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“But it is Connor, dear” Ava paused “Unless you’re suggesting so on between the two of you?”

“Of course not!” The thought was ridiculous “The Kiss” didn’t count “I was just arguing the what if? Is it so beyond the realether—” she searched for the right words, then gave up “—sexually aard?” Not only that, it was too inti!

A gleam came into her mother’s eyes “Oh, I see”

She knew that gleam The last time her mother had it, she’d just found out Liz and Quentin were having a baby

Frustrated, Allison slumped back into her chair in defeat “No, you don’t see, Mom”

She’d ain so with her in the townhouse was an untenable situation Unfortunately, the plan had backfired: herpleasantly surprised

“Well, what I do understand,” Ava said, “is that there’s a perfectly nice young man in there”

Allison stared moodily out at the lawn and wondered idly how Connor would have liked being called “a nice young man”

“And, if someone were interested, I’d say she couldn’t do better”

Allison nodded at Liz “Can you see her counting the grandbabies? You and Quentin have opened the floodgates”

Liz righted the baby, who’d finished feeding “Well, you have to admit, Connor is a catch” She added, at Allison’s look, “If you were interested, I mean”

“Speaking of grandbabies—” Ava took Nicholas from Liz and placed him over her shoulder to burp “As ret is that Quentin and Liz didn’t have ti, looking at Allison over the baby’s head “So, , hot showers by yourself Leave the cold ones to Connor”

“Mom!”

Liz looked

Ava headed to the doorway, a smile on her face

“We don’t even like each other!” Allison called to her ar!”

She turned back to Liz “Why a myself?”

“I think you’re protesting too much”

She grabbed a pillow frohed and ducked

The next as a blur for Allison Connor had finished seeing to the security system installation at the townhouse, and she and Connor had settled into a regular routine Each , no matter how early, she made it to the front door only to discover Connor was already waiting for her, car keys in hand If she didn’t call him at the end of the day, he’d phone her and ask when he needed to pick her up at the officeShe tried to dodge him on Wednesday, but he just showed up at her office anyway and waited a half-hour for her to finish working She’d felt like a heel, nointo her life and her house

Yet, despite doing her best to treat him as if he were no more than a speck of dust on the wall, the two of theainst each other His papers and computer were set up in a corner of her study and his personal belongings were in her house

But what really bothered her, she ad situation She’d been trying to make a point to her mother when she’d used the words sexually aard, but the truth wasn’t far afield

On Thursdayready for work, she’d realized the shirt for the outfit she was putting on was hanging in the hall closet Knowing Connor was showering, she’d dashed out of her bedroom clad only in her bra and skirt

She’d just turned to head back to her bedrooht, when the bathrooaze had collided with Connor’s

His only covering was a towel riding low on his hips Half-naked, he paradoxically loo than he usually did

Her gazein lean but sculpted muscles and a line of hair that traveled down a flat stomach and disappeared from view at the top of his towel

When her gaze connected with his again, she felt herself flush But whether it was froht in her curiosity, or from his hot look at her nearly topless state, or both, she wasn’t sure

She’d involuntarily hugged the shirt to her breast in a protective gesture andher bedroo around

By Friday night, when Connor had picked her up at work and brought her back to the townhouse, the tension between the lid

After changing out of her business suit and into some jeans and a fitted top, she headed downstairs to fix soo through soht home with her from the office

Unfortunately, Connor was downstairs in the front hall when she got there He was loosening his tie and obviously headed upstairs to change out of the business suit he still wore Soes even in conservative business attire

He stopped when he saw her and his gaze raked over her, settling on the files she was holding “What? No plans on a Friday night?”

She stiffened and her chin cah she kneas ridiculous to feel defensive, “Otherwise I’d have had plans”