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СКАЧАТЬ I look like I’m kidding?’’ She tipped her head back to stare at him.

      ‘‘You wear contact lenses?’’

      Her one good eye narrowed. The other was squeezed shut. ‘‘Well, to coin a phrase, duh.’’

      Rick glanced at the floor and carefully went down on his knees. ‘‘I knew your eyes couldn’t be that green naturally.’’

      ‘‘Watch where you kneel!’’ she blurted, then giving him a one eyed glare again, she added, ‘‘And they’re not tinted lenses, if you must know.’’

      He looked at her. ‘‘Prove it.’’

      She opened her left eye. Just as green as the right one. Deep and pure and clear, they looked like the color of spring grass. Or, of a backlit emerald in a jeweler’s display case. He stared into her eyes and, for a moment, let himself get lost in their depths. It was almost like drowning, he thought, then brought himself up short when she tore her gaze from his. He wasn’t going to drown in any woman’s eyes. Not again.

      ‘‘So.’’ She swallowed hard, inhaled quickly and said, ‘‘Just run your fingers gently over the carpet.’’

      ‘‘This happen often?’’ he asked as he knelt beside her.

      ‘‘Usually just when I’m upset.’’

      ‘‘So, often.’’

      She gave him an elbow to the ribs. ‘‘Cute.’’

      ‘‘So I’ve been told.’’

      ‘‘By Vanessa?’’ she asked.

      ‘‘Vanessa was a client,’’ he explained, his gaze searching the carpet as his fingers traced softly across the fabric. ‘‘We had dinner a couple of times, that’s all.’’

      ‘‘Apparently she’s still hungry.’’

      ‘‘Too bad,’’ he muttered, briefly remembering just how boring Vanessa really was, ‘‘because I’ve had enough.’’

      ‘‘Ooh.’’ Eileen turned her head to look at him. ‘‘Sounds like there’s a story there.’’

      He glanced at her. She flipped her hair to one side. She smiled and something inside him tightened. Her fingers brushed his as they searched and he felt a short stab of heat that sliced right down to his insides. He’d never felt that with Vanessa. Or his ex-wife. Or anyone else for that matter.

      Damn it, she was getting to him. And he couldn’t allow that to happen. He had to remind himself that Eileen was just an old—not friend—not enemy, either. And certainly not old. So what did that make her? Besides, of course, a top-grade, A number-one temptation?

      ‘‘Hello?’’ she muttered, and waved one hand in front of his face.

      ‘‘Right. Story. No story. Vanessa was just…’’ He thought about it for a long moment. He didn’t owe her or anyone else an explanation. But since she was staring at him from one good eye, he knew she wouldn’t just drop it, either. Finally he said simply, ‘‘Temporary.’’

      Her eyebrows arched. ‘‘Lot of that going around.’’

      ‘‘Nothing lasts forever.’’ His voice sounded tight, harsh, even to his own ears.

      ‘‘Well, that’s looking on the bright side.’’ She crawled forward an inch or two.

      ‘‘Just realistic.’’ He knew that better than anyone. Love, friendship, relationships, they all ended. Usually when you were least expecting it. A long time ago Rick had decided to take charge of his world. Now he ended things before they got complicated. He was the one to walk away. He’d never be the one standing alone with a broken heart again.

      Crawling carefully along the carpet, he stayed close to her. ‘‘How far can these things roll, anyway?’’

      ‘‘Pretty far,’’ she said. ‘‘So, why is realistic cynical, why?’’

      He glanced at her. Damn, she was too close. Close enough that he could count the handful of freckles dusting the bridge of her nose. There were six. Not that he cared. ‘‘Why are you so interested?’’

      She shrugged. ‘‘Humor a half-blind woman.’’

      Rick chuckled. She made him laugh. Had been since the first day she was here. And that was something he didn’t do nearly often enough. He’d been too busy building his world to take the time to enjoy what he’d created. Too busy proving to everyone—including himself—that he could go to the top, to enjoy the trip. But somehow, Eileen lightened things up, even when she was arguing with him.

      Impossible to ignore, too dangerous to pay attention to. Great combination.

      He shrugged and stopped, thinking for a second he’d spotted a glint of light, like sunlight bouncing off a lens, but then it was gone. ‘‘No deep dark explanation,’’ he said, refusing to be drawn into the long, sad history of his past relationships. Not only wasn’t it any of Eileen’s business, but he’d learned to let it go. No point in revisiting it. ‘‘Vanessa and I were just two ships colliding briefly in the night, then going our own way. That’s realistic, not cynical. Pretending it was anything else would be a waste of time.’’

      Colliding ships, huh? Eileen mused on his choice of words for a minute or two. If their ships had collided, then they’d probably slept together. Which meant this Vanessa had seen Rick naked. Instantly an image flashed into Eileen’s mind. The same image that had been taunting her for the past few days.

      She kept imagining Rick wet.

      Stepping out of the shower, a skimpy towel wrapped around his waist, beads of water clinging to the hairs on his chest. Then she imagined him shaking his head and tiny droplets of water flying from the ends of his hair like diamonds. Then she imagined the towel dropping and him stepping forward to take her into his arms. The vision was so clear, so tantalizing, she could feel his wet skin next to hers. He bent his head, his mouth just a breath away from hers and then—

      ‘‘Found it!’’

      She sucked in air like an old, wheezing vacuum. ‘‘What?’’

      ‘‘Your lens,’’ Rick said, holding it out to her. ‘‘I found it.’’

      ‘‘Right.’’ She swallowed that gulp of air and held it in, hoping to steady herself. Jeez. Did it have to be so darn hot in the room? Right now, she felt as though a fever were racing through her body. She looked into his eyes, and those brown depths seemed to pull her in. His victorious grin set off a series of minor explosions within her and her blood pumped as if she was in the last leg of a marathon.

      She’d never had this sort of reaction to a man before. Oh, the cute ones jangled her nerves, and here and there a fabulous mouth might make her a little antsy. But never had she fantasized so well that her whole body was tingling with heat and want.

      Not even over her late, unlamented ex-fiancée. Not even with her last boss…the one with lots of promises СКАЧАТЬ