Shadows At Sunset - Anne Stuart [19]
“I’m glad you didn’t put yourself to any trouble on my account,” he said. She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and he let his gaze travel up her long legs. She obviously had no idea how very much her long legs turned him on, or she wouldn’t keep exposing them like that. It didn’t matter that the shorts were baggy cargo shorts—it was the legs beneath them that got him going.
Rachel-Ann, he reminded himself. She is the key. Meyer wouldn’t give a damn what happened to this daughter.
“Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. There’s no reason to go out—we can discuss the situation here as well as anywhere. Guess you’ll have to rethink your plans,” she said breezily.
“How about McDonald’s? I wouldn’t have thought fast food was the best arena for negotiations, but I’m game if you are. Especially if we get to eat in the car. That way no one will notice if I accidentally grope you.” He wasn’t quite sure why he’d added that—mainly to get a reaction from her, he supposed.
“Yeah, right,” she said, foolishly unconvinced. There was nothing he’d like better than to grope her, if the time and place were different. But for right now she was simply the means to an end. “Negotiations?”
“Isn’t that what this is about? You convince me to help your baby brother win Daddy’s love and approval? I’m going to be fascinated to hear what I have to gain by doing it, but I’m always open-minded.”
She didn’t bother denying it. “Maybe out of the goodness of your heart?”
“I don’t think there’s much goodness in me. Much less a heart,” he said, giving her his most dulcet smile.
She blinked, a good reaction. He believed in warning people. They seldom believed him—people always tended to downplay his honesty. It was only later when they looked back, battered and bruised, that they realized he’d simply told them the truth.
“You’re not going to convince me with that diffidence crap,” she said.
“Convince you of what? I’m telling you the truth.”
“I’m not sure you’d know the truth if it bit you on the ass.”
“I guess you’ll just have to find out.” He stepped back from the Corvette, hiding his reluctance. “So, are you going to give me a tour of this place? And don’t tell me I can take a bus tour. I want an owner’s perspective. Or at least the temporary owner. Your father’s the one who’ll end up with this place when you finally give it up.”
“That’s not about to happen. You’re awfully conversant with the legal ownership of this place,” she added suspiciously.
“I’m head of legal services, remember? It’s my job to know.” Hell, he didn’t usually make slips like that one. He had to be careful with Jilly—she was a lot more observant than her brother. “Anyway, I like old Hollywood legends,” he said. “I also like old houses. I studied to be an architect before I switched to law.”
Her disbelief should have been scathing, but he wasn’t easily scathed. “I got my degree in architecture from Princeton,” she said, warning him.
“I know.” He smiled at her. “Want to cross-examine me about architectural detail? You seem convinced I’ve got something to hide. What you see is what you get.” He held his arms out.
“Not if I can help it,” she muttered. “I don’t suppose you’ll be willing to leave until I show you the place.”
“As always, you’re very astute. And I’m looking forward to meeting your sister.” He liked how casual it sounded.
“Why?”
“I’m curious. As your father’s lawyer I’ve dealt with everything, including your divorce, Dean’s traffic accidents, and Rachel-Ann’s various…issues.”
“You’ll have to stay curious. She’s not home tonight. Neither is Dean, for that matter.”
“So we’re here alone? Maybe I don’t mind not taking you out, after all.”
She looked completely unflustered. “Depends on how you define alone, and whether you believe in the ghosts. I never see them, but a lot of other people have. I wouldn’t want to irritate them if I were you. Ghosts are notoriously unstable.”
“Fortunately I’m not very irritating,” he said, deliberately setting himself up for her hoot of disbelief. “Tell me about the place.