NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(33)

Who could pass up an offer like that? She grabbed the latest draft of her last three chapters and held it out. Then yanked it back again. “Wait. You’re busy with that huge cyber-company case. You can’t possibly have the time.”

“Actually, there isn’t anything more I can do on that deal right now. Their decision on our latest proposal should be coming through either today or tomorrow.” He snatched the folder out of her hands. “I’ll read this while I’m eating lunch today.”

Did he realize how many pages it was? “It’s pretty long.”

He shrugged and downed the last of his morning coffee. “I took speed reading seminars during law school.” Flipping through the pages, he estimated, “This should probably only take me an hour, if that. We can discuss it over dinner tonight.”

That sounded so domestic, Abby warmed at the thought...before sobering right back up an instant later. Heck, there would be a Connor shaped hole in the door if he knew she was thinking of him in the happily-ever-after sense.

Which is precisely what she kept reminding herself when he leaned down to give her a quick kiss goodbye in a very have-a-good-day-dear sort of way. It was also what possessed her to purposely turn the heat up a nondomestic bit by playfully slipping her tongue past his lips. Then right back out.

The response was almost disproportionate.

His arms came barreling down around her, caging her against the breakfast bar as his tongue returned the favor in spades via a search and destroy mission for any and all non-sex-related thoughts in her brain.

Mission quickly accomplished.

“Don’t start something if you’re not going to follow through, sweetheart,” he warned, dragging his lips over the side of her throat. “Because it’s been nearly thirty-one hours since I’ve had you last. I’ll damn well reassign every one of my court hearings today for a chance to be inside you right now. In a heartbeat.”

How did this turn around on her so drastically?

With his forearms just barely touching either side of her ribs, and his warm, freshly shaven jaw under her lips, she was supremely tempted to strip him bare and have her wicked way with him.

But the shrill appointment reminder alarm from her phone tossed that possibility out the window.

“I-I have to meet with my committee advisor today,” she replied, the raspy, untamed embers in her voice sounding practically 1-900-ish to her own ears. “Rain check?”

He nudged his hard arousal against the inside of her thighs, close, but not quite high enough to break her resolve. “You’re going to owe me…” And then he did nudge higher. “…with interest.” A kiss and a nibble, and then a soft, “Have a good meeting today,” in her ear was his politely monogrammed acceptance of said rain check before he stepped back to straighten his suit.

She almost fell off the stool.

Now what meeting was she going to again?



Pulling up to her driveway, Abby couldn’t believe how tiny her cottage looked now, after just over a week staying at the mini McMansion. Careful not to step on any industrial power cords or knock over any ladders, she slipped around back to where the builders were making excellent progress on the patio enclosure. “Hey Tom,” she called out to the foreman.

“Abby, hi.” A worried look flashed over his expression. “We’re not behind schedule are we? I could’ve sworn you were coming back next—”

“No, no. Don’t worry. I’m just here to pick up some books I left behind.”

Connor would collapse in laughter over that one, she thought to herself.

Tom raised an eyebrow. “Tell me what kind of books make you smile like that and I’ll go to the bookstore right now and get a set for my wife.”

She blushed. “They’re just research books my advisor wants me to re-read.”

“If you’re looking for more hands-on research, honey, count me in,” called out the journeyman passing by carrying sheets of drywall.

Goodness, her face would never return to its normal color at this rate.

Slinging a dusty arm around her shoulders, Tom led her away from all the whistling and howling echoing from his crew. “You’re too easy to tease.”

She walked with him into the kitchen and offered him a bottled water, taking one to cool off her cheeks. “You guys are horrible,” she pouted, chuckling despite herself.

“Hey, I meant to ask, are you staying over at Connor Sullivan’s place?”

Abby looked over at him warily.

“Don’t worry, I’m not following you or anything. It’s just I pass his home on my way over here and I could’ve sworn I saw your car parked in his driveway—the duct tape on the bumper is pretty distinctive.”

Oh. The tension quickly left her shoulders. “He’s my best friend’s brother. When he heard I needed a place to stay for a few weeks, he offered me one of his guestrooms.”

Tom nodded. “Yeah, sounds like him. He’s a really great guy.”

Surprised at the familiar tone, she asked nosily, “How do you know him?”

“He helped me and my brother out big time when we thought our business was done for.”

That didn’t make any sense. To her knowledge, Connor only did legal work for huge corporations—small construction businesses like Tom’s weren’t his normal clientele base.