Howling at the Moon: The Complete Series by Sasha Livingston Page B

it better than I did. He peeled off his shirt, revealing a white tank top and an explosion of muscles. I was overcome with heat, fanning myself as he laid his shirt down on the ground to get under the car.
    A sentence finally escaped my mouth a few minutes after he disappeared under the front of the car. “It’s not too bad, is it?”
    “Nope, I’m done.” He scooted back from under the car, a few specks of black soot on his arms making him look even more rugged and sexy. Pouring the jug of water down the radiator spout, he motioned for me to start her up.
    Sure enough, Becky rumbled awake with her temperature gauge now out of the danger zone.
    “Good girl.” I rubbed the steering wheel as if she could hear and feel my affection.
    Warren slammed the hood shut and then sauntered over to me at the driver’s window.
    “When you get settled, I can take another look,” he said, putting his hand on my arm as he leaned on the door. “Follow me. I’ll take you right to the house.”
    He flashed a smile, then walked away with his tool box in hand and his shirt slung limply over his shoulder. I didn’t find my voice to say “thank you” until he was almost at his truck. He winked at me, hefted himself into the cab, and then pulled out in front of Becky, leading the way.
    His wink made me blush. I used my stack of directions as a fan with one hand and steered with the other. I couldn’t keep letting this man affect me like this.
    “He’s your landlord, Jaime—not a boy toy or fuck buddy,” I told myself loud enough for Becky to hear as I followed Warren down the highway. As good as he looked, I would have followed him to the ends of the earth.

*****
    T he pictures I’d seen of the house did it no justice. It was a beautiful cottage with a garden filled with various flowers spouting along the front of the house and what looked to be a white gazebo out back. I loved the house from the moment Warren and I pulled up and could easily see myself living there for the next year, although I was so desperate to leave the city that I would have just as gladly slept in a vacant house on a floor with rats scurrying around.
    I felt the first fluttering wing beats of anxious butterflies in my stomach as I pulled into the driveway. I got nervous as I pulled into the driveway. How was I supposed to talk to Warren when he looked as handsome as he did? Being around him made me nervous and I somehow lost my ability to speak when he was close to me. Moving to this town was supposed to eliminate the distractions in my life. But if I had to see this gorgeous display of testosterone every day, then I might not do so well here after all.
    Don’t fuck your landlord. My conscience was in overdrive as I watched Warren exit his truck. He probably didn’t like curvy girls anyway, so I wouldn’t have much to worry about.
    I saw two guys walking down the street toward us from a neighboring house. I couldn’t take my eyes off them with their bare chests exposed as they stomped down the street like some muscled, shirtless soldiers.
    “Those are my employees. I called them to come down from my house to give you a hand in getting your boxes inside.”
    Warren was standing so close to me now that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. The smell of his musk mixed with sweat and oil. My hormones were in high gear, and he was my victim by default.
    “I appreciate it. You’ve done so much already.” I smiled, trying to avoid his eyes by sliding my glasses up my face. Warren was turning into more than a landlord with every favor he did for me, and I hadn’t even been in his presence that long. Seeing the muscular men walking toward us made me wonder about this place. What were the odds that this many attractive men lived in a small town?
    Maybe I was delirious. It was intensely hot and humid. It was possible I was just imagining their handsomeness and they would morph into trolls tomorrow when I was hydrated and rested. Yeah... that’s