Page 12 of Big Deal Sweetheart

“Are you finished for the day, Nova?” Keifer asked.

Chapter Four

He shouldn’t take pleasurein the fact she appeared to be as affected by him as he was her, but dammit he was. Last night, he’d been unable to sleep without thinking of the little minx. A first for him. Usually, he was able to forget a woman shortly after he left their bed, or the bed they’d shared. He’d not had a woman in his bed since his wife’s death, hadn’t wanted to, until last night. Not that Rachel and he had shared the same bed before her death, but for his daughter’s sake, he didn’t bring women to his home. He still didn’t know if he liked the idea of Nova taking up so much space in his mind, but he knew his own way of thinking and if he didn’t face things head-on, he’d obsess over it and that just wouldn’t do.

“Yes. I was just going to make sure everything was turned off and head out for some coffee.”

“Hmm, coffee this late at night? Won’t that keep you up until the wee hours?” He was one of those people who could drink caffeine of any kind and still go to bed a half hour later without issue.

“Nope, my body doesn’t respond to java like normal people,” she said with a smile.

“We have that in common then. May I join you for coffee?”

He watched her stare at him as if debating whether to let him tag along or not. He knew women and was aware she found him attractive, yet she was wary. Good, he liked knowing she didn’t just fall in line and do as a man said. Of course, he’d make sure she understood the rules once they started...he pumped the breaks on his thoughts. This was a coffee date, or rather the two of them going for coffee, not a date.

“Yes, you may,” she agreed.

Keifer had almost decided to skip coffee and go back to the empty suite at the hotel since Delilah was spending the evening with her grandparents. They’d invited him to go with them, but he thought they needed a little time alone since they hadn’t seen Delilah in a couple years. His fault of course. Ruthlessly he shoved the memories of why he hadn’t come to Rachel’s hometown to the back of his mind. “Shall we go then, or do you still need to check the place over?” Rachel’s parents blamed him for her addictions, but she’d been addicted before they’d met but had gone to rehab and been clean for a year. He’d had no clue at the time. Addiction was a terrible disease, one that could rear its ugly head time and again. Once Rachel fell into depression after a miscarriage, the doctors had prescribed her meds, which had he known about her problems he might’ve done more, researched more. Hell, he fucking blamed himself so the fact her parent did wasn’t shocking. It was why he’d avoided them.

“Give me five and I’ll be ready.”

He assumed she’d be like all women and her five actually meant fifteen. While she spun back toward the room he and Delilah had been in the previous day, he went over to the quaint waiting area, finding the seats remarkably comfortable. He’d only scrolled through a few emails when Nova announced she was ready. To say she’d surprised him would be an understatement.

“When you said five minutes, you meant five minutes.” He got to his feet, noticing she’d changed into boots and already had her coat on. She’d also appeared to have brushed her hair before putting on a hat, but he couldn’t say she’d done that for him. Nova Leigh was a conundrum. She was young and gorgeous, yet she was efficient and caring.

“Why aren’t you married with two point five children?” he asked.

Nova shrugged, leading the way to the door. “I’m still young, plenty of time for that.”

Her words had him clenching his teeth. Just how young was she. He was thirty-eight with a fifteen-year-old daughter. Shit, she could be closer to his daughter’s age for all he knew. “Just how old are you?”

“Why, Keifer, don’t you know it’s not nice to ask a lady her age. I’m twenty-seven-years young though. If you were to ask my Nana, she’d tell you some crazy story about age and wisdom and walk you around the block, verbally, so that by the time she finished, you’d question your sanity.” Nova’s voice was filled with affection even he could hear.

“She sounds like a lovely woman.”

They stood in the alcove outside the salon while Nova locked the door, then she waved up at a camera. “Your grandmother watching you, or are you just making sure it’s recorded that you left with me, in case I’m a serial killer?”

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