was staying in her room? The only person staying with Elise, as far as she knew, was Chance.
Belatedly, KT registered the sound of running water in the attached bathroom—and the sound of stillness with it stopped. Was Chance in there?
It took nothing for her mind to picture him naked with water running down his body. In her mind, she saw him from behind, his broad shoulders narrowing to a vee at his waist. His butt was muscled and taut.
Wait—she gave him a tattoo of a spade on his left ass cheek. Perfect.
The bathroom door rattled, startling her out of her daydream.
Eyes wide, she started to scoot off the bed.
But then the door swung open, and Chance and his pig emerged.
Everyone froze.
Her eyes fell to the towel, hanging low on his hips. He was lean and muscled, with sexy abs like David Beckham’s. She had first-hand experience with Beckham’s abs—because of her parents, of course. They hung out poolside with him and Victoria every summer.
Chance’s body was way sexier than Beckham’s. She should have imagined him from the front.
What was she thinking? She should stop staring.
Yeah, right. KT had to swallow a few times before she could speak. “This is my room.”
He raised his brows. “I thought you lived next door.”
“Yeah, but this is my hideout.” She frowned. “There are a million rooms in this house. Elise put you in this one?”
“I liked the bed.” He studied her, his hand holding the towel in place. “I like it better now, though.”
She flushed, her cheeks burning, as she read his thoughts. They weren’t far off from hers.
Except they weren’t really dating. But if they were …
She needed not to think about things like that. She rushed off the bed so quickly she tumbled off.
He didn’t seem to notice. He opened a drawer and pulled out underwear, the tight boxer kind in gray.
She liked gray.
“I, um”—she tripped over her feet—”have to go.”
He turned around. His towel slipped a little. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Because things didn’t seem very pretend at the moment, and they’d definitely stop being pretend if she stayed. “See you around.”
The pig, Ante Up, snorted as she left. To her ears, it sounded like he was laughing at her. Frankly, she couldn’t blame him.
Chapter Eight
“You had a visitor yesterday.”
Chance looked up from reading news on his phone, still surprised after the two weeks he’d been there to have someone talk to him. He and Elise had formed a late morning ritual of sorts. Since she woke up much earlier than him, she joined him for tea as he had his breakfast.
It didn’t surprise him, though, that she’d know about KT’s visit. Elise Carrington-Wright was a matriarch, and she had a finger in everything around her.
But that didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for her. “What sort of visitor?”
“A female visitor.”
He recognized that Elise was testing him in some way. It wouldn’t surprise him if she were disapproving of him using KT as a decoy girlfriend. It sounded as though KT grew up in this house as much as her own.
Except KT felt like more than a decoy—he was going to remain hopeful about how much more. Until then, he was going to tread cautiously. “Oh?”
Elise eyed him over the rim of her teacup. “Don’t play dumb with me, Chance. I’ve reared a son.”
Chance grinned. “I thought I was playing clueless rather than dumb.”
“It all amounts to the same result.” She gave him a flat look. “Do you want to know who she was?”
He pictured KT’s cat eyes and open face, felt the residual heat of her kisses, and his chest filled with electric warmth. “I think I know.”
Frowning, Elise set down her cup. “I hope you’re not taking up with her.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked carefully, wondering if she was disapproving of KT or him.
“A mother’s intuition. She seems desperate.”
A lot of adjectives came to mind but desperate wasn’t one of them. “KT?”
“No,
Belatedly, KT registered the sound of running water in the attached bathroom—and the sound of stillness with it stopped. Was Chance in there?
It took nothing for her mind to picture him naked with water running down his body. In her mind, she saw him from behind, his broad shoulders narrowing to a vee at his waist. His butt was muscled and taut.
Wait—she gave him a tattoo of a spade on his left ass cheek. Perfect.
The bathroom door rattled, startling her out of her daydream.
Eyes wide, she started to scoot off the bed.
But then the door swung open, and Chance and his pig emerged.
Everyone froze.
Her eyes fell to the towel, hanging low on his hips. He was lean and muscled, with sexy abs like David Beckham’s. She had first-hand experience with Beckham’s abs—because of her parents, of course. They hung out poolside with him and Victoria every summer.
Chance’s body was way sexier than Beckham’s. She should have imagined him from the front.
What was she thinking? She should stop staring.
Yeah, right. KT had to swallow a few times before she could speak. “This is my room.”
He raised his brows. “I thought you lived next door.”
“Yeah, but this is my hideout.” She frowned. “There are a million rooms in this house. Elise put you in this one?”
“I liked the bed.” He studied her, his hand holding the towel in place. “I like it better now, though.”
She flushed, her cheeks burning, as she read his thoughts. They weren’t far off from hers.
Except they weren’t really dating. But if they were …
She needed not to think about things like that. She rushed off the bed so quickly she tumbled off.
He didn’t seem to notice. He opened a drawer and pulled out underwear, the tight boxer kind in gray.
She liked gray.
“I, um”—she tripped over her feet—”have to go.”
He turned around. His towel slipped a little. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Because things didn’t seem very pretend at the moment, and they’d definitely stop being pretend if she stayed. “See you around.”
The pig, Ante Up, snorted as she left. To her ears, it sounded like he was laughing at her. Frankly, she couldn’t blame him.
Chapter Eight
“You had a visitor yesterday.”
Chance looked up from reading news on his phone, still surprised after the two weeks he’d been there to have someone talk to him. He and Elise had formed a late morning ritual of sorts. Since she woke up much earlier than him, she joined him for tea as he had his breakfast.
It didn’t surprise him, though, that she’d know about KT’s visit. Elise Carrington-Wright was a matriarch, and she had a finger in everything around her.
But that didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for her. “What sort of visitor?”
“A female visitor.”
He recognized that Elise was testing him in some way. It wouldn’t surprise him if she were disapproving of him using KT as a decoy girlfriend. It sounded as though KT grew up in this house as much as her own.
Except KT felt like more than a decoy—he was going to remain hopeful about how much more. Until then, he was going to tread cautiously. “Oh?”
Elise eyed him over the rim of her teacup. “Don’t play dumb with me, Chance. I’ve reared a son.”
Chance grinned. “I thought I was playing clueless rather than dumb.”
“It all amounts to the same result.” She gave him a flat look. “Do you want to know who she was?”
He pictured KT’s cat eyes and open face, felt the residual heat of her kisses, and his chest filled with electric warmth. “I think I know.”
Frowning, Elise set down her cup. “I hope you’re not taking up with her.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked carefully, wondering if she was disapproving of KT or him.
“A mother’s intuition. She seems desperate.”
A lot of adjectives came to mind but desperate wasn’t one of them. “KT?”
“No,
Similar Books
