“Want to join me?” Rick asked.
Roman looked for signs Rick was having fun at his expense. After all, this was the brother who as a teenager had answered the phone and agreed to blind dates in Roman’s place. But Rick stood waiting, not a grin in sight.
Roman assessed his options. He had none. The woman of his dreams was inside. Roman shot his middle sibling a grateful glance. Though gut instinct and self-preservation told Roman to steer clear, curiosity pushed him inside.
So, he admitted, did his desire to see Charlotte once more.
At the sound of the door chimes, Charlotte stopped in the middle of folding lavender lace underwear. She glanced up to see Officer Rick Chandler saunter inside.
She gave him a friendly wave, but her hand froze in midair as Roman followed him in. She licked her dry lips as she watched them walk through her feminine store.
Side by side, the contrast between the brothers couldn’t be more clear. All three Chandler men were beyond breathtaking. But no matter how handsome, Rick didn’t have the same devastating impact on Charlotte as Roman did. Ever since her return to town, they’d become good pals, nothing more. Even Chase, who resembled Roman in looks, didn’t come close to tipping Charlotte’s Richter scale the way Roman did.
Something about the youngest Chandler brother, his jet-black hair, his confident stride, and his compelling blue eyes, captivated her. Made her yearn for things beyond her control or understanding. She shivered, then let reality return. No matter how good-looking the Chandler men were, none of the brothers were interested in settling down. It was part of town lore. Charlotte couldn’t let it be her downfall.
She shook her head, and then wiggled her arms, fingers, and toes. “Relax,” she muttered aloud. Roman had always been perceptive and she didn’t want him to think her nerves had anything to do with him. Last night had proven Roman was too cocky for his own good and he didn’t need additional ego stroking.
“Hi ya, Charlotte.” Rick strode up to her, ignoring the panties strewn about, and rested an elbow on the counter, as confidently and casually as if he were surrounded by baseballs and mitts in the sporting goods store down the road.
Roman stood beside him, devouring her with a single, sexy look.
“Hi, Officer.” She managed a friendly wink meant to encompass both men. “So what can I do for you this morning? Are you here to check out the newest in thong underwear?” She tossed the joke she always used on Rick, attempting normalcy.
Rick grinned. “Not unless you plan on modeling for me.”
She laughed. “In your dreams.”
Roman cleared his throat, obviously meant to remind them that he was in the room. As if she could forget. “Come on, Roman. You have to know your brother here likes all women. He’d have a harem if it were legal, wouldn’t you, Rick?”
Rick merely chuckled.
“Can we get down to business?” Roman asked.
“Police business, unfortunately.” Rick’s mood suddenly sobered.
Charlotte didn’t like the intense sound of his voice. “Why don’t we sit?” She led them to the oversized velour Queen Anne–type chairs near the fitting room.
The two men overpowered the frilly, feminine decor. Her gaze settled on Roman. He epitomized the magnetic lure of the Chandler brothers, she thought. Every female felt his presence when he was in a room.
Though Roman remained standing, Rick sat, hands clasped between his legs, looking like a man with a secret.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
The brothers exchanged silent glances. Static broke through the quiet, Rick’s police radio calling for his attention. He shot Charlotte a regret-filled look. “Excuse me.” While he unhooked the two-way radio from his belt and discussed business, Roman’s piercing gaze never left hers.
Rick glanced up. “I’m sorry. A disturbance at the general store, and backup’s needed.”
Charlotte waved him off. “You go.” And take your brother with you, she silently pleaded.
“Roman, can you fill her in? She needs to be aware of what’s going on.” Rick shattered her hopes.
Roman nodded. “My pleasure,” he said in that sexy voice.
She shivered with awareness. Blast the man for his effect on her, she thought, but by the time Rick took off, leaving Roman and Charlotte alone in the back of her store, she hoped she’d schooled her face into a polite mask of friendliness. With Beth off this morning and the lull in customers, there was no one to interrupt them, so she’d be safer if she pushed the attraction to the back burner. “If such a thing were possible,” she muttered.
“Is what possible?” Roman asked.
She shook her head, then swallowed hard. “Not a thing. Is this about the panty thief?”
Roman nodded. “It’s about your merchandise.” He leaned against the wall beside her.
“Which items?” Rick hadn’t given her specifics on his last visit.
Roman coughed once and flushed before answering. “Ladies’ panties.”
Charlotte grinned. “Well, I’ll be darned, there is a subject that can make a Chandler man blush.” His embarrassment let her see a more vulnerable side to Roman than his normal, confident demeanor. She was grateful for the privilege, and a traitorous part of her heart opened to him.
“I’m serious,” he said, unaware of the effect his embarrassment had on her.
She had to keep it that way.
“This guy’s apparently got a fetish of some sort.”
A fetish for panties. She shook her head wryly, then Roman’s words sank in. “You said this guy’s got a fetish. Why assume it’s a man? Do the police think it’s a man?”
“You’ll have to talk to Rick about that.”
She nodded, giving the matter more thought. “You do realize only a woman could wear the stolen property—without anyone noticing. Unless, of course, he’s a poorly endowed man.” She met his amused gaze and caught him laughing.
“Behave yourself, Charlotte.”
His grin filled her with warmth and curled her toes. Clichéd as the expression was, it was true. “So what brand of panties? I sell dozens.”
“Again, Rick’s got the details, but he mentioned the crocheted ones in the window. He said they’re handmade?”
By her. Her garments were exclusive, fashionable, personal, and not meant to become an object of obsession or ridicule for a perverted man. She had her reasons for pursuing the hobby that had become a staple in her business. But Charlotte couldn’t imagine divulging personal secrets with Roman when distance seemed the safest route. Not when the details connected to those garments would lead to an emotional minefield.