Surrender to Temptation by Ednah Walters Page B

them.”
    Nikki stopped, turned, and eyed him. “Um, are you sure? What if one, uh, slipped? These vases are delicate and could easily break... What I’m trying to say is I can make several trips to get them,” she added quickly, hoping she hadn’t offended him. But with the sunglasses covering his eyes, she couldn’t tell.
    Chase titled his head as though studying her. “Are you saying that I shouldn’t be allowed to do anything because of my eyes?”
    “I didn’t say that,” Nikki protested.
    “Or are the vases more precious than my ego, which you’ve just thoroughly flattened?”
    She winced. “Did I really?”
    “Yes,” he said in a deadpan expression. Then he gave her a naughty grin.
    Arrogant cowboy. She hadn’t put a single dent in his ego. It was too inflated for that. “Fine, carry the vases. Take as many as you can. And FYI, I wasn’t talking about your eyes.”
    “Then I apologize for jumping to conclusions.” He picked up two vases, placed them under his arm, and deftly picked up four more between his long fingers. “See, easy?”
    Show off. She couldn’t help teasing. “You sure you can’t take two more, Fitzgerald? You could balance them on your inflated head.”
    He chuckled, walked forward, and blocked her path. “Call me Chase.”
    She wrinkled her nose at him. “You got your vases, Fitzgerald. Don’t let me stop you.”
    He didn’t move. “Say my name.”
    “Chase. Can we go upstairs now before my flowers start to wilt?”
    He grinned at her disgruntled tone and stepped aside. “After you. I rather like following you.”
    “Don’t you mean you like staring at my ass?” She marched upstairs, his laughter following her. The impossible man was toying with her and enjoying every moment of it. She was already arranging the flowers in the vases when he swaggered into the kitchen. He stopped in the middle of the room and watched her, his gaze unnerving.
    “What?” she asked.
    “Aren’t you going to help me put these down?”
    “No. I’m sure you can manage just fine.”
    He chuckled and put the vases on the counter beside her. “You’re one cruel woman, Nikki Savoy.”
    She nipped a stem of a bloom and dropped it into a vase. “And you’re a fraud, Chase Fitzgerald.” She pointed at his sunglasses. “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your eyes.”
    Chase straightened up. “You are right again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyes.”
    That was probably pride talking. “Then why do you wear sunglasses indoors?”
    “It’s an image thing.” When she shook her head, he added, “You have a very suspicious mind, woman.”
    “You said I was right again. What was I right about before?”
    “Your gorgeous ass. I love staring at it.” Then he strutted out the kitchen door, whistling under his breath.
    Nikki snapped her jaw shut. The man was impossible. If he thought he could fool her by flirting and keeping her off balance, he had another thing coming. She meant to find out all his secrets before his billionaire brother came and exposed her.
    She distributed the vases of flowers in the downstairs rooms, starting with the kitchen then the dining room. Next, she crossed the foyer to the living room, which she had barely glanced at last night. It was located on the right side of the foyer.
    The room was spacious and conservatively done in earthy colors. She liked the fireplace. It was done with native stones, the corners smoothed and curved. The artwork on the wall was eclectic; a mixture of contemporary and traditional paintings. Nikki left flowers above the fireplace and on the coffee table.
    She entered the kitchen to get the last two vases just as Mrs. B walked in. “Oh, look how pretty you’ve made my kitchen,” she said, staring at the flowers on the kitchen table. “A little bit of outdoors indoors. Thank you, dear.”
    Nikki chuckled. “I got them from your flower beds.”
    Mrs. B dismissed Nikki’s comment with a wave of her hand.