2 #2
Given that Mike might’ve had something to do with the vandalism, he shouldn’t have been amused, but it was obvious she wanted
to get away from him, so Kam couldn’t help grinning. “All that, huh?”
“Yes, all that. You’re being weird. And kissy. I don’t understand it.”
“Kissy?” His humor expanded.
“You know what I mean. For a man who only doesn’t dislike me, there’s no reason for kissing.”
“I bet you can’t say that again.” She’d jumbled that odd sentence together so that few people would understand. He’d gotten her drift, though. “I like you fine—and you liked me kissing you.” Would she admit it?
“Yeah, so? It’s been a weird day, but it won’t happen again.”
Softly, he said, “Damn, girl, that sounds like a challenge.”
“It’s not!” She pulled her arm free and practically leaped from the car.
Sighing, Kam got out and followed her. “I can’t just drop you off.”
Heading to her door at a fast clip, she said, “Yes, you can.”
He caught her again, then had to speak fast before she decked him. “Your window is broken.”
Growling—like a literal growl—she snapped, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Damn it, she had him grinning again. “It’s not a euphemism if that’s what you’re thinking.” He turned her on the walkway and
pointed to the main front window. Fortunately, it was a casement window and only one side was broken.
She gasped. “My window!”
When she started to charge forward, Kam snagged her once more. “Hold up there, speed racer. Let’s think this through, okay?
Earlier, you tangled with your asshole ex.”
“He’s not an ex. I didn’t date him long enough for him to qualify as an ex.”
Semantics. Not his point. “We both had flat tires. And now your window is broken.”
“Mike doesn’t know where I live.”
Well, that was something, at least. “How about you let me go in first?”
She tucked in her chin and gave him a fierce frown. “How about we go in together?”
“I’ll take what I can get.” He took the keys from her hand and stepped around her.
“Kam! What does that mean?”
Seriously, he would take what he could get, but for now, he didn’t want to debate it with her. “One thing at a time.” She had double front doors,
but only the right side opened. He stepped into a foyer with a built-in seat beneath a coat rack and cubbies for shoes or
bags. Nice.
To the left was a small living room where broken pieces of glass glittered in the lights she flipped on. They both stopped
to listen but didn’t hear anything. Kam nodded at the rock in the middle of the shards. When he glanced at Glory, he found
her mouth firmed and her expression stoic.
It infuriated him that some chickenshit bastard had done this to her. “Other than that little bit of mess, your living room
looks really nice.”
It relieved him when her tension eased. “Thank you. I decorated it myself, so I wasn’t sure . . .”
Two stuffed couches in pale gray faced each other over a dark wood coffee table. Beneath the window was a simple bench with
accent pillows. It seemed odd to him that the couches didn’t face the TV, but maybe she didn’t watch it much.
Beyond the foyer, still in the center of the house, he spotted the kitchen. “Want to give me a tour so I can make sure everything
is secure?”
She gave another glance at the window, drew a shaky breath, and nodded.
He didn’t yet tell her that she shouldn’t stay here alone, that he should stay, too. She was already off-kilter. It’d be better
if he eased her into the idea.
“I’ll give you the quick tour,” she relented, “but then you need to go.” She started on her way, assuming he’d follow. “It’ll
take me a bit to clean up the mess, and it’s already late.”
Okay then, no time like the present. Right behind her, he stated, “I’m not going.”
Just as matter-of-fact, she said, “Yes, you are.” Gesturing, she said, “This is the kitchen.”
It was nice and streamlined, with seats at a bar that held the sink. A person could clean a pan and still chat, or tidy the
kitchen while keeping an eye on children.
With its location, there were no windows to worry about. “Be reasonable, Glory.”
“That’s my line to you.” Another wave of her hand. “Dining room.”
The dining room, with a cathedral ceiling, had a table with four chairs around it, and two more chairs, each of them with
padded seats, flanked a window.
Kam lifted the simple blinds to check the lock, but it was secure. “I like your furniture.” The gray cushions on the chairs
matched the couches, which made sense, given that the rooms flowed together.
Surprisingly, there wasn’t much in the way of wall decor and no plants to be seen. He couldn’t imagine Glory decorating on
a budget. After all, she was part of the McCallahan family. Could she be that different from her cousin? Callie loved plants
and was forever adding a piece of artwork or a glass dish to every available surface.
He checked sliding doors that opened to a currently empty covered terrace. It, too, was secure. “I’m not letting you stay
here alone.”
Slowly, she pivoted to face him. “You’re not letting me?”
“Time out. Let me rephrase that.” God save him from difficult women. She’d known him long enough to know what he meant. “Addie
would kick my ass if I walked off right now.”
That softened her expression.
Aha! A toehold. Everyone liked Addie, so he’d use that to his advantage. “Can you imagine how she’d feel if she knew everything that had gone on tonight, how Mike had hassled you, and now a broken window?”
“Maybe.”
“No maybe to it. She’d be pissed if you were here alone. Hell, Glory, she’d come here herself and insist on staying until
it got repaired.”
“No she wouldn’t.”
“Want to bet? I’ll call her.” Like a threat, he lifted his cell phone.
Her sigh of defeat gave him hope.
Leaning down to better see her expression, he promised, “You won’t even know I’m here.”
“Oh, I’ll know.”
Hmm. Though he didn’t want to, he offered, “I’ll sleep on one of the couches.”
“Not necessary.”
Full of hope, he said, “No?”
“I have a guest bedroom.”
Well, hell. “Great.”
She bit her lip, undecided, then looked back toward the living room and that broken window. “I have no idea how to secure
it for the night.”
“I do.” Keeping his hands to himself wasn’t easy. He wanted to touch her, smooth her hair, brush his thumb over her cheek
again . . .
Kiss her senseless.
Instead, he looked into big blue eyes full of exhaustion. Yeah, he felt that. He, too, was tired to the bones. “Got any tools?”
“Oh.” She brightened. “I do, yes.” Hustling past him, she went through the kitchen, to the foyer and into a single-car garage.
Kam followed, then looked around in interest. Along every wall, boxes were stacked. He saw a huge framed mirror, some other pieces of art, and three very large house plants.
Glory went to one box and unearthed . . . a pink tool kit.
Knowing it’d piss her off, he fought the grin. She looked so damned pleased with herself, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
Again. “Ah, you came prepared.”
“I had the idea of hanging the art and the mirror, but it’s heavier than I remembered.”
He opened the petite tool kit to find a slender hammer, scissors, bit driver, measuring tape, pliers . . . Nothing all that
sturdy but the hammer would do. “Nails?”
She went back to the same big box, dug around, and found a small pack of finishing nails. He looked around the garage again.
“Are any of the boxes empty?”
“I, um . . . No.”
“Is there one we can empty real quick?” To explain that, he said, “I don’t see any wood, and we’ll need to cover the window
with something, or your house will fill with bugs.” Not to mention that a creep could just climb right in.
Biting the corner of her lip, she surveyed each box, then said, “That one.” With purpose, she headed for it. “My small appliances
are in it. I can unload the stuff here and—”
“How about I just carry it into the kitchen, since that’s where I assume the stuff will go?” Without waiting for an answer,
he hefted the box into his arms. “You can grab the tool kit for me.”
Taking charge seemed easier than waiting for Glory to figure it out, so that’s what Kam did. She stuck close, following him
as he went back to the living room to measure the size of the window, then back to the kitchen, where he cut the cardboard.
Every time he moved, he nearly bumped into her.
He could tell she was nervous, and clearly, she had no idea how all that body contact was getting to him.
“Look.” He set everything aside and, giving into an urge, put his hands on her shoulders.
“Why don’t you go have a shower, get changed, and get comfortable while I finish up here? ”
The second he’d touched her, she went perfectly still. “You’re almost done, aren’t you?”
He made the concerted effort not to pull her closer. Not to look at her mouth. A deep quiet inhale helped. “I’m getting there.
Once I get the cardboard tacked up, I’m going to move a few things in the garage, so I can park Addie’s car in there. I don’t
trust lover boy not to come around and dick with it.”
“He’s your lover boy? Wow, you work fast.”
Grinning, Kam said, “Love your wit. I never realized you were so funny.”
“You bring out the irony in me.”
See, that made him lose the battle. Keeping it quick, he bent to press a kiss to her mouth, and before she could react, he
said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful not to leave any visible nail holes around your window. And I won’t ding anything when
I pull in the car. Once you’re done with your shower, you can show me the rest of the house and then we’ll turn in.”
She stepped out of reach. Color tinged her cheeks, but she kept her chin up. “The order of all that doesn’t work for me. Instead,
why don’t you pull in the car, then put up the cardboard. When that’s done, we can check the rest of the house together, and
then I’ll get ready for bed.”
“We need to talk, too.”
Her smile was faint, there and gone quickly. “In the morning. Tonight, I’m zoned.”
Yeah, she looked it. Again overstepping, he stroked a hand over her hair. “All right. Stay here and guard the window while
I get the car in. Won’t take me a minute.”
“Guard it from what?”