caused the stream of water to miss her hibiscus. The door to his SUV opened and he unfolded his tall legs from inside. He wore cargo shorts, flip-flops, and a Jimmy Buffett T-shirt—a far cry from his tux of the other night, but just as sexy. More sexy, even.
She turned to tend the other flowerpot, outwardly calm, inwardly a mess.
Someone sat in the passenger seat. Who? She darted a quick glance toward the passenger seat and saw . . . Mark. No, not Mark. His twin, his brother Luke. The DEA agent. Former DEA agent. Was he the one married to the photographer or the rock princess? The princess, she thought. Baby Dagger was married to Luke aka Sin Callahan. Mark was Devil. The dark-haired, green-eyed, silver-tongued Devil. Devil and Sin. My God, two of them. And Matt— he’d sounded sexy on the radio the other night. Three. Hadn’t Mark once said that John had been the good-looking Callahan? Four.
Bet the girls in the town where they grew up were all still wandering around in a daze. Four of them.
But she cared about only one. Hers. At least, he’d been hers for a while. Sort of. As much as Mark Callahan could belong to anyone.
The car door shut with a solid whop. Annabelle’s mouth went so dry that she considered bringing the water spout up to her mouth. Pure grit enabled her to paste a smile on her face and say, ‘‘Hello, Mark.’’
‘‘Annabelle.’’
‘‘I thought you’d be long gone from Hawaii by now.’’
‘‘We’re leaving today.’’
‘‘I see.’’ She emptied the last of the water into the flowerpot, summoned up her nerve, and said, ‘‘So you came to tell me good-bye?’’
He shoved his hands into his shorts back pockets. ‘‘Can we go inside?’’
‘‘Sure.’’ She nodded toward the car. ‘‘What about your brother?’’
‘‘He’ll wait. He’s waiting.’’
‘‘He doesn’t want to come in?’’
‘‘Only if it’s necessary.’’ Lowering his voice, he muttered, ‘‘If the situation becomes dangerous.’’
Dangerous? She considered it for a moment, then said, ‘‘I’m not going to kill you, Callahan. And I rather like this dress and I don’t want to ruin it, so maiming and torture are out, too.’’
‘‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’’
‘‘What . . . ?’’ He gave her that familiar smoldering look. Oh. ‘‘We are not having sex!’’
He winced with regret. ‘‘I know. I know.’’ He gestured toward the door and Annabelle led him inside.
Mark glanced around her office and approval gleamed in his eyes. ‘‘Nice place. It fits you, Annabelle.’’
‘‘Yes, it does.’’ Her office furniture was solid wood with clean lines and utilitarian function. She had comfortable seating for her clients and fresh flowers for herself. Under other circumstances she would have invited him to check out her electronics in the back office because inside his athlete’s body lurked the quintessential computer geek. He would appreciate her setup. But she would no sooner invite Mark Callahan into her back office than she would invite him back into her bed.
Which she wouldn’t do. Really.
Not on a bet.
Never again.
Damn.
Dear God, I’ve missed him.
She forced a smile. ‘‘So, what brings you here, Callahan? Did you come to bust my butt about Rad?’’
‘‘I wanted to, but I beat up on my brothers instead. Can’t say I’m happy with the decisions you-all made.’’
‘‘They were the right decisions.’’ Annabelle’s chin came up. Be hanged if she’d apologize.
‘‘Not for me. Rad walked away.’’
‘‘Actually, he flew away and you are letting your desire for vengeance get in the way of your good sense, Callahan.’’
‘‘Doesn’t much matter now, does it?’’ he said with a shrug. ‘‘Mark my words, though. He’s a bad penny who will turn up again. You’d better be ready for him.’’
‘‘Paulo will take care of Rad and his organization.’’
Mark shook his head. ‘‘Don’t count on it.
She turned to tend the other flowerpot, outwardly calm, inwardly a mess.
Someone sat in the passenger seat. Who? She darted a quick glance toward the passenger seat and saw . . . Mark. No, not Mark. His twin, his brother Luke. The DEA agent. Former DEA agent. Was he the one married to the photographer or the rock princess? The princess, she thought. Baby Dagger was married to Luke aka Sin Callahan. Mark was Devil. The dark-haired, green-eyed, silver-tongued Devil. Devil and Sin. My God, two of them. And Matt— he’d sounded sexy on the radio the other night. Three. Hadn’t Mark once said that John had been the good-looking Callahan? Four.
Bet the girls in the town where they grew up were all still wandering around in a daze. Four of them.
But she cared about only one. Hers. At least, he’d been hers for a while. Sort of. As much as Mark Callahan could belong to anyone.
The car door shut with a solid whop. Annabelle’s mouth went so dry that she considered bringing the water spout up to her mouth. Pure grit enabled her to paste a smile on her face and say, ‘‘Hello, Mark.’’
‘‘Annabelle.’’
‘‘I thought you’d be long gone from Hawaii by now.’’
‘‘We’re leaving today.’’
‘‘I see.’’ She emptied the last of the water into the flowerpot, summoned up her nerve, and said, ‘‘So you came to tell me good-bye?’’
He shoved his hands into his shorts back pockets. ‘‘Can we go inside?’’
‘‘Sure.’’ She nodded toward the car. ‘‘What about your brother?’’
‘‘He’ll wait. He’s waiting.’’
‘‘He doesn’t want to come in?’’
‘‘Only if it’s necessary.’’ Lowering his voice, he muttered, ‘‘If the situation becomes dangerous.’’
Dangerous? She considered it for a moment, then said, ‘‘I’m not going to kill you, Callahan. And I rather like this dress and I don’t want to ruin it, so maiming and torture are out, too.’’
‘‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’’
‘‘What . . . ?’’ He gave her that familiar smoldering look. Oh. ‘‘We are not having sex!’’
He winced with regret. ‘‘I know. I know.’’ He gestured toward the door and Annabelle led him inside.
Mark glanced around her office and approval gleamed in his eyes. ‘‘Nice place. It fits you, Annabelle.’’
‘‘Yes, it does.’’ Her office furniture was solid wood with clean lines and utilitarian function. She had comfortable seating for her clients and fresh flowers for herself. Under other circumstances she would have invited him to check out her electronics in the back office because inside his athlete’s body lurked the quintessential computer geek. He would appreciate her setup. But she would no sooner invite Mark Callahan into her back office than she would invite him back into her bed.
Which she wouldn’t do. Really.
Not on a bet.
Never again.
Damn.
Dear God, I’ve missed him.
She forced a smile. ‘‘So, what brings you here, Callahan? Did you come to bust my butt about Rad?’’
‘‘I wanted to, but I beat up on my brothers instead. Can’t say I’m happy with the decisions you-all made.’’
‘‘They were the right decisions.’’ Annabelle’s chin came up. Be hanged if she’d apologize.
‘‘Not for me. Rad walked away.’’
‘‘Actually, he flew away and you are letting your desire for vengeance get in the way of your good sense, Callahan.’’
‘‘Doesn’t much matter now, does it?’’ he said with a shrug. ‘‘Mark my words, though. He’s a bad penny who will turn up again. You’d better be ready for him.’’
‘‘Paulo will take care of Rad and his organization.’’
Mark shook his head. ‘‘Don’t count on it.
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