LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

thousand?” That was what most people did. They could handle increases of twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars at a time. And as much as she needed this commission, she didn’t want to make this all about her.

      But Seth wasn’t most people. “I can’t imagine there’s a huge jump from what we saw today with a couple thousand dollars. Let’s look in the three-fifty to five-hundred range.”

      She took a slow breath. The house on Bitter Root was four seventy-five. Would he like her favorite house or not? “Half a million is a lot of money, Seth. There’s no need to buy more house than you’ll use.” Certainly not because of her. She didn’t want to bankrupt the man just because he had a soft spot for...

      Well, not for her. For pregnant women, maybe. But not for her.

      He turned, facing her fully. There was something in his eyes—the same sort of almost possessive look he’d had when he growled earlier.

      Heat flashed through her body as he stared at her. He’d looked earlier like he was willing to fight his friend over her. He looked very much the same now.

      “We can’t do this,” she heard herself say before she completely lost her mind.

      He lifted his eyebrows, and she immediately felt stupid. “Do what?” he asked, almost—but not quite—pulling off innocence.

      “I’m not looking for a relationship.” Well. So much for not making this awkward.

      “Fair enough.” He turned even more, resting one elbow on the dashboard and another against the back of the seat. “What are you looking for?”

      Oh, hell. That was a question she most definitely hadn’t seen coming. “I’m sorry?”

      “You have to admit, Kate—there’s something between us. I went to your office because I need to buy a house and an industrial property—but those weren’t the only reasons.” He leaned toward her—not close enough to touch her, but his gaze drifted over her and he inhaled deeply. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know that how we met wasn’t exactly normal—”

      Kate rolled her eyes. That was being generous.

      “Look, I’m not in the market for a relationship, either,” he went on, politely ignoring her unladylike response. “I don’t plan on sticking around all the time. Settling down isn’t in my blood.”

      Wasn’t that what he’d basically said before? He was buying a house he only planned to live in for maybe six months out of the year? No, Seth Bolton wasn’t the kind of guy who started playing house on a whim.

      But still, hearing it baldly stated like that was physically painful, like someone was jabbing her hand with a pin. “What are you saying?”

      “I need a house and you need a commission. That’s all there has to be. But if you want something more...” His gaze darkened, and Kate swore it got ten degrees warmer in the car.

      “More?” Her voice came out the barest of whispers.

      She shouldn’t be asking. She should, instead, get out of this car and thank him for his business and promise him that she would have a fresh slate of houses in a new price range that were sure to meet his needs by Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Their standing date.

      “I think we want the same thing.” His voice was low and serious, and another flash of heat ran through her body. Ironically, she shivered. How was he doing this to her? She was not sexy—not after being on her feet all day and mowing through that many fries. She was not desirable—her pants barely buttoned.

      Yet here Seth sat, looking at her as if she were the ice cream and he couldn’t wait to start licking. Her body felt warm and liquid, like she could melt right into him. “You’re not looking for long-term. You don’t want to be hurt again and you’ve got a baby on the way to think about. But it might do you good...” His voice trailed off as his gaze caressed her face.

      “What might do me good?” She was powerless to do anything but ask that question, because it appeared that all common sense had abandoned her in the face of one hot, protective biker dude.

      He didn’t answer her for the longest second and Kate thought she just might die on the spot. “Rebounds can be fun. Something short and sweet, no strings attached—something to help you get past those years lost to Roger. I think you deserve a little fun, Kate.”

      God, it sounded so good. So right. Because really—one conversation with Seth that didn’t even involve touching, much less kissing, and she was already more turned on than she could remember being in years. Seth would be amazing. Simply amazing. Maybe the best she’d ever had, in her limited experience. And who knew what would happen after the baby came. She would be struggling to get through the long nights alone. Romance would be the last thing on her mind.

      What if Seth were her last shot at romance—or even just good sex—for a long time? Years, even?

      Was she willing to let go of that part of herself?

      She wasn’t, and she almost, almost said yes right then and there. Her mouth opened and the word was right on the tip of her tongue. Yes.

      But she couldn’t get it out because she wasn’t the kind of person to willingly enter a sexual relationship just for the fun of it. Casual sex had never been casual. Not for her.

      Still... “And you’re fun?”

      That smile—oh, she was not going to be strong enough. “I can take care of you, Kate. Even for a little while.” His eyes darkened. “Just something to consider.”

      And the thing was, he seemed sincere about it. He wasn’t boxing her in. He was focused on her, yes—but not intimidatingly so. “You’re serious, are you?”

      Please, let him be serious.

      He nodded, the tip of his tongue touching his top lip. Jesus, she’d never seen anything so seductive. “You don’t have to decide anything now. My offer’s on the table. But promise me you’ll think about it?”

      She hated to ask this next question—but it was important she make a counteroffer. “And if I pass?” Because she needed the commissions he would bring in. She didn’t want this to be some quid pro quo situation.

      “Then you pass.” He shrugged, as if rejecting his advances were no big deal. “Unlike some people, I know where the line is and I know not to cross it. I can keep business and pleasure separate.”

      Oh, that hurt. Because with Roger, they hadn’t been separate. With Roger, she wasn’t sure how much pleasure had been involved at all. The longer she was away from him—and her father—the more she was certain that Roger had only been with her because she came with the company.

      Had there been any evidence to the contrary? No. There’d been no late-night calls, drunken or otherwise, professing that he really loved her and wanted her back. No daytime calls, either. No flowers. No big romantic gestures, like standing under her bedroom window and blasting their song until she realized she’d made a mistake.

      Nothing. They didn’t even have a song. When she’d asked what he wanted to play for their first dance, he’d shrugged.

      And to think, she’d almost married nothing.

      That did not mean that she wanted to jump into bed with Seth. It did mean, however, that the fact that he was making sense should be a source of concern.

      So what if something short and sweet and fun sounded perfect? So what if it was Seth, who had made her feel safe from the very first moment she’d laid eyes on him? So what if the one man who seemingly gave a damn about her was the one offering to show her a good time—with no strings attached?

      She had a baby on the way. There would always be strings attached.

      “I can’t,” she said softly, unable to look at him when she said it. Because even if he was offering to make at least one of her fantasies come true, that wasn’t her. Kate Burroughs wasn’t that

Скачать книгу