Naturally Naughty - Leslie Kelly [51]
He followed her stare, figuring she was probably right, but not admitting it. “It’s not all bad here.”
“I guess Cassie likes it. But I wouldn’t be able to stand the quiet sense of knowing everyone on the block is watching every move you make.” She brushed an errant, damp strand of hair off her brow. “It’d be like living in a goldfish bowl, some big fat cat always waiting to pounce on you if you leap out of the safe waters where you belong.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it was like growing up.”
Their eyes met. She looked surprised that he agreed.
As for Jack, he thought it remarkable how quickly Kate had nailed what his childhood had been like on this block. In this town.
“Can I venture a guess that living on Pansy Lane was something like a fishbowl, too?”
Her slow nod was his only answer.
He reached out to brush away the blowing strand of hair again. His fingers connected with her temple, sending heat through his body. Heat that had absolutely nothing to do with the blazing sunshine overhead.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing we both like to live a little dangerously.”
WHEN THEY GOT BACK to the duplex, Kate first went inside to check the power, then leaned out to give him a thumbs-up. “Yes! Houston, we have ignition.”
“Good, now you can take a shower in your own bathroom tonight,” he muttered.
They unloaded the truck, making several trips.
“So,” she asked as they carried some chairs into the kitchen. “Did you get a lot done at your mother’s house today?”
She seemed to be making an effort to be polite, social and absolutely impersonal. He followed her lead. “Barely made a dent. My father had accounts all over the state, with at least a dozen banks. He owned property I didn’t know about, held mortgages my mother didn’t even know about. I haven’t even gotten to the stuff in a file marked Private that I found in his desk drawer.”
“Well, if you need any help, I do have some accounting background.” At his look of surprise, she hurried on. “What? I mean, I do owe you one for helping me today.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a smile. “Though, maybe I’ll choose the way you repay me.”
They left the queen-size mattress for last. It would be the trickiest, since it had to go up the narrow staircase to the bedroom. “Hope you sleep really well to make it worth lugging this thing all over town,” he said as they hoisted the thing through the doorway. They dropped it right on the floor as Kate hadn’t bothered with a bed frame.
“At least it’s not a twin,” she said with a smile, obviously referring to the way he spent his own nights. “Nice and roomy.”
He frowned. “You’re not planning on sharing it, are you?”
“Huh?” She looked truly puzzled and he felt like an idiot for his instant of jealousy. “Wait a second.” She pointed an index finger at him. “You want to know if another man is going to be staying over here occasionally.”
He crossed his arms, not saying anything. She chuckled. “Uh, I don’t think so, Jack. In spite of what you might think, given the way I acted on the day we met, I’m not a bed hopper.” She paused. “I don’t think I could even be called a bed crawler, these days.”
Good.
“Not that it’s any of your business.”
“No, of course not.” Damn right it was his business.
“If I did choose to bring someone here, you’d have absolutely no say in the matter,” she continued, almost challenging him to deny it.
He stepped closer, tipping her chin up with his index finger until she met his eye. “I wouldn’t say a word.” Her lashes lowered as she tried to look down. “I can promise I wouldn’t say anything to him as I threw him out the window, Kate.”
She bit her lip, looking both confused and a little bit pleased. Unable to resist, he bent to kiss her mouth. Lightly. Playfully.
“What was that for?” She brought her shaking fingers to her mouth when he