Scarlett didn’t sleep much. Tossed and turned until she was securely tangled within her bed sheets. Thoughts of the Hot Yankee kept flowing through her mind. With the way his eyes met hers in an almost challenge of who was going to look away first – always Scarlett. The way his tongue swiped across his lower lip, caressing the piercings before he spoke. And the way his muscles bunched under the thin t-shirt as his arms rest against the table top. All of those thoughts had kept her awake for the last few days and now with the morning light seeping through the shutters Scarlett knew she would look like hell. And for the first time in three days she didn’t have to be at the diner and yet here she was at six thirty in the morning wide awake.

Typical!

Scarlett was still debating whether to move or snuggle further into the soft pillows when heavy thudding bangs reverberated off of the wooden front door. Groaning she flipped herself over onto her stomach and buried her face into the pillows. Her momma should still be home to answer the door. But as the heavy thudding bangs continued closely followed by gruff curses Scarlett knew that her momma had already left for her shift at the diner and that unfortunately meant she would have to move her ass out of bed. One thing she didn’t want to do before ten o’clock on her second to last day before school started and one thing that sure as hell made her cranky.

Grumbling to herself dressed in only an old knee-length Harley Davidson t-shirt that belonged to her daddy as she padded barefoot down the wooden stairs, rubbing her eyes as she went. Scarlett wasn’t sure who would be calling on her at this hour as lord knows her big headed cousins would still be sleeping until lunch, but that didn’t stop her from yanking the heavy wooden door open and practically snarling.

“What?” Scarlett raised her head until she was met with broad chests and continued to raise her head until she was looking directly at the weather worn faces of two men, both wearing baseball caps and both gaping at her. “Well? I haven’t got all day, spit it out?” Scarlett continued to almost snarl her words. She wasn’t much of a morning person and everyone quickly caught on not to bother her until she had her coffee.

One man rubbed his nose as he lowered his head to hide his silent laughter whilst the other licked his lips a few times before speaking. “Excuse me Miss, but we’re here for the truck.” He removed his hat only long enough to swipe a large meaty hand across his forehead, removing the glistening sweat.

Out of towners!

Scarlett looked the two men over and caught sight of the rental company logo stitched into the blue t-shirts. Already disinterested with this conversation Scarlett was moments away from slamming the door shut and the man who had spoken must have known because he suddenly placed a large boot covered foot against the door jam.

Damn it!

“Look y’all; I don’t know anythin’ ‘bout a truck.” Scarlett sighed, feigning nonchalance but silently reaching behind the open door for the pump action shotgun that her momma kept for emergencies. “So y’all will just have to leave.”

The two men stared at Scarlett before one muttered, “Damn Southerners!”

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed at the comment and with the shotgun firmly grasped in her small hand she had no qualms about using it on these narrow minded men. But she didn’t get a chance to pull her weapon out as a loud shout captured their attention.

“Hey Butch and Cassidy!” The hot Yankee hollered from across the street as the two men growled at the nicknames. “You here to pick up the truck?” he once again shouted before he broke out into a little unsteady jog and wearing only a pair of loose sweatpants and sneakers.

Scarlett had the perfect view of his muscular, tattoo covered arms and his slightly less defined torso with a giant skull with wings splayed across his chest. Her belly muscles clenched harder than they had done a couple of days before causing heat and moisture to seep out of her sex.

As Zack neared the small two storey house he caught a glimpse of her. The woman who had starred in his dreams for the last few nights and boy did she look sexy, with her dark hair ruffled from sleep. His fingers itched to feel the strands gliding through his fingers. At the mental image of him doing just that his cock twitched slightly. Shaking the thoughts out of his head Zack looked at the two burly men who were collecting the rental. Tossing the keys at the man who had his foot pressed firmly against the woman’s door, he spoke.

“The trucks in the garage.” Zack watched and waited only a few seconds for him to remove his foot and with a nod of his head the pair ambled across towards his new house. He turned his eyes to the woman openly staring at his body that did nothing except pump blood straight to his groin. “Morning-“ he left the sentence hanging, hoping that she would clarify her name and she didn’t disappoint.

“Scarlett.” She mumbled as her eyes raked over the tattoos on his arms. And Zack knew she was willing to look anywhere but at his face.

“Zack and it’s nice to finally know your name.” The blush quickly settled in her cheeks, once again but she didn’t speak just continued to look at the body art. “Sorry if they woke ya.” He apologized as he looked at her down cast eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was going to speak to him but as the roar of the rental vans engine filled the quiet street she mumbled.

“Y’all want a coffee?” Scarlett didn’t let herself look at him directly. It wasn’t because she found him ugly but rather she was extremely shy around him. She caught the briefest of nods from Zack before she opened the door wider to accommodate his body through the door.

Zack’s bare chest brushed across hers and as the scrape of her hardened nipples and her sharp intake of breath registered with his brain his cock roared to life and it couldn’t have been at a more inappropriate time. With his back to her he quickly adjusted himself so his hard length wasn’t poking forward but rather up towards his belly.

He watched as Scarlett weaved around him and padded towards the back of the house where he presumed the kitchen was but he didn’t follow immediately. No, instead he let his eyes travel the length of her t-shirt covered back until he reached her delectable t-shirt covered ass, watching it sway from side to side as she walked. He was practically salivating at the sight and he could feel a little wetness seep out of his cock and onto his heated flesh.

This was going to be a long coffee! Zack thought as he followed slowly and unsteadily behind her.

The kitchen was small but light and airy, the dining table a small white hardwood table that stood in front of the large picture window. The walls were painted a mint green and the units were a brilliant white as were the Formica surfaces. Zack tore his gaze away from the room and watched Scarlett perched on her toes as she tried to reach a high shelf inside a cupboard and his eyes quickly travelled up her calves over her thighs and finally to the delectable naked ass that was peeking out from underneath the t-shirt which had inched up as she stretched.

Was she trying to kill him? Or was she simply teasing him and his poor weeping cock?

With a growl Zack slowly strode towards Scarlett until he was directly behind her. He could feel her body heat as he reached a muscular arm around her and snatched the cup off of the shelf before handing it to her.

“Are you trying to kill me or just plain teasing?” Zack demanded but with him standing about six inches above her he could clearly see her chest rise and fall in quick succession with her panting breaths. And it took Zack all of three seconds to realize that his erection had snuggled its way between her ass cheeks. Embarrassment flooded Zack as he wrenched his body away from Scarlett’s. “Sorry.” Zack croaked scratching the back of his neck as he looked at the floor.

It took a great deal of effort on Scarlett’s part to will her frantically beating heart to slow down. She wasn’t sure how long she stood against the counter unmoving and not speaking. She heard the apology from Zack and heard him shuffle his sneaker covered feet against the floor but nothing could make her speak and absolutely nothing could stop her body from reacting to his large, hard length pressed against her ass. But she had to; she had to forget the incident happened. She didn’t want to be the cause of his demise in the relationship she was sure he had.

“Do ya still want that coffee or will your girlfriend be worried?” Scarlett was pleased that she sounded in control with no hint of a quiver in her voice. She turned then and was startled by how close Zack still stood to her; she almost lost the grip she had on the cup.

“Don’t have a girlfriend.” Zack muttered with pure bitterness lacing every word as he made his way back somewhat unsteadily over to the dining table. “So nobody to worry about me, ya know?” he shrugged as he fell onto the chair.

Scarlett couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How in God’s name doesn’t he have a girlfriend? Scarlett poured the freshly brewed coffee into two cups as her mind reeled from Zack’s admission.

“Were all Yankee’s blind to this man’s hotness?” and before she realized that her thoughts weren’t censored Zack chuckled, low and deep.

“I don’t think their blind; I’m just not much of a catch.” Zack shrugged those shoulders of his moments before taking the proffered cup from her hand. And for the first time ever, Scarlett looked directly into his eyes and was startled that she saw for the briefest of moments an untold anguish.

“Well y’all definitely are turnin’ heads here.” Scarlett blushed as she spoke the words and quickly averted her eyes. Zack raised a dark brow at her words. “Um – ya know in the diner.” Scarlett stuttered out before gulping one mouthful of coffee. Zack smiled before drinking his coffee. And lord knows his smile alone raised gooseflesh on her arms.

He couldn’t believe how at ease she made him feel or how right she felt against his body. He knew she was young twenty-one at the most and he knew she hadn’t had much experience with men from the way she acted around him. And Zack didn’t find anything sexier in a woman. He liked the thought of teaching her a few things and liked the thought of doing anything to get the sexy little blush to grace her cheeks. But nothing would happen between the pair that he was absolutely certain of. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Scarlett wouldn’t want half a man. No she’d want someone just like his little brother – just like every other woman he knew!

“Well Scarlett that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” And he wasn’t joking. It was sad really when he thought about it but now was not the time or the place. Draining his coffee in three gulps Zack continued. “Thanks for the coffee and once again accept my apologies for the rental men waking you up.”

Scarlett waved a hand at the apology but as Zack stood to leave she suddenly had the urge to make him stay here in the kitchen or bedroom. She found that she wasn’t bothered which, just as long as he stayed. But she knew that her cousins would be coming by shortly for practice and Scarlett really didn’t want to explain why a half naked man was sat in her kitchen. So she let him leave with a small smile and wave before he disappeared through the front door.