She paused to look up at him, one of her brown eyebrows arching. “Are you sure? The two of you looked awfully friendly yesterday.”
“Anna’s old news. I ran into her in Prescott a few months back. Dated her in Scottsdale a couple of times. That was it.”
“By dated, you mean slept with.”
He shrugged. “I’m a man, Jenny. Whatever else she is, Anna is an attractive woman.”
Jenny glanced away. “Yes, she is.”
Cain reached out and caught her chin, turning her to face him. “Don’t underestimate yourself. I find you far more attractive than Anna Hobbs.”
Her pretty green eyes widened. “You do?”
Cain bent his head and very lightly brushed his mouth over hers, settled in for a quick taste of her. When Jenny’s lips softened and trembled under his, Cain lingered. Jenny relaxed against him, and Cain felt a rush of desire he hadn’t been prepared for.
He forced himself to move away. Arousal throbbed in his groin, and he could still taste her on his lips. “That’s just so you know I’m telling you the truth.”
The color had returned to Jenny’s pale cheeks, so the kiss had accomplished something. Now he also knew the attraction he felt for her wasn’t one-sided.
He took a steadying breath. “Now . . . let’s get down to business.”
Jenny’s composure returned, both of them focused again.
Unfortunately.
“Where would you like me to start?” she asked.
“First, let’s have that coffee.” He led her into the dining room instead of the kitchen. A few of the new wooden tables were set up, along with half a dozen high-backed chairs, more on the way. Opal brought them a tray with two china mugs of freshly brewed coffee, cream and sugar, a basket of warm biscuits and house-made jam.
“That looks delicious,” Jenny said. “Thank you, Opal.”
The cook smiled and returned to the kitchen.
Cain took a drink of his coffee. “So tell me about last night.”
Between sips of coffee and consuming a fluffy, golden-brown biscuit, Jenny told him about seeing an orb in her bedroom, then hearing music and laugher coming from downstairs. “I have no idea if any of it was real, but that’s what happened.”
Nell would have believed her. Cain was a lot more skeptical.
“Maybe you were dreaming,” he said.
“It’s possible. I thought of that on my way down to the saloon, but after seeing the orb, I was wide awake. When I went down to check it out, the bar was empty. No piano, no people. Nothing. I went back up to my room, but I didn’t hear the music or see the light again.”
“Whatever it was, it doesn’t seem to have been a threat. Real or not, maybe eventually you’ll be able to figure it out.”
Jenny smiled. “Thanks for not laughing.” She looked him straight in the eye. “As for the kiss . . . it probably wasn’t a good idea.”
His arousal returned just thinking about it. “Maybe so, but that’s what makes life interesting.”
“You’re my employer. Aren’t you afraid of being sued for some kind of harassment?”
He almost smiled. There wasn’t a whole lot Cain was afraid of, not after the life he had led.
“You’re too independent to play the victim card.” He smiled. “Besides, the kiss was worth the risk.”
And if things went his way, the kiss would only be the beginning.
The color heightened a little more in Jenny’s cheeks. She finished her coffee, said good-bye, and headed into the kitchen, as good a place as any to start. Cain could think of a lot of other things he would rather have her doing, but this was business. For both of them.
