Trust by Design (Colorado Trust 2)

“Only so long as this doesn’t put her back in Jack’s crosshairs.”

“Understood. You want me to get her in here so we can get started?”

“I’ll go.” Dean stood before Mike could, and his friend’s chuckle followed him out the door.

Liz glanced up from her cell phone as he passed through the kitchen. “Hey, just so you know, I’m going to get lunch ready, but then I need to take care of a few things.”

With an absent smile in her direction, he waved a hand and kept walking. He never worried about keeping track of her time as long as the work got done. “That’s fine. We can even handle our own lunch if you want to go now.”

It was a bit disconcerting how much anticipation built as he approached the suite at the end of the hall. He stopped in the doorway to lean one shoulder against the frame while hooking his thumbs in his pockets. Gina stood on her tip-toes on a step-ladder, arms stretched above her head as she worked with a tape measure and pencil. Her jeans were low-rise and her shirt rode up, revealing the sexy hourglass curves at her waist and the small of her back.

The enticing sight of that bare skin made him want to walk across the room, grasp her hips, and run his tongue up along the line of her spine. Then he’d turn her around and do the same in the front. Heat spiraled through him, and centered much too quickly behind the zipper of his jeans.

The tape measure retracted with a metallic snap, and she lowered her arms while twisting to look down at the bottom step. She must’ve caught sight of him in the corner of her eye because she jerked up with a gasp, then grabbed for the curved handle of the ladder.

With her hand to her chest, she faced him, a foot on each step. “Geez, you scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry.”

He smiled. She smiled back. Both faded just as fast and his heart rate kicked up.

Sonofabitch. All he wanted to do was pick her up off that ladder and make use of the brand new bed just a couple feet to her right.

He stayed where he was, and she climbed down the two steps by herself after clipping the tape measure on the back pocket of her jeans.

“In fact,” he added, “I’ve been kind of an ass the past couple days, and I’m sorry for that, too.”

“Kind of is an understatement.” She tapped her pencil against her palm, then shrugged. “But I did get your text.”

“You didn’t reply.”

Another shrug. Another tap of the pencil. “You weren’t forgiven yet.”

“Past tense…does that mean I am now?”

“Depends.”

His attempt at another smile barely qualified. “On whether or not I let you help.”

“Are you going to let me?”

“Depends,” he echoed. “Would you understand if I still said no?”

She stared at him a long moment, and he suddenly wished he’d just told her to get back to the study and get to work.

“I wouldn’t be happy about it, but yes, I would understand.”

“So, you promise to be careful?”

The resignation in her eyes faded. “Yes.”

“And you will not contact Jack for any reason concerning my company. That is non-negotiable. Mike and I will handle anything to do with him.”

She lifted her hands up, palms out. “Fine with me.”

He straightened and jerked his head toward the hall. “Okay, then. Mike’s waiting to see what we can come up with.”

The tape measure bounced on the bed and she hurried toward him. Then she shocked the hell out of him by grasping his arm on the way past to pull him down and herself up to land a kiss on his lips.