she eased her hand free. “But if you’re asking me for a date, the answer’s no. First, it wouldn’t be smart; second, I’m booked.”
“Damn it, Cam, didn’t you hear me honking?”
Anna turned and saw a soaking wet and bitterly angry man cart two heaping bags of groceries into the room. He was tall, bronzed, and very nearly beautiful. And spitting mad.
Phillip shook the hair out of his eyes and focused on Anna. The shift of expression was quick and smooth—from snarling to charming in the space of a single heartbeat.
“Hello. Sorry.” He dumped the bags on the table and smiled at her. “Didn’t know Cam had company.” He spied the bucket, the mop held between them, and leaped to the wrong conclusion. “I didn’t know he was going to hire domestic help. But thank God.” Phillip grabbed her hand, kissed it. “I already adore you.”
“My brother Phillip,” Cam said dryly. “This is Anna Spinelli, with Social Services. You can take your Ferragamo out of your mouth now, Phil.”
The charm didn’t shift or fade. “Ms. Spinelli. It’s nice to meet you. Our lawyer’s been in touch, I believe.”
“Yes, he has. Mr. Quinn tells me you’ll be living here now.”
“I told you to call me Cam.” He walked to the stove to top off his coffee. “It’s going to be confusing if you’re calling all of us Mr. Quinn.” Cam heard the rattle at the back door and got out another mug. “Especially now,” he said as the door burst open and let in a dripping dog and man.
“Christ, this bitch blew in fast.” Even as Ethan dragged off his slicker, the dog set his feet and shook furiously. Anna only winced as water sprayed her suit. “Barely smelled her before—”
He spotted Anna and automatically pulled off his soaked cap, then scooped a hand through his damp, curling hair. Seeing woman, bucket, mop, he thought guiltily about his muddy boots. “Ma’am.”
“My other brother, Ethan.” Cam handed Ethan a steaming cup of coffee. “This is the social worker your dog’s just sprayed water and dog hair all over.”
“Sorry. Simon, go sit.”
“It’s all right,” Cam went on. “Foolish already slobbered all over her, and Phillip just got finished hitting on her.”
Anna smiled blandly. “I thought you were hitting on me.”
“I asked you to dinner,” Cam corrected. “If I’d been hitting on you, I wouldn’t have been subtle.” Cam sipped his coffee. “Well, now you know all the players.”
She felt outnumbered, and more than a little unprofessional standing there in the dimly lit kitchen in her bare feet, facing three big and outrageously handsome men. In defense, she pulled out every scrap of dignity and reached for a chair.
“Gentlemen, shall we sit down? This seems to be an ideal time to discuss how you plan to care for Seth.” She angled her head at Cam. “For the foreseeable future.”
“W ELL,” PHILLIP SAID an hour later. “I think we pulled that off.”
Cam stood at the front door, watching the neat little sports car drive away in the thinning rain. “She’s got our number,” Cam muttered. “She doesn’t miss a trick.”
“I liked her.” Ethan stretched out in the big wing chair and let the puppy climb into his lap. “Get your mind out of the sewer, Cam,” he suggested when Cam snickered. “I mean I liked her. She’s smart, and she’s professional, but she’s not cold. Seems like a woman who cares.”
“And she’s got great legs,” Phillip added. “But regardless of all that, she’s going to note down every time we screw up. Right now, I figure we’ve got the upper hand. We’ve got the kid, and he wants to stay. His mother’s run off to God knows where and isn’t making any noises—at the moment. But if pretty Anna Spinelli talks to too many people around St. Chris, she’s going to start hearing the rumors.”
He dipped his hands in his pockets and started to pace. “I don’t know if they’re going to count against us or
“Damn it, Cam, didn’t you hear me honking?”
Anna turned and saw a soaking wet and bitterly angry man cart two heaping bags of groceries into the room. He was tall, bronzed, and very nearly beautiful. And spitting mad.
Phillip shook the hair out of his eyes and focused on Anna. The shift of expression was quick and smooth—from snarling to charming in the space of a single heartbeat.
“Hello. Sorry.” He dumped the bags on the table and smiled at her. “Didn’t know Cam had company.” He spied the bucket, the mop held between them, and leaped to the wrong conclusion. “I didn’t know he was going to hire domestic help. But thank God.” Phillip grabbed her hand, kissed it. “I already adore you.”
“My brother Phillip,” Cam said dryly. “This is Anna Spinelli, with Social Services. You can take your Ferragamo out of your mouth now, Phil.”
The charm didn’t shift or fade. “Ms. Spinelli. It’s nice to meet you. Our lawyer’s been in touch, I believe.”
“Yes, he has. Mr. Quinn tells me you’ll be living here now.”
“I told you to call me Cam.” He walked to the stove to top off his coffee. “It’s going to be confusing if you’re calling all of us Mr. Quinn.” Cam heard the rattle at the back door and got out another mug. “Especially now,” he said as the door burst open and let in a dripping dog and man.
“Christ, this bitch blew in fast.” Even as Ethan dragged off his slicker, the dog set his feet and shook furiously. Anna only winced as water sprayed her suit. “Barely smelled her before—”
He spotted Anna and automatically pulled off his soaked cap, then scooped a hand through his damp, curling hair. Seeing woman, bucket, mop, he thought guiltily about his muddy boots. “Ma’am.”
“My other brother, Ethan.” Cam handed Ethan a steaming cup of coffee. “This is the social worker your dog’s just sprayed water and dog hair all over.”
“Sorry. Simon, go sit.”
“It’s all right,” Cam went on. “Foolish already slobbered all over her, and Phillip just got finished hitting on her.”
Anna smiled blandly. “I thought you were hitting on me.”
“I asked you to dinner,” Cam corrected. “If I’d been hitting on you, I wouldn’t have been subtle.” Cam sipped his coffee. “Well, now you know all the players.”
She felt outnumbered, and more than a little unprofessional standing there in the dimly lit kitchen in her bare feet, facing three big and outrageously handsome men. In defense, she pulled out every scrap of dignity and reached for a chair.
“Gentlemen, shall we sit down? This seems to be an ideal time to discuss how you plan to care for Seth.” She angled her head at Cam. “For the foreseeable future.”
“W ELL,” PHILLIP SAID an hour later. “I think we pulled that off.”
Cam stood at the front door, watching the neat little sports car drive away in the thinning rain. “She’s got our number,” Cam muttered. “She doesn’t miss a trick.”
“I liked her.” Ethan stretched out in the big wing chair and let the puppy climb into his lap. “Get your mind out of the sewer, Cam,” he suggested when Cam snickered. “I mean I liked her. She’s smart, and she’s professional, but she’s not cold. Seems like a woman who cares.”
“And she’s got great legs,” Phillip added. “But regardless of all that, she’s going to note down every time we screw up. Right now, I figure we’ve got the upper hand. We’ve got the kid, and he wants to stay. His mother’s run off to God knows where and isn’t making any noises—at the moment. But if pretty Anna Spinelli talks to too many people around St. Chris, she’s going to start hearing the rumors.”
He dipped his hands in his pockets and started to pace. “I don’t know if they’re going to count against us or
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