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, that headhunter who’s been sniffing around you.” A spark of interest lit her expression. “What’s this about KT?”
“Nothing.” He leaned over and gave his attention to Ante Up, who lay lazily on the floor next to his untouched food bowl, like he’d had a night of debauchery. “Eat your vegetables.”
The pig lifted his head and gave him a pitying look before lowering it and closing his eyes.
“That’s not going to work, Chance. I’m not easily distractible.” Elise put a hand on his arms, leaning toward him with an unholy gleam in her eyes. “Tell me why you’d assume Karma came over to see you.”
He couldn’t very well tell Elise of all people that he and KT were pretending to date. She lived next door to the Taylors—she had to be on somewhat friendly terms with them. He couldn’t chance KT’s parents finding out about their deal. But he felt bad about deceiving Elise, who in the past two weeks had become like his mother.
Would it really be deceiving her though? Because if he and KT were going out in any way, it was technically dating. And, quite frankly, there was nothing pretend about their kisses.
Elise put her hand on his. “I
adore
KT. She and Prescott have been friends forever, and she’s a lovely, loyal girl. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. Did you meet at the wedding?”
“After,” he said, smiling at the memory of her toppling over the dividing hedge between the houses.
“She’s amazingly talented. It’s too bad she’s built such a shell around herself.”
“What sort of shell?”
“That’s something you should ask her.” Elise raised a brow. “In any case, it wasn’t KT who came looking for you.”
Chance winced. “Tiffany Woods is vetting me for the job I want.”
“That’s not all she’s vetting you for.” Elise didn’t even bother to try to hide her amused smile. “Really, darling, no wonder you and Prescott are friends. It’s like his high school days all over again, with girls coming to visit him.”
“I didn’t ask Tiffany to come.”
She raised her brow. “Did you ask her not to?”
No, because he couldn’t bring himself to reject someone who felt lonely, not when he knew what it felt like. “I told her I’m seeing KT.”
“Are you really seeing KT? Because a woman will be able to smell a ruse.”
Remembering their first kiss, he nodded. “I think I was fairly convincing.”
“Really?” Elise watched him with interest. “You’ll have to tell me about that one day.”
Chance flushed, not sure he could tell Elise
that
.
“Now I’m definitely curious.” Chuckling, she rose from the table. “I suggest you nip this Tiffany Woods in the bud. She’s the sort of woman who could cause problems down the road.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
She raised her brows. “Do you? I’ve known women like her, Chance. A woman who’s so aggressive she stalks a man doesn’t understand normal boundaries. This one seems especially ruthless, if she’s stalking you at home.”
His phone rang and when he looked at the screen he winced. “Speak of the devil.”
“I’ll let you deal with her.” Elise patted his shoulder, giving him a pitying look. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”
Taking a deep breath, he answered the call.
Before he could say anything, Tiffany said, “Chance, Roger and I were just talking about you. Were your ears burning?”
Or something.
Tiffany continued, so he didn’t have time to formulate a response. “Roger asked me to touch base with you. He’s going out of town tonight for a couple days, but he’d like to see you when he returns.”
“That sounds great.” He wondered what the catch was.
“In the meantime, he asked me to keep you interested,” she purred over the line.
There was the other shoe dropping. He smiled ruefully. “Roger doesn’t have to worry.”
“I like to be thorough, Chance,” she said. “Let me take you to lunch to woo you.”
“That’s nice of you, but I’m looking at apartments today,” he said honestly, relieved that he’d made the appointment with the rental broker.
“Would you like me to come along?” she offered, like a spider inviting a fly into her web. “I can reschedule lunch for another time. I know the city, and a woman’s perspective can only be a good thing.”
“My girlfriend is coming along,” he said way more naturally than he’d have expected. “Thanks though.”
“Next time.” Her undercurrent of annoyance was mostly disguised.
Not if he could help it, he thought, but he put a smile in his voice. “Sure. Talk to you soon.”
He hung up quickly and then, to make it legit, he called KT. “What are you doing?” he asked when she picked up the phone.
“Are you going to be the type of boyfriend who’s always hovering?” she asked, her voice amused.
He grinned, feeling something inside him fall into place. “Are you saying you need your space?”
“You see, that’s why I’m dating you, because you’re so astute.”
He chuckled. “Is that the only reason?”
“You kiss kind of nicely, too.” Her voice lowered with desire.
His body reacted to it. “I didn’t call to talk about kissing.”
“Too bad.”
He knew he had a goofy smile on his face, but he didn’t care. “But if you come with me to look at an apartment, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded with them.”
“It’s a deal.”
“I’ll pick you up at noon.” He hung up, feeling good.
Ante Up snorted.
He reached down to scratch the little guy behind his ears. “You’re just jealous. Maybe we can find you a fine companion of your own.”
The pig jerked his snout in the air.
“Don’t knock it. It’s nice having a girlfriend.” Even if she was a pretend one.
It was before noon when he headed to KT’s. Yeah, he was a little eager.
He wound his way through the side garden to the back of the house, following the directions she’d texted him. Apparently she lived in a separate unit from the rest of her family. It made sense. KT was an independent woman.
Her cottage was charming, if small, but it was the music that poured out from it that caught his attention. At first he thought it was a recording she was playing loudly, but as he got closer, he heard a pause and then the music resumed.
It was KT playing, he realized. He approached quietly and tested the door. Unlocked. He let himself in silently, not wanting to disturb her—not wanting her to stop.
The piano dominated the space, standing in the middle of the room. There were other instruments around the room; a violin seemingly at the ready. To the left there was a small kitchen that overlooked the room, and then a small hall that had a couple other doors and what looked like a messy bedroom at the end.
She sat at a larger-than-life grand piano, sheet music scattered on top of the piano in front of her. Her eyes were closed, and she rocked with the force of the song she played. The music rose in a powerful tide of emotion from the belly of the instrument, profound and layered. Powerful.
He let KT’s passion wrap around him, feeling an echoing thrum in his chest as he watched her play. She was totally immersed, a single-minded focus that had him jealous of the piano.
In that moment, he knew he was going to make love to her. Of course he’d thought of it before—often—of stripping her bare and coaxing beautiful sounds from her, the same way she did with the piano. A man didn’t buy lingerie for a woman if he didn’t hope to see her in it.
Now he knew it was inevitable, no matter how temporary they claimed their relationship to be.
The music stopped with a crash, pulling him out of his carnal thoughts.
KT whirled around, fury in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick you up.” She looked like a caged animal and instinct told him not to bring up her music right now. He made his face blank, looked at his watch, and said, “We should go. I don’t want to be late to meet the agent.”
KT obviously struggled with what to say but then she stood up. “I know you were listening,” she muttered as she grabbed her jacket.
“Why does that make you angry?”
“I told you I hate playing for people.”
“You were playing for yourself, and I’m not people. What happened that made you hate an audience so much?”
“Nothing.” She pushed by him.
He took her arm and stopped her. “If I tell you it was the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard, would you still be angry at me for eavesdropping?”
“I don’t know. Do you mean it?”
“Unequivocally.”
She studied him as if trying to gauge his sincerity.
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Karma.”
She scowled but didn’t move to retract her arm from his grip. “Call me Karma again and I’ll punch you.”
“I just wanted to get your attention.” He smiled. “For someone who plays such passionate music, you’re kind of gruff.”
She flipped him off.
Laughing, he led her outside. While she locked the door, he asked, “What was that music?”
She flashed him a suspicious sidelong glance. “Why?”
“Because I have a feeling you won’t play it for me again and I really want to listen to it. It was amazing. I’ll look for a recording of it.”
She mumbled something.
“What?” he asked, leaning closer to hear her.
She mumbled again, but louder this time. “I wrote it.”
Chance stopped in his tracks. “
You?
”
“Why do you look like it’s so inconceivable?” she asked with grouchy irritation. “My parents are Anson and Lara. Music is in my DNA.”
He pointed back at her cottage. “That wasn’t music. That was …
wow
.”
A range of emotions flickered across her face: pleasure, fear, hope, and stubborn resignation.
He wondered where the fear came from, and what happened to make someone who played like
that
refuse to let anyone listen. He wanted to ask her, but he could read people, and he knew without a doubt she’d just push him away.
One day she’d bare herself to him—physically and emotionally. He didn’t know why, but that was important to him.
He kept their conversation light and innocuous as he drove them to the appointment in his borrowed car. The apartment wasn’t far, in an area called Cow Hollow, just northeast of Laurel Heights.
The rental agent was already there showing the apartment to another couple when they arrived. Chance took KT’s hand as he introduced her to the woman, mostly because he wanted to be closer to her. To the agent, he said, “I wanted to get KT’s approval, because you never know when she might move in. Right, sweet pea?”
KT shot him a look. “It seems premature, doesn’t it, honey bunny? Since we only met two days ago.”
He squeezed her hand. “When it’s right, it’s right.”
The real estate woman didn’t seem to know what to do with them, so she pointed out the obvious things about the apartment, like the spare bedroom and extra closet space. When they reached the top floor, she showed them how all the windows in the living room tinted to protect against the sun.
KT rolled her eyes at him but then she faked enthusiasm, saying, “It’s not going to be a living room for long. It’s
perfect
for my piano,” she purred.
“Karma has a grand piano,” he explained to the wide-eyed real estate agent.
“Hey,” his “girlfriend” protested. “It’s not just a grand piano, it’s a Pleyel. It deserves respect.” She turned to the agent. “How do the windows work? Direct sun is the kiss of death for instruments.”
“Here.” The agent pressed a button on the wall and all the windows darkened automatically.
KT patted his belly. “That must please your masculine heart. Men like gadgets like that.”
“It
is
instant privacy.” He pulled her closer. “We won’t have to worry about the neighbors watching.”
The agent cleared her throat. “I’ll just let you look around,” she said, quickly leaving the room.
KT gave him a look and pushed away from him to explore. “This is amazing,” she said, walking into the bathroom. “Look at the tub. Half the Giants could take a bath at once.”
“Like it here then?”
She glanced at him, wary. “You don’t have to keep pretending when it’s just us.”
“I’m not pretending.” Locking the door, he went up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. He nibbled her neck and felt her go liquid in his arms. Because he couldn’t help it, he trailed his hand lower, testing, and when she didn’t protest or hit him, he undid her jean button and slid his hand in.
Chapter Nine
KT held her breath as his fingers slid down further into her pants. They slipped under her panties, ruffling her hair.
Her back arched of its own accord. “This seems to be crossing the line into reality.”
“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked softly.
She probably should, but she really didn’t. “You know I don’t.”
He dipped one finger into her.
She gasped as he touched the right spot and starbursts broke out behind her lids. She linked her arms behind his head and rubbed her hips against the prominent bulge in his pants. “You’re happy to see me.”
“Of course I am. You’re all I think about lately.” He focused his touch, rubbing softly but insistently. His other hand snaked under her top. His palm paused over her breast before he covered it with his entire warm hand. “You aren’t wearing a bra again.”
“It seems pointless when I barely have anything going on.”