Page 20 of Too Hot to Sleep
"Are you sleeping?"
He blinked awake. "No." Then he laughed. "Well, almost. That was... incredible."
Her laugh was musical, like a wind chime. "Want to meet for lunch tomorrow in your office building?"
He plummeted back to earth, remembering that she believed she'd just shared an incredible experience with her boyfriend. Her lyrical laughter was meant for Rob. "Um, I think I'll stay home and try to shake this cold."
"I thought you said it was allergies."
"Yes. No. I'm not sure." He coughed as if a lung were in jeopardy.
"You sound terrible. I'll come by tomorrow to check on you."
"No! I mean, I wouldn't want you to catch something. I'll be fine, really."
"Are you sure?"
He felt weak with relief. "I'm sure. Your calls are all the medicine I need. Besides, not seeing each other in person fora few days will make things more… interesting." Was that him talking, purposely perpetuating a fraud?
"But you're still planning to go to Stacey's wedding Saturday afternoon, aren't you?"
When in doubt, dig thyself deeper into a hole. "Um, sure."
"I'm going early to help the bridesmaids dress, so I'll meet you there."
"Okay." He made a mental note to check for a gas leak since he'd obviously lost a few brain cells.
"Meanwhile, I hope you're feeling better soon."
She had the voice of an angel. "I'm feeling better already."
"Good. I'll let you go," she said softly. "Call me when you're back on your feet?"
Ken hesitated. Being on the receiving end of her misdirected phone calls was one thing, but initiating contact and impersonating her boyfriend... "Why don't you call me instead... tomorrow night?"
"Okay," she agreed. "I'll be working the blood drive tomorrow evening at the municipal building, but I'll call you when I get home."
"Great," he said, his mind already leaping ahead.
He kept the phone to his ear until the dial tone sounded, then fumbled around in the dark to replace the handset. He limped to the bathroom and turned on the light, squinting under the harsh illumination. A ten-minute shower did little to erase her from his mind. He toweled off quickly, his body still thrumming from their encounter, his ears still ringing with the cries of her release.
Leaning on the sink, he stared at himself in the mirror and rubbed his darkened jaw. Women had called him handsome, even rugged, but all he ever saw in his reflection was a too-big guy whose opportunities had been based more on his brawn than his brain. And, from his conduct of late, he was definitelyproving everyone right who believed a big guy couldn't be a mental heavyweight.
Remorse descended on his bare shoulders, bowing them. What was he thinking? He wasn't, of course. He, the man of steel who'd vowed never to let his libido get in the way of good sense, had succumbed to a soft voice with an erotic vocabulary.
His watch lay on the sink. Ken smiled wryly. Today was his birthday—thirty-seven. Did men have a biological clock? He laughed. He'd have to ask Klone, who spouted all that touchy-feely stuff when he wasn't playing practical jokes. He winced in the mirror, hoping his partner hadn't planned a birthday surprise. Good old Klone, always trying to set him up with a cousin or a niece of Louise's, although frankly, he hadn't met anyone who piqued his interest and his mind enough to make the rigors of romance worthwhile.
Until now. And as luck would have it, she had no clue how good they were together. In fact, she didn't even like him. And to make matters worse, he was helping to further theotherguy's cause. A guy who, from Ken's cursory check, had a slightly blemished past.
A whine from his bedroom broke into his thoughts. He wrapped the towel around his waist and padded to the nook next to the dresser where he'd made a bed for Crash, the pooch he'd accidentally struck. "Can't sleep either, boy?" Poor little guy—he probably missed his owner and was confused about his immobility.
The battered dog gave a little bark in response, then lowered its head.
Ken stroked the spot between Crash's ears that he seemed to like. The ad he'd placed in the newspaper for a found dog wouldn't run for another week. "Until then we're stuck with each other," he murmured. "Hey, remember that lady doc who bandaged you up?"
The dog looked at him with shining eyes.
"Well, besides being gorgeous, she's really hot, but there's this other guy, see, and—" Ken stopped and laughed wryly. "And let's just say if she ever finds out what I've done, I'd beluckyto be in the doghouse."
