Katie hid a grin behind her hair as she turned away. If Chase thought he could be married to her with a girl on the side, he had better think again. She grabbed a cup from the cabinet. Then she went to the table and stood beside him. “Did you make coffee for us?”
The blonde nodded, her jaw slack.
“Helen brought cookies over as well,” Chase said.
Helen, huh? It was good to have a name to go with the face, a face that seemed plastic to her and dipped in cosmetics.
He grinned up at Katie. “I mean, she brought biscuits.”
Helen frowned. “Biscuits?”
“My beautiful Katie is from England, and that’s what they call cookies over there. I’ve tried to Americanize her, but...”
Katie batted her eyelashes and openly flirted with him. “Now, now. You don’t want to change me too much, luv. Didn’t you say you fell in love with me because I’m not like American women?”
He made a face. “Did I say that?”
“You did.”
“Helen lives down the street and keeps an eye on the place when no one is here.”
I’ll bet she does. I’ll bet she keeps an extra special eye on it when you are here, too.
“You’re married?” Helen asked with a forced smile. “When did that happen?”
Chase pulled Katie onto his lap and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. A shiver rocked through her. A simple press of his full lips against hers did funny things to her insides making her want to lose herself in him. In a flash, she forgot their marriage was temporary, forgot he was her boss, and forgot they weren’t alone. She snuggled closer and kissed him with a passion she’d never experienced before meeting him.
Helen cleared her throat.
With a startled yelp, Katie leaped off his lap. Her cheeks burned hot. She would have put distance between them, but he took her hand in a firm enough grip to keep her by his side.
A teasing smile rested on his face as he spoke to their guest. “You’ll have to forgive us for the PDA. We’re newlyweds.”
“So, you j-just got married then?” Helen stumbled over her words. She looked at her watch. “Oh my, the time has gotten away from me. I have so much to do at home. Ta-ta.”
Helen dashed out of the lake house without another glance in their direction. After she was gone, Chase grinned at Katie, his eyes sparkling. She had no idea why he was smiling like that, and she was sure she didn’t care.
“I need to get dressed.” She headed for the door, but he moved fast, blocking her way. “What are you doing?”
“I just want to thank you for putting a crimp in Helen’s plans.”
“Thank me?” Katie’s eyes narrowed. “Plans? What are you talking about?”
“Helen Rochester is five times divorced and searching for number six. She set her sights on me last year, and nothing I do seems to dissuade her in the slightest.”
Katie shrugged. “That’s what you get for being so charming.”
He grinned, deepening his dimples, and he pulled her into his arms. “You think I’m charming?”
“When you want to be.”
She wished he’d keep his hands to himself. Every time he touched her, she went up in a blaze of fiery passion beyond her control. She couldn’t think straight. Her mind focused on his hands and on his lips.Kiss me.
And he did.
Chapter Seven
Monday morning, Chase paced in his office when he should have been working. There was a lot to do, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Katie. Images of her in that little black dress continued to pop into his brain.Damn, that womanis sexy.How had he not seen through her matronly disguise? Making love to her had blown his mind and all his plans to shreds. He was already too attached to her. Maybe he should have chosen someone else to have his child instead of the woman he’d spent almost every day with for the last two years.