Conner—who had lots of women giving him attention—could find her…what was the word he’d used?…oh yes, intriguing .
She grinned. Intrigued was probably not something he routinely felt about women who ended up in his apartment.
She liked shaking things up for him a little. Conner Dixon had always been very clearly comfortable in his life, with everyone doing what he told them to do and staying in the roles he’d assigned them. So it had been fun to be in the front row to see his sisters and friends rattle him when they started pairing up and falling in love.
Being the cause of some rattling was turning out to be even better.
Considering her apartment had burned down and all her worldly possessions had been destroyed, Gabby felt pretty good walking through the mall replacing her wardrobe. She did really hate that she’d lost the hand-me-down furniture. That was dumb. There wasn’t anything she could have done to prevent it and there was nothing she could do about it now. But she was sad to have lost the things her family had given her. She hadn’t actually thought she would always live with furniture donated from family members, but every time she’d walked into her apartment, she’d smiled and felt at home. From the bookcase in the corner to the desk by the window in her bedroom, her furniture had a story.
But with a family as big as hers, there was plenty more furniture sitting around in attics and basements. And maybe it was time for her to get some furniture of her own and make some stories to pass down to the next generation.
Gabby found herself smiling. She had new shoes, new pants, new tops and new underwear and was heading for her car, when she felt her feet slowing as she passed the makeup counter.
She didn’t do makeup much. And on the rare occasion that she did, the stuff she got at Carl-Mart was just fine.
It was the photo in their advertising that had caught her eye. A woman, her hair up and makeup perfect, her head tipped to the side, with a man—a very hot man—standing behind her, kissing her neck.
It was a sexy photo.
And it made Gabby want to buy makeup.
Which made it an effective photo as well.
“Can I help you?” the girl behind the counter asked.
Gabby looked at the girl, then back at the photo.
She’d never made herself up for a man. But she was tempted to for Conner.
Which was incredibly stupid. She liked that Conner was attracted, but she didn’t want to get involved with him. Did she? And besides…he hadn’t seemed to mind her lack of makeup last night. She’d been in a fire and working an emergency scene, but thinking about the look in his eyes and the feel of his thumb on her bottom lip the night before could still make her tingle.
Yeah, he’d wanted her. Even without makeup.
He also respected and liked her.
That mattered. Whether he wanted to admit it or not.
And he’d liked her—and her smile, she couldn’t forget that —before he’d noticed her boobs.
That also mattered. A lot.
So Gabby might just have to kiss him. Conner Dixon had probably never kissed a girl that he sincerely liked, who truly knew him. And who didn’t have lipstick on when he did it.
He’d never been flirtatious or sweet or romantic with her.
He deserved to be kissed by someone who liked him anyway.
“What do you say?” the girl behind the counter asked.
“Actually, I think I’m good,” Gabby said. “I think I’m really good.”
Chapter Four
An hour later—and four hours after leaving the apartment—Gabby climbed the stairs to Conner’s third-floor apartment.
Before she’d walked half the distance from the staircase, she heard them.
Men. A lot of them.
And she knew she was related to most—if not all—of them.
Son of a bitch.
Her brothers had found her already.
She let herself in with the key Conner had left by the door for her. The noise level was high enough that no one heard the door open or her dropping the shopping bags to the floor.
Indeed, six
She grinned. Intrigued was probably not something he routinely felt about women who ended up in his apartment.
She liked shaking things up for him a little. Conner Dixon had always been very clearly comfortable in his life, with everyone doing what he told them to do and staying in the roles he’d assigned them. So it had been fun to be in the front row to see his sisters and friends rattle him when they started pairing up and falling in love.
Being the cause of some rattling was turning out to be even better.
Considering her apartment had burned down and all her worldly possessions had been destroyed, Gabby felt pretty good walking through the mall replacing her wardrobe. She did really hate that she’d lost the hand-me-down furniture. That was dumb. There wasn’t anything she could have done to prevent it and there was nothing she could do about it now. But she was sad to have lost the things her family had given her. She hadn’t actually thought she would always live with furniture donated from family members, but every time she’d walked into her apartment, she’d smiled and felt at home. From the bookcase in the corner to the desk by the window in her bedroom, her furniture had a story.
But with a family as big as hers, there was plenty more furniture sitting around in attics and basements. And maybe it was time for her to get some furniture of her own and make some stories to pass down to the next generation.
Gabby found herself smiling. She had new shoes, new pants, new tops and new underwear and was heading for her car, when she felt her feet slowing as she passed the makeup counter.
She didn’t do makeup much. And on the rare occasion that she did, the stuff she got at Carl-Mart was just fine.
It was the photo in their advertising that had caught her eye. A woman, her hair up and makeup perfect, her head tipped to the side, with a man—a very hot man—standing behind her, kissing her neck.
It was a sexy photo.
And it made Gabby want to buy makeup.
Which made it an effective photo as well.
“Can I help you?” the girl behind the counter asked.
Gabby looked at the girl, then back at the photo.
She’d never made herself up for a man. But she was tempted to for Conner.
Which was incredibly stupid. She liked that Conner was attracted, but she didn’t want to get involved with him. Did she? And besides…he hadn’t seemed to mind her lack of makeup last night. She’d been in a fire and working an emergency scene, but thinking about the look in his eyes and the feel of his thumb on her bottom lip the night before could still make her tingle.
Yeah, he’d wanted her. Even without makeup.
He also respected and liked her.
That mattered. Whether he wanted to admit it or not.
And he’d liked her—and her smile, she couldn’t forget that —before he’d noticed her boobs.
That also mattered. A lot.
So Gabby might just have to kiss him. Conner Dixon had probably never kissed a girl that he sincerely liked, who truly knew him. And who didn’t have lipstick on when he did it.
He’d never been flirtatious or sweet or romantic with her.
He deserved to be kissed by someone who liked him anyway.
“What do you say?” the girl behind the counter asked.
“Actually, I think I’m good,” Gabby said. “I think I’m really good.”
Chapter Four
An hour later—and four hours after leaving the apartment—Gabby climbed the stairs to Conner’s third-floor apartment.
Before she’d walked half the distance from the staircase, she heard them.
Men. A lot of them.
And she knew she was related to most—if not all—of them.
Son of a bitch.
Her brothers had found her already.
She let herself in with the key Conner had left by the door for her. The noise level was high enough that no one heard the door open or her dropping the shopping bags to the floor.
Indeed, six
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