Hot Property (Hot Zone 4)

“I didn’t realize you were that much taller than my sister,” he said, taking in the sweats that she’d rolled around her calves.

She glanced down at her bare ankles. “Well, at least capris are in style.”

“They are and they look great on you.”

“Thanks.” A flush rose to her cheeks. She could say the same about how good he looked, too.

He’d opened the first few buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, giving him an edgy, sexy look. “So let’s get started. You said you wanted lessons. I take it cooking’s not your thing?”

She sighed and lifted her hands uselessly in the air. “Nope. They say children learn by watching, but I’m afraid I never picked up Mom’s talent. Not even the basics.”

“Well, then, sit and I’ll teach you.”

She realized he’d already taken out presliced chicken strips and now he was slicing fresh vegetables on a cutting board. A wok sat ready and waiting for him to use.

“Starting with precut and sliced food helps,” she said, laughing.

He raised an eyebrow. “So you’re that much of a novice, hmm?”

“And you’re that much of an expert?”

He nodded.

Everything about the man took her by surprise. A really pleasant surprise.

She settled herself onto a barstool near the island, where he was working.

“I buy presliced chicken because my schedule’s so hectic I never know how much time I’ll have. On a night like tonight, it comes in handy. You can buy precut vegetables, as well, but it takes me no time and I’d rather eat fresh. Now I’m nearly ready to toss the vegetables into the wok.”

She blinked at how fast he’d prepared a meal that would have taken her an hour minimum. “Maybe I should be taking notes,” she mused as she reached over and plucked a carrot from the cutting board.

“Hey, quit nibbling or you won’t be hungry enough to enjoy my masterpiece.” He playfully smacked at her hand, but she was faster.

She nabbed another carrot before he could stop her.

In two steps he stood by her side, his presence big and overwhelming, the heat in his eyes matching the desire pulsing through her veins. From the moment she’d laid eyes on this man, she’d been seduced by his looks. What sane woman wouldn’t be?

But in the short time she was with him tonight, she’d seen glimpses of the everyday guy he really was. She really liked what she saw.

He reached for the carrot and she tucked it tighter into her hand.

“Give it up,” he ordered, clearly amused by her game.

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Make me.”

He tickled her but she held on fast, eagerly anticipating his next method of extraction.

Their eyes met and held. Her pulse pounded hard in her throat and the anticipation of his lips hot and hard on hers sent tremors quaking through her body.

She slid her tongue over her mouth, moistening her lips, waiting, hoping…

The jarring ring of the telephone broke the thick silence surrounding them. His head jerked toward the sound.

Needing space, Amy jumped up from her chair. “You should answer it,” she said, her voice unusually shaky.

He shot her a glance filled with equal parts heat and regret before grabbing the portable phone behind him. “Yeah,” he barked into the phone, then listened to whoever was on the other end.

“Sorry. Happy New Year to you, too, Mom. Why aren’t you out at one of those Hollywood parties you love so much?”