She stared at him in such utter surprise when he handed it to her, that he nearly grinned. “Now about that kiss,” he murmured, stepping close.
With a narrow little laugh, she backed up a step, hit the back of her knees on a low table in front of the couch, and sat down on it hard. “But…that machine never works, not without a well-placed kick and three times too much money.”
“So you were lying about the kiss?”
Her eyes narrowed as she tipped her head back to look up at him. “I never lie.”
“Didn’t think so.” Sinking to his knees before her, he took her hands and wrapped them around his neck and said, “Give me your best shot then.”
She tried to tug her hands free, but he held them in place. “Are you welshing on your promise?” he asked.
Her mouth was only inches from his, and it was open. Most likely with shock. Or maybe just plain irritation. But her lips were bare and full, and since her tongue darted out to lick them, also wet. “Fine,” she said. She squeezed her eyes tight, puckered up, leaned in a little bit…and waited.
And waited.
Finally her eyes flew open. “What are you waiting for?” she demanded.
“You promised to kiss me.”
Irritation definitely swam in those eyes now, and once again she leaned forward, puckered tight as a drum. But this time her mouth touched his, even if it was the light, chaste kiss of a friendly cousin.
When she pulled back, she smiled. “Duty complete.”
“Duty?” He laughed. “You afraid of a simple kiss, Kylie?”
She looked away. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Liar.”
“Okay, fine!” She yanked her hands back. “But kissing you is never simple. It makes me…”
“What?” He put his hands on her hips, squeezing gently. “It makes you what?”
“It makes me…” The expression on her face assured him she was holding back.
Big surprise there.
But then the radio at her hip squawked. Daisy’s voice broke the mood. “Kylie Birmingham, you’re behind schedule. Get your tush up here and get dressed and spritzed up for the photo shoot.”
Kylie leaned her head back and studied the ceiling. “You know everyone at the airport can hear her talk to me like that,” she said to Wade.
“There’s nothing wrong with her loving you.”
“Yeah.” With the sigh of someone holding the weight of the world on her shoulders, she moved away.
“Going to get dressed and spritzed up?”
“Suppose so.”
He eyed her baseball cap and coveralls. “Do you even know how to do that?”
“Shut up, McKinnon. What?” she said when he surged to his feet and stopped her with a hand to her wrist.
“For the record?” he said quietly. “You scare me, too.”
KYLIE WENT to her office, and everyone waiting there had a bomb to drop. Daisy held up a fitted, flowery sundress. Lou held up a piece of mail and looked guilty and since the dress gave Kylie hives, she addressed her grandma first. “What have you done now?”
Lou smiled a bit guiltily. “Uh…maybe you’re too busy to go over this.”
“Spill.”
“You’re being audited.”
“Because?”
“Because your number was up? I don’t know.”
Kylie closed her eyes, but her mother shook her, then shoved the dress in her hands. “Get this on. We’ll deal with the audit after the photo shoot.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Lou said. “Wade said he’d take care of it.”
“Wade?” Kylie asked.
“Turns out he’s got an ex-girlfriend who works high up in the IRS. In fact, he’s probably talking to her right now.”
Why did that make her more grumpy? With a sigh, she started to strip. “Come near me with that thing,” she warned her mother as she hefted a curling iron, “and I’ll have to get mean.”
Daisy just shook her head, then came after her anyway.
Lou unzipped her makeup case, which was the size of a bowling ball bag.
“Oh, no,” Kylie said with a laugh, backing up. “No way.”
“Yes, way. You look like death warmed over. At least use blush.” Lou pulled out a bright red blush powder with a brush the size of Kylie’s head.
“Mom,” Kylie said, panicked.
Daisy sighed again. “Oh, leave the girl alone,” and then it was Lou’s turn to sigh.
“Fine. But don’t complain to me when you look horrid in the photos.” She proceeded to put two big red circles on her own cheeks. Then she pulled out a siren-red lipstick, carefully and thoroughly lining her lips before kissing the air and smiling proudly. “See? I look great. You should really let me help you.”
“No, thanks.”
Lou sniffed.
Kylie could deal with Lou’s attitude, and she’d deal with Daisy’s, too. She could deal with shoving herself into a long, thin, spaghetti-strapped sundress, and even with applying a little mascara. She could deal with being overworked and underpaid, and she could deal with an audit.
But when she was all done dolling herself up, when she’d walked out of her office, when Wade had turned toward her, dropping his jaw and the file he held, she realized the one thing she couldn’t deal with.
The way he looked at her as though she was pretty. As though she was hot.
Her knees wobbled, infuriating her. Yep, she could deal with just about anything…except him.
CHAPTER SIX
WADE STOOD in the lobby, stunned into silence by the vision heading toward him. She wore a long, flowery sundress that hugged her curves and a tough-girl grimace on her lips. Attitude screamed with every swing of her hips. Her eyes blared irritation and impatience, and when they landed on him, uncertainty was added to the mix. Her lips shined with some light glossy color he wanted to eat right off, her hair lay gently around her face, framing the bite-me expression he’d come to count on.
And that body…he’d never really realized how mouthwatering it was.
He wanted to devour her.
An equally made-up Daisy followed Kylie toward where the magazine photographers had set up at the far end of the lobby. Being a slow business day, with no scheduled incoming flights, every employee in the place stood around, ogling their boss.
Wade understood, because he stood there, too, his own news completely forgotten, watching the photographer try to coax a natural smile out of Kylie. She was as stiff as a board, and though he doubted anyone else saw past her orneriness, he did. She felt uncomfortable in the limelight, and probably would have given her last penny to get out of it.
Feeling an unexpected surge of sympathy, he moved in close. “Excuse me,” he said, pushing his way through. “Got a message for Kylie. Excuse me.”
She visibly braced herself, most likely waiting for a comment on her looks, but she was going to be disappointed. He didn’t need the makeup and fancy clothes to see that she was the sexiest, most hauntingly beautiful, most amazing woman he’d ever met. Undoubtedly, he could see the real Kylie far better in her everyday clothes, but this was a nice change. Real nice. “I have something that just might put a genuine smile on your face,” he said in her ear.
“Today nothing could put a real smile on my face.”
He let his lips brush the sensitive skin beneath her ear, his entire body tightening when she shivered. “Really?” he wondered. “How about the audit is indefinitely postponed?”
Pulling back, she narrowed her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Where’s my smile?”
“You probably agreed to sleep with her.”
He lifted a brow. “Would that bother you?”
“Not in the least.”
He just looked at her, and she let out a snort. “Okay, yes, it’d bother me. Happy?”