LITMIR.BIZ

      “No more stalling.” Lucas Carrington’s patience was worn razor thin. Tired of talking in circles, he cut to the chase. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

      Her lush lips pursed as her eyes narrowed. “My name is Kate Whitley and I have every right to be here—”

      “Impossible. More likely you’re homeless and broke in here seeking shelter from the storm.”

      Kate’s chin tilted up and her unwavering brown gaze met his. “I’m not homeless. In fact, I’m an interior designer and a darned good one, too.”

      She did have an innocent girl-next-door look about her, but he knew all too well that things were never quite what they seemed. “Are you trying to tell me you broke in here because you had this overwhelming desire to redecorate the place?”

      Her thin shoulders drew back into a firm line. Her threadbare cartoon T-shirt pulled snugly across her pert breasts. He swallowed hard. Okay, so maybe his first assessment of her hadn’t been quite right. Gorgeous. Sexy. Curvaceous. Those were much more fitting descriptions.

      She continued to glare at him, seemingly oblivious to the fact her demeanor was more alluring than intimidating. And like some hormone-fueled teenager, he found himself unable to turn away from her tempting curves.

      “There’s no need to sound so condescending.” Her voice filled with exasperation.

      With effort, his gaze lifted to meet hers. “I’m calling the police. They can deal with you.” But there was a wrinkle in his plan—his cell phone was in the other room and the landline in the kitchen had been disconnected ages ago.

      “Go right ahead.”

      Her confident tone surprised him. Did she expect her beauty to get her out of this mess? Or was she attempting to pull a con job on him? Not that any of it mattered. He didn’t have a problem calling her bluff.

      “You seem fairly certain you won’t get in trouble—”

      “I won’t.”

      Lucas was having a hard time focusing on the conversation given that his unexpected visitor was standing in his kitchen with nothing on but a T-shirt, which clung to her shapely curves and exposed her long, long legs. He was definitely beginning to understand why she might rely on her looks. And if he kept staring, this could get embarrassing for both of them.

      He forced his gaze to her face, not that it was any less distracting. Was she wearing makeup? Or was her skin naturally that smooth and creamy?

      Even more troubling than how beautiful he found her was the way she reminded him too much of the past—a past that had nearly destroyed him. Not so long ago another beautiful woman had stood in that spot. She’d made him promises but ended up breaking each and every one of them. His jaw tightened. The last thing he needed was this stranger’s presence to dredge up memories he’d fought so hard to seal inside. He refused to let it happen.

      Refocused and clear about his priorities, his gaze returned to her warm brown eyes. She stared directly at him. Pink stained her cheeks, but she didn’t glance away. She stepped forward, using the kitchen island as a shield. It was far too late for modesty. Her sexy form was already emblazoned upon his memory.

      Stay focused. Soon she’ll be gone. One way...or the other.

      He cleared his throat. “Okay, you’ve got my attention. Why won’t you get in trouble?”

      “I have permission to be here. Temporarily, that is. You know, while the owner is out of town.” Kate’s eyes narrowed, challenging him. She certainly was confident. He’d give her that. “And now it’s your turn to do some explaining. Who are you?”

      “My name’s Lucas.”

      “Well, Lucas, I assume you must know Connie, too.”

      His gaze sought out hers and held it. “Connie? Is that who let you in here?”

      Kate nodded as hope sparked in her eyes. “Connie Carrington.”

      He had liked it better when he thought Kate was a squatter looking for a warm place to sleep. “To be sure, describe Connie.”

      “Short. Brunette. Sixtyish. Very sweet and generous. She has a friendly smile and volunteers at East Riverview Hospital.”

      “That’s her.” It still didn’t prove Kate was telling the whole truth, but it was sure looking that way.

      “Here’s the thing, Connie obviously offered me this place first. And I don’t think us sharing the house is going to work.”

      How dare this woman—this stranger—kick him out of his own house? He opened his mouth to give her a piece of his mind but then closed it. Obviously she didn’t recognize him, a small wonder after that ridiculous magazine article earlier in the month had named him Bachelor of the Year. His quiet life hadn’t been the same since then.

      Kate was a refreshing change from the headline seekers and the husband hunters. Maybe if this were a different time under different circumstances, he’d welcome this beautiful intrusion. But right now all he wanted was to be left alone.

      A clap of thunder rattled the windows. Kate jumped. She obviously wasn’t as calm as she’d like him to believe. Perhaps they both needed a moment to gather their thoughts. He certainly could use a minute or two to tamp down his unwanted attraction.

      “This conversation would be a little less awkward with some more clothes on. I’ll be right back.” He started out of the room, then as an afterthought he called over his shoulder, “Don’t go anywhere.”

      Lucas strode from the room. His teeth ground together. He didn’t want this woman here. He never had company and he preferred it that way. In fact, the less time he spent here, the better he liked it. When he’d asked his aunt to look after the place, he’d never expected her to turn it into a B and B. What in the world had she been thinking?

      Maybe his aunt had planned for him to never find out about Kate. After all, he wasn’t even supposed to be home for another week. But one untimely setback after another at the future site of Carrington Gems’ expansion in San Francisco had ground construction to a halt.

      Still, it was more than losing money hand over fist due to bureaucratic red tape that had him cutting his trip short. He put a stop to his thoughts. He wasn’t ready to contemplate the devastating situation he’d faced before catching his cross-country flight home.

      And the last thing he needed was to return home to find a half-dressed woman making herself comfortable in his house. The image of her bare legs teased his mind, clouding his thoughts.

      He cursed under his breath and pulled on the first pair of jeans he laid his hands on. But if he was going to stay focused, his beautiful interloper needed to cover up. He grabbed a heavy robe that should modestly cover her and give him some peace of mind. With a T-shirt in hand for himself, he rushed back to the kitchen clutching both articles of clothing.

      “Here.” He held out the robe to her. “Put this on.”

      Her wary gaze moved to his outstretched hand and back. It was then that he got a close-up view of her heart-shaped face and button nose. His thoughts screeched to a halt when he spied the dark shadows beneath her eyes. Sympathy welled up inside his chest. Not so long ago, he’d worn a similar look. It hadn’t happened by missing a night or two of sleep. In fact, it’d been the worst time of his life. His gut told him that Kate had a devastating story of her own.

      He’d always been good at reading people. It was what helped him run Carrington Gems and hire a reliable staff. So why had he immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion about Kate?

      Had

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