Free The Art of Deception by Nora Roberts Page B

bad choice of words.”
    â€œIt was a completely incorrect choice.” Just barely, he caught himself before his brow lifted. Damn the woman, he thought, and swore he wouldn’t smile.
    â€œConventional.” Kirby patted his cheek. “I’m sure that’s what I meant.”
    â€œI’m sure those two words mean the same thing to you. I won’t be categorized by either.”
    Tilting her head, she studied him. “Maybe I’m wrong,” she said, to herself as much as him. “I’ve been wrong before. Give me a piggyback ride.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œA piggyback ride,” Kirby repeated.
    â€œYou’re crazy.” She might be sharp, she might be talented, he’d already conceded that, but part of her brain was permanently on holiday.
    With a shrug, she started back toward the house. “I knew you wouldn’t. Pompous people never give or receive piggyback rides. It’s the law.”
    â€œDamn.” She was doing it to him, and he was letting her. For a moment, he stuck his hands in his pockets and stood firm. Let her play her games with her father, Adam told himself. He wasn’t biting. With another oath, he caught up to her. “You’re an exasperating woman.”
    â€œWhy, thank you.”
    They stared at each other, him in frustration, her in amusement, until he turned his back. “Get on.”
    â€œIf you insist.” Nimbly she jumped on his back, blewthe hair out of her eyes and looked down. “Wombats, you’re tall.”
    â€œYou’re short,” he corrected, and hitched her to a more comfortable position.
    â€œI’m going to be five-seven in my next life.”
    â€œYou’d better add pounds as well as inches to your fantasy.” Her hands were light on his shoulders, her thighs firm around his waist. Ridiculous, he thought. Ridiculous to want her now, when she’s making a fool of both of you. “What do you weigh?”
    â€œAn even hundred.” She sent a careless wave to Jamie.
    â€œAnd when you take the ball bearings out of your pocket?”
    â€œNinety-six, if you want to be technical.” With a laugh, she gave him a quick hug. Her laughter was warm and distracting at his ear. “You might do something daring, like not wearing socks.”
    â€œThe next spontaneous act might be dropping you on your very attractive bottom.”
    â€œIs it attractive?” Idly she swung her feet back and forth. “I see so little of it myself.” She held him for a moment longer because it felt so right, so good. Keep it light, she reminded herself. And watch your step. As long as she could keep him off balance, things would run smoothly. Leaning forward, she caught the lobe of his ear between her teeth. “Thanks for the lift, sailor.”
    Before he could respond, she’d jumped down and dashed into the house.
    Â 
    It was night, late, dark and quiet, when Adam sat alone in his room. He held the transmitter in his hand and found he wanted to smash it into little pieces andforget it had ever existed. No personal involvements. That was rule number one, and he’d always followed it. He’d never been tempted not to.
    He’d wanted to follow it this time, he reminded himself. It just wasn’t working that way. Involvement, emotion, conscience; he couldn’t let any of it interfere. Staring at Kirby’s painting of the Hudson, he flicked the switch.
    â€œMcIntyre?”
    â€œPassword.”
    â€œDamn it, this isn’t a chapter of Ian Fleming.”
    â€œProcedure,” McIntyre reminded him briskly. After twenty seconds of dead air, he relented. “Okay, okay, what’ve you found out?”
    I’ve found out I’m becoming dangerously close to being crazy about a woman who makes absolutely no sense to me, he thought. “I’ve found out that the next time you have a brainstorm, you can go to hell with