She faked a yawn. “I’ll long be in bed by then.”
Cannon could tell she was up to something, he just didn’t know what.
“You could let me know when you get in, though. Just so I don’t hear things and think—”
He took her mouth, far from brief, far from as much as he wanted. “I’ll let you know.”
Slightly dazed, she stared at his mouth, then shook herself. “You should probably quit doing that.”
He gave her the truth. “I don’t know if I can.”
Her smile flickered into place, and she surprised him by saying softy, “I shouldn’t be, but I’m sort of glad.”
His heart leaped. To hell with leaving. If she was willing—
Pressing against his chest, she said, “Now go.”
Damn. Cannon didn’t tell her that she was shoving him out the door an hour earlier than necessary. She claimed there couldn’t be anything between them, but she’d gone all soft and willing from a simple kiss. He wanted time to think, and she looked as if she wanted some privacy of her own.
He set her back on her feet and went down the hall to change. When he came back out, she was at the kitchen table with papers spread out.
“Your grandfather’s stuff?”
She nodded. “I didn’t find what I needed with what the lawyer gave us, but I remembered that Grandpa always kept the paperwork in the hutch.”
Over her shoulder, Cannon saw the wrinkled yellow receipts and a few torn pages.
“It’s not as orderly as usual, but I can sort it out. He has three different storage units. It could take some time to go through everything and get it inventoried.”
“Sounds like an outing.” He could go with her, stop to pick up the things he needed for the house security, maybe a few more groceries, too. It’d be a full day, especially if he got everything installed.
“I thought of something.” Smiling, she turned, saw him in his jeans, a black T-shirt in his hand, and she stalled.
Enjoying the way her face went rosy and she breathed deeper, Cannon took his time pulling on the shirt.
When he finished, her chin went up. “I like to jog early.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
She waved a hand at his body. “But you’re coming off a long trip and you’re going to be out late, so—”
“No worries. I can handle it.”
She leveled a frown of concern on him. “You’re still bruised and recovering from that last fight and—”
No way did he want her to list his injuries, to mention how he’d screwed up, or how he’d damn near lost. “It’s no big deal.”
“But if I’m up before you tomorrow I don’t want to wake you.”
“What time do you usually take off?”
She pursed her mouth. “Six?”
“You don’t know?” Or was she making up a time in hopes of putting him off?
“Six.”
“Good. Six it is. I’m usually up by five-thirty anyway.” True, he’d looked forward to sleeping in during his visit, but for Yvette, he could handle a little less sleep. “Anything else?”
“Well...” She blew out a breath. “There is one other thing.”
“Okay.”
Another breath, and she blurted, “I do like it.”
Now, why was she blushing? “It?”
“That...that I’m special to you.” She rushed on. “I know it’s for horrible reasons, that what happened has kind of tied us together, but...I’m still glad to have you as a friend.”
Friend, hell. He’d disabuse her of that notion very soon. But not right now, when he was on his way out. “Me, too.” As naturally as he could manage, he went to her and kissed her goodbye. “Don’t leave without me in the morning.”
“If you’re sure...”
“I’m positive.” More so every minute that he spent with her.
And if he didn’t go now, he wouldn’t go at all, so he turned on his heel and walked out.
* * *
THE MINUTES, THE HOURS, dragged by at a snail’s pace until Yvette couldn’t bear her own company anymore. She’d tried TV. Tried stuffing her face with popcorn, and then later chocolate. But being alone in the big empty house had her hearing things that weren’t there. She needed to take off for a while, to do something to keep her brain occupied.
She wasn’t dumb enough to jog alone this time of night, and as she’d told Cannon, she didn’t have any friends around. The idea of sitting at the movies by herself didn’t appeal to her at all, so instead she decided to rent a DVD. She pushed her feet into sandals and shrugged on a button-up shirt over her T-shirt. Within a single minute she was out the door, locking up securely behind herself.
It was only sensible, she told herself, for a woman alone to be skittish while out and about after dark, never mind that tall streetlights kept the area well lit. After driving toward the small commercial area, she searched for the rental shop she remembered, but it had been replaced with a secondhand clothing store. She drove on, past Rowdy’s bar until, farther down the road, she found a video store.
She parked at the curb, got out and locked her car door, then kept her keys tight in her hand. She knew exactly where to find the mace in her purse, and made a point of scanning her surroundings as she crossed the street and went into the slightly run-down shop.
Uneasiness throbbed beneath her skin, but she told herself to ignore it. If she ever wanted to get over the past, she had to push herself past ridiculous fears.
Cannon could tell she was up to something, he just didn’t know what.
“You could let me know when you get in, though. Just so I don’t hear things and think—”
He took her mouth, far from brief, far from as much as he wanted. “I’ll let you know.”
Slightly dazed, she stared at his mouth, then shook herself. “You should probably quit doing that.”
He gave her the truth. “I don’t know if I can.”
Her smile flickered into place, and she surprised him by saying softy, “I shouldn’t be, but I’m sort of glad.”
His heart leaped. To hell with leaving. If she was willing—
Pressing against his chest, she said, “Now go.”
Damn. Cannon didn’t tell her that she was shoving him out the door an hour earlier than necessary. She claimed there couldn’t be anything between them, but she’d gone all soft and willing from a simple kiss. He wanted time to think, and she looked as if she wanted some privacy of her own.
He set her back on her feet and went down the hall to change. When he came back out, she was at the kitchen table with papers spread out.
“Your grandfather’s stuff?”
She nodded. “I didn’t find what I needed with what the lawyer gave us, but I remembered that Grandpa always kept the paperwork in the hutch.”
Over her shoulder, Cannon saw the wrinkled yellow receipts and a few torn pages.
“It’s not as orderly as usual, but I can sort it out. He has three different storage units. It could take some time to go through everything and get it inventoried.”
“Sounds like an outing.” He could go with her, stop to pick up the things he needed for the house security, maybe a few more groceries, too. It’d be a full day, especially if he got everything installed.
“I thought of something.” Smiling, she turned, saw him in his jeans, a black T-shirt in his hand, and she stalled.
Enjoying the way her face went rosy and she breathed deeper, Cannon took his time pulling on the shirt.
When he finished, her chin went up. “I like to jog early.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
She waved a hand at his body. “But you’re coming off a long trip and you’re going to be out late, so—”
“No worries. I can handle it.”
She leveled a frown of concern on him. “You’re still bruised and recovering from that last fight and—”
No way did he want her to list his injuries, to mention how he’d screwed up, or how he’d damn near lost. “It’s no big deal.”
“But if I’m up before you tomorrow I don’t want to wake you.”
“What time do you usually take off?”
She pursed her mouth. “Six?”
“You don’t know?” Or was she making up a time in hopes of putting him off?
“Six.”
“Good. Six it is. I’m usually up by five-thirty anyway.” True, he’d looked forward to sleeping in during his visit, but for Yvette, he could handle a little less sleep. “Anything else?”
“Well...” She blew out a breath. “There is one other thing.”
“Okay.”
Another breath, and she blurted, “I do like it.”
Now, why was she blushing? “It?”
“That...that I’m special to you.” She rushed on. “I know it’s for horrible reasons, that what happened has kind of tied us together, but...I’m still glad to have you as a friend.”
Friend, hell. He’d disabuse her of that notion very soon. But not right now, when he was on his way out. “Me, too.” As naturally as he could manage, he went to her and kissed her goodbye. “Don’t leave without me in the morning.”
“If you’re sure...”
“I’m positive.” More so every minute that he spent with her.
And if he didn’t go now, he wouldn’t go at all, so he turned on his heel and walked out.
* * *
THE MINUTES, THE HOURS, dragged by at a snail’s pace until Yvette couldn’t bear her own company anymore. She’d tried TV. Tried stuffing her face with popcorn, and then later chocolate. But being alone in the big empty house had her hearing things that weren’t there. She needed to take off for a while, to do something to keep her brain occupied.
She wasn’t dumb enough to jog alone this time of night, and as she’d told Cannon, she didn’t have any friends around. The idea of sitting at the movies by herself didn’t appeal to her at all, so instead she decided to rent a DVD. She pushed her feet into sandals and shrugged on a button-up shirt over her T-shirt. Within a single minute she was out the door, locking up securely behind herself.
It was only sensible, she told herself, for a woman alone to be skittish while out and about after dark, never mind that tall streetlights kept the area well lit. After driving toward the small commercial area, she searched for the rental shop she remembered, but it had been replaced with a secondhand clothing store. She drove on, past Rowdy’s bar until, farther down the road, she found a video store.
She parked at the curb, got out and locked her car door, then kept her keys tight in her hand. She knew exactly where to find the mace in her purse, and made a point of scanning her surroundings as she crossed the street and went into the slightly run-down shop.
Uneasiness throbbed beneath her skin, but she told herself to ignore it. If she ever wanted to get over the past, she had to push herself past ridiculous fears.
