not company.”
“Oh? Sorry, I didn’t know you were living with somebody.”
“I’m not—”
“Oh, stop teasing him, Chase,” Jessica said. “He’s pulling your chain, Nick. I already told him about the fire.”
Nick moved over to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup. He needed a shot of caffeine to clear his head.
“It made the paper,” Chase said. “Our Jess is a heroine. Saved a kid and his cat.”
“The media exaggerates.” Jessica scooted the newspaper aside. She’d done what needed to be done, didn’t want the accolades the paper had given her, didn’t want to think about what might have happened if she hadn’t seen Timmy Matheson trip and fall. The fearlessness of children, she thought. While everyone else had been scrambling for an exit, Timmy had ignored his mother’s screams and charged back toward their burning apartment.
“Did the papers say how the fire started?” Nick asked.
“Paint cans too close to a water heater.”
“That’ll do it. You’ll want to call your folks. Chances are the story made the Bridle paper, as well.”
“I already called.” She resisted the urge to tack on sir. “And I called the office this morning, too. Steve’s going to get the ball rolling with the insurance company and check on the painting contractor’s coverage, as well.” Steve Tyler worked in accounting at Coleman-Grayson.
“Busy girl.”
“I usually am.” Not that he would know that firsthand, given the way he’d been avoiding the office lately. Ever since she’d come to work there. “By the way, I’m taking the day off to shop for a replacement wardrobe. I’ve already called Rhonda to let her know I won’t be in.”
“If I didn’t have a prior commitment,” Chase said, “I’d offer to go with you and carry your packages.”
“A man who actually likes to shop? Be still my heart.” She glanced at Nick. “Are you sure the two of you are brothers? Mr. All Business Nick probably wouldn’t think of taking time off to carry a woman’s shopping bags.”
“On the contrary,” Nick said, leaning back against the counter, “I’d enjoy a day at the mall.”
Caught off guard, Jessica’s jaw dropped.
Amusement and satisfaction danced in his eyes. “A good business lesson, Red. Never make a firm statement that you can’t back up with fact. How does nine-forty-five suit you?”
She regained her composure. “It suits me, um, fine—provided I can find something decent to wear in public.” She’d thrown away her smoke-drenched pajamas, and the only thing she had left was what she was wearing—the drawstring shorts and T-shirt Nick had lent her to sleep in.
“You look pretty decent to me,” Chase commented with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“Don’t you have someplace you need to be?” Nick asked him.
Chase grinned. “Yeah. I guess I should go check in with the folks, let them know I’m in town. I imagine they’ll want to get us all together for dinner.”
Nick nodded. “Just let me know when.”
“Will do.” Chase lifted Jessica’s hand and gallantly bowed over it, placing a kiss on her knuckles. “It was great to see you again, Jess. Really great. I’ll call you.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” she said.
Nick had trouble swallowing his coffee and was barely civilized enough to shake Chase’s hand as his brother left.
What was Chase thinking? Had he forgotten that they’d both made a pact not to date friends of the family? Three years ago Chase had been engaged to the daughter of their mother’s best friend. Everything had been fine until the relationship shattered. Ugly words and accusations had flown from both sides. There were squabbles over money, the diamond engagement ring and who was at fault. Both families had been dragged into the fray, each forced to choose sides, effectively ruining a long-standing friendship.
When it came to Jessica, not only did they risk ruining another friendship, but a business partnership, as well.
“There’s that charming expression I’ve come to know and love,” Jessica said as she got up from the table and walked toward him. She brushed a finger over his forehead, and he jerked back so fast he nearly spilled his coffee.
She grinned. “Got any girl clothes around here?”
“None that come to mind. If you want, you can rummage through my closet and see if anything will fit. I’ve got workout clothes you can probably make do with.”
“See how well we’re doing with our truce? I’m sleeping in your bed and wearing your clothes—all in the space of a day. Pretty darn good if you ask me.”
Nick choked on a swallow of hot coffee. Jessica helpfully thumped him on the back and sashayed out of the room.
God almighty, he wasn’t sure he’d survive that woman.
THE GALLERIA MALL in Dallas was a shopper’s paradise. And Nick soon found out that Jessica was an expert at the sport of shopping and could cull choice merchandise off every sale rack like a pro.
He’d discarded his suit jacket an hour ago outside the dressing room of Macy’s. Now, slouched in a chair outside yet another dressing room—Nordstrom’s this time—he loosened the knot of his tie and punched in another number on his cell phone. The reception inside the store was the pits, and after being cut off for the third time, he switched it off.
He’d made a huge mistake by letting Jessica goad him. His pride had gotten in the way and look where he was. She kept sauntering out of the dressing rooms, wearing outfit after outfit, asking his opinion as though they were girlfriends instead of business partners. A bag sat at his feet filled with lingerie she hadn’t modeled for him—thank God. The images his mind was supplying made him sweat.
Toeing the bag a little farther away so it would quit antagonizing him, he looked up and nearly dropped the phone in his hand and his senses to boot.
She wore a siren-red dress that clung to every sweet curve of her body and made him think of hot sex and endless nights.
“Well?” she asked, and executed a pirouette.
He cleared his throat. “Not exactly office attire.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. His heart slammed against his chest. He wondered if she’d done it on purpose, if she knew how sexy that pose was, the way her raised arms pulled the material over her breasts as she lifted her hair off her neck, piling it on top of her head.
“Too much, hmm?”
“I didn’t say that.”
She turned to face him. “Then what do you say?”
“It’s very…nice.” Total understatement. He’d gone from zip to hard in two seconds flat. No way could he stand up at the moment without embarrassing himself. And damned if he’d give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten to him. The imp was having too much fun as it was. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was deliberately being seductive.
“I probably shouldn’t get it. I don’t know where I’d wear it.”
“What about that hot and heavy social life you were talking about?”
She gave him a smile that nearly knocked the breath out of him. Not the put-on smile of a seductress. A sweet smile. An easy smile. “To tell the truth, my social life’s not as hot and heavy as I might have led you to believe.”
Just that simply, with that easy honesty, Nick felt his guard drop. About the time he thought he had her figured out, she did an about-face and said