Page 12 of The Agent
He nodded. “Sure, if it’s no trouble.”
“None at all.” She opened the door wider. As he stepped into her narrow front hall, she felt overpowered by the sheer maleness of him. He was at least six-two, his big firm body dominating the small space. Before she could stop herself, she imagined that big firm body dominatingher,and her breasts immediately ached, her nipples poking out against the front of her tank top. She wasn’t surprised when Caleb’s eyes dropped to her chest, lingering only for a second.
And with that one brief look, a rush of heat filled her body. She was rooted in place, watching his face as he watched her, and for a moment she experienced a sense of familiarity. As if they knew each other. There was something unbelievably intimate about his gaze.
She cleared her throat. “Uh, the kitchen’s this way.”
Caleb followed her down the hall, keeping a respectful distance behind her. As they entered her kitchen, she experienced a twinge of embarrassment at the chaos in the large airy space. Last weekend she’d scraped off most of the awful flower-patterned wallpaper the previous owners had described ascharmingin the real estate listing, and the walls were now bare. Paint cans sat near the splintered oak counter, which she needed to replace, and since she planned on painting the pantry,too, all the food from there rested in boxes against the wall. The room was a disaster.
“Sorry for the mess,” she apologized. “I’m doing some renovating.”
He raised a brow. “On your own?”
“Yep,” she replied, gesturing for him to sit at the table tucked in the corner of the room. “I’m about to start the kitchen, which leaves me with, oh, every other room in the house.”
Caleb’s mouth lifted in a crooked smile. Marley’s breath caught in her throat. Wow. This man definitely needed to do that more often.
He sank into one of the tall-backed chairs and crossed his ankles. “You’re a do-it-yourself type then.”
“Of course. It’s not fun hiring someone to do the job for you.” She shrugged. “Way more satisfying knowing that I did the work.”
She flicked on the coffeemaker and opened the cupboard above the sink, pulling out two mugs. “So what brought a New Yorker all the way across the country?”
There was a long pause, and then he chuckled. “Checking up on me, huh?”
She turned around and met his knowing look. “What?”
“I never told you I was from New York.”
Heat scorched her cheeks. Shoot. Totally busted. How could she slip up like that?
“I called Debbie in Paris,” she admitted. “I just wanted to make sure you were on the up and up. They didn’t mention a renter before they left.”
“It was a last-minute thing,” he said, not offering further explanation.
The coffee machine clicked, and she poured the hot liquid into the mugs, glancing over at him. “Let me guess, you take yours black.”
His lips twitched. “How’d you know?”
“Just a feeling.” She dumped two spoonfuls of sugar into her cup, then walked over to the table and handed him his. Rather than sitting, she leaned against the counter again, blowing on her coffee to cool it.
“You’re just going to hover over me like that?” Caleb asked.
“I hate sitting down,” she confessed. “Probably because of my job. I’m on my feet all day, and I’ve gotten used to it. I go a little stir crazy when I’m in a chair.”
“So…” He held his cup in one hand, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Do you usually make sure everyone you meet is on the up and up?”
The blush returned to her cheeks. “Not really. I just…well, I like the Strathorns and I wanted to make sure…” Her voice trailed, and she made a wry face. “Sorry, I guess I’ve been having some trust issues lately.”
He appeared to mull over her remark, then raised his mug to his lips. She watched his throat work as he swallowed, her stomach doing a funny little flip. Caleb Ford oozed masculinity, even when he drank. She couldn’t help wondering if he’d be like that in bed, controlled, powerful.
As if he’d read her mind, he locked his eyes with hers. Little sparks danced along Marley’s skin. There were sparks in the air, too. Hard to ignore them, zinging back and forth between her and Caleb, heating her skin. Breaking the eye contact, she distracted herself by taking another sip of coffee.
“Yeah, I know all about those. Trust issues,” he clarified with a shrug. “To be honest, trust isn’t something I’m good at.”
She was suddenly curious. “Giving it, or getting it?”
“A little of both, probably.”
