Free His for the Taking by Julie Cohen Page A

‘Truce?’
    ‘Truce.’
    He’d shaken her hand before, and hadn’t noticed how her grip was firm and her skin was warm and smooth. He did this time.
    ‘So, you’re waiting out here for your dad still.’ Her expression was back to teasing. ‘I take it he hasn’t shown up yet, or I wouldn’t have to worry about seeing you again.’
    ‘He hasn’t shown up yet. I was waiting for you. All my stuff, including my money, is in the apartment.’
    She nodded. ‘Bet you’re hungry.’
    ‘Bet I am.’
    ‘You should remember that before you piss me off next time,’ she said, but she winked. ‘I’ve got some groceries so we can make something to eat.’
    ‘Good.’ He didn’t move. ‘Did you come back for any reason besides getting an apology from me?’
    She shrugged. ‘I thought about it on the way back to my apartment in the Bronx. I’ve got to take some time off work to sort out Xenia’s funeral and I figure I’ll help you find your dad while I’m at it. And it’s going to be easier to look through Xenia’s papers properly if I’m staying here.’ She pulled the apartment keys out of her jacket pocket.
    ‘You said this morning it was too private.’
    ‘That was before I knew Xenia left everything to me. I figure if she didn’t want me to see something, she’d have gotten rid of it.’
    ‘Thanks,’ he said, and he was rewarded by the sight of her smile, white teeth against pink lips.
    ‘No problem. One of us might as well get something worthwhile out of this whole inheritance thing.’
    ‘Besides the fifty million dollars?’
    ‘Xenia knew I didn’t want her money,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t want it now.’
    ‘Maybe that’s why she left it to you.’
    ‘I wish she hadn’t.’ She compressed her mouth, and shook her head as if she was clearing it. ‘Anyway, this talking isn’t going to get you fed.’
    ‘It certainly isn’t.’ He bent and picked up her canvas bag, and grunted at its unexpected weight. ‘What have you got in here, bricks?’
    ‘Dumb-bells. I use them for training.’ She took hold of the strap and tugged it away from him. ‘I can handle it.’
    He considered arguing about it, but their truce was too new and, besides, he liked the way the straining of her arm and back muscles made her breasts thrust forward. He gave it to her, and she slung it onto her shoulder and picked up the carrier bag.
    ‘By the way, I’m curious,’ she said, unlocking the door. ‘Did you see how my family reacted to the news that I’ve inherited fifty million dollars? I wasn’t looking.’
    ‘They were pretty surprised.’
    That was an understatement. Every one of the Drakes had been in eye-bugging, jaw-dropping shock. The youngest sister Cindy had actually gasped when the lawyer had made the announcement.
    Zoe let out a sharp laugh as she went into the apartment, Nick close behind her. ‘Yeah, I bet they were surprised.’ They reached the kitchen and Zoe dropped the bags and turned to him, a smile on her lips. It was wide, lopsided, and naughty.
    ‘I bet they think I’m going to go right out and blow the whole inheritance in Vegas or something. Come to think of it, that would really piss them off.’ She bit her lip and looked as if she were considering it.
    Nick laughed. ‘It would take serious dedication to lose fifty million dollars in Vegas.’
    ‘That’s true. Maybe I should do something requiring much less effort.’ She began pulling packages from the grocery bag. ‘Did you see how they looked at me when they thought I was shacking up with you in my dear departed great-aunt’s apartment?’
    ‘I did. Why didn’t you tell them the whole truth?’
    She shrugged. ‘I guess I can never disappoint them if I confirm their worst suspicions, right?’ She held up a package of pasta. ‘Spaghetti all right with you?’
    ‘Somehow I didn’t expect my first meal with a multimillionairess to be spaghetti.’
    ‘Hey, you can take the girl out of the Bronx but you can’t