“You’re spending the whole day interviewing?”
“Yeah. Why? Are you applying for the job?”
He was making a joke, but Emily didn’t seem to get it. Instead of laughing, she simply frowned. “Not me, of course. But an assistant. Hmm. Why, yes. Yes, I think that could work.”
He studied her. “Grandma, what the hell are you talking about?”
“To help you out, I mean. You obviously need an assistant.” She flashed him her most dazzling smile, then patted his cheek. “You do look overworked.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
“And now I simply must be going.”
“You just got here.”
“Errands,” she said. “And you have your interviews.” She paused in the doorway. “Good luck, dear. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect woman.”
And then she was gone. And Kyle was left with the distinct impression that she hadn’t been talking about an office assistant at all.
* * *
MEL’S NOSE TWITCHED. That aroma, that smell. That delicious elixir.
She snuggled under the blanket, her hazy mindforced to choose between the lingering dream of Kyle and the very real smell of coffee wafting around her.
Coffee?She hadn’t set the coffeepot to brew.
She peeled her eyes open to the wonderful sight of a full mug swaying under her nose.
“’Allo, my dear. Sleep tight?”
She sat up and grabbed the mug from Gramps, sloshing drops of coffee onto her jammies as she greedily took her first gulp. She swallowed.Ahhh. She might survive the morning after all.
“Who are you today?”
He threw back his shoulders and smoothed his thin, gray mustache. “I’m Cary Grant.To Catch a Thief. Can’t you tell?”
She clutched the mug tighter and searched his face for a clue that he knew about Kyle and his nickname for her. Nothing, thank goodness. Probably just a coincidence that Gramps picked today to be Cary.
She took another sip. She didn’t mind Gramps delivering coffee in bed. But she would have enjoyed another hour or two with Kyle twirling her around the dance floor in her dreams. She sighed. Three days had passed since he’d dropped her at the bus stop, and every night she’d lost herself in his arms.
Her dreams overflowed with Kyle, and whenGramps had woken her, she still hadn’t had her fill of him. Too bad, too, considering the only place she intended to see Kyle Radley again was in her dreams. No matter how much she liked him, no matter how much she craved him, there couldn’t be anything between them. Not only did they come from two completely different worlds, but he knew her biggest secret. And rule number one was to never, ever get involved with anyone who knew she was or ever had been a thief.
Too bad. At twenty-five she was hardly a wall-flower, but never once had she been out with a man who’d set her on fire all the way to her toes. And with nothing more than a look. When he’d actually touched her, she’d just about melted.
Kyle Radley was a walking, talking recipe for a good time. Too bad he couldn’t behergood time.
She shook her head, trying to dissolve thoughts of Kyle along with the cotton in her brain. She took another slug of coffee. That helped. A little, anyway.
“So what are you doing here?” She’d told him that the necklace was safely back with Frances, and he seemed fine with that. Hopefully he wasn’t here to announce the acquisition of yet another priceless birthday present.
“I’m getting you up, girl. What does it look like I’m doing?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You want to tell me why?”
“Betsy called. She’s got some job she thinks you’d be perfect for.”
“All right. I’ll bite. Who’s Betsy, and why is she finding me jobs?”
