I’ve tried to tell him I’m just not interested, but he keeps finding a reason to come around.”
“Nothing but a solid hit with a two-by-four deters a man of that kind,” Elena said.
Burke laughed. “Listen to your godmother,” he said, looking at Laura. “I think she’s right on target.”
His generous lips curved sensually when he smiled, and Laura felt a sudden jolt of awareness—the earthy kind that reminded her that he was all-male, and she a woman who enjoyed her femininity. She took a breath, trying to tone down her reaction to him for the sake of her own peace of mind.
A man as confident as Burke surely knew the effect he had on women. He’d undoubtedly grown to accept it as natural—something that was as much a part of him as his broad shoulders and six-foot frame. The last thing she intended to do was feed his ego by letting him sense her reaction to him.
“Why don’t you both go through the house one last time and make a list of all the repairs that’ll have to be done? We’ll need it when we file the insurance claim,” Elena said.
“Good idea,” Laura answered.
“You should look at the back door,” Burke said to Laura. “That’s one of the first things you’ll need to get fixed.”
Laura went into the kitchen and studied the damage. The door frame had been splintered and the lock damaged by a vicious kick. A partial boot print was still on the door. This had clearly been the point of entry. “I never thought of that door as flimsy, but I’ll make sure I get a solid-core one now.”
They methodically checked out each room in the house, Laura adding to the list of things to do. As they worked, she was acutely aware of everything about the man beside her. She stole fleeting, furtive glances at him, taking in his square-cut jaw and his absolutely delicious mouth.
A guy like this is used to leaving a trail of brokenhearted women behind him. Be careful. Don’t add to the number.
The sun had sunk well below the horizon by the time they rejoined Elena in the living room. They’d been able to close the doors and windows and turn on the lights, but the house had grown decidedly chilly.
“It’s going to take awhile to get things back to normal,” Laura said with a sigh.
“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Elena chided. “Once we clear up the mess, everything will look one hundred percent better. We’ll have a claims adjuster come over tomorrow, then the repairmen can come to fix the heater, replace the door and put in better locks. The damaged furniture can go out to be repaired, or we can go shopping for some new pieces. Before you know it, we’ll be back at home and it’ll be like nothing happened.” Elena stood, wavered, then sat down heavily.
Seeing it, Laura felt her stomach fall. “Are you all right?” She should have expected this. The whole thing had been a total shock for Elena.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing. I just took my pills a little late today and I’m a little woozy.”
“Let’s just sit here for a bit then,” Laura said, watching her for signs of a serious problem with her heart.
Burke sat on an easy chair that had been slashed but not completely depleted of stuffing. He leaned back, projecting an ease that helped Elena relax. For several minutes he made small talk, discussing the neighborhood and the upcoming growing season. Elena bragged about Laura’s rose garden, promising to show him around in full daylight to point out the buds and new season’s growth.
Burke seemed interested in everything about them, though Laura couldn’t tell if it was genuine or if he was simply being charming and polite.
Finally, after the tension washed out of Elena and she had relaxed again, Burke turned the conversation back to business.
“Tell me about this brother-in-law of yours, Doña Elena,” he said, his voice calm but authoritative.
“He’s a difficult man,” she answered. “If he thought I kept that land deed here, or the will, that would explain all this,” she said, waving a hand around the room. “My brother-in-law has claimed that the tract of land I inherited should have gone to him because, originally, he was half owner. But he sold his share to my husband several years ago when he needed cash. My attorney, Ernest Martinez, says that Al has no further claim on the land. But Al has accused me of tampering with Diego’s will, saying that his brother had left the property to him.”
“After we received word that he’d filed a lawsuit, Elena started getting nasty calls at all hours of the night,” Laura added. “We finally got caller ID and started disconnecting the phone when we went to bed.”
Laura watched her godmother as she filled Burke in on a few more details. Burke had worked his magic on her and she was answering all his questions without becoming upset or excited.
Laura suppressed a sigh. There was no denying that Burke was attractive and charming. But something was warning her to be cautious, and she always trusted her intuition. Theirs was not a neighborhood that had known many break-ins, but he’d only been around a week, and now this. It was possible that he was totally innocent, but it was all working out too perfectly. He’d been there to help her; now he was offering two strangers his home. If this was all completely coincidental, she’d eat her shoe.
She had to start thinking in nonfiction terms, concentrating on facts only. If she didn’t do that, she had a feeling she’d end up with some major-league trouble—trouble that would no doubt answer to the name of Burke.
Chapter Three
Laura watched him carefully, trying to freeze out her hormones with a dose of logic, but it wasn’t quite working. It was hard to even think when he trained his pale brown eyes on her. Contrasting sharply with his dark copper skin, they were nothing short of mesmerizing.
Irritated with herself, Laura brought her thoughts back to what her madrina was saying. “My brother-in-law, Al, has always been a problem for my husband’s family. He never amounted to anything, because he’s lazy and always searching for the easy way out. Diego wouldn’t even allow him into our home for a long time because Al had started drinking heavily. After Diego passed away Al thought he’d get a windfall. Reality hit him hard. The man has never learned that the only thing that pays off with any certainty in this world is hard work and dedication.”
As a cold draft came in from the kitchen, where the damaged back door couldn’t be properly closed, Elena shivered and wrapped her shawl tighter around herself.
Noticing the gesture, Laura went to the closet and got her godmother’s winter coat. “We have to get going,” she told Burke. “Now that the sun has set, it’s going to get cold in here pretty fast.
“Madrina,” she continued, looking at Elena, “I wondered if you would enjoy a bed-and-breakfast. We really shouldn’t impose on our new neighbor.”
“It’s no imposition,” Burke assured them quickly. “It’ll be a pleasure.” Taking off his leather jacket, he placed it around Laura’s shoulders. “Let’s go to my house so Doña Elena can get settled in, then we can come back and get some of the things you’ll both need.”
Feeling the warmth of his jacket around her was like being embraced by this man, whose scent spoke of the wildness and
