Read Online The Tempting Mrs. Reilly by Maureen Child - Free Book Online

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    â€œThanks,” Brian said with another glare for the two little meatheads hidden from sight behind the gate. “I’m still not sure why they hate me.”
    Tina cocked a hip and leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb. “Maybe they love you and they’re just too shy to show it.”
    He snorted. “Yeah, that’s it.” He lifted a hand and started for the stairs.
    â€œBrian?”
    He stopped and looked back, wishing he could just keep walking. “Yeah?”
    â€œWould you mind taking a look at Nana’s TV?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe TV. It’s all fuzzed out and I can’t get a picture.”
    Go into the house? With her? Alone? Feeling like he did right now?
    Not a good idea.
    She saw him hesitate and spoke up before he could say no. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
    Brian snapped her a glance. He knew exactly what she was doing. She was challenging him. Throwing down a gauntlet. Making a dare. Because she knew he’d respond to it, damn it.
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous,” he said tightly.
    â€œGood. Then come around the front and you won’t have to fight your way past the dogs.”
    She let him in the front door and the music from the stereo reached out for him. Tina stood back for him to come inside, but he took a whiff of her perfume as he passed, just to make sure the torture continued. Seriously, he should try to find a way not to breathe when she was around. Because the only way he’d be safe from Tina was when he was buried six feet under and even then, he had a feeling she’d still be able to get a reaction out of him.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with the TV?” he asked, moving directly for it, hoping to make the repair and get out of there as fast as possible.
    â€œNow, if I knew that, I’d have fixed it, right?”
    She stood right beside him and from the corner ofhis eye, he got way too good a picture of her smooth, silky-looking legs. He shifted his gaze to the TV, telling himself to do the job and move on.
    Moving closer, Tina squatted down beside him until they were practically nose to nose. Her brown eyes glittered in the lamplight and her perfume reached for him, invading him. “You’re in my light,” he muttered.
    â€œSorry,” she said, but didn’t move.
    Muttering beneath his breath, Brian punched the power button on the TV and was rewarded instantly with a screen full of flickering gray snow. No picture. No sound. Great.
    â€œWhat do you think?” she asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” he said, turning to look at her and finding her mouth was just a breath away from his. Why the hell was she leaning into him like that? How did she expect him to fix a damn television when she was practically sitting on his lap?
    His body tightened, his breath shortened and his heartbeat took off at a wild gallop. Gritting his teeth, Brian said, “You need to move so I can look behind the set.”
    â€œOkay.” She shrugged and the skinny little strap of her pale blue tank top slid down her right shoulder.
    Brian swallowed hard.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” she asked, brown eyes wide with innocence.
    â€œNothing,” he said, and inched past her to see the back of the television. He pried off the black plastic casing and stared blindly at the wires and chips he’d exposed. If his brain was working, he could probably figure this out, but at the moment, the only thing working was his groin.
    â€œWow,” she murmured, leaning in to get a look at the television’s inner workings, “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
    Her hair was in his face now and the soft, silkiness of it brushed against his skin and filled his mind with the scent of flowers. Brian closed his eyes tightly, grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her out of the way as quickly as he could. And even then, it didn’t diminish the flash of heat rippling from