Unexpected. Lori Foster

of his thoughts, he’d be in trouble for sure.

      She broke his pensive mood by saying, “If you’re not going to eat your eggs, can I have them?”

      The hilarity of the situation hit him. Here he was mired in profound ruminations of the heart—and she’d only been coveting his eggs.

      Laughing, he pushed his plate toward her. “Go ahead. I wouldn’t want you to deplete your resources.”

      She gave him a very prim “Thanks,” then dug into his food.

      Eli knew it wouldn’t be wise to push her, not yet, maybe not ever. He couldn’t tell her the carnal course his thoughts had taken, but he could tease her, perhaps get another smile from her. “You know, your naturalness is refreshing—I think.”

      Ray glanced up from her contemplation of the map. “My what?”

      “The way you say and do just as you please. It’s nice not to have to wonder what’s in your head.”

      She blinked at him lazily while storm clouds gathered in her eyes. “You think I have it so easy? You actually think you know my thoughts?”

      Uh-oh. Apparently, he’d stepped in it again. “Ray, you haven’t exactly been circumspect in your speech or”—he glanced at her body, teasingly displayed—“in your attire.”

      Her eyelids narrowed just the tiniest bit. She propped her chin on a fist. “You didn’t by any chance think to get to know me better, did you?”

      Eli wasn’t quite certain what was going on now. Seconds ago she’d been open and friendly. She’d told him about her dog, damn it. Of her own accord, she had opened up. “I’d like to get to know you better.”

      “Why?”

      He couldn’t tell her that he wanted her, that despite the situation with his brother, he couldn’t get her off his mind. He shrugged and settled on saying, “You fascinate me.”

      Her smile was mean. “Kind of like the strange animals at the zoo, huh?”

      “No.” He resented the gibe, especially since it had come on so suddenly. “I think you’re very independent and honest and up-front. I like and admire that about you. You don’t meet too many people with those traits.”

      She continued to scrutinize him. “You don’t know me, Eli. If you did, you wouldn’t say such a stupid thing.”

      From bad to worse. She was so damn defensive, so hurt. “I want to know you.”

      She laughed without humor.

      “When this is over, we could see how things go.”

      Before he’d finished that statement, she was already shaking her head. “Not possible.”

      “Why?”

      Ray stood and paced to the sink, put her empty dish inside and ran water over it. She was gathering her thoughts, her arguments, but Eli didn’t know how to reassure her.

      He knew for certain she didn’t realize the picture she made, leaning against the sink with the undershirt hugging the soft lines of her hips. She turned, putting her hands behind her on the counter, which only served to push her breasts forward. Again, she seemed oblivious to the sensuousness of her stance.

      “I never see the people I work for after the job is done.”

      “Why, Ray?” His gaze held hers, taking in her carefully wrought expression of indifference. “Explain it to me.”

      “What’s to explain? I just don’t.”

      “You must have a reason.” He pressed her when he knew that could be dangerous. But he sensed an emotional opening and he fully intended to take advantage of it. “I would think you’d get pretty close to a person if you rescue him.”

      She shook her head. “No, that would be stupid.”

      “Why?”

      Exasperated, she said, “You wouldn’t understand.”

      “You sound so sure of that.” Despite his efforts to remain calm and in control, his brows pulled down. “You know, it’s just possible I’m not really as shallow as you think.”

      Her arms came around to cross over her chest. It was a protective gesture, and Eli wondered at it. Why did she feel threatened? How could she feel threatened by a man when she was comfortable traipsing about in her underclothes in front of him? That alone denoted a certain amount of self-confidence and trust.

      He stood, crowding in close to her. Her face turned up to his and he stared into her eyes. He wanted to touch her, to make the physical connection between a man and a woman. The compulsion was almost too great to resist. “Explain it to me, Ray,” he insisted quietly.

      Her chin tilted stubbornly in a sign of defiance. She was always so contained, so laid back, she wouldn’t have cared enough to be defiant. But this topic got to her, threatened her in some way, and damn it, he wanted to know why.

      “It would be like mixing two entirely different worlds. And I know from experience it doesn’t work. People like you—”

      “What the hell does that mean, ‘people like me’?”

      “People with money,” she clarified, drawing the word out like a curse. “You hired me, Eli, you did not make a social call. This is a business arrangement, that’s all. Quit trying to make it something more.”

      Her insistence only made him more determined. “Maybe it could be something more if you’d let it.”

      “For what purpose?” she almost yelled.

      “Because I want you.”

      Her eyes flared, color rushed into her cheeks—anger or embarrassment, he had no idea which. Her chest rose and fell, then her expression settled into lines of rage. As she turned to stalk away, he grabbed her shoulder.

      Big mistake.

      Within a heartbeat, his thumb was twisted backward at an awkward angle. Eli locked his jaw in serious discomfort. Feeling his own anger erupt, he growled, “Let go, Ray.”

      She did, backing up a step and looking very sheepish. “I’m sorry. It was pure instinct.” Then she caught herself and her brows snapped down. “You shouldn’t touch me. Especially not after spewing garbage like that.”

      “Garbage?” He rubbed his thumb but it continued to throb.

      Going on tiptoe, she stuck her face in his and snarled, “I’m not out for a quick toss in the hay, Eli. Save that for Jane.” Her sneering tone irked him all the more. “Just because I have some unusual habits doesn’t mean I’m easy.”

      He wanted to turn her over his knee. His anger had risen until he had to speak through his teeth. “If you had let me finish instead of being so damned prickly—just like a damn woman—you’d know that wasn’t what I meant at all.” He tried shaking his hand, but the pain continued to pulse through his thumb. He glowered at her. “I only meant that I like you and I’m attracted to you.”

      “Why?”

      “What do you mean, why? You don’t think you’re likable? Hell, Ray, you’re giving me your expertise and assistance, and if that’s not enough—”

      She curled her hands into fists. Not a good sign. “I’m not giving you anything. You’re paying good money for it.”

      Eli didn’t appreciate that little reminder. His expression became stony. “You didn’t have to agree to help. Money or not, you could have said no.”

      He tried bending his thumb, and grimaced instead.

      Just that easily, Ray relented. Dropping her weight onto one leg, thrusting out the other hip in an arrogant slouch, she said, “Here.” She grabbed his hand, turned his thumb sharply, making him grunt, then asked, “Is that better?”