Free Promises by Angela Verdenius

her hair.  “Arnie stays in every night, it’s only last night that he got out.  I can’t find out how he escaped.”
    “Do you want me to look around?”
    “You think you can see what I can’t?”
    “New eyes.”
    “All right.  You look around my place and I’ll look around yours.”  At his raised eyebrows, she added innocently, “New eyes.”
    Rocking back on his heels, hands shoved deep into his jeans pockets, Jason surveyed her with thoughtful amusement.
    “What?”
    “You’re not what I first believed.”
    Curious, she angled her head.  “And that would be…?”
    “A little shy, a little sweet.”
    “You don’t think I’m sweet anymore?”
    “Let’s just say sweet with a little tart.”
    “So now you think I’m a tart?”
    That caught him off-guard.  “What?  No, I-”
    “Relax.”  Laughing, Izzy stepped aside, swinging out her arm.  “Come on in.  If you can discover out how Arnie got out, I’ll even make you a cup of tea.”
    Striding past her, he said casually, “Even if I don’t discover it, I still expect a cup of tea.”
    “Is that so?”  She locked the security screen.
    “Payment for the attempt.”
    “That’s a little presumptuous.”
    “That’s me, Mr Presumptuous.”  He glanced around the narrow hall.  “Do I have freedom to roam?”
    “Sure.  Feel free.  Just don’t go through my underwear drawer.”
    “I’ll ask the same of you.”
    “So you’ll really let me search through your house?”  She leaned against the wall.
    “You’re letting me look through yours.”  He glanced at her over his shoulder.  “And it’s not like we really know each other.”
    “I think if you were going to hurt me, you’ve had ample opportunity by now.”
    He gave a small nod of agreement and disappeared into the lounge.
    Okay, she didn’t think he would hurt her, but he was correct, she didn’t know him that well.  Yet here she was locking herself inside the house with Jason.  She should have her head read, yet there was something about him that her gut feeling told her was safe.
    She’d learned to go by gut feeling, it was just a shame she hadn’t gone by it before it all blew up in her face.
    Shaking that unwelcome thought aside, she followed behind him, watching as he went from room to room.
    Jason didn’t try to peek into any of the cupboards but he did shift those against the walls.  He caught her questioning look.  “Looking for holes in the wall.”
    “Arnie isn’t able to get behind the cupboards.”
    “Find a hole first, trace it to another possible opening.”
    Made sense, so she nodded.
    She also admired the way he effortlessly slid wardrobes and cupboards aside.  The corded muscles in his forearms flexed, hands gripping the edges, fingers braced.
    “Here.”  She positioned herself on one side of a heavy wardrobe.
    “I can do it.”
    “I’ll help.”
    “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
    “I’m a robust lass, Mr Presumptuous.  I’ll be fine.”
    Jason paused, his gaze sliding over her and back up.
    Cripes, she could feel her heart skip a beat, heat stealing into her cheeks knowing that he saw every generous curve filling out her slacks and light jumper.  Normally it didn’t bother her when anyone looked at her, but Jason really looked at her as though seeing everything.
    Heady thought, and a disconcerting one.
    Half expecting a witty, slightly cutting comment back, she was pleasantly surprised when instead he drawled, “I’ve been shifting furniture for years, Miss Independence.  I’m fine to do it on my own.”
    “How about if you hurt your back doing it in my house, you might sue me?”
    “How about we discuss Arnie and the lock-picking episode?”
    “Point taken.”  She paused.  “But I still want to help.”
    “Put the kettle on.”
    “Are you relegating me to the kitchen now?  That’s sexist.”
    “A little sweet, a little tart, a little mouthy,” he muttered.
    “And that’s insulting.”
    “You’d