was quite impressed, actually, by how patient he’d been with someone
who wouldn’t take no for an answer. But then he’d had plenty of practice at handling
women, hadn’t he? He sailed through life, taking his pleasure where he wanted, and
yet he didn’t have hordes of women out for his blood. Because he knew how to handle
them, obviously.
He slipped the phone into his pocket as she set the jug and two glasses on the table.
“Do you have to go?” She nodded at the phone.
“No.” He looked up. “Do you want me to leave?”
Shrugging, she said, “You’re not stopping me from doing anything important. You must
have plans, though. It’s Saturday night, after all. You always go out on Saturday
night if you’re not working.”
“True.” He reached for another slice of pizza. “Still, if it’s all right with you,
I’ll hang around for a bit longer.”
“Makes no difference to me.” In contrast to her casual words, her heart raced as she
filled both glasses with water before sitting down. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Who?”
“The woman on the phone. Why don’t you want to meet her?”
He gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Yes, you do. Repeatedly. How else would I know all about your girlfriends?”
“Oh. Well, in that case…she has this habit of using finger quotes in all the wrong
places.”
Jasmine screwed up her face. “What?”
“She says things like, we went out to ‘dinner.’” He wiggled his fingers in the air
as he said the last word. “Now, what is with that?”
“Did you go out to dinner?”
“Yes, and it was very nice too. Nothing wrong with the meal.”
“Then, I have no idea, but it sounds like a hanging offense.”
“It’s very off-putting.” He shook his head, then grinned. “I solved the problem.”
“How?”
“By keeping her hands full.”
She choked on her water.
Laughing at her expression, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions,”
he said with mock disapproval.
When she stopped coughing he jerked his head toward the house. “What’s next?”
“Hmm?”
“With the house. What’s your next renovation task?”
“Oh.” She dragged her mind back from inappropriate thoughts and turned toward the
house, blowing out a breath. “Well, I have to start on the outside next. Out the front
I want to relay the tessellated tiles on the front porch, create some sort of garden
from the chaos out there, and put up a fence. I think I’ll start with the tiles.”
“And will you be getting help with that?”
“Are you offering?”
He hesitated. “I might be.”
What? She’d expected him to say, Hell, no .
“Why would you do that?”
His expression was unreadable as he leaned forward, planting both elbows on the table
and folding his arms. “It might be fun. Like doing a big jigsaw.”
“Huh. You could buy a thousand-piece jigsaw and do it in the comfort of your own home,
if that’s what rings your bell.”
“Okay, I have to confess, I’ve got an ulterior motive. I’m trying to get on your good
side, but you don’t seem too impressed.”
“You could promise not to tell anybody about last Saturday. That would impress me.”
“Done deal. I thought we’d agreed on that already?”
“I wasn’t sure. I never know when you’re being serious.”
“I’m completely serious about that, and…there’s something else I’m serious about.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on? You’ve never wanted to get on my good side
before.”
“I’ve never needed to ask you a favor before.”
“Intriguing. If it involves buying lingerie for one of your girlfriends, forget it.”
He grinned. “Nothing like that. I need a partner for…an outing.”
“And? That’s not difficult for you, surely? You have women hanging off you like barnacles
most of the time.”
“Well, it is a problem in this case. You see, I can’t think of anyone who’d
who wouldn’t take no for an answer. But then he’d had plenty of practice at handling
women, hadn’t he? He sailed through life, taking his pleasure where he wanted, and
yet he didn’t have hordes of women out for his blood. Because he knew how to handle
them, obviously.
He slipped the phone into his pocket as she set the jug and two glasses on the table.
“Do you have to go?” She nodded at the phone.
“No.” He looked up. “Do you want me to leave?”
Shrugging, she said, “You’re not stopping me from doing anything important. You must
have plans, though. It’s Saturday night, after all. You always go out on Saturday
night if you’re not working.”
“True.” He reached for another slice of pizza. “Still, if it’s all right with you,
I’ll hang around for a bit longer.”
“Makes no difference to me.” In contrast to her casual words, her heart raced as she
filled both glasses with water before sitting down. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Who?”
“The woman on the phone. Why don’t you want to meet her?”
He gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Yes, you do. Repeatedly. How else would I know all about your girlfriends?”
“Oh. Well, in that case…she has this habit of using finger quotes in all the wrong
places.”
Jasmine screwed up her face. “What?”
“She says things like, we went out to ‘dinner.’” He wiggled his fingers in the air
as he said the last word. “Now, what is with that?”
“Did you go out to dinner?”
“Yes, and it was very nice too. Nothing wrong with the meal.”
“Then, I have no idea, but it sounds like a hanging offense.”
“It’s very off-putting.” He shook his head, then grinned. “I solved the problem.”
“How?”
“By keeping her hands full.”
She choked on her water.
Laughing at her expression, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions,”
he said with mock disapproval.
When she stopped coughing he jerked his head toward the house. “What’s next?”
“Hmm?”
“With the house. What’s your next renovation task?”
“Oh.” She dragged her mind back from inappropriate thoughts and turned toward the
house, blowing out a breath. “Well, I have to start on the outside next. Out the front
I want to relay the tessellated tiles on the front porch, create some sort of garden
from the chaos out there, and put up a fence. I think I’ll start with the tiles.”
“And will you be getting help with that?”
“Are you offering?”
He hesitated. “I might be.”
What? She’d expected him to say, Hell, no .
“Why would you do that?”
His expression was unreadable as he leaned forward, planting both elbows on the table
and folding his arms. “It might be fun. Like doing a big jigsaw.”
“Huh. You could buy a thousand-piece jigsaw and do it in the comfort of your own home,
if that’s what rings your bell.”
“Okay, I have to confess, I’ve got an ulterior motive. I’m trying to get on your good
side, but you don’t seem too impressed.”
“You could promise not to tell anybody about last Saturday. That would impress me.”
“Done deal. I thought we’d agreed on that already?”
“I wasn’t sure. I never know when you’re being serious.”
“I’m completely serious about that, and…there’s something else I’m serious about.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on? You’ve never wanted to get on my good side
before.”
“I’ve never needed to ask you a favor before.”
“Intriguing. If it involves buying lingerie for one of your girlfriends, forget it.”
He grinned. “Nothing like that. I need a partner for…an outing.”
“And? That’s not difficult for you, surely? You have women hanging off you like barnacles
most of the time.”
“Well, it is a problem in this case. You see, I can’t think of anyone who’d
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