Her gaze traveled from his dark brown hair, handsome face—he hadn’t bothered to shave—down his chest, taking in the sleeve of tattoos on one arm, giving him an even sexier edge. Finally her gaze dropped to the towel knotted at his hip, and she sucked in much-needed air. Her girl parts definitely took notice, and considering it had been a long time since she’d been with any man, she was definitely aware of the rush of desire sweeping through her body and the sudden tingling between her thighs.
“Did you forget I was coming?” she asked, her voice catching on that last word, which she hadn’t meant as a sexual innuendo but felt like one anyway.
“No, that’s not something I could forget.” Amusement and a rough timbre laced his tone, letting her know he’d picked up on it too.
Her cheeks burned. “Your doorman should be up with the food any minute. Am I expected to put it away too?” she asked, deciding it was best to move past her foot-in-mouth moment.
“The housekeeper will do it. She’s here today.”
“Okay then. I can just go back to the office and—”
He reached out and grasped her arm, generating a jolt of heat that ricocheted through her.
He jerked and immediately released her. “Come in and get familiar with the place. You’ll be working here,” he said gruffly.
He stepped back to let her inside, shutting the door behind her. “I’ll go get dressed. Keep yourself busy,” he muttered and stalked off, leaving her alone to examine his home.
She shrugged and began walking through the apartment, which was huge, with state-of-the-art everything. The kitchen, which she passed on the way to a big living area, had high-end appliances, from a Wolf oven and Sub-Zero refrigerator to a Miele dishwasher. She doubted he used any of them himself. Still, she was in love with his kitchen.
And the living room? Of course there was a massive screen on the wall and a full tech setup of Xbox and Wii devices for the geek in him. She loved it and could very well imagine him sitting here, playing his games, and envisioning life-changing apps.
The room itself resembled a cinema, and she sat down on an oversized sofa, sinking into the soft leather. She didn’t go so far as to extend the chair into a reclining position, choosing to remain upright and keep her wits about her. While she waited, she looked around, and her gaze fell to a set of photos on wall shelves across the room.
Intrigued, she rose and walked over, taking in the various photographs. There were pictures of Kade and his partners wearing frat shirts from their college days. Some of Kade and an older man who was obviously, based on the resemblance, his father. And in the back row, a small shot of two young boys who appeared about the same age and who looked remarkably alike.
Being a twin herself, Lexie was curious and picked up the small picture. She thought she could pick out Kaden. He was a little taller and bulkier. Both brown-haired boys stood in mimicking poses with their arms crossed over their chests, both in bathing trunks, with a pool behind them, and mischievous smirks on their faces.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
She jumped, very much feeling like she’d been caught snooping. Which, she supposed, in theory, she had been.
“You said to keep myself busy.” She handed him the photograph. “Is that your twin?” she asked.
“My brother.” He glanced at the picture in his hand, and she caught a wistful expression before he hid it with his normal outward mask of indifference.
“Older or younger?” she asked, undeterred. If she was going to work with him, she needed to break through his barrier and at least get him to converse with her.
“Younger. By only ten months.”
She grinned. “Your parents worked fast.”
“That’s what happens when you spend more time arguing and making up than getting along,” he muttered.
Insight, she thought, appreciating the nugget of information.
“I thought you were here to work.” He set the picture in its spot in the back row.
Something told her the placement of the photo was telling. A story she wanted to know more about, but he wasn’t talking.
Yet. “You told me to wait for you while you dressed. You’re dressed.”
And if she thought she’d seen all facets of Kaden Barnes, from the man in the suit to the fresh-from-the-shower version, she was wrong. This man, in the gray sweat pants that hung low on his hips and faded white tee shirt that read Geek Squad across his chest—she had a hunch this was the real man beneath the façade he put out to the world.
Despite his gruff exterior, his sex appeal couldn’t be denied, and the little hint of vulnerability she’d seen when he’d looked at the picture of his brother made him seem even more human.
Sensing she’d pushed him out of his comfort zone enough for one day, she turned her focus to work. “So what’s next … Boss?”
He studied her for a few seconds, then said, “Call me Kade. And give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Your cell phone.” He held out his hand.
She dug through her purse and reluctantly handed over her iPhone.
“Unlock it.”
She glared at him.
“Please,” he added.
“That’s much better.” She took back the phone and opened it with her fingerprint before returning the device. “I can’t imagine what you want—”
He slid his finger over the screen, checking out each display of apps before moving to the next screen. Suddenly realizing what he was looking for, she braced herself for the reprimand.