“It’s beengood. I have an appointment on Friday to show a client somecommercial properties.”
“Oh yeah?” Heglanced at her. “That sounds promising.”
“It is. It’skind of weird though, he said I was recommended to him, but I don’tknow who would have done that. I asked Rose and Ray if maybe theyhad done it, but neither of them had even heard of the guy beforehe came into our office.”
“Strange,” hesaid as he turned onto Wilshire.
“I thought so,”she said. “Gideon’s house is third on the right.”
He pulled intothe driveway and parked before shutting the car off. She smiled athim. “I’m going to apologize in advance for the grilling you’reabout to get from my brother.”
He grinned ather. “It’s cool. I can handle some big brother grilling.”
She sighed asshe climbed out of the car. “See, you think you do, but you haven’tbeen subjected to Gideon yet. I mean, we’ll be lucky if he doesn’thandcuff you to the chair and, I don’t know, waterboard you orsomething.”
He laughed outloud as they met in front of the car. When he held out his hand,she took it and made a little squeak of surprise when he pulled herin close. “Don’t worry about me, little Kira. I promise I won’tcrack under the pressure.”
He studied hermouth before leaning down and pressing a kiss against it. Shereturned his kiss, knowing she should keep it chaste, but unable toresist skimming her tongue along the seam of his lips. To hersurprise, he parted them, and she slipped her tongue into hismouth, moaning quietly when he sucked on the tip.
He pulled backand she said, “I thought you weren’t into PDAs.”
He grinned andsqueezed her hand. “Just putting on a show for big brother.”
Gideon wasstanding on the small front porch and she waved at him beforemuttering, “Shit.”
“What? Was thatthe wrong thing to do?” he asked. “I thought it might help with thesuspicion.”
“No, it’sjust...” she stared at her boobs. “Can you see my nipples?”
“What?”
“My nipples?Are they, uh, visible? I wore layers but I’m not taking anychances. I am not walking up to my brother with hard nipples.”
“No, you can’tsee them,” he said. “But if you don’t stop talking about your hardnipples, we’re gonna have a bigger problem. Trust me when I saythat me sporting a full-on boner in front of your brother will be amuch larger issue than your,” his gaze dipped to her breasts again,“hard nipples.”
A flush of heatwent through her and her giggle was a little high-pitched. “Sorry,I didn’t mean to…that is, I’m not….”
He squeezed herhand and gave her an adorable grin. “I know you didn’t. C’mon,let’s get the interrogation over with.”
* * *
“So, Connor,apparently you haven’t even told Kira where you live. Is thatright?” Gideon set the plate of steaks down on the table as Kirabrought over the bowl of salad and the grilled mushrooms.
“Knock it off,Gideon.” She sat down next to Connor at the table.
To hersurprise, Gideon had been perfectly polite to Connor from themoment they walked in. He’d gotten them both a beer and they’d madesmall talk on the patio in the back yard as Gideon grilled thesteaks.
But now, itseemed like the niceties were over, and her stomach churned as shepatted Tank on the butt. “Tank, go to your bed.”
The Great Danehad taken a liking to Connor and was currently standing in front ofhim, his long tail waving happily as he rested his big head onConnor’s shoulder. Connor patted his side as Gideon, said, “Tank,to your bed.”
The big dogchuffed but left the kitchen. Kira heard him make a loud sigh as heflopped down on the bed in the living room.
“Connor do youwant another beer?” she asked.
He shook hishead and sipped at his water. “No thank you. Water is good.”
She couldalmost feel Gideon’s silent approval. Not that her brother hadanything against drinking beer, but Connor was driving and the factthat he stopped after one, would earn him a point in Gideon’smind.