something more. “Never mind. I can’t believe I said that out loud. It’s the sugar. I need to stop eating sugar, that’s all there is to it.”

“No way. You said it,” he murmured, moving his head down to her, “and I aim to hold you to it.” A gentle hand at her chin tipped her face to his just as his lips reached hers. Electricity sparked between them, firing her nerve endings to life.

He tasted so good she had to have more. Coming up to her knees, she moved to get better access to his lips. His growl of approval vibrated down her spine and he pulled her to him tightly.

The kiss deepened as his tongue swept out, tracing the curve of her bottom lip before taking it between his teeth and nipping it. She sighed into his mouth as desire roared through her. She didn’t recognize the sound of need that came from deep inside her but he matched it when she sucked on his tongue.

Those big hands caressed her back, leaving tingling, heated flesh in their wake. She wanted them on her thighs, sliding higher, wanted them palming the ni**les that throbbed to be touched.

When one of his hands slid up into her hair and fisted, violent shivers wracked her. So much need, she felt like she was drowning in it.

He’d been moving his hands down her back to her ass when his phone rang. Stiffening, he pulled back from her lips ever so reluctantly. “I’m sorry, that’s my work phone. I have to get it.”

Too desire stunned to speak, she nodded her understanding.

“Chase,” he grunted as he answered.

She watched as he went into work mode and the gentle, sexy face turned serious. Straightening her clothes, she sat back down on the seat and reached to turn off the audio so he could hear better.

“Hang on, let me get something to write on.” He grabbed a pad and pen from his overhead visor. “Go,” he ordered and began to scribble information down on the pad. “Yeah, I’ll do it.” Sighing, he snapped the phone shut.

“I’m sorry, Maggie, but I have to go on a call. I’ll drop you home on the way.” Apology was clear on his face as he moved the seat back into place and slid back behind the wheel.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s your job.” She admired her ability to not sound disappointed. She certainly didn’t want the man to feel guilty about being a cop. “I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for dinner and the movies.”

“How about the making out?” He gave her that wolfishly wicked grin—the one that sent a ball of heat straight to her gut—and she laughed.

Before too long they’d navigated out of the parking lot and were on their way back toward her house.

“That too.” She tried not to grin so wide her face would split open. He made her feel giddy.

“So, did I pass?”

“Pass what?”