Bare It All. Lori Foster

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СКАЧАТЬ took his clothes to the closet. “I’ve got it covered.”

      “Somehow, Reese, I don’t think you do.”

      Reese was ready to take him apart, but Alice reentered with forced cheer.

      “Where are my manners? Rowdy, would you like something to drink?”

      “No,” Reese said, “he doesn’t.”

      Confusion tripped her up. “You already asked him?”

      “No.”

      Alice frowned at him.

      Rowdy just smirked. “I’m good, Alice, thanks, anyway.”

      Before Alice could protest, Reese asked him, “So, you saw Logan? He’s doing okay?”

      “He’s surly and complaining that Pepper keeps trying to shove a pain pill down his throat.”

      “He isn’t taking his meds?”

      “The antibiotics, sure. But the pain pills make him sleepy, so he’d rather suffer the discomfort. Thing is, if he so much as flickers an eyelid, Pepper can’t bear it. She wants to ‘comfort’ him.”

      Imagining that, Reese grinned. Like him, Logan wasn’t big on being coddled. It emasculated a man, especially a man who wanted to do the coddling. “I can see why that’d make him surly. At least he has a reason to stay in bed.” Then, just to tweak Rowdy, he added, “With Pepper.”

      Rowdy slanted him a look. “If Alice weren’t present, I’d tell you what to do with that sentiment.”

      That seemed to startle Alice out of some heavy-duty daydreaming. “What does it matter if I’m—”

      He pushed to his feet. “I don’t want to singe your ears, hon.”

      “Oh.”

      Hon? Reese collected her to his side again. “I was going to check in with Logan today, anyway. Maybe I can run some interference for him.” And thinking that gave him an idea.

      He looked down at Alice. “What do you have planned for the day?”

      “Nothing much. I finished my work while you were—” she waved a hand at the couch “—sleeping. I thought I might give Cash a bath.”

      The dog flattened his ears, slunk off the couch and went behind a chair.

      Bemused, Alice watched him. “Maybe instead I’ll make a run to the grocery.”

      “Is there something you needed?”

      She bit her lip. “I have a sweet tooth.”

      Somehow, the way she said that felt like an admission. Reese saw the same confusion he felt mirrored on Rowdy’s face. “I do, too.”

      “Me, three,” Rowdy said.

      “Jelly beans are my favorite.” She looked at both men.

      “Chocolate ice cream,” Rowdy said without hesitation.

      Would he ever understand her? Reese wondered. “I’m up for anything, but I especially like caramels, and warm peach pie is always good.”

      “Mmm, sounds delicious,” Alice agreed. “You’re both in such great shape, you can probably eat anything you want without worrying about it.”

      “You’re slim,” Reese told her. “Surely you don’t—”

      “Diet?” She shook her head. “No. But I’m bad, I use food as...” Her voice trailed off.

      “Comfort,” Rowdy finished for her. “Pepper does the same thing. She says the worst for her was the evenings. But instead of a few jelly beans, she’d binge on an entire pizza.”

      Alice smiled over that. “I go through a bag of jelly beans a week. Sometimes two bags.” She tipped her head at Rowdy. “Your sister is really beautiful.”

      “Yeah, she is,” Reese agreed. “Logan is a lucky guy.” Reese paid little attention to what he said. He was too busy trying to figure out Alice’s thoughts. Was she making some sort of female-inspired comparison? He hoped not, because Pepper Yates was an extremely unique woman.

      But then, so was Alice—only in a very different way.

      “Maybe we can shop together on the way back from seeing Logan and Pepper.” Holding her hand in his, he rubbed a thumb over her knuckles. “You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

      She couldn’t quite hide her pleasure. “You want me to?”

      “I’m sure Pepper would like to see you again.” He could keep Alice close by taking her along, and while there she could give Pepper someone else to focus on. Whether or not Logan would thank him for that, Reese couldn’t say.

      Touching her hair as if to straighten it, Alice asked, “When did you plan to leave?”

      “I’m ready now if you are.” He sent a pointed look Rowdy’s way.

      “And there’s my cue to hit the road.” As Rowdy walked to Alice, Reese saw the slight rise in her anxiety.

      Rowdy, the dick, pretended that he didn’t. “Thanks again for everything.”

      Everything? What the hell did that mean?

      Alice stuck out a hand. “It was nice to see you again.”

      Ignoring her impersonal gesture, Rowdy hauled her in for a big hug, lifting her right off her feet.

      Which meant her hand was now caught between their bodies, against Rowdy’s midsection, and that had Reese seeing red.

      She all but groped him. Unwillingly, sure. By accident even. But still...

      He stepped forward—and Alice disengaged herself.

      She didn’t go far. In a low, too-serious voice—as if Reese wasn’t right there and more than able to hear every single word—she said, “If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

      No, she was not. “What the hell does he have to talk about?”

      “Not a thing,” Rowdy said, his good humor obliterated by her offer. And then with exasperation: “You stole my line again, hon.”

      Reese stepped forward in warning. “You’re pushing your luck, Rowdy.”

      Drolly, he said, “Yeah, wouldn’t want to do that.”

      Reese started to fume, and Alice slipped forward to lead Rowdy to the door. “I’ll see you out.”

      Cash launched into the fray, always excited by the idea of a trip outdoors.

      As good an excuse as any, Reese decided. He took down the dog’s leash. “No, I’ll walk him out. I’ll take Cash with СКАЧАТЬ