Free Kiss Me If You Can by Carly Phillips Page B

serious suitor.”
    â€œI take it she’s happy with the notion?”
    â€œRidiculously so.” Lexie placed her hands on her hips and walked around his apartment, eyeing the mess left by the burglar. “So are you working today?” she asked.
    He shook his head. “I took the day off. After everything that’s gone on, my editor didn’t mind and I needed time to figure all this out.”
    â€œNot to mention the fact that you need to clean up?”
    He groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”
    â€œHow about I help you instead?”
    He hesitated, surprised by the offer. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
    She smiled. “You didn’t. Besides what better way to get to know the real you than by helping you sort through your personal effects?”
    She scanned the items spread across the room and frowned, an adorable pout that brought back memories of her lips on his, her tongue deep in his throat.
    â€œUnless you’d rather do it alone?” she asked, oblivious to his wandering thoughts, which he reined in.
    â€œAre you kidding?” he asked. “I’d appreciate the help and the company. I can’t say I kept the place in great shape before the robbery, so anything we do might be an improvement.”
    â€œGreat. Let’s get started.” She walked over to the bookshelf and began picking up his hardcovers one by one, replacing them by height.
    Joining her, he stacked the books, handing her one at a time. They worked in comfortable silence for a while, then started talking about the books he’d kept over the years.
    â€œHow about you?” he asked. “What’s your place like? Are you a neat freak or do you prefer clutter?” He couldn’t judge that part of her yet.
    â€œHmm. That’s a complicated question because I don’t have my own place.”
    He narrowed his gaze, wondering what she meant. “Do you have a roommate?”
    â€œIn a manner of speaking.” She paused, turning to face him. “She’s almost eighty years old, has lived in the same building for the last forty years and has a spare room she doesn’t mind letting me use when I’m around.”
    â€œYour grandmother?” Coop recalled her mentioning that the older woman was spry for her age, but maybe she had other issues that necessitated aid.
    Lexie nodded.
    â€œDoes she need live-in help?”
    â€œGod, no! She’d slap you for even suggesting such a thing.” Her eyes twinkled at the thought. “Grandma is as independent as they come. But she has a spare bedroom and I figure what’s the point of paying rent all year round when I’m not there on a consistent basis?”
    A sick feeling settled in his gut. As much as he’d like to ignore this subject, the more he knew the better prepared he’d be. “How often do you leave town? Or should I ask how long you stay around?”
    â€œIt all depends. I can go on short trips for a few weeks at a time or monthly journeys if I choose to. That’s the beauty of my line of work. I can stay connected and do it from almost anywhere.”
    He shook his head, unable to understand the appeal of her lifestyle. “Why leave?”
    She spread her hands in front of her as if the answer were obvious. “Sometimes it’s a new venue I want to see, other times I just get antsy staying in one place for too long.”
    Just like his ex, Annie, who had loved her job as a flight attendant. Which hadn’t threatened him at all at first. The insecurities came later, when she’d take on more flights, finding excuses not to come home.
    He pushed the thoughts and similarities aside. Lexie wasn’t his ex. He didn’t know her well yet or even understand her motives for how she lived.
    But he remained curious. “So those books we talked about your having read and liked? You don’t own them? What about stuff? Don’t you need