Free Sudden Desire by Lauren Dane Page B

I’m thinking that you don’t need to know her whereabouts.”
    His smile turned down but only slightly. “Ah. She told you about me, did she? Can I talk to you, please?”
    Looking him suspiciously up and down, she nodded shortly and waved him inside.
    And an hour later he was back at his house packing a bag. Or doing his best at it. Damn, it had been a very long time since he’d had to do this kind of thing on his own. Tess was right, he was spoiled.
    But the difference now was that he knew it. He knew all the things she did for him and he was set on making her understand he planned to rectify his bad behavior.
    He wanted to get her back because she was one of the few people in his life he could count on to really care about him and tell him the truth even when it sucked to hear.
    So he shoved the casual clothes he could find into a small case and picked up his toiletry bag—pre-packed by Tess and always ready for travel—and headed for the door.

His agent had sent over a temp to help while Tess was out and he’d already charmed the woman into utter incompetence. He told her to cancel all of his appointments for the next day and left her gaping at him.
    Chapter Two
    Holy crap, was Crescent Lake in the middle of nowhere! Annoyed, Trevor wondered yet again why the hell Tess would come all the way up to Washington to a lake a million miles from the airport when she could summer anywhere.
    But once he stopped to really look he began to understand. It was perfect there. While L.A. was hotter than hell in the middle of July, along the road to the lake, lush green trees filled the landscape and the air smelled sweet and clean.
    The resort Tess’ mother gave him directions to was gorgeous, he had to admit. A big rustic main lodge and smaller cabins dotted the area around the lake. It was nearly ten at night but it was still the pinkish light of late sunset.
    After parking the rental in front of her cabin he got out, relishing the crunch of pine needles beneath his shoes. He could smell the warm earth, the sap from the trees. How long had it been since he’d done that?
    Leaving his bags in the car for the moment, he marched up to the door and knocked.
    She answered after a few moments and stood there, utterly surprised. Then she scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. Which alternately annoyed and confused him more because he realized he’d never noticed what world-class breasts she had until that day she quit. And there she was—there they were—mouthwateringly creamy mounds heaving out of the top of the camisole she wore. And her legs were exposed to the top of her thighs by a very short denim skirt, and he saw a woman he’d never imagined worked for him for two years.
    “What do you want, Trevor? I sent your house keys back and wrote out instructions on how to reset your alarm codes in case you’re worried I’ll break in. How in the hell did you find me? I can’t believe you hunted me down for that.”
    “I got the keys but I haven’t changed the codes. I threw myself on your mother’s mercy. Can I come in?”
    Warily, she stepped back and opened the screen door and waved him inside. He looked around. The cabin was one large room with a loft space he guessed housed the bed. The front was all glass and looked out over the lake. The rising moon glimmered overhead, reflecting off the water. The interior had what he believed was a coastal Indian décor. Beautiful and simple.
    “This is a really great place.” He looked at her and motioned toward the couch. “Tess, uh, can I sit down?”
    Rolling her eyes at him, she waved in the general direction of the couch and tossed herself into a chair. Swinging her legs up onto the ottoman made her skirt ride up, briefly exposing a scrap of red fabric covering her mound. He blinked a few times and sat down.

“Well, what is it, Trevor? You came two states and several hours on two-lane roads to get here. You’d better not be here about buying you condoms.”
    “I