Hero in Disguise (Reed Sisters: Holding out for a Hero 1)

“And what is Summer like?” Derek asked unexpectedly, his eyes keen behind the polished lenses of his glasses.

One slender shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I told you all about me last night. Remember? When I listed the reasons why I didn’t fulfill your requirements for wife candidate.” For some reason that little joke wasn’t quite as amusing this morning, nor as easy to toss out.

“I remember everything you said to me last night,” Derek answered, looking at her steadily. “Did you drop out of college because of your accident?”

“Yes. I dropped out not long before I probably would have flunked out, anyway.”

“You don’t seem to be lacking in intelligence.”

“Thank you, sir. Actually, there were a few people who suggested that my college career might have been more profitable had I ever attended classes or opened a textbook. It was a novel idea, but I was creamed by the Ford before I ever had the opportunity to try it.” When Derek just looked at her, she added, “That was a joke, Derek. I did attend a few classes, you know.”

“I’m perfectly capable of recognizing a joke when I hear one,” he informed her. He stood suddenly, reaching down a hand to help her up. “Get dressed. I’m taking you out for breakfast.”

She looked surprised but accepted his assistance after only a momentary hesitation. “What am I, your surrogate sister?”

“Hell, no. I’m hungry and I don’t care for eating alone.”

“What a gracious invitation. Thank you, Derek, I’d love to have breakfast with you.” She smiled brilliantly. As long as she could laugh at him, she could keep her disturbing attraction to him under control, she told herself optimistically.

He had the grace to look sheepish. “Sorry. I’m not usually so clumsy.”

“I’m sure you’re not,” she told him kindly. “Working for the government for so long must have made you a master of civilized diplomacy. I guess I just have a talent for bringing out the worst in you.”

Derek threw her a dark look and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Why is it that I always feel like I’m being insulted by you?”

She gave him a cheeky grin and patted his arm as she limped past him. “Because you’re an astute and perceptive man, Derek Anderson. Give me twenty minutes to shower and change and I’ll be ready to leave.”

“I’ll give you thirty,” he offered magnanimously.

Reluctant to keep Derek waiting in the cluttered living room, Summer showered and washed her hair quickly. Her short, short hairdo took little time to style, and she applied only a minimum of makeup before pulling on her clothes. At random she selected a red, short-sleeved camp shirt to wear under a sleeveless yellow cotton vest. Her dirndl skirt of red-and-yellow plaid fell to midcalf, adequately concealing the ravages of her right knee. Sliding her feet into low-heeled red espadrilles, she was ready.

And then she wasted almost five minutes trying to tell herself that she was not on the verge of hyperventilating just because Derek Anderson was taking her to breakfast. What was it about him that made her turn into a swooning adolescent? she wondered with wry humor. What was it about his silvery eyes that made her long to see them glimmer with his smile? What was it about his strong arms that made her fantasize about having them around her? And how could one little kiss brushed lightly across her ugly, scarred knee turn her into a panting lapdog wanting only to feel his hands upon her? Disgusting, she told herself sternly, frowning at her image in the mirror.

But nice. There was something definitely nice about the feelings he brought out in her. Oh, she was going to have to be very careful.

As fast as she had been, Derek had been faster. Summer gasped when she stepped into the living room to find all the remains of last night’s party cleared away. She found Derek in the kitchen, loading the last chip bowl into the dishwasher. A large plastic bag of garbage, neatly tied, rested at his feet. “Where do you take your garbage?” he asked, glancing up to find her staring at him.

“You wouldn’t happen to be wearing a Superman costume under those mild-mannered businessman’s clothes, would you?” she asked curiously.

His lips curved into one of his faint, dangerous smiles. “No. Would you like me to take them off and show you?”

Yes. The answer popped into her mind with such conviction that Summer b

linked, telling herself that his occasional flashes of humor were definitely strange. “What I meant was,” she enunciated clearly, “how did you ever get all this done so quickly?”

“Organization and efficiency.” His eyes gleamed with that smile that so rarely touched his mouth. Summer was beginning to like that camouflaged smile very much. “I thought it was the least I could do after knocking you down when I arrived.”

“It wasn’t necessary, but thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You look very nice.”

“Thank you again. We can leave now, unless you’d like to clean the bathroom first?”

She had injected just enough wistful hinting into the question to cause Derek’s mouth to quirk into a genuine smile. “I think I’ll pass on that opportunity.”

Amazing what a mere curve of lips and a very brief glimpse of even white teeth could do for a rather ordinary male face, Summer thought in momentary bemusement. His rare smile made Derek look almost handsome. Downright sexy. And he was looking at her like…

“Breakfast,” she said determinedly, shaking off her unsettling fascination with his facial expression and turning back toward the living room.