Not Quite Mine (Not Quite series) (15 page)

Monica thought she heard a noise from Savannah’s room. She poked her head inside but didn’t hear anything other than the air conditioner turning on and off. “Yeah, we did.”

“Jack was worried about her working with him. Has she said anything about the hotel?”

Monica bit her lip. If Jessie thought Katie was living with her, more questions would be asked and it would be hard to keep Savannah out of the conversation.

“Actually, she slept over this weekend. She sprained her ankle at work last week.”

“Is she OK?”

“Just a sprain. And if you ask me, a deserving injury. She was wearing four-inch heels, for crying out loud. I told her she needed to wear flats, or tennis shoes. But Miss Fashion wouldn’t even buy a pair until last Friday.”

“She’s lucky it’s not worse.”

“I know—” Savannah’s cry filled the small apartment and made Monica’s heart jump inside her chest. “Oh, no.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m…er, babysitting.”

“Babysitting? You?”

“I know…strange. But a friend was in a bind. Can I call you back later?” Monica stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

“Sure. Call when you can. Love you, sis.”

“Love you, too.” Monica hung up the phone and tossed it on the couch.

“Oh, Vanna…what’s the big deal?” After a quick diaper change, Monica moved Savannah to a baby carrier while she prepared a bottle. It took a little while for the baby to calm down. She’d been fussy all night from what she’d heard. When Katie had gone to work that morning, she looked like a zombie. The pace of keeping Savannah a secret was tiresome. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out that they were hiding a baby.

Monica hoped the investigator Katie had hired would come up with something soon. Now that Jessie was back, the last thing Monica wanted to do was lie to her sister.

Dean walked into a quiet office. Jo had called to tell him she had the flu, the icky stomach variety that would spread. She’d offered to come in, but Dean wanted nothing to do with getting ill.

The light on the phone blinked, letting him know there were messages, and the air-conditioning was already on. His office was dark but light under the conference room door ran along the floor.

A weekend with Mike reminded him of how much he’d given up since he’d met Maggie. It wasn’t until the second night, while sitting under a blanket of stars, that Mike had told him that Katie had suggested the guys’ weekend.

Damn if that didn’t warm him just about everywhere. “Katie said you needed a break,” Mike had told him.

Here Dean had worried about Katie not getting around on her bum foot, and she was pushing their mutual friend to help Dean relax.

He called himself all kinds of foolish for dreaming about her, but he couldn’t help it. Every time he closed his eyes, she was there. Even now, as he stood outside the conference room where he assumed he’d find her, he couldn’t stop the fast beat of his heart. Would she be wearing heels? Would she smile when he walked in the room?

Could he get through the day without touching her?

Turning around, he moved away from the door and went to his office. He fired up his computer and tossed his car keys on the desk.

Still, not a sound came from the other room.

He pried the blinds apart over his window and peered outside. The main entrance of the hotel had several workers milling about. But no Katie.

It took less than thirty seconds of his ass in his chair before he shot out of it.

Outside the conference room, he didn’t hear a thing. He slowly turned the handle and popped his head in.

His jaw dropped and something inside him melted.

Katie’s blonde head rested over one of her arms while the other one was curled up under her chin. Her eyes were closed and her
lips were open as she slept. She wore a simple buttoned-up shirt and slacks. Dean glanced under the table and noticed a pair of flat shoes.

She didn’t hear him approach so he knelt beside her and lost his brief battle with touching her. A strand of hair fell into her eyes and he swept it behind her ear. He could watch her sleep forever. If she weren’t huddled over a desk, he would have left her alone.

“Hey, darlin’,” he whispered. He trailed his fingers over her hair and rested his palm on her shoulder. “Katie?”

“Hmm?” she murmured and sighed.

“Time to wake up,” he coaxed.

She smiled as she slept. “Dean?”

His stomach twisted and other parts stirred. The memory of her uttering his name, like she was now, gripped him.

She blinked a few times and focused on his face. A spark inside her leapt toward him in that brief moment and told him something that her lips never would. Katie closed her eyes, and shook her head.

But Dean had seen her desire…seen her soften. And he wanted to see it again.

“You’re sleeping in the office,” he said.

Keeping his hand on her arm, he leaned back, hardly realizing how close his face was to hers.

“Oh, lord.” She rubbed her eyes…eyes clean of her usual mask of makeup.

He’d ponder that later.

“It’s OK. I’m the only one here.”

He forced his hand off her and stood.

“I didn’t sleep well this weekend.” She glanced at him, and then to the papers she’d been working with before she’d dozed off.

“How’s the ankle?”

She looked confused for a minute. “Better. Hurts at night, though.”

“You could have taken another day off.”

“Too much to do. Besides, Jack will be here today. I don’t want him to think it was a mistake letting me help.”

Dean crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the table. “I’d vouch for you, Katie. No one can accuse you of slackin’.”

One side of her lips lifted in a grin. “You’re probably the only boss who’s caught someone sleeping on the job that said that.”

“I’m not your boss,” he reminded her.

“You’re bossy.”

“Not the same thing.”

“It is from where I’m sitting.”

He wanted to sit there, make conversation with her. But that would be obvious. He’d made an art form of being subtle when he pursued her the first time. Now he’d have to be stealthy. The realization that he intended to pursue her again hit him.

The thought didn’t disturb him…it did the opposite. For the first time in a long time he looked forward to waking…to going to work…to really living. He still wanted Katelyn Morrison.

“Jack called me this morning. He has a meeting in LA at lunch but will be here before four. You still gonna be here?”

She nodded. “Like I said, I have some things to do.”

“Good. Would you mind picking up the phone if you’re in the office? Jo’s out sick.”

“That’s funny. One of Bowman’s men flagged me down when I came in. Steve is sick, too.”

“I hope it isn’t going around.”

“Do you have any of those bottles of hand sanitizer around here?”

He shook his head. “Don’t think so.”

Katie pushed away from the table. “I’ll run to the store and get some. Maybe some of those Lysol wipes. We can’t be too careful.”

Dean frowned. “Since when are you a germ-a-phobe?”

“I’ve spent the whole weekend with a nurse. Monica washes her hands more than anyone I know.”

He’d forgotten about that. The fact that Katie was quick with where she’d spent her weekend made him think it wasn’t with the much-too-old Ben guy. He smiled.

“Good idea. Grab the big bottles. We’ll spread them around and let everyone know to be careful.”

She grabbed her purse and limped, albeit not as much as the last time he’d seen her, to the door. “And you say you’re not the boss.”

He snorted a laugh and watched her leave.

The only reason he kept smiling was because he knew she’d be back.

The heat outside was well over one hundred degrees. Staying inside the construction trailer wasn’t a chore for Katelyn.

Dean had offered to pick up lunch and the majority of the job site was quiet. Without Jo in the office, it was actually relaxing. Even the phone didn’t bother ringing all that often.

The door slammed, announcing the arrival of lunch.

“I know how fond you are of salad,” Dean said as he walked into the room with two huge bags. From the smell traveling to her nose, there was more than lettuce for lunch.

“Yeah.”

He set the bags on the edge of the conference table, swooped up several plans, and tucked them to the side. “I got you a salad.”

The rich aroma of barbeque teased her stomach and the thought of salad left her hungry. “Ah, thanks.”

“You don’t want salad?”

“Salad’s fine. Great.”
Boring.

Dean removed a clear plastic container of garlic dinner rolls. Next came a slab of ribs smothered in sauce.

Katie licked her lips.

“I, on the other hand, am hungry. Mike suggested a takeout barbeque place down the street. The place was lined up out the door.” Out popped an order of baked beans…followed by mashed potatoes.

Out of a second bag, Dean slowly removed a small plastic container with her salad. There wasn’t a smell from her container at all.

“It smells amazing, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Here ya go.” He set the salad in front of her and smiled.

“Thanks.”

The full force of the food hit her senses when he opened the last container and started loading up a paper plate. There was enough food for three people. Katie glanced at her salad and tried to think of it as appetizing.

All she saw was an appetizer and a paltry one at that.

Her stomach rumbled.

Dean tore off one of the ribs and sank his teeth into the meat. “Oh, wow. This is amazing.”

Katie opened her salad and stuck a fork into the lettuce.

“Oh, my God. This is better than Mac’s. You know that one off the frontage road on the way to your daddy’s ranch. So. Good.” Dean smacked his lips together and hummed as he chewed.

He ripped off another rib and Katie couldn’t stand it anymore. She shot her hand out and stopped him from devouring it.

He sent her a cocky grin and lifted the rib toward her. “Did you want a bite?”

Instead of answering, she leaned forward and bit into the food. Her taste buds sang and her stomach did a happy dance. The smoky sauce hit the back of her tongue and she closed her eyes with the pleasure of it.

“Can I have my hand back?”

She licked her lips as Dean watched. “Not unless you dish me up a plate.”

Dean stroked away sauce from her lower lip. Her skin prickled with his touch. Why did he have to be so damn handsome?

“No problem, darlin’.”
Darlin’
rolled off his tongue with such a smooth tone she felt him sliding back into her system. It wasn’t often Dean used his Texan charm, but when he did, a woman was helpless not to fall under his spell.

Get a grip, Katie.

She forced her gaze away from his and divided the salad.

“Remember the time we went to Mac’s after the Halloween party at the high school?”

“I remember you chasing after Sally Richfield who was dressed like a pornographic cat.”

Dean chuckled. “Remember the librarian? What was her name?”

“Mrs. Leon.”

“That’s right. She made Sally wear a lab coat all night. It was only after we all left and went into Mac’s that anyone saw her costume.”

Katie rolled her eyes back as the garlic from the bread saturated her tongue. “And you were right there sniffing up her skirt.”

“Leotard.”

“You
would
remember.”

Dean talked around his food. “I had to chase her to get my mind off of you.”

Katie stopped chewing. “You never took notice of me in high school. I was two years younger.”

“I didn’t want to notice you in high school. You were Jack’s sister and he’d have busted my balls if I made a move toward you.”

“No, he wouldn’t—OK, yeah, he would have. You never let on.”

“You had so many boys tripping over themselves, you wouldn’t have noticed if I looked twice.”

Katie washed down a forkful of beans with her diet soda. “Since we’re playing the honesty game, I guess I should let you know you’re wrong. Remember the outfit I wore on my sixteenth birthday?”