About Last Night. Rhonda Leah

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СКАЧАТЬ he’d come in. A heavy door closed behind him.

      All she was capable of was a nod. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Tanner in all his shirtless glory. As hard as he worked at his career, he still exercised. Broad shoulders narrowed to well defined pecs where beads of water had glistened. Her fingers itched to touch him…and those abs, she wanted to do more than touch. Her face wasn’t the only part of her growing hotter by the second.

      A photograph caught her eye. She walked over, and for the first time noticed each wall held a border-like line of picture frames. Making her way around the room, a picture of Tanner and Jake taken pretty recently on a fishing trip stopped her. Tanner’s eyes were squinted against the sun and he wore faded jeans stretched over his powerful thighs. A white t-shirt clung to his chest, making his tan seem darker. He was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

      She shook her head and moved around the room taking in all the photos. Most were of buildings or vacant land. Things he must have owned or had bought and sold. The next picture she came to with people in it was of Tanner and his mother. He must have been three or four, and they were sitting on a blanket with a child’s toy ball and picnic food spread all around. Ms. Theroit looked more relaxed in that picture than at any time she’d ever seen her. No wonder Tanner would treasure it.

      As she followed the frames around the room, she heard softly running water in the background. The final picture with people was of Tanner and Jake taken the day of their college graduation. Each had an arm wrapped around her, standing between them. She smiled to herself and mindlessly slid her locket on its chain, studying the picture intently.

      The door swung open and he stepped into the room. His presence filled the space, knocking her for a loop.

      “That was a long time ago,” Tanner said and slipped into the chair behind his desk.

      “Yes, it was. You’ve both come a long way since then.” She smiled.

      “I wasn’t thinking about that, but true enough.” He looked lost in his own thoughts. “You know, you’ve certainly grown up since then too.”

      She laughed. “I should hope so. Like you said, it was a long time ago.”

      “I doubt you’ve come by to talk about old photos, huh?”

      “You’re right. First I want to say thank you.” She still held out the locket in her hand. “I appreciate you driving all the way over to pick me up.” She took a deep breath. “And everything else.”

      Tanner gave her a crooked grin. Her toes curled. He didn’t have a clue.

      “Well, I couldn’t let you go around with a mark on your perfect record.”

      Did he think she had a ‘perfect’ anything? “Oh, it’s not like a little breaking and entering is the first horrible thing I’ve ever done, you know.”

      “No, I don’t know.” He held up a hand. “And please don’t spoil the perfect image I have of you.”

      As if he had any image of her. “Well, however you did it, I do thank you.”

      He winked. “Anything for you, jailbird.”

      “Yeah, well, no talk like that in front of my brother, got it?”

      “Sometimes you’re no fun at all,” he said. She dropped into the chair across from his desk. Was he flirting with her?

      “I need to talk to you…” they said at the same time, running over each other’s words. They laughed and Tanner said, “Ladies first.”

      “You wanted to talk to me? Does it have to do with the other night?”

      “No, nothing like that. It’s all being taken care of. Forget about it, okay?”

      “Thanks for whatever it is you did.” She reached for and held onto the locket, blinking back tears. If only he had a clue how much it meant to her—

       “You came here for something. What’s up?”

      * * * *

      Tanner was deep in his own thoughts. Freakin’ mesmerized by Misty McNeil. He had to be close to losing his grip on reality. What the hell was up? She was Jake’s baby sister. He’d watched her grow up into one hell of a woman.

      “I need some help, Tanner,” she blurted, bringing him back to reality.

      “What kind of help?” She quirked a smile, and his empty stomach did a flip-flop.

      “I guess you’re thinking what’s wrong now? Huh?”

      “Of course not. You know I’d…”

      “Yeah, yeah, do whatever you can, I’m like a kid sister. Blah, blah, I get it,” she muttered. She shook her head, her sleek black hair drifting around her bare shoulders. All she had on was a skimpy tank top, capri pants and barely-there sandals. Taking in the whole package was making him grow hotter and more uncomfortable by the second. He’d already been to the gym for two hours this morning, trying to get her out of his head. Since the other night, she’d been the main feature playing through his mind during his down time. Now lusty thoughts of her were taking over business hours.

      One night long ago was enough to make those thoughts too real. He looked down and noticed her bare toes polished to pink perfection in her strappy sandals. Unbelievable, how sexy he found them. His cock stirred. He shifted in his seat. Maybe if he knew what she needed he could get her to go away, and once she was out of his office, his pulse would return to normal. “What kind of help do you need?”

      “I’m being kicked out of my apartment. I’m not sure if it’s legal, but the landlord said I have to be out in seven days.” She glanced at her watch. “Well, six and half, now.”

      Something he could run with, and get her sexy shoulders and bare toes and…well, all of her assets off of his mind. He quizzed her, and she told him the details of what her landlord had said. It was perfectly legal, but something he’d never do. “Why don’t you move home with your parents for a while?”

      Heck. Mr. McNeil wanted to buy Jake a house, buying one for Misty couldn’t be too far behind.

      She rolled her deep blue eyes heavenward, exasperation creasing her features. “Sorry I’ve wasted your time, Tanner,” she said, and made a move to stand.

      He bolted up and held his hand out. “Whoa. Wait a minute. You’re not. I only thought moving home would give you some extra time.”

      “No sane twenty-eight-year-old woman wants to move home.”

      He swallowed. “You’re twenty-eight?”

      “Yes, I’m only a few years younger than Jake.”

      He shook his head. “I guess I always thought of you as…well, much younger.”

      “Immature, you mean?”

      “No. Definitely not.” This was getting off track. “What’s so bad about moving home for a couple of weeks to find a new place? You work with your dad every day.”

      “Tanner, office СКАЧАТЬ