Spencer grinned. “Good thing he’s friendly, since he’s so big.”

“Twenty-three pounds of loving,” Arizona agreed.

He took the bag from her. “What do you think of Grim?”

Jackson’s new cat, recently rescued in the middle of a mission, was the newest of the bunch. “The name suits him. He tries to act all dour, but he sure loves Jackson.” She tilted her face up to boast, “He likes me a lot, too. Most animals like me.”

Affection showed in Spencer’s slight smile and dark eyes. “Animals are a good judge of character.”

He sounded so sincere, so honestly admiring, that it struck Arizona—maybe fighting him wasn’t the best plan anymore. Maybe, instead, she should take advantage of his unique offer. How many hunky, honorable, heroic guys would ever cross her path?

Spencer wanted her, but he put that want second to concern for her—regardless of whether or not she warranted his concern. He butted heads with her without losing his temper. He trusted in her honor enough to make deals with her.

He smiled with her, was honest, and she respected him.

Would it hurt to explore the unfamiliar feelings he inspired?

When Spencer leaned into her view, she realized she’d been staring off into space, lost in thought.

He gave her a crooked smile. “You still with me, honey?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Even to her, the release of her breath sounded like a fanciful sigh. “I was just thinking.”

“About?” he prompted.

“Nothing much.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “We should get a move on. I don’t want to risk missing the key players.”

Curiosity kept him studying her until her smile faltered. “Soon as I throw this away, we can take off.” He opened the truck door and stepped out to dispose of the garbage in a nearby trash bin.

As he walked away from her, Arizona indulged her own study. Everything about him drew her in one way or another: the flex of muscles in his long thighs, how his T-shirt fit across his wide shoulders, the way the wind ruffled his dark hair, his protective nature, and his badass aura of capability.

Most of all, she liked his big heart.

He’d given up a percentage of the bail on a fugitive so that he could rescue an abused dog.

How could she remain indifferent to that? She’d have done the same thing, but she knew plenty of other people who, either out of apathy, laziness, or fear, turned a blind eye to all sorts of cruelty.

But not Spencer. In the truest sense of the word, he was a champion.

She sighed as he returned from tossing away the garbage. Alert to the surroundings, his gaze constantly scanned the area, but not in a paranoid way. He looked casual, unconcerned—and so incredibly hot.

The front view was even better than the back view. The set of those wide, powerful shoulders, the relaxed lope of his long-legged gait…the way his jeans fit his lean hips.

Spencer Lark was the real deal, an amazing mix of macho ability and tender compassion, sex appeal and physical strength, kick-ass justice and an enormous heart.

If she’d ever felt this way before, she didn’t remember it. She knew no other man had ever drawn her as Spencer did. It was strange, but she couldn’t deny that she looked forward to his next kiss. Would it be more intimate than the previous kisses?

Remembering them gave her a tiny shiver of eagerness.

Just a little while ago, he’d stolen a quick kiss straight from her lips.

Would he kiss her there again? Longer next time? Deeper?

Did she want him to?

Yep, she did.

Tonight, she’d be alone with him at his house again. After they finished their trip to the bar, maybe she’d tell him what she wanted. Or maybe she just wouldn’t protest. This was all so new to her that she really had no idea how to proceed.

But she’d figure it out, and fast.

Spencer got back into the truck, settled into his seat and gave her a double take. “You’re looking at me funny.” His gaze went to her mouth. “Daydreaming again?”

“Sort of.” She felt suddenly free, and that made no sense. Soon they’d be in the center of a viper’s nest. Bad guys needed to be brought down, and innocents needed to be freed. And still the grin tugged at her mouth. To contain the euphoric feeling, Arizona wrapped her arms around herself. “I was just thinking that I really do trust you.”

He went still, his expression inscrutable. “Glad to hear it.”

Arizona had to laugh. Of course he didn’t try to press the issue. Not Spencer. He still saw her as damaged goods, and he still wanted to “fix” her. But somehow, that didn’t bother her so much anymore. She knew she was fine, and eventually he’d know it, too.

She gave him a nod. “Okay.”

He spoke carefully. “Okay what?”

No way would she forewarn him. He wanted the upper hand, and right now, he thought he had it. That worked for her. As long as he considered himself in control, he wouldn’t see her taking over.

“Never mind.” Trying not to grin, she flipped down the visor and checked her teeth in the mirror. “Nothing stuck in my teeth. That’s good.”

“Hey.” He reached for her hand, drawing her attention back to him. “Everything okay?”

“Yup.” Things were awesome, better than ever, because she felt awesome, better than ever.

Apparently, he didn’t buy that. “You aren’t having reservations about going to the Green Goose?”