“And these clothes fairies…do they close their eyes?”
“Why would they close their eyes? They’re sexless, mythical beings, who are completely unaffected by a half-naked woman. They’re just doing their job.”
She stared at him like he had snakes growing out of his head. There was something about this new version of her that brought out his whimsical side. For God’s sake, conjured it out of thin air, because he was Brody Kane. Workaholic, straight arrow, miserable bastard. He did not have a whimsical side.
He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t sure what kind of food Kevin eats, so I had the concierge shop for a few things.” He gestured to the countertop where a collection of gourmet tinned treats was piled high in a pyramid.
She shot to a stand, almost stumbling in the process. Grace was not one of Ms. Strickland’s strengths. “You bought food for Kevin?”
“I don’t know what you’ve been feeding him, but he’s looking a bit scrawny. Could do with some fattening up.”
He wasn’t prepared for the sunshine grin that conquered her face. Just like that laugh he’d dragged from her a few moments ago, it completely transformed her demeanor. Joy suited this woman.
And then she hugged him, cleaving her soft, feminine curves to his stiff body that insisted on not taking advantage. “Thank you,” she whispered against his neck. Her hair smelled fresh and floral, and his heart squeezed at this vulnerable side to her. Too soon, she had separated from him, leaving him a curious brew of aroused and bereft.
She studied the label of one tin for a long time, and he suspected she was using the moment to compose her emotions. Giving her space, he grabbed two shallow bowls from the cupboard. A couple of minutes later, the cat was lapping at the bowl of H2O like it was going out of style and stuffing his face with farm-raised salmon and heirloom veggies, a meal that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a five-star restaurant menu. Emma sat cross-legged on the floor, warming her hands on a coffee cup, a beautiful expanse of thigh on offer, while she watched Kevin eat. She looked so young, just like this afternoon when he had carried her to his bed and stripped her to her underwear with one eye closed.
He was not a saint.
Tears had stained her cheeks before she fell asleep on his sofa. While he made chamomile tea and pondered why he even had chamomile tea, she had let herself lose it, but now…now she looked at peace, and he reveled in the pleasure of giving that to her. Maybe giving her more.
She fiddled with her shirt button and foreign warmth flooded his chest. Been there, tapped that, and she was wearing his shirt.
Casting those dangerous thoughts aside, he refocused on her problem. “We need to talk about what’s happened to you. What is happening to you.”
“I made a few mistakes.”
“Right. The betting.”
A shadow fluttered across her face. Anger. Interesting.
“Yes,” she grated, “the betting.” Two spots of furious color lit high on her cheekbones. “And I got into a hole and the easiest way to pay it off was to wait tables at the club. Ray wanted the debt paid off quicker, and thought I could do it by shaking my ass. Sure showed him, right?”
She sure showed something. “So, what’s your poison?”
“My poison?”
“Horses? Hockey? Basketball? Chicken races?”
Visibly flustered, she diverted her gaze to the cat. “Oh, if it runs, bounces, or flies, I’ll bet on it.”
“What got you in such a hole? Messed up on the over/under? Screwed up on a totals bet?”
She bit down on her lip and kept her eye on the cat. “I— What does it matter? I’m never gambling again. I just need time to think. To figure it out.” She looked up at him and held up her hand. “I’m not taking your money, Brody.”
Nice play at misdirecting, but you, Ms. Strickland, have never placed a bet in your life. “Whatever it is, you know I can take care of it.”
“And then I’m in debt to another powerful and rich man.”
He grimaced at the blow. “Are you comparing me to this Ray person?”
She waved that off. “Of course not. But robbing Peter to pay Paul isn’t going to help me. This is my problem and I’ll take care of it.”
“Goddamn it. I’m trying to help you.”
She stood, closed the gap between them, and put a hand on his chest, her touch branding through his shirt and sizzling his skin with want. “You have. Taking me in today. Feeding Kevin, though he’s not the easiest of guests. You don’t know what it’s meant to me, but I can’t stay here. As soon as I can, I’ll pay you back for what you spent for the private room at the club. And the cat food.”