“Don’t think about that,” she whispered, feeling a strange urgency not to let anything intrude on this precious time with Matt. “Not now.”
His grin was lopsided, slightly forced, and his eyes lingered on the soft curves of her body. “I think I’d better. It’s either that or ravish you again, and I imagine you’re going to be a little sore.”
“Me? Sore?”
“Yes. You, sore.”
“Oh.”
With a deep growl, he gathered her into his arms and held her tightly. When his grip loosened, it was with reluctance. “I could use a shower and some breakfast. It’s a workday, or had you forgotten?”
“Oh, my god!” She twisted toward the clock on the dresser, then pushed herself from his arms and bolted out of bed. “I’ll take the shower first,” she called over her shoulder. Remembering her sadly deficient water heater, she added, “Real quick.”
Lauren was true to her word, but by the time she had returned to the bedroom, Matt was nowhere in sight. For a split second she panicked. Then she caught sight of his clothes on the floor. “Matt?” Wrapped in her towel, she headed for the stairs. “Matt?”
The aroma of fresh coffee filled the air, but he didn’t answer. She was halfway down the staircase when the front door opened and Matt strode through, carrying a large leather suitcase. He was stark naked.
“Matthew Kruger! Where is your sense of decency? If one of my neighbors saw you—”
He’d taken the stairs by twos, and the smack of his lips on hers cut off her teasing tirade. He continued upward. “The trees were my cover. It’s a gorgeous day outside.”
Lauren couldn’t think to argue. He was spectacular. Tall and straight. Broad back, narrow hips, tight buttocks. If it hadn’t been for the time, she’d have followed him into the shower just to touch him again. The mere sight of him took her breath away.
But time was of the essence. She blow-dried her hair and put on makeup while Matt showered and shaved; then she dressed quickly and hurried to the kitchen. They were seated side by side, finishing off the last of the scrambled eggs and toast, when Matt laid out his plans for the day.
“I’ve got meetings set for ten and two. We can take my car into Boston, meet for lunch, then grab something on the way home tonight. Sound okay?”
His words were offered gently, not at all imperiously, yet they brought back to Lauren the crux of Matt’s present mission. He intended to protect her as he’d promised, which meant that he was going to stick as close to her side as possible. On one level, she was thrilled with that prospect. On another …
“About my problem, Matt. Are we just going to … wait?”
“Pretty much. It’ll be interesting to see if my presence here makes any difference.”
“But if nothing happens, we won’t know if you’ve scared someone off for good or simply put him off for a while. And you can’t stay here forever.”
“I know.” He looked away. “I’m going to make some calls today.”
“What kind of calls? To whom?”
“People who may have more insight than we do.” There was an edge to his voice, but his gaze was soft when he glanced back at her. “Let me do the worrying for now, Lauren. You’ve done your share.”
“But it’s my problem! I can’t just dump it on your shoulders and wipe my hands of it. That’s not fair to you. You don’t owe me anything.”
For a minute he looked as if he would argue. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, then lifted his mug and drained the last of his coffee. “Let’s just say I owe it to Brad, then. He was my friend and you’re his sister. The least I can do is to help you out when you need it.”
That wasn’t quite the answer she wanted, but she knew she’d have to settle for it.
“Anyway,” he added with an endearing grin, “I’ve got broad shoulders. I can handle it. Maybe it’s the Spenser in me coming out, after all.”
“Better you than Robert Urich. But are you sure?”
“Very sure. Hey, as far as work on the house goes, are you going to call those names I gave you or would you like me to do it?”
She winced. “Got a cold shower, did you?”
“Well …”
“I’ll do it. You’re doing enough. I’d love it if you were here when I meet with them, though. I have a feeling some of those guys show more respect when a man’s around.” The last had been offered on a dry note. She paused, then asked cautiously, “How long will you be here?” She envisioned two or three days, and the thought left her feeling empty.
