Crushing on Love (The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor, Book Four) by Melissa Foster Read Free Book Online

purchasing the property and putting it into a conservation trust.”
    “Maybe I can come up with something.”
    He ran an assessing gaze over her.
    “What?” She was good at coming up with solutions for other people’s problems. It was her own she had trouble with.
    “Nothing. You’re just not like anyone I know.” He reached into the box and grabbed the cupcake. “This is coming with me.”
    She followed him to the door. “You’re seriously going to hold my cupcake hostage? For a man who says very little, that says a heck of a lot.”
    He stepped closer. So close his chest touched hers when he inhaled.
    “What exactly does it say?” he challenged.
    “That maybe you don’t want me to go out with Will.” She didn’t recognize her breathy voice.
    His eyes narrowed, and he lifted the cupcake with a devilish smile. “Or maybe it says I like pink frosting.”
    She wasn’t going to let him off that easy. “I think it says you like me.”
    “Do you?” He dropped his eyes to the cupcake, then shifted them to her mouth, lingering there so long her lips tingled with anticipation.
    Kiss me .
    “Yes,” she whispered.
    He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t do a freaking thing, and her entire body ached for his touch. He raised a brow, silent as the day was long. Damn him. No man had ever had this effect on her. She had to break their connection before she took the kiss she so desperately wanted.
    “Should I come by later?” she finally managed.
    His eyes grew sinfully darker.
    “To look for habitats.” The words flew from her mouth and he smiled. Ugh! He was messing with her again!
    “See you later, Butterfly.”
    She watched his perfect butt as he walked away. She needed to up her game if she was going to figure out how to beat him at it.

Chapter Four
    AFTER TAKING CARE of his duties, Steve made a few calls to the contacts he thought might take an interest in the Cumberland property. He knew it was a long shot, but he wasn’t going to give up before trying everything he could. When Shannon came over to ask him to go with her up the mountain, she was too sweet— If you come with me, I’ll go with you when you traipse all over the mountain tomorrow doing whatever it is a grizzly guy like you does— and too insistent— Grizz, you know you want to see those cute little foxes. You can’t tell me you don’t want to trek up the mountain one more time. You love doing that— to deny.
    They’d been scoping out fox habitats for the past two hours, and she’d been tossing out ideas to help him save the Cumberland property. She was as excited about the prospect as he was frustrated by it.
    “There are tons of nonprofits that could probably help raise funds,” she said, stepping around a big rock. “What about private investors? There are lots of philanthropists who are interested in land conservation. I bet we could find a list of them with a quick Google search.”
    She was an anomaly to him. Astute and animated. She’d pointed out animal prints, scat, and markings on trees without missing a beat in sharing her ideas for the land. The more time they spent together, the more difficult it became for him to keep a sense of distance between them.
    “I’ve made some calls, put some feelers out.” He looked up toward the darkening sky, and his gut fisted. “Shouldn’t we head back so you can get ready for your date?”
    “Not yet.” She ducked beneath a branch. Her hair got tangled and she inhaled a sharp breath, bent over beneath the branch.
    “I’ve got you.” Steve began untangling her hair. The scent of lilacs rose from the silky strands. Without thinking, he said, “Your hair smells like spring.”
    “Uh-huh. Want a real turn-on, mountain man?” she said teasingly. “It’s organic.”
    “You do realize I could give your hair a tug for that crack.” He’d like to give it a tug, all right, when she was naked and on her knees. Or in his bed. Or right here against a tree…
    “Careful, you