Page 98 of Hell’s Half Acre

A smile toyed at the edges of her lips as she imagined the look on his face if she gave in to those thoughts in her head.

Would he welcome it?

That was a question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered.

But it might be fun to find out.

Or it would be truly humiliating if he pushed her aside. That was what made her head toward the kitchen for another cup of coffee and not in the direction of the living embodiment of masculine beauty sitting churlishly on the couch. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Luke growled, making her laugh. He hated mornings and he really didn’t appreciate her cheerfulness in it. “How can you smile before noon?”

“It’s easy.” She gave him a big grin.

He made a sound of supreme disgust. “If I ever go home, I now have a new torture in Hell. Sticking chipper morning people with those of us who hate mornings.”

She moved to sit in the chair Trinket had vacated. “Glad I could help.”

Luke yawned.

Waiting until he finished, she took a sip. “What’s on the agenda for the day?”

“Murder, mayhem, and merriment. You know? The usual.”

She loved his sense of humor. It was another reason she needed to keep her distance, even if she did want to kiss—stop! She hoped he wasn’t reading her mind right now. She loved their banter and didn’t want to do anything to alter their back-and-forth. “That’s good for the first half hour. What’ll we do for an encore?”

An odd look darkened that amber gaze.

“What?”

“Oh, you don’t even want to know where my wicked thoughts went. They’d have me hauled into HR.”

She swallowed thickly at the implication, but kept her tone light and that distance between them. “We don’t have an HR.”

“We’d get one if I said what thoughts are in my head.” He flashed a devastating grin at her.

Okay, then. She wouldn’t press the issue since her own thoughts were extremely risqué. She had a feeling he liked to make her blush.

Luke scratched rapidly through his hair, which only tousled it more. “If I ask you something weird, will you promise you’ll still talk to me after it?”

Sorcha froze as all kinds of thoughts went through her head. Most were inappropriate and the rest were frightening. “Every molecule in my body just cringed in terror of that. I want to say yes, but… How weird are we talking?”

“On a scale of one to ten…nine thousand.”

That wasn’t helpful.

At all.

Sadly, it kicked her curiosity into high gear. “I have a horrible feeling I’m going to regret this, but sure. I promise.”

Helly tsked from under the blanket she’d pulled over her head. “And here I thought she could be taught. Girl…didn’t anyone ever tell you not to knock on the devil’s door unless you want him to answer?”

Luke playfully slapped at Helly’s feet. “Don’t scare her, Imp.”

“I’m not the one she needs to fear. And she knows it. Stop being vague and ask the question before she wets the chair.”

Sorcha clung to the weird subject change in self-defense. “And I’m getting close. I don’t know how long my bladder will last.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Fine. Can I bite you?”