Carly Phillips - Hot Property

She settled herself onto a barstool near the island, where he was working.

“I buy presliced chicken because my schedule’s so hectic I never know how much time I’ll have. On a night like tonight, it comes in handy. You can buy precut vegetables, as well, but it takes me no time and I’d rather eat fresh. Now I’m nearly ready to toss the vegetables into the wok.”

She blinked at how fast he’d prepared a meal that would have taken her an hour minimum. “Maybe I should be taking notes,” she mused as she reached over and plucked a carrot from the cutting board.

“Hey, quit nibbling or you won’t be hungry enough to enjoy my masterpiece.” He playfully smacked at her hand, but she was faster.

She nabbed another carrot before he could stop her.

In two steps he stood by her side, his presence big and overwhelming, the heat in his eyes matching the desire pulsing through her veins. From the moment she’d laid eyes on this man, she’d been seduced by his looks. What sane woman wouldn’t be?

But in the short time she was with him tonight, she’d seen glimpses of the everyday guy he really was. She really liked what she saw.

He reached for the carrot and she tucked it tighter into her hand.

“Give it up,” he ordered, clearly amused by her game.

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Make me.”

He tickled her but she held on fast, eagerly anticipating his next method of extraction.

Their eyes met and held. Her pulse pounded hard in her throat and the anticipation of his lips hot and hard on hers sent tremors quaking through her body.

She slid her tongue over her mouth, moistening her lips, waiting, hoping…

The jarring ring of the telephone broke the thick silence surrounding them. His head jerked toward the sound.

Needing space, Amy jumped up from her chair. “You should answer it,” she said, her voice unusually shaky.

He shot her a glance filled with equal parts heat and regret before grabbing the portable phone behind him. “Yeah,” he barked into the phone, then listened to whoever was on the other end.

“Sorry. Happy New Year to you, too, Mom. Why aren’t you out at one of those Hollywood parties you love so much?”

Hollywood? That was an interesting tidbit of information, Amy thought. And far better to focus on that than how close they’d come to kissing.

“Oh, right. Time difference. I forgot. I’m distracted, that’s all.” His gaze settled on Amy, his stare deep and consuming, letting her know he hadn’t forgotten what had almost happened between them. What could still happen if she let it.

He cleared his throat. “That’s okay. What’s going on?” he asked. His expression darkened the longer his mother spoke. “No, Mom, I’m not giving Ben money to invest in a gym.”

He listened, then said, “Because giving money to my brother is like throwing it away, that’s why.” Roper pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have you forgotten about all the failed businesses that I did subsidize for him? Never mind. I can’t talk about this now. I have company.”

He winked at Amy, but she didn’t miss the fact that his previously playful side had disappeared.

“Yes, Mom, female company. Just how long am I supposed to compensate Ben because I made it in the majors and he didn’t?”

Obviously his mother wasn’t listening to what Roper said, and Amy winced. As an only child, she wasn’t used to dealing with siblings. But she was used to coping with stubborn adults who acted like kids and who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was being given an inkling into Roper’s family dynamics, and they seemed to be in as much turmoil as his career.

“I didn’t say family wasn’t important, Mom. Go to your party and we’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he said, his voice softening.

He obviously loved his mother. He also had a complex family situation, but really, who didn’t? She’d had to leave home to get a life, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about every move Rose and Darla made. She loved them, but there were times they grated on her nerves, pushing every emotional button she possessed.

Roper obviously felt the same way about his family. His life wasn’t easy, she thought. She quietly slipped the carrot they’d fought over into her mouth and waited for him to finish his call.

“Yes,” he said, raising a finger toward Amy to indicate he’d be off soon. “Yes, I know. Go enjoy and forget about it for now. Oh, and Mom? Happy New Year,” Roper said.

He hung up the phone and turned her way. A flush highlighted his cheekbones and a muscle ticked on one side of his face. “Nothing like a call from Mom to kill the mood,” he said too lightly.

Amy figured he needed a minute or two to calm down, so she let him turn away and place the food into the heated wok.

She tried to use the minutes wisely, reminding herself she wasn’t going to be taken in by his charm, something he possessed and no doubt knew how to use in spades. After all, he was not just an athlete but a showman. Yet already she was coming to know him better and to like him despite all common sense. She tried to calm her still-racing heart, but Roper’s effect on her was very strong. And the whole night lay ahead…

R OPER COULD NOT BELIEVEhis mother was bugging him about helping Ben yet again. On New Year’s Eve. Just as he was finally going to kiss Amy.

Still wound tight, he tossed the last handful of vegetables into the wok with too much force and oil splattered up at him. He stepped back to avoid being hit.

“Families can be a bitch,” Amy said at last, breaking the tension.

He turned toward her. “Especially mine.”

“Um…” She bit down on the bottom lip he’d been on the verge of devouring minutes before. “If you missed my mother and aunt in action, then I’m sure you heard the wedding stories. I hardly think I’m in a position to judge other people’s relatives.” She laughed, lightening his mood in an instant.

He didn’t know another woman capable of getting into his head that way. He ought to be wary, but right now, he was just grateful. “You’ve got a point. My mother likes to lay on the guilt when I don’t give Ben what he wants.”

“Your brother played baseball, too?” Amy leaned forward and perched her chin in her hands.

He stared into her curious gaze. Discussing his personal life with anyone, especially women, had always been a big no-no. Inevitably something private made it into the papers after the relationship ended. He’d learned it early in the minors and had never violated the rule since.

Yet here he was, ready to talk to Amy. He drew a deep breath and forged ahead before he could stop himself. “Ben never made it past the minors. He blames me for inheriting talent from my father. His father, his and Sabrina’s, wasn’t good for much of anything. He walked out on my mother and us kids, which frankly wasn’t much of a loss. But after baseball, Ben just ventured from job to job. You know the expression jack of all trades, master of none? ”

She nodded in understanding, listening without judging, which only made him want to tell her more. “Over the years Ben’s come to me for money for one investment after another, promising me a huge return. At first I thought he’d find something that gave him financial security. Eventually I realized that would never happen, but I helped him out, anyway, just because I could.”

While he spoke, he took plates from the cabinet and she helped him set the table.

“You’re a good brother,” she said. “Uncle Spencer’s taken care of his sisters the same way. He bought the retirement complex that my mother and her sister live in. It keeps them out of trouble. Or should I say, it confines their trouble. Anyway, it seems to work.”