A SEAL's Surrender. Tawny Weber

to resist, Eden gave herself a moment to cuddle and pet the pretty cat before tucking her under one arm and slowly lowering herself until her butt met the branch. Like scooting down a rickety ladder, she went one branch at a time, with plenty of cuddling in between. Finally she was close enough to hand the cat to Bev.

      “Why don’t you put her in the car,” Eden instructed, her belly flat against a wide limb that was about six feet from the ground. “Crack the windows, and there’s a bottle of water and portable pet dish in the trunk. If you’ll sit with her, she’ll probably drink a little.”

      Despite her earlier opinion that the cat might be evil, Bev didn’t hesitate to reach out and cuddle the gray-spotted feline. Paisley gave a meow of protest, and threw an injured look toward Eden, but didn’t try to escape. Eden waited until her friend and the cat were safely inside the car, treats and water dispensed, before she lowered herself to the next branch.

      There. She smiled her relief. Almost down.

      It was the smile that did it, she figured.

      Because she went from enjoying an easy descent to being suddenly trapped in the space of a heartbeat. Like an anchor, something held tight, so she couldn’t move.

      Breathless, Eden twisted to see what was wrong.

      Then scowled when she saw that the strap of her shoe was caught on a branch. Eden tugged. The shoe stuck. She tried to slip it off, but the branch was too rough, scratching painfully against the soft flesh of her instep.

      A minute later she added cursing to the mix.

      “Haven’t we been here before?” a husky voice asked.

      Oh, hell. Eden froze. She hadn’t even heard a car. Please, oh, please, let him be talking to someone else.

      “That is Eden up there, right?” the voice asked.

      Double hell.

      She shook her head, hoping the move would shift the curtain of hair from blocking her view.

      Her heart, already pounding like a freight train, sped up. What little was left of her breath escaped her lungs in a rush.

      She twisted her torso, angling herself sideways to make sure the face matched the voice.

      Gorgeous green eyes, a tanned complexion over sculpted cheekbones and a strong jawline. Wide, full lips stretched in a smile that bordered on laughter. And the sexiest man-dimple she’d ever seen.

      Her eyes widened and she gave a long, lusty sigh.

      Didn’t it just figure? At least she’d tucked her skirt in so she wasn’t flashing him. Sure, she might have a few dozen fantasies about sharing her undies with this particular man. But this position wasn’t featured in a single one.

      So she did what she always did when caught in an uncomfortable situation.

      She smiled and made the best of it.

      “Hi, Cade.”