Bridleton by Becky Barker

expected,” she said, her voice going gruff. She cleared her throat, turned toward the hallway and added, “Now I’m going to investigate the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Lunch at noon.”
    Andrea considered her aunt’s words when she was alone again. She hadn’t promised to stay the whole summer, had she? Nanna must have misunderstood. Or maybe the decision had been made for her. She’d spent five years trying not to fret about the property, but now that she was home, saving her inheritance had suddenly become the most important thing in her life. What was happening to her? Career burnout? She’d certainly grown tired of the jet-setting lifestyle. Maybe it was the depth of her roots in the Texas soil or a deep-seated devotion to family.
    Or a tall, tanned man with a body to die for?
    No! Panic clogged her throat at the thought of spending the next few months working closely with Noah. She’d given him her heart and soul once and his betrayal had devastated her. She couldn’t survive another love affair with him yet the passion between them remained strong. The memory of last night’s encounter made her shift in her seat, feeling restless and needy.
    Regardless of the physical desire, she’d never trust him again with her heart. For all she knew he had several lovers or even a fiancé. He’d always had women fawning all over him so there were bound to be a few special ones in his life now. The thought had her grinding her teeth and that foolish reaction annoyed her even more.
    Deciding she’d done all the accounting she could handle for the day, she put away her checkbook, raised her arms above her head and stretched some of the stiffness from her shoulders. The action pulled the silk of her blouse tight against her unbound breasts. Her nipples tautened and tingled at the sensual caress. A needy shiver ran through her body. She blamed Noah for rekindling a passion in her that had been tempered for years. Why was he the only man she’d ever known who could stir her desire from cool embers to scorching flames in the space of a few seconds?
    “Have you found any miracle cures for our financial woes?”
    Noah appeared in the doorway, his cynical tone startling Andrea. She dropped her arms and crossed them over her chest, hiding her pouting nipples but unable to hide the blush on her cheeks.
    “You know there aren’t any miracles. Not unless Nanna is storing some extremely valuable antiques in the attic. A couple of Chippendales or a Monet would be nice.”
    He didn’t move any further into the room but leaned a shoulder on the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. Every small movement, every ripple of powerful muscle, reminded her of last night, of the way their bodies fit together so perfectly, so tightly, so hotly.
    “She already ruled out hidden treasures,” he assured her.
    Andrea chided herself for being distracted by his blond good looks. She needed to keep her mind on business and clarify a few things. “You said she’d exhausted all efforts to raise cash. Is that why you’ve moved into the house or is it a little premature possessiveness?”
    His gaze remained unflinching as it locked with hers. “I moved in when Trace bought the manager’s house.”
    “Convenient, huh?” She couldn’t disguise her irritation.
    “Convenient for what?” he challenged. “Convenient to have room and board? Yeah. To utilize one of the five empty bedrooms and be close if Nanette needed me? Yeah. Why are you really grousing? Because I’m not family so I shouldn’t be living in the family home?”
    Andrea glared at him. It had been a real shock to find him sharing a balcony with her last night, learning that he slept right next door to her room. The thought of continued proximity was even more disturbing.
    “I just want to make it perfectly clear that sex is not part of the employee package,” she insisted, voice tight. “Sleeping in the room next to mine doesn’t equate to an open