she said, “you’re wrong. It’s not midnight, which means it’s still today, technically.”
“Fine.” He reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. “This morning, you kissed me.”
She threw up her hand to ward off the light. “You kissed me back.”
“I’m glad you’re awake. I was reading through the legal documents, and I think I know what Fox is up to. We need to talk.”
“Now?” She realized that she wasn’t wearing much. Her lingerie for tonight was a pale blue satin slip that draped low on her chest. With a yank, she pulled the quilt up to her chin. “You can’t just come waltzing into my room.”
“But I did.”
For once, he wasn’t wearing his hat, and his brown hair fell across his forehead. When he grinned, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepened. In the glow from the bedside lamp, he seemed more approachable than usual. He looked open, friendly and, of course, gorgeous.
To be honest, she didn’t mind that he’d invaded her personal space. In fact, she wanted him to come closer. “Were you spying on me?”
“I knew you were awake.”
“That’s a little weird, Zach.”
“Should I go?”
“Stay.” She flung out her arm and caught hold of the sleeve of his soft flannel shirt. When she tugged, he sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re here now. We might as well talk.”
The front of his brown plaid shirt was unbuttoned and hung open. Underneath, a white V-neck T-shirt gleamed in the lamplight. She wondered if he was still wearing his boots. Did cowboys make love with their boots on?
“The way I figure,” he said, “there are two ways Fox can make money from Michelle’s estate. The standard procedure is for him to charge his billable hours as executor. But he also gets a commission if you decide not to stay at the Roost for three years and he handles the sale of the properties with proceeds going to the Forest Preservation Society. By the way, money from the sale of paintings is considered part of the estate and also goes to Sarah Bentley.”
Though she was trying to listen, she couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. His words jumbled in her mind. As he listed dollar amounts and percentages and other facts that he’d gleaned from the folder of legal papers, she focused on his lips and remembered their first kiss.
He stopped talking. The quiet in her bedroom wrapped around them like a soft, warm blanket.
“Gabby, did you hear me?”
“Give me a quick summary.”
“If Fox can get you to move out, he’ll make several hundred thousand bucks. Do you understand what that means?”
“I should get my own lawyer?”
“You could, but Fox isn’t a fool. I’m sure all his paperwork is in order. That’s what worries me.”
“Why?” She’d been paying attention well enough to understand what he was saying, but she still didn’t follow. “If he’s following the law, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Fox might be behind the break-ins.” The smile was gone from Zach’s handsome face. His blue eyes had a serious cast. “He might be trying to scare you off.”
Her fingers tightened reflexively, and she clutched the blankets against her breasts. “Oh, good, another threat.”
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Could have fooled me,” she said. “You creep into my bedroom in the middle of the night, wake me out of a deep sleep and tell me that my lawyer is plotting against me.”
“It’s just a theory.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” There had been enough threats for one day. “Why did you mention our kiss?”
“I’m not sure.” He looked away from her. “I might have been half-asleep.”
“You were thinking about it. I guess I’ve been thinking the same thing.” She had been wondering if it would happen again, wondering how she’d react if he took her in his arms, again. And she’d been hoping.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Gabby. You and me, we’re from different worlds.”
“Different planets,”
“Fine.” He reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. “This morning, you kissed me.”
She threw up her hand to ward off the light. “You kissed me back.”
“I’m glad you’re awake. I was reading through the legal documents, and I think I know what Fox is up to. We need to talk.”
“Now?” She realized that she wasn’t wearing much. Her lingerie for tonight was a pale blue satin slip that draped low on her chest. With a yank, she pulled the quilt up to her chin. “You can’t just come waltzing into my room.”
“But I did.”
For once, he wasn’t wearing his hat, and his brown hair fell across his forehead. When he grinned, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepened. In the glow from the bedside lamp, he seemed more approachable than usual. He looked open, friendly and, of course, gorgeous.
To be honest, she didn’t mind that he’d invaded her personal space. In fact, she wanted him to come closer. “Were you spying on me?”
“I knew you were awake.”
“That’s a little weird, Zach.”
“Should I go?”
“Stay.” She flung out her arm and caught hold of the sleeve of his soft flannel shirt. When she tugged, he sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re here now. We might as well talk.”
The front of his brown plaid shirt was unbuttoned and hung open. Underneath, a white V-neck T-shirt gleamed in the lamplight. She wondered if he was still wearing his boots. Did cowboys make love with their boots on?
“The way I figure,” he said, “there are two ways Fox can make money from Michelle’s estate. The standard procedure is for him to charge his billable hours as executor. But he also gets a commission if you decide not to stay at the Roost for three years and he handles the sale of the properties with proceeds going to the Forest Preservation Society. By the way, money from the sale of paintings is considered part of the estate and also goes to Sarah Bentley.”
Though she was trying to listen, she couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. His words jumbled in her mind. As he listed dollar amounts and percentages and other facts that he’d gleaned from the folder of legal papers, she focused on his lips and remembered their first kiss.
He stopped talking. The quiet in her bedroom wrapped around them like a soft, warm blanket.
“Gabby, did you hear me?”
“Give me a quick summary.”
“If Fox can get you to move out, he’ll make several hundred thousand bucks. Do you understand what that means?”
“I should get my own lawyer?”
“You could, but Fox isn’t a fool. I’m sure all his paperwork is in order. That’s what worries me.”
“Why?” She’d been paying attention well enough to understand what he was saying, but she still didn’t follow. “If he’s following the law, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Fox might be behind the break-ins.” The smile was gone from Zach’s handsome face. His blue eyes had a serious cast. “He might be trying to scare you off.”
Her fingers tightened reflexively, and she clutched the blankets against her breasts. “Oh, good, another threat.”
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Could have fooled me,” she said. “You creep into my bedroom in the middle of the night, wake me out of a deep sleep and tell me that my lawyer is plotting against me.”
“It’s just a theory.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” There had been enough threats for one day. “Why did you mention our kiss?”
“I’m not sure.” He looked away from her. “I might have been half-asleep.”
“You were thinking about it. I guess I’ve been thinking the same thing.” She had been wondering if it would happen again, wondering how she’d react if he took her in his arms, again. And she’d been hoping.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Gabby. You and me, we’re from different worlds.”
“Different planets,”
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