“So what kind of exchange did you have in mind?” The wariness in her voice hadn’t changed.
If he wanted a chance of convincing her to go along with his plan, he needed to alter her attitude. He propped an arm on the glass door behind her head, bracketing her between his body and the frozen food case in an intimate position. One any observer couldn’t mistake, and one meant to lower her defenses and make her his. “I’m proposing a housecleaning of sorts.” His voice dropped a deeper octave, spurred by her nearness and the sizzling awareness raging through his veins. “I’ll clean your house if you’ll clean mine.”
She shook her head and light laughter bubbled from deep inside her. “You aren’t talking literally.”
“About your house I am. My house I’m not.” On impulse, he reached out and grabbed a strand of her hair and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger, liking the sensual feel of the strands against his skin. “I’ll help you get your aunt’s place in shape to sell, and you’ll help me get my house in order. My personal house.”
What more could he say by way of explanation? Be my fake girlfriend, Kendall? His skin prickled with awareness and his body trembled. In words and fact, all felt right. She felt right.
“Quit beating around the bush and tell me what you have in mind.”
Drawing a deep breath, he opted for the unvarnished truth. “I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend. Keep the tongues in town wagging and the women off my doorstep.” His eyes bore into hers. “What do you say?”
A nervous tick pulled at her mouth. “What I said before. You’re crazy,” she said as her huge eyes stared into his.
Was it his imagination or did hurt flash in the green depths before she masked the emotion. “Not crazy,” he corrected. “I’m just a man who’s had it with unwanted female attention. I also happen to enjoy your company and this arrangement would benefit us both.” Didn’t her body tell her what his already knew? That they were a perfect fit waiting to be soldered together?
He shook his head, reminding himself he’d suggested a fake relationship. But his body wasn’t listening as she bit down on those generous lips.
“I don’t know.”
“You said you’re short on cash. Can you afford a carpenter?” He grasped for the facts necessary to convince her he had what she needed. He was what she needed. “A painter?” he continued. “Anything else that house needs?”
Kendall exhaled a whoosh of air. “Probably not.” Definitely not, she thought. Even if she worked on her jewelry in between fixing up the house, she still couldn’t guarantee enough income to pay for the repairs. Rick was offering to do them—for a price. A price she’d paid before with Brian and had ended up in a wedding dress.
A shiver having nothing to do with the frozen case behind her rippled along her spine. She no longer wanted to rely on anyone to meet her needs or achieve her dreams. Most importantly she didn’t want anyone to stand in the way of her goals. And Rick, with his golden eyes, sexy grin, and charming personality, was much more hazardous to all of those things than Brian had ever been.
But she couldn’t deny his bargain made sense. His forehead still touched hers, the intimate contact making it difficult for her to sort out and weigh her options. Intentional, she had no doubt.
“As an added incentive I happen to be good with my hands.”
How good, she wanted to ask but refrained. Her body had already reacted to his deliberate double entendre and a delicious warmth curled her stomach while a pulsing throb of desire settled lower between her legs. His voice oozed sex and Kendall let herself be seduced.
She licked her lips for moisture and tried without success to focus on the mundane. “Don’t leave me hanging. Tell me what those hands can do.” Unfortunately every sentence came out sounding needy, much the way she felt at the moment.
He grinned. “I’ve done odds and ends around my mother’s house on my days off,” he said, more focused than she. “I can handle most anything you need and what I can’t, I can call in a favor, and lucky for you I have liberal shifts. Four tens.”
“In English, please?”
He rolled his eyes in a playful gesture she found incredibly endearing. “I work four ten-hour shifts a week with three days off. Plenty of time to help you out around the house and give people the right impression at the same time.”
She clenched and unclenched her damp hands. “And what impression would that be?”
He stroked a gentle hand down her cheek. “That I can’t stay away from you. That I’ve finally met the woman for me. And that no one else interests me in the least.”
He spoke so deeply, it could have come from the heart—but it didn’t, Kendall reminded herself. This was but another bargain. He was a man bent on avoiding relationships and marriage. All he was doing now was proving to her he could act the part of her lover.
She’d have to do the same if she agreed. Coming off a similar agreement with Brian, she knew how intimate she and Rick could potentially become. But Rick wasn’t asking for her future, he just wanted a temporary fix to his problem. Just like she needed a quick fix to hers. Quid pro quo. She barely had money in the bank and this man was offering the solution she desperately needed.
“Kendall?” He broke the long silence, interrupting her thoughts.
She could do this. If she locked her heart up tight and reminded herself that she’d be moving on soon, there’d be no chance of becoming attached to this solitary man or this town.
She could handle his bargain. She met his intense gaze. “Yes,” she told him.
“Yes you’re paying attention now or yes—”
“I’ll be your girlfriend,” she said before she
