She laughed. “I’m glad to hear it. Ryan, I know you know why I’m here.”
“I know some of your background. Paul said you only needed a place for about three months. Is that right?”
She nodded and waved her hand. “Yes, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
His eyelids dropped a bit and he looked her up and down. “You’re not in my hair. I’ve never had a better chocolate cake or such a pretty cook and housekeeper. I was expecting someone twice your age.”
She laughed. “I hope you’re not too disappointed.”
He chuckled. “Fishing for compliments?”
Kaylie tilted her head. “Maybe. You offering?”
“Maybe. All right, I’m very happy you’re young and beautiful. I expect the men to start finding reasons to visit the house and you. Now that they’ve seen you, it will be hard to keep them away.”
She shook her head. “I’m not worried about it. I’ve worked in an all-male environment before. I know how to handle them.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “I’m sure you do. We should probably go inside. It’s getting colder now. Winter is upon us whether the calendar says so or not.”
“This isn’t bad at all. You should see the winters we have back home.” She stopped and covered her mouth with her fingers. “I probably shouldn’t say that should I. You’re probably not supposed to know anything about me.”
“Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me. I wouldn’t have agreed to do this favor for Paul without knowing something about you.”
As her breath whooshed out of her, she sagged. “Oh, thank goodness. I’m lousy at keeping secrets.” She cocked her head. “If that’s the case, then why were you expecting someone older?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t ask about what you looked like. I cared what or who I might need to protect you from.” He stood and held his hand out to her.
She accepted it. Her hand felt so small in his. She felt every one of the callouses on his palm. She wondered if he felt her heart racing. There was something about his touch that set her on fire.Whoa, girlfriend. What am I doing?
He turned off the lantern, walked to the door and held it open for her.
Kaylie walked into the living room. “Oh, that makes sense.” She walked over to the bookcases and began looking for a book to read. She picked up a book calledLouisiana Longshotby Jana Deleon. “I’ve read her before. She’s hilarious. This isn’t the kind of book I would have expected to find on your bookshelves.”
He shrugged and his mouth was a flat line. “It’s my former fiancée’s. She loved her, too. And you’re right, she’s a very funny writer.”
The smile left his face and he almost frowned. She didn’t think now was a good time to ask about his fiancée. Obviously, she wasn’t in the picture any longer, for whatever reason.
“I think I’ll take this to bed with me. What time do you want breakfast?”
“We usually have breakfast at six. Coffee needs to be made by five. Also, so you know, I have one man at each door with instructions to let no one pass.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I’ll set the alarm on my phone.” She tucked the book under her arm and stopped. “Wait, I don’t have my phone anymore.”
“No worries. You’ll find an alarm clock in your bedroom, on the nightstand. Would you like to watch some TV?”
She shook her head. “I’m a little jet lagged, so I think I’ll turn in. It’s two hours later according to my body. How about a rain check?”
“Sure. I understand having been in your shoes plenty of times. Jet lag sucks.”
She laughed. “That’s succinct but accurate. Goodnight, Ryan.”
“Goodnight, Kaylie.”
She turned and headed down the hall to her bedroom. She wanted to look back to see if Ryan watched her but didn’t dare because if he was, she’d die of embarrassment at being caught looking. She could just see that sexier-than-anyone-had-a-right-to-have smile on his face.
Entering her bedroom, she switched on the light and then closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a minute. She hadn’t been this attracted to anyone in a long time. Maybe not ever. When was the last time? Even her ex-fiancé, Matt Peterson, hadn’t sent her heart racing like it had tonight.
Ryan’s eyes, the color of the deepest part of the ocean, had bored into her and seemed to see every secret she was hiding. Had he seen the way her hands shook when they were on the swing? Could he hear her rapid breathing as she tried valiantly to catch her breath just sitting next to him?