Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)

Marcus nodded and led them to that part of the display. They debated stainless versus the other materials. Marcus asked about a faucet over the stove. As Shane laughed, Annabelle told him, no, that hadn’t been ordered.

She quickly narrowed the faucet selection down to three and he picked the one he liked best.

“Why that one?” she asked as Marcus led them to the bathroom fixtures.

“It was the biggest.”

“I figured,” she said, linking arms with him. “You’re such a guy.”

“It’s one of my best qualities.”

They reached the showers. Before Marcus could explain much, his cell phone buzzed.

“It’s one of my suppliers. Would you excuse me please while I take this call?”

“Go ahead,” Shane said.

“Thank you. There’s coffee over there, if you’d like.”

He quickly walked away.

Shane stared at the displays of showers.

“Don’t,” Annabelle told him, looking down at the inventory list. She couldn’t remember if the house had two or three full bathrooms.

“Don’t what?”

“Say ‘it’s just a shower.’ You were going to.”

“I wasn’t,” he said, but he sounded a little defensive.

She glanced at him and grinned. “You so were.”

“Maybe on the inside.”

She found the right part of the list. “There are three full baths, including the master, a half bath and a sink in the mudroom.”

“I need coffee.”

She followed him over to a coffee station complete with a sofa, a small table and chairs and several plates of cookies. Shane poured her a cup, then a second for himself.

“It’s too much,” he said. “We should have gone somewhere with a smaller selection.”

“Most people appreciate all the choices.”

“Most people are idiots.”

“You’d rather be back doing horse stuff,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows. “You did not just say horse stuff.”

She held in a smile. “I did.”

“You’re in big trouble now.”

“Are you going to punish me?”

Instantly his features sharpened as his gaze centered on her mouth. “Have you been bad?”

“Very.”

“I like your honesty.”

He continued to look at her. She felt the temperature in the room rise about ten degrees and her skin got the pre-kiss, tingly tightness. It sure didn’t take much for Shane to get her distracted.

She cleared her throat and searched for a safer topic. “So, um, how’s Wilbur settling in?”

“You really want to talk about the pig?”

“It seems safer.”

He glanced around, then returned his attention to her. “Good point. They probably don’t want us taking one of the tubs for a test drive.”

“It could be awkward. I’m not sure Marcus would approve.”

“Wilbur’s fine. Reno likes him more than Priscilla does, I think. It’s not like they share their innermost feelings with me. But he’s settled in and now the odd duet has become an even stranger trio.”

“I’m glad Priscilla isn’t alone. She must have been lonely by herself. Elephants are social animals.”

“Someone’s been doing research on the internet.”

“A little,” she admitted.

“Study any horse stuff?”

She laughed. “Some. Khatar is my one true love. I need to understand him.”

“He’s a pretty simple guy.”

“As are you.” She linked her arm with his and enjoyed the socially polite feel of his body next to hers. “Come on. Be a brave little toaster. We’re going to look at showers. This is going to be fun because some of them come with gadgets.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can get a steam shower if you want. Or one that you can program the temperature. You punch in what you want it to be and it tells you when it’s there.”

“I like technology.”

“I thought you might. There are also showers with heads coming out the side, so every part of you gets clean.”

He glanced at her. “I don’t need that. I have a woman come in every morning to wash me.”

“Really? I haven’t met this woman. What’s she like?”

“Beautiful. Naked. It’s how I start my day.”

She drew back. “Interesting. I think I liked you better when you were frightened of the sink choices.”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “Don’t be jealous. She’s a professional. It’s a business arrangement.”

“The strange woman who bathes you every morning?”

“Uh-huh. But you could try out for the job. I’m a very easy grader.”

They’d arrived back at the bathrooms. She pointed to the electronic display. “See if they have a setting for icy cold. Because that’s all you’re getting from me.”

“I’m wounded.” He faced her and put his free hand on her waist. “If it really bothers you, I’ll get rid of her.”

“I think I’d like to meet this mystery woman of the professional washing.”

“You’d have to come over very early.”

“I guess I’d better get used to waking up early if I’m going to milk Heidi’s goats.”

“You should probably spend the night, just to make it easy on yourself.”