The Big Bang by Linda Joffe Hull Page B

ponytail, her face was even more stunning up close than he’d imagined.
    So was her rack.
    She was taller than he liked—at least five foot six—but he still had an inch or two on her.
    Seven inches in her would be even better.
    He struggled to keep his eyes on the deep blue of hers.
    “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were waiting,” she said.
    For weeks.
    He’d only been a second away from an introduction at church when she’d turned and took off to meet whomever it was that had enticed her away with the promise of a bedroom redo.
    “No worries,” he said, fighting the urge to dry a stray bead of water from her lower lip with his tongue. Instead, he smiled a sheepish guy-next-door smile, which, conveniently, was true. “I believe we’re neighbors.”
    “Hope Jordan.”
    He extended his hand. “Tim Trautman.”
    “Nice to meet you.”
    Her smile sent his cock to war within the confines of his jock.
    “You just moved in to the Smithers’ place, right?”
    She knew who he was. Maybe the check he’d left on the donation plate had worked its magic after all?
    “I finally met your wife, Theresa, over our shared fence yesterday,” she said.
    Or not.
    “Great,” he said with a little too much enthusiasm. Nothing like pissing away a grand when Theresa would have felt just as generous and worthy of neighborhood attention with a $500 donation.
    “New house and the babies.” Her eyes misted over. “You must be thrilled.”
    “Looking forward to a sharp increase in the chaos, anyway.”
    “I can only imagine.”
    With no good way to
not
ask about her family situation, he decided to get it over with. “You have kids?”
    Her look of pain was unmistakable. “We’re trying.”
    “Took us almost two years to get pregnant with Lauren.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Hard to believe we have numbers four and five on deck.”
    Her face brightened.
    “Enjoy the process because once it happens, you go from drinking wine to drinking from a fire hose.”
    “Haven’t heard that particular analogy before.” Her giggle was surprisingly deep and, not surprisingly, sexy. “Makes me feel better than you know.”
    Before he could manage a
my pleasure
, the power flickered on and off.
    “That doesn’t bode too well,” she said, looking overhead.
    He glanced over at Frank who stood by the front desk scowling as he consulted a clipboard held by a security workman. “I think they’re putting in the security system.”
    “Frank’s doing quite a job of making sure everyone’s safe around here.”
    Hope Jordan was anything but safe.
    She checked her watch. “I’d better get going to my workout class before they cut the power indefinitely.”
    “I’m headed that direction myself.”
    “Spinning?” She smiled as they started down the staircase leading to the workout rooms.
    If that’s where you’re going.
“I thought I’d check out what’s available.”
    “At two, it’s either spinning or muscle madness.”
    “What do you recommend?”
    “That you hurry and grab a bike before they’re all gone.”
    “What about this muscle whatever class?”
    As they reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped in front of a set of glass doors. “That’s where I’m off to.”
    He looked into a room filled with enough housewives to give him estrogen poisoning.
    Intriguing as it was to spend an hour sweating and breathing alongside Hope, he wasn’t about to ruin his chance to do the same on top, or better yet beneath her, by hanging with the girls like Will the petition guy, the only guy in the room. “I think I’ll be scooting across the hall.”
    “Good choice.” She turned for the throng of women. “See you later.”
    “Definitely.”
    He made it into the spinning studio and staked his claim to a bike by throwing a towel over the handlebars. As he headed for the drink of water he’d missed, he managed to catch another glimpse of that fine ass.
    He’d definitely see her later.
    ***
    Frank watched Hope and