Read Online Cup of Sugar by Karla Doyle - Free Book Online

were just the right amount of tight rode enticingly low on his hips. Conn was like a male, sexualized version of Medusa. Forget turning to stone—if Nia looked at him directly, she’d turn to goo. A hot mess of infatuated, horny, female goo.
    “What’re you making?” Conn’s voice wrapped around her like a satiny sheet. He stood with one hand on the island where she was working, the rest of his body so close to hers she could almost feel his touch.
    “Apple crumble.”
    “Sounds good. What can I do to help?”
    Oh…stand behind her and slide his hands all over her body. Kiss her neck and whisper dirty-sweet things in her ear. For starters.
    She ducked her head lower so he wouldn’t see that answer written all over her heated face. “Nothing. Go, sit. Enjoy the scenery.”
    “I prefer the scenery in the kitchen.”
    Over by the sink, her mother chuckled under breath. Then she excused herself from the room under the guise of fetching more wine from the fridge in the garage. Because they needed more wine before anybody had even started drinking the stuff. Uh-huh.
    “I apologize for accepting your mom’s invitation to stay without asking if you minded.”
    Nia would have to look at him eventually, so she forced herself to do it now. “Of course I don’t mind, you’re hanging around to do me a service.”
    “I’m happy to service you, sweetheart. Any way, any place, any time.”
    She squeaked—damn that stupid, involuntary noise—and tried not to fidget on the spot. Hard to do with his slow, spreading smile sending a jolt of awareness straight to her core. So much for her resolve.
    “My desire to service you aside, I think you need to understand something. Driving you here, sticking around so I can take you home tomorrow—I’m not doing those things because I’m a nice guy.” He moved a few inches closer, his sparkling eyes never leaving her face. “Those were strictly self-serving choices, Nia. I saw an opportunity to get what I want and I took it.”
    “Conn…”
    The back door slammed with a resounding whump . Zeus sprang to his feet, on alert despite being a visitor to the house, and bounded toward the source of the noise.
    “Hey, ho, happy family, I’m—holy shit!” Several high-pitched shrieks ensued. “Why is there a giant dog-beast in our house?”
    Saved by her sister. Wasn’t that ironic?
    “Guess I’d better go collect Zeus before he scares your sister away.”
    “Ha. If it were that easy, I would’ve brought a dog home years ago.”
    Conn’s eyebrows rose, his smile changing from one full of sensual promises to one of good-natured amusement.
    She eased back a couple steps and waggled her fingers at him. “Go. Save another damsel in distress.”
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    “Zeus, come.” Conn snapped his fingers and the dog trotted from the mudroom, straight to his side.
    From earlier conversations with Nia and her parents, he knew Nia only had one sibling, a sister. That was the extent of his information. He’d assumed Sara would be fair skinned, blonde and mild-mannered, like the rest of her family. He should’ve known better than to assume.
    An attractive woman with long, dark hair peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened as she stepped into the open-concept living area of the Chambers’ home. “Whoa. Who are you? And why was I not advised of your presence in advance, so I could wear something more appropriate. Or less appropriate, actually.” She shrugged out of a short, silver jacket and tossed it on a chair. “That dog is enormous. Does it bite?” She gave Conn a no-holds-barred, top-to-bottom onceover. “You’re pretty big too. Do you bite?”
    “No biting, you’re safe.”
    “Part of me is relieved,” a suggestive wink came his way, “but the other part’s a little disappointed.”
    He glanced at Nia in the kitchen, beyond Sara’s view. Nia rolled her eyes but made no move to intervene. She just shook her head and resumed dicing.
    The backdoor thudded