Page 363 of Summer Heat
er sounded almost regretful. “What’d I say about cutting down on the cuteness?”
“Is that a no?”
He sighed. “That’s a maybe. Or at least an ‘I’ll try.’”
“I hate it when people say that,” she complained. “It’s such a copout.”
“Well, it’s the best you’re going to get. ‘I’ll try’ means I’m going to let you go finish your bath alone, and not hit on you again for at least another twenty-four hours.”
She’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Fine. You have a deal. For now. I’ll work on wearing you down later.”
“Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you.”
A strange thrill ran up her spine. “Goodbye, Connor.”
“Bye Abby…and have a good bath.”
“You too.” She frowned. “Wait. That came out weird. I meant a good one; have a good one.”
She paused again. Was it her or did that sound a little dirty?
Pinching her bridge of her nose, she tried again, “A good one as in a good time. Like I’m planning to have in the tub.”
Jesus.
A double-shot of oxygen hissed past her teeth.
Flustered, she attempted one more fix, “Not that I’m implying you’ll be doing what I’ll be doing—”
Oh. Good. Lord!
He growled. “Twenty-four hours, Abby. We’ll be ‘friends’ for twenty-four more hours and then you better believe we’ll be having this conversation again.”
She dunked her head under water as soon as he hung up, dazed at the prospect of resisting a man like Connor Sullivan.
Soon, she was the one spouting copouts.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE WAS A COWARD. She’d spent the entire day working on her dissertation in the campus library instead of at home. Just in case Connor decided to call.
Not that she was under the fanciful impression that a big time lawyer like him had the time to be lounging around calling her all day.
Still, she liked to err on the side of caution.
And apparently, it was a good thing she did. Because when she finally threw in the towel and returned home at half past five, the shiny black Lexus awaiting her arrival confirmed yet again why cautious should’ve been her middle name.
“Busy day?” The question was casual, though Connor’s expression was anything but.
She decided to try for facetious. “As I’m sure you’re aware, stalking is a legally actionable offense in all fifty states.”
“God, don’t use legalese on me, Abby. Hearing it in your sexy teacher voice is just making it that much harder for me to stay your ‘friend’ for the next…” he checked his watch, “fifty-six minutes.”
Oh it was no use, she smiled a little over that.
“Have you been hiding from me?” he asked abruptly, visibly upset. “I called you twice today. Both times, it went straight to voicemail.”
“I was doing research. My cell phone doesn’t get good reception in certain parts of the library.”
