lot.
She dropped the remainder of her cold coffee into a trash receptacle close to her vehicle, and Evan did the same. He’d never really wanted the beverage anyway.
“Give me the keys,” he demanded.
Surprisingly, she reached in her pocket to hand them over. She pulled them out, causing something else to drop to the ground. Without thinking, Evan bent and picked up the object. He held the item in his hand for a moment, stunned. “You have one of these, too?” he asked hoarsely.
“The Apache tear. Yeah. I got it from Beatrice. She thinks I’m going to meet my soul mate.” Randi reached for the stone and hurriedly shoved it back in her pocket. “I like her. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Evan took the keys she was dangling in front of him and opened the door of the vehicle. It was hard to tell exactly what kind of car it was when it was covered in snow, but it appeared to be a small SUV. He started it quickly and grabbed the snow brush in the backseat to clear the slush and ice off the body and windows of the car.
“I can do that,” Randi insisted, trying to take the brush from his hand.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable, but let me,” Evan requested evenly. “There’s no reason for you to do it since I’m here.” He made short work of removing the snow and scraping the ice as he watched Randi eye him curiously.
She crossed her arms and observed his movements as he worked. “You’re a gentleman underneath all of your bluster.” The statement was almost accusing.
“I’m not chauvinistic,” Evan said carefully. “I employ plenty of smart women, some of them smarter than my male employees.” He put the snow brush back in the car, closed the door so the windows would finish defrosting, and turned to face her. “But I’ll admit that I have a hard time watching a woman do physical work when a stronger body is around.”
She frowned as her eyes drifted over his tall, muscular form. “I have a hard time arguing with the fact that you’re bigger and probably stronger. But it doesn’t mean that you have to always do the physical work.”
Evan looked at her petite figure. Logically, she couldn’t argue their difference in size. At a little over six feet tall, he towered over her. She might be the athletic type, but he worked out every day, and he was a hell of a lot stronger. “I have very little opportunity to do anything physical except in a gym. I have employees who do most things for me. I don’t mind, and cleaning your car is hardly strenuous.” He hesitated before he inquired in what he hoped was a casual voice, “Can I ask you a question?”
She lifted a brow before asking, “What?”
“Does Beatrice give out these stones to everyone?” He pulled the crystal from his pocket and held it out to her.
Hesitantly, Randi reached out and took the rock into her own hand. She turned it over and over a few times before handing it back with a perplexed look on her face. “Hardly ever,” she admitted. “You got one, too?”
“She mailed it to me with a letter a few months ago, telling me I was going to be married within six months,” he answered reluctantly, slipping the Apache tear back into his coat pocket. “I think she might be demented.”
Randi laughed, and a bolt of pleasure raced through Evan’s body at the husky, sultry sound.
“She’s not crazy. She’s just a little eccentric. Sometimes her predictions actually do come true.”
Evan shook his head. “She’s destined for disappointment with me.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Randi admitted, reaching for the door of her rapidly defrosting vehicle. It was a deep-purple SUV that somehow suited her bold personality. Evan could finally see the make and model clearly.
“Randi?” he questioned huskily.
“Yes?” She turned and looked at him, her expression no longer hostile.
“Don’t worry about my coat. I have another one.” It wasn’t what he really wanted to say, but he couldn’t
She dropped the remainder of her cold coffee into a trash receptacle close to her vehicle, and Evan did the same. He’d never really wanted the beverage anyway.
“Give me the keys,” he demanded.
Surprisingly, she reached in her pocket to hand them over. She pulled them out, causing something else to drop to the ground. Without thinking, Evan bent and picked up the object. He held the item in his hand for a moment, stunned. “You have one of these, too?” he asked hoarsely.
“The Apache tear. Yeah. I got it from Beatrice. She thinks I’m going to meet my soul mate.” Randi reached for the stone and hurriedly shoved it back in her pocket. “I like her. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Evan took the keys she was dangling in front of him and opened the door of the vehicle. It was hard to tell exactly what kind of car it was when it was covered in snow, but it appeared to be a small SUV. He started it quickly and grabbed the snow brush in the backseat to clear the slush and ice off the body and windows of the car.
“I can do that,” Randi insisted, trying to take the brush from his hand.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable, but let me,” Evan requested evenly. “There’s no reason for you to do it since I’m here.” He made short work of removing the snow and scraping the ice as he watched Randi eye him curiously.
She crossed her arms and observed his movements as he worked. “You’re a gentleman underneath all of your bluster.” The statement was almost accusing.
“I’m not chauvinistic,” Evan said carefully. “I employ plenty of smart women, some of them smarter than my male employees.” He put the snow brush back in the car, closed the door so the windows would finish defrosting, and turned to face her. “But I’ll admit that I have a hard time watching a woman do physical work when a stronger body is around.”
She frowned as her eyes drifted over his tall, muscular form. “I have a hard time arguing with the fact that you’re bigger and probably stronger. But it doesn’t mean that you have to always do the physical work.”
Evan looked at her petite figure. Logically, she couldn’t argue their difference in size. At a little over six feet tall, he towered over her. She might be the athletic type, but he worked out every day, and he was a hell of a lot stronger. “I have very little opportunity to do anything physical except in a gym. I have employees who do most things for me. I don’t mind, and cleaning your car is hardly strenuous.” He hesitated before he inquired in what he hoped was a casual voice, “Can I ask you a question?”
She lifted a brow before asking, “What?”
“Does Beatrice give out these stones to everyone?” He pulled the crystal from his pocket and held it out to her.
Hesitantly, Randi reached out and took the rock into her own hand. She turned it over and over a few times before handing it back with a perplexed look on her face. “Hardly ever,” she admitted. “You got one, too?”
“She mailed it to me with a letter a few months ago, telling me I was going to be married within six months,” he answered reluctantly, slipping the Apache tear back into his coat pocket. “I think she might be demented.”
Randi laughed, and a bolt of pleasure raced through Evan’s body at the husky, sultry sound.
“She’s not crazy. She’s just a little eccentric. Sometimes her predictions actually do come true.”
Evan shook his head. “She’s destined for disappointment with me.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Randi admitted, reaching for the door of her rapidly defrosting vehicle. It was a deep-purple SUV that somehow suited her bold personality. Evan could finally see the make and model clearly.
“Randi?” he questioned huskily.
“Yes?” She turned and looked at him, her expression no longer hostile.
“Don’t worry about my coat. I have another one.” It wasn’t what he really wanted to say, but he couldn’t
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