About Last Night. Rhonda Leah

you did it, I do thank you.”

      He winked. “Anything for you, jailbird.”

      “Yeah, well, no talk like that in front of my brother, got it?”

      “Sometimes you’re no fun at all,” he said. She dropped into the chair across from his desk. Was he flirting with her?

      “I need to talk to you…” they said at the same time, running over each other’s words. They laughed and Tanner said, “Ladies first.”

      “You wanted to talk to me? Does it have to do with the other night?”

      “No, nothing like that. It’s all being taken care of. Forget about it, okay?”

      “Thanks for whatever it is you did.” She reached for and held onto the locket, blinking back tears. If only he had a clue how much it meant to her—

       “You came here for something. What’s up?”

      * * * *

      Tanner was deep in his own thoughts. Freakin’ mesmerized by Misty McNeil. He had to be close to losing his grip on reality. What the hell was up? She was Jake’s baby sister. He’d watched her grow up into one hell of a woman.

      “I need some help, Tanner,” she blurted, bringing him back to reality.

      “What kind of help?” She quirked a smile, and his empty stomach did a flip-flop.

      “I guess you’re thinking what’s wrong now? Huh?”

      “Of course not. You know I’d…”

      “Yeah, yeah, do whatever you can, I’m like a kid sister. Blah, blah, I get it,” she muttered. She shook her head, her sleek black hair drifting around her bare shoulders. All she had on was a skimpy tank top, capri pants and barely-there sandals. Taking in the whole package was making him grow hotter and more uncomfortable by the second. He’d already been to the gym for two hours this morning, trying to get her out of his head. Since the other night, she’d been the main feature playing through his mind during his down time. Now lusty thoughts of her were taking over business hours.

      One night long ago was enough to make those thoughts too real. He looked down and noticed her bare toes polished to pink perfection in her strappy sandals. Unbelievable, how sexy he found them. His cock stirred. He shifted in his seat. Maybe if he knew what she needed he could get her to go away, and once she was out of his office, his pulse would return to normal. “What kind of help do you need?”

      “I’m being kicked out of my apartment. I’m not sure if it’s legal, but the landlord said I have to be out in seven days.” She glanced at her watch. “Well, six and half, now.”

      Something he could run with, and get her sexy shoulders and bare toes and…well, all of her assets off of his mind. He quizzed her, and she told him the details of what her landlord had said. It was perfectly legal, but something he’d never do. “Why don’t you move home with your parents for a while?”

      Heck. Mr. McNeil wanted to buy Jake a house, buying one for Misty couldn’t be too far behind.

      She rolled her deep blue eyes heavenward, exasperation creasing her features. “Sorry I’ve wasted your time, Tanner,” she said, and made a move to stand.

      He bolted up and held his hand out. “Whoa. Wait a minute. You’re not. I only thought moving home would give you some extra time.”

      “No sane twenty-eight-year-old woman wants to move home.”

      He swallowed. “You’re twenty-eight?”

      “Yes, I’m only a few years younger than Jake.”

      He shook his head. “I guess I always thought of you as…well, much younger.”

      “Immature, you mean?”

      “No. Definitely not.” This was getting off track. “What’s so bad about moving home for a couple of weeks to find a new place? You work with your dad every day.”

      “Tanner, office hours are one thing, living with him is something totally different. And with my mother on her extended European tour, or whatever it is he’s calling it…” She shook her head. “There’s no way I’m putting myself in the middle of that. Not gonna happen.”

      “What are you talking about? I thought your mom went to France for a couple of weeks? She’s gone indefinitely?”

      Sadness clouded her delicate features. Misty shook her head. “I assumed you knew.”

      He walked around the desk and took her hand in his, trying to ignore the heat shooting up his arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. There’s a coffee shop around the corner.”