Page 29 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
‘You don’t have to earn your room and board.’
‘It was fun,’ she insisted.
‘I can see that.’ Unable to stop himself, he wiped a smudge of dirt off her cheek. Her skin was as soft as it looked. From sensual vixen to the girl next door. Was there any angle she didn’t have covered? ‘But if someone sees you here, we’re going to have even more explaining to do.’
Her lips flattened stubbornly. ‘It’s your back yard. Who’s going to be looking there?’
‘I have neighbours.’
‘Is it that uncommon for you to have female guests?’
‘Redheaded bombshells who are all over the television news? Yes.’
Her ponytail swished as she tilted her head. ‘You think I’m a bombshell?’
‘In more ways than one,’ he muttered. ‘Things around you tend to go boom.’
He stepped out the door to look around for Peeping Toms or cameramen with long-range lenses. He even cast a glance at the sky for television news copters.
‘Seriously?’ she said, folding her arms over her chest. ‘I was planting petunias.’
‘And I thank you for that,’ he said, remembering his manners. ‘It’s just…You shouldn’t go outside right now.’
She let out a grumble of displeasure. ‘Then you’re going to have to plant that last one.’
‘I will,’ he promised.
‘Tonight.’
He nodded. He wasn’t accustomed to taking orders, but she had meant well – and his yard looked better than it had for a while. She had a good eye.
‘You’ll have to grill the burgers, too.’
His chin came up. ‘Burgers?’
She was already heading to the kitchen. There were seasoned patties waiting on a plate on the counter. ‘I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up. I planned on eating outside by the fire pit, but if I’m notallowed, I suppose we can eat in here.’
He looked around in confusion as she began pulling plates out of the cupboard. ‘You didn’t have to do all this.’
She turned with a frustrated sigh. ‘I thought you told me to do what I wanted.’
‘I did, but—’
She pushed the plates into his hands. ‘It may take me a while to get going, but I don’t lounge around. I like to keep busy.’
‘OK. Fine, but I don’t have time for a sit-down dinner. I need to get caught up on how things went today.’
‘Do you think that’s not important to me, too?’ Her green eyes sparked. ‘I kept watch. I would have woken you if anything had gotten out of hand.’
‘But—’ Just the thought of her waking him up brought all kinds of new visions to his head.
He rubbed a hand over his face and tried to concentrate. Would she know if it was getting out of hand? He had to keep an eye on the smallest of indicators. He was a crisis manager. He knew better than anybody how a tiny spark could turn into a raging flame. He put down the plates and leaned his hips against the kitchen table. ‘OK, give me the rundown.’
She pushed the burgers at him this time. ‘I like mine cooked medium-well.’
He scowled at her. ‘Jenny.’
She scowled right back. ‘You have to eat, and I’m hungry. I waited for you.’
