Carly Phillips - Simply Sinful

“What about a skate key?” he asked.

She blinked at the strange question. “A what?”

He chuckled. “Never mind.” He reached around and patted the floor surrounding the heater. “Aha.” He held a small rounded key aloft. Triumph lit eyes that she now realized were stunning-an aqua mix that emphasized more blue than green and turned her already mixed up insides to pure mush.

She glanced at his find. “Let me guess. A skate key?”

“Sort of. Most of these old units need to be bled at the start of every season, sometimes more often. People familiar with them leave the key in a place they won’t forget. Otherwise you have to go running and hope you can find…”

“The nearest skater?” she asked wryly.

“She’d do in a pinch…if she looked like you.”

A burning flush heated her cheeks. Thanks to her fair skin she probably resembled a tomato by now. “Look, Mr. McDermott, I appreciate your help, but you don’t have to flatter me.”

“Do compliments make you uncomfortable, Miss Luck?”

She shrugged, knowing he’d hit a nerve. In her experience, compliments were a means to an end.

“A woman like you should be used to them. I would think you’d take them in stride.”

“Let’s just say, I’d rather get back to the problem at hand,” she said, gesturing toward the heater. “I thought you bled a heater when there was no heat.”

“You do. But you might as well stabilize the system so you don’t have major problems when you turn it on again next winter.” He turned back to the heater and soon the sound of water running into the bucket filled the otherwise silent room. After her third trip to empty the water into the bathroom sink, he flipped the key and rose to his feet.

“All set.” He wiped his damp hands on his pants, unconcerned with the damage he did to his suit. “As for the unit, give it some time. Chances are it’ll cool off without the help of the repairman.”

“Just clueing me in might have saved me a small fortune. Thanks.”

“Not a problem.” His gaze bored into hers and a flash of dizziness assaulted her. She only wished she could blame the heat, but knew it was his penetrating stare that unnerved her.

“Reconsider that drink?” he asked.

She started to shake her head. “I…”

“Then I want lessons. And before you say anything, I know you don’t specialize in dating etiquette anymore, but consider this an emergency. I have dinner with my boss tomorrow night and he plans on bringing his daughter. I don’t want to get involved, but I’d like to make a good impression and bow out gracefully at the end. Dinner tonight so you can teach me the finer points of charm and class.” He grinned and she discovered one dimple in his left cheek.

“I think you have enough of both,” she said wryly.

“So humor me. I’m giving you an excuse to say yes…and you know you want to.” His voice lowered an octave. Husky and seductive, it flowed through her veins.

“And I think you’re taking a lot for granted. How about I make some calls and see if one of my instructors is available to, uh, meet your needs.” She groaned inwardly. It had taken years to learn how to cover her insecurities, but Kayla had managed. Yet around Kane McDermott, she became the awkward girl she’d once been.

“I’d rather go with you.” His intense gaze begged her to believe.

Could he possibly be interested in her? She shook her head.

“Too bad for me.” Disappointment tinged his voice and dulled his gaze. He pointed to the phone. “Guess I’ll be going with a stranger tonight.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m a stranger.”

“Funny, but it doesn’t feel that way.” His gaze locked with hers in a meaningful stare she couldn’t escape or mistake. There was a connection between them. They both knew it-just as they both knew he’d just changed her mind.

She lowered herself into the swivel chair behind her desk. Leaning across the wooden top, Kane came within kissing breadth of her lips and she caught an enticing hint of spearmint on his breath. “Are you going to disappoint a customer, Miss Luck?”

“Kayla.” She licked her dry lips.

He raised an eyebrow and straightened to his full height. “It seems I’ve made progress, Kayla.”

He most definitely had. “Well, I can’t very well accompany you if you’re going to call me Miss Luck all night,” she said.

The flash of white teeth came and went in a quick grin. “I heard about this casual place. I forget the name.” He buttoned his suit jacket. “I’m from out of town, so I’m not too familiar with the city. I expect to be visiting often, though, because the boss lives here.” His gaze never left hers.

“So it’s casual dinner?” she asked.

“Yes. You can run through wine ordering, dinner choices, all the necessary things I’d need to know for dinner with the boss…and I get your company. Like baseball?”

She nodded, feeling a little like she’d been blindsided.

“I’ve got tickets for the Red Sox game afterward and we can hit that later.”

“Somehow I doubt you need lessons on how to attend a ball game.”

“No, but by then I’m hoping we’ll be past the lesson stage. Sound good?”

She cleared her throat. “Sounds fine.” So fine it scared her.

“We’re all set then.”

She nodded.

“You won’t be disappointed.” His words held a wealth of meaning and Kayla had the distinct impression this was more than a business. That she was more than hired help to this extremely sexy man.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. The connection was instant, the knowledge frightening. She feared her deepest thoughts had just been confirmed. He jerked back without warning. Had he experienced the same unnerving reaction as she?

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a brown leather wallet, working quickly, as if he suddenly couldn’t wait to be gone. “Do you take American Express or Visa?” he asked.

“Either, but…” What could she say? That the thought of taking money in exchange for an evening in his company seemed wrong?

She glanced at Kane. He’d charmed her despite his initial pretense. Not only did she like him but she could use an evening out to enjoy herself. With the all-business attitude she’d had lately, she’d barely had time for fun. When was the last time she’d been out with a nice guy? The last time she’d let herself be charmed for once? Kane was most definitely good at that. She bit down on her lower lip and met his gaze, which had darkened to an unreadable, darker blue.

He flipped open his wallet. “I can pay cash if you’d prefer.”

“No.” She couldn’t take money in exchange for a date. No matter how he couched the word, that’s what it was. She treated him to a genuine smile. “Why don’t we see how things go and we can discuss it? Later.”

“Okay.” He snapped closed the billfold. “I’m staying at the Summit Hotel and I’ll be in touch, Miss…Kayla.” With a grin, he walked out the door, leaving her to wonder…

Could she really be that…lucky?

“YOU LOOK SHARP, McDermott.” Whistles and catcalls followed his walk through the station house. Kane ignored the harassment and parked himself in an open chair, kicking his legs out in front of him. He exhaled deep and easy, keeping up a steady beat. Relaxation came, but it was hard-won and destined not to last.

He’d taken one look at that angel-like face and known the geek cover wouldn’t work. He’d given it a shot anyway…because it would have been a hell of a lot easier to keep his distance from the woman if he wasn’t acting like himself. He was a professional. Attraction was never supposed to come into play.

Kane let out a groan. But he’d never seen eyes so wide-set and green and he’d damn sure never seen curves like hers anywhere but on a magazine centerfold. Desire hadn’t hit him so hard or fast since he’d been a teenager.

“Well? Did the McDermott charm do her in?”

At the sound of the commanding voice, Kane lifted his gaze. Since he’d been pulled into the assignment last minute, he hadn’t had a chance to go over his cover with Reid. Kane was grateful. He’d never live it down if the captain thought he’d gone in acting like a pencil-pushing geek. “She didn’t say no, if that’s what you’re asking. You get the tickets?”

Reid ran a hand over his balding head. “You’re a pain in the ass, McDermott. Yeah, I called my brother-in-law and told him my best detective was into bribery now.”

Kane shrugged. “Like I had a choice? Besides you’re the one who insisted I take some R &R.”

Reid’s face grew somber. “Don’t try to con me, McDermott. I’ve known you since you were a wise guy in the academy. You watch a kid get killed and you tell me you don’t need R &R?” Reid snorted. “I haven’t seen you so shaken since your first shot actually hit its target.”

Kane didn’t reply. The captain was right. When he was a rookie, Kane had fatally wounded a suspect when he’d closed a drug bust. The captain had picked Kane up and taken him home afterward, and, since then, the Reids had become the family Kane insisted he didn’t need.

The captain knew him well. More importantly, he had accepted him. Despite Kane’s surly attitude and attempts to remain aloof, Reid pushed anyway, including him on holidays and family gatherings. After a while, the older man’s persistence had paid off. Kane couldn’t bring himself to insult Reid or his wife by turning them down, though he squelched the small part of him that wanted to enjoy the sense of family they provided. Kane limited the occasions, but he still knew the Reid clan better than he knew anyone else.

“At least these tickets will work to our advantage,” Reid said in his raspy voice.

“You really ought to lay off the smokes, Captain.”

Reid scowled at him. “Worried I won’t be around to bug you?” He laughed. “I’m too tough to die.”