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.“Yes, I am lonely,” he said finally.“It has been a long time since I have wanted the company of a woman.To feel a woman’s skin against my own.To say these things aloud is difficult.I have had only one woman—my wife—and so it is that I am not so competent at this.”Those blue eyes blinked and Rose looked down at the bowl she held, studying it intently.“Don’t kiss me anymore, bud,” she whispered.The air had stilled and warmed and trembled as Stefan studied her.“You don’t like it?”“I think I’ll be going now.Nice knowing you,” she whispered before hurrying out the door.Stefan noted that she had not lied or attempted to disprove that she’d enjoyed that kiss on the dock and the one in her kitchen.After her pickup skidded out of the farm’s driveway, Stefan slapped his open hand against the wall.He had always considered himself to be a patient man and now he knew that with Rose, he was not.The telephone rang; Louie had chosen the wrong moment to call.“Estelle?” he asked sharply when Stefan did not respond to his greeting.“Louie, I think you should come here,” Stefan said, after the brief pause.“There is much work to do.The chicken house needs to be cleaned and the refuse scattered on my mother’s garden.You could milk the cows she is getting and help me move the outhouse.I will not offer to pay you, of course, because I know you would not accept.But you will see my daughter at odd moments—when you are not shingling the roof, or crawling beneath the house to help with the bug problem.When can we expect you?”Louie stuttered an excuse and quickly hung up.Stefan smiled briefly.At least he had accomplished one feat—discouraging Louie from visiting Estelle.But Stefan still longed to hold Rose warm and close against him.He rubbed his bare chest, just over his heart and the ache in it.The pursuit and capture of Rose Granger would not be easy.He heard the roaring of an engine and glanced outside to see Rose’s pickup soaring into the farm driveway.It skidded to a stop and Stefan smiled.He suspected Rose’s style of meeting problems was either head-on, or repeat attacks until she resolved the matter to her satisfaction.Apparently Stefan was worth a repeat attack; he took that as a good sign.He watched her hurry along the walkway and jog up the steps.She jerked open the door, pinned him in the bald light and said, “Look.I’ve been attracted to guys before, okay? You’re not the first.”“Okay,” he answered slowly as she began to pace across the worn linoleum.Rose was struggling with her past and fear of the future.The war fascinated Stefan.“You need new linoleum.We can make you a deal on floor coverings since you’re going to need so much.Our paint sale is still on, too.This whole place could use two coats of outside paint.We give discounts when you buy twenty gallons or more at the same time.This old place will soak up the first coat.You’ll need plenty of caulking, too.”“Yes, of course.Thank you for the suggestion.” Stefan tried not to smile.He enjoyed watching her, this tall, lithe woman whose loyalty to her father and friends ran deep.She placed her hands on her hips and studied him.“If you haven’t been with a woman in a long time, how can you kiss like that?”Stefan pushed away from the wall and moved toward her.He placed his hands on either side of the kitchen counter, bracketing Rose’s hips.He couldn’t resist stroking that soft curve of her hips with his thumbs.She was so perfect, so feminine, a delicate flower and quite possibly a very passionate woman.If she made love with the vitality she applied to everything else, he might not recover.“Like what?”The little quiver passing through her body pleased him.She was fearless, though, eyeing him defiantly.“You’re too close and you know it.You’re sucking up all my air.”“You can suck up mine,” he returned, enjoying the warmth of her body close to his, the fragrance of her skin, her hair.“I know a woman who would be perfect for you,” Rose whispered shakily.“Sophisticated, feminine, very good conversationalist.Maggie White is not married, her children are grown and she’s a marvelous cook.She’s very attractive and always wears dresses—sometimes long, flowing ones—with just the right jewelry—sometimes dangling earrings, and men seem to love being with her.She’s very trendy and worldly.You might want to meet her.I can fix you up….What’s so funny?”He ran a fingertip over the freckles on her cheek.“Do you always talk so much when you are nervous with a man?”She shivered again, but refused to look away.“You’re standing too close and you’re not wearing a shirt.”Stefan pressed his case; Rose needed to admit to herself that she was a very sensual woman—attractive, desirable—and that she, too, was simmering.He wanted to remove himself from the “bud” bin, where she tossed the other males in her life.“You have seen men without shirts before, surely.”“I’ve got a hard day tomorrow.Big paint sale and sure to have plenty of customers.I’m leaving,” she said unevenly after a long pause.She swallowed and locked her gaze with his.Stefan sensed that she was forcing herself not to look at his body.He nodded and stepped away from her.“As you wish.”She did not move.“I feel…I feel as if you could devour me.”“I could,” he answered curtly, truthfully.“But I would expect you to do a certain amount of devouring on your own.”“I’m athletic.I run every morning that I can.I play ball.Men usually think of me as a tomboy,” she whispered, trembling now, her hands gripping the counter behind her.“I don’t.I think of you as a desirable woman.”She took an unsteady step away from him, then another, and at the door she turned to stare at him.“You’ll get over this.Most men do.I’ve been referred to as ‘macho-woman.’ Summer will end, and you’ll be gone.”When Stefan continued to look at her, she shook her head and closed the door behind her
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