“This is serious, Lace. You need to talk to Dad.”
“And say what exactly? Craig’s looking out for me too much? He makes sure I get home safely every night? Calls me every day to see if I need anything? Insists on repairing every little leak and squeak for me? Jeez, Rinn, Dad’s more likely to pat him on the back than tell him to back off. He had a barbecue in celebration when Craig informed him the place across the hall opened up and he was taking it.”
Corinne bit her lip. “Well, when you put it like that I can see your point. But I don’t know, Lace. I know Craig has had a really hard time of it and all, and Shelly is like the sweetest little girl ever, but he’s starting to give me the creeps. Have you seen the way he looks at you sometimes? There’s nothing brotherly about it.”
“You’re overreacting,” she said, but inwardly, Lacie suppressed a shudder.
“Oh, fuck me,” Corinne breathed, slicing into Lacie’s thoughts. Lacie was just about to admonish her for her vulgarity when she joined her at the window to see what had commanded such an exclamation. For a few moments her heart stopped beating and she found the same phrase echoing in her own mind. Shane Callaghan had just pulled up to the apartment building in a sleek black Lexus. He was beyond devastating in a black suit, white shirt, and silvery blue-gray tie.
“Any chance you’re feeling ill and need me to cover for you?” Corinne asked hopefully.
“Not a prayer,” Lacie breathed, forgetting her injured hand as she tried to wipe her suddenly moist palms on her dress, feeling a nauseating pain echoing up her arm and right into the pit of her stomach. She’d have to remember not to do that.
Corinne could barely contain her excitement when Shane knocked on the door a few minutes later. She opened it, grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. “Come on in,” she said. “My sister’s almost ready.”
*
Shane stepped into the apartment, allowing her to close the door behind him. The young woman who greeted him had the same honeyed hair and similarly unusual shade of blue eyes that Lacie had. She was grinning broadly, not even trying to hide the fact that she was checking him out from the back as well as the front.
“You must be Corinne,” he said smoothly. “Lacie’s younger sister.”
“Not that much younger,” she grinned suggestively, but it was done with such obvious good humor he smiled right along with her.
“Rinn!” Lacie admonished, entering the room. “Ignore her,” she said to Shane. “She hasn’t quite mastered her hormones yet.” Corinne uttered an undignified snort in response but Shane didn’t hear it. His smile faded as he got his first good look at Lacie.
“You look... stunning,” he said. Gone was the adorable klutz in jeans and a hoodie that had fallen asleep in his class. In her place was a gloriously sexy, curvaceous woman sheathed in black, her bared skin glowing with a natural radiance that made him want to lick his lips. Her blonde mane had been tamed into an up-do that left small strands framing a face perfectly done with the slightest hint of makeup.
“She does, doesn’t she?” Corinne said smugly, openly taking credit for the make-over. “All my doing, of course. Hey, you guys match.”
They did. Perfectly, he thought. And their clothes went together well, too.
“Shall I put those in some water?” Corinne prompted, a mischievous glint in her eye as she pointed to the bouquet of flowers Shane still held in his hand. He and Lacie seemed to have been frozen, staring at each other like star-crossed lovers.
Shane blinked, remembering the flowers. “Of course.” He grinned and held them out to Lacie. “For you.”
She took them, bowing her head to inhale their sweet scent. “They’re beautiful, Shane. Thank you.”
“Hey, Lace, do you have a vase around here somewhere?” Corinne called from the kitchen area. “No, of course not,” she mumbled a few seconds later, when no response was forthcoming. “Why would you?” She gave up and filled a glass pitcher sporting pictures of lemon slices along the sides with water, lifting the flowers from Lacie’s hand and placing them in the makeshift vase.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Corinne said, rolling her eyes. “Are you guys going out to dinner or are you going to stand here making googly eyes at each other all night?”
Lacie flushed a dark pink, but Shane laughed. “Dinner first, googly eyes later. What do you think?”
“I’ll try, but no promises. You’re gorgeous.”
Shane’s grin grew, his eyes sparkling with a thousand little points of light. “Thank you,” he said, his voice a deep caress. Lacie seemed slightly confused until Corinne leaned over and whispered loudly, “You said that out loud, sis.”
“Ah, fudge,” she said, her cheeks growing even pinker. Shane held out his hand. “Shall we?”