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he paused to put on his work gloves, and then went utterly still.
    He had a good view into the second floor window,which was apparently a bedroom, given that he was looking at the largest bed he’d ever seen.
    And in it, together, were two sleeping females.
    Taylor and Suzanne.
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    M ORNINGS WERE not Suzanne’s thing. She’d rather be tortured on the rack than have to leap out of bed. And yet given the persistent stab of sunlight against her lids, she could surmise she needed to do exactly that if she wanted to get to the restaurant in time for the start of her shift.
    Slowly she opened her eyes, keeping the rest of her body still. She’d sell her soul for coffee. Or cold pizza.
    Yet somehow she doubted Taylor had cold pizza in her fridge.
    As Suzanne’s eyes focused, she could see Taylor still slept, looking as disgustingly put together and gorgeous as ever. How did the woman do that, hardly messing up a hair on her head during sleep? It was nothing short of amazing. If she wasn’t so damn generous and giving, Suzanne would have hated her on principle.
    Her gaze wandered to the window. Instead of the Los Angeles skyline smudged by smog, she saw a pair of wide shoulders, and a broad chest silhouetted by the sun, topped by the face that had headlined her dreams all night long.
    Ryan.
    With the sun behind him, she couldn’t see his expression, but she could feel the tension in his big body, and knew he could see her much more clearly than she could see him. Beneath the luxurious covers, her body tingled, coming to the state of awareness she was beginning to associate with him. Lifting her hand, she waggled her fingers at him.
    He mirrored the gesture, adding a crooked smile that somehow replaced her need for coffee, and continued his way up the ladder. She caught a flash of flat belly, lean hips, then long, long legs, before he vanished completely, leaving her to her own thoughts.
    Thoughts that were suddenly far, far away from work and the day ahead. Thoughts that took her back to how she’d felt in his arms.
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    E XTRACTING THE TREE was physically intensive work. Ryan stopped to call for extra help from a labor pool he shared with some local contractors, and hoped like hell he got skilled guys.
    As always on a big job, he worried about Rafe and Russ, but they were holding their own, directing the other crew members with such knowledge and authority Ryan felt a burst of pride.
    He also felt regret. Yes, Rafe was going to college part-time, but Russ had taken the semester off, andRyan worried that he’d never get them both through it.
    He didn’t want them to be tree guys, as he’d been forced to be. As their father had been before him. He wanted so much more for them, but the truth was, they simply loved the work. How ironic was that, the business he’d worked at simply to keep a roof over their heads had become both the means and the end. Would it be such a bad thing if Russ and Rafe took over the business?
    Wondering what he was supposed to do with that, he caught sight of a quickly moving female off to the side. A redheaded female.
    Suzanne was racing out of the building toward her car, her hair loose and flowing past her shoulders. She wore some sort of gauzy skirt and matching sleeveless blouse, with bracelets up one arm that jangled as she ran.
    Not much of her amazingly lush body showed—not that he was noticing. In fact, he tried mightily not to look too hard.
    And failed.
    â€œCaught ya,” Rafe whispered in his ear. Laughing, he clapped his brother on the shoulder.
    Ryan ignored Rafe for the moment and kept watching Suzanne, who hurried along, her breasts moving in a gentle bounce beneath her blouse. She slippedinto her car and revved out into the street as if she had a fire on her tail. Her very fine tail, which Ryan happened to know looked unbelievably hot in white bikini panties. “That’s Suzanne,” he said.
    â€œI know who she is. The