“The limo’s in the shop,” he said.
Her cheeks warmed, and she kept quiet, the fact that he once again had read her so well more than a little disconcerting.
She climbed in, buckled up and didn’t say another word as he maneuvered the broad curves ofthe Pacific Coast Highway. Once or twice she sneaked a glance in his direction and decided that her first impression didn’t do him justice. Kyle Radley was more than just gorgeous. He was like ambrosia for the eyes. Absolutely perfect to look at, and, she had to admit, the man was perfectly nice as well. That, of course, scored him major bonus points. Especially since she knew damn well that if he really wanted to get rid of her he could.
She’d said she was sticking to him like glue, but it was one o’clock in the morning, the highway was deserted, and he had a good seventy pounds on her. If he pulled over and dumped her at the side of the road, there was no way she’d win that battle.
The thought gave her pause and she sneaked another sideways glance. As far as she could tell, he wasn’t about to toss her overboard.
Good. She told herself she was simply interested in seeing that the necklace made it back to its rightful owner. She feared, however, that she was telling herself lies.
They turned off the highway and headed into a small neighborhood just behind BJ’s Pizza in Laguna Beach. A couple more turns and he pulled in front of a charming bungalow with a perfectly manicured front lawn. About a million times smallerthan Emily’s place. But what it lacked in size, it made up for in warmth.
“Home sweet home,” he said.
“I love it.” She meant it, and when she stepped inside, she loved it even more. The house was bigger than it looked, and seemed to go on forever. The floors were hardwood, the walls sparkling white. The effect would have been austere were it not for the warm furnishings and paintings. Overall, the place was homey. Mel liked it immediately.
“Come on,” he said, and she followed him toward the kitchen. “You hungry?”
She realized then that she was. “Starved.”
He gestured toward the table. “Take a load off.” Then he opened the refrigerator, made a disgusted noise, and popped his head back out. “So, uh, how do you feel about cereal?”
She fought a smile. “Has the milk expired?”
“Three days to go. We’re safe. I’ve got Cap’n Crunch, Cheerios, or All Bran.”
“Any one of those is great.”
“Good.” He sounded relieved. He plunked the three boxes onto the table, then got them bowls, spoons and the milk. She poured herself a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and dug in.
“Considering how much I just slaved to feed you, don’t you think you owe me the rest of the story?”
“No.”
“If there’s someone out there stealing from my grandmother, I think I have a right to know.”
He probably had a point, and she took another bite of cereal while she considered what to do. Then she told him the story. Or, at least, she told him the highlights. Frankly, her honesty surprised her. But why not tell him? He already knew the basics, and it wasn’t as if there was anything between them. Even if they were to have a wild, torrid affair, it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. He already knew too much.
“So, your grandfather stole the necklace from Emily and gave it to you?”
She shrugged. “Retirement fund.” She made a face. “He’ssupposed to be retired, too. I can’t believe he pulled a stunt like this just for me.”
He took her hand then, his eyes warm. “Are you that hard up for cash?”
She concentrated on the tabletop, ignoring the way he was drawing lazy circles on her palm. Heat formed under his touch, and she fought the urge to rip her hand away, both terrified and fascinated by the reaction he caused in her body.
“Grace?”
Mel stared at her palm. Her toes were tingling. His touch had sent a ribbon of heat through herbody that literally warmed her to her toes. She was in such big trouble.
She tugged her hand free. “I’m doing fine.” She blurted out the statement. “I just need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
“That’s a hard one,” he said.
She looked up, found him smiling at her, and smiled back. “Yeah,” she said, picking up her spoon and attacking her cereal. “It is. I’m working on it. So far, all I know for certain is that I’ve retired from a life of crime. So the job has to be legit.”
His mouth curved into a smile. “Probably a good primary criterion.”
