DumbAtHeart.epub (3 page)

Jo placed her teacup down on the table. “Well, no, but you should be aware that

when Evan’s in town he sleeps in the room beside yours.”

“You see he does odd jobs for us like fixing the roof and the plumbing. “You do

have your own bathroom but you will see him,” Flo explained as she reached for

another cookie from the plate.

“That’s fine. I can deal with that.” And she would. Her focus was to recharge.

Men were the last thing on her mind. “He’s just a man—okay, yes he’s handsome, hot

bodied with a rakish charm but I am steel-knickered and not available.”

“I think you actually believe that.” Jo sounded less than convinced.

“I do.”
Pretty much.
“Besides it’s all mind over matter.”

“Well then. I don’t anticipate any problems. Welcome to McNally’s.”

* * * * *

could do that to a girl.

“Put some clothes on!” Cass barked out at a naked Evan. She flattened her back

against the wall. The hallway was narrow and he was big and broad. She had been on

her way to the kitchen in search of coffee.
Look away, look away
. But it was hard.

Very. And long and so close to her she could reach out and touch it. She pressed her

back into the tongue and grooved wood trying to become one with it. Her hands went

down to pull the tie on her old, pink bathrobe tighter.

Evan stopped and grinned at her. “I always sleep naked.”

“You’re not sleeping! You’re in the hallway—naked.!” She knew that she was

sounding hysterical but hot, naked men were the last thing she wanted to consider.

And yes, her friend Lorelle had suggested a fling with one to forget Wade but Cass

hadn’t seriously considered it.
Until now
.

“I left my swag outside. It has clean clothes in it.”

“Why didn’t you bring it in when you brought my suitcase in?” It was hard to

decide where to look. If she averted her gaze it’d look like she was scared. If she

looked at
it,
bouncing merrily as it was, he would think she was interested in dick and

while normally she enjoyed that, dick wouldn’t solve any problems. It would only

create them. Cass decided to let her eyes settle on the tanned, muscular expanse of

hair roughened chest before her.
Much safer
.

He shrugged. “I didn’t think about it. What? Are you scared of nudity?”

“No—yes—fuck—I don’t know! Just put some pants on.” The only thing scaring

Cass was her sudden craving to press herself against his large frame and see what

happened from there.

“I’m quite comfortable as I am.”

She stamped her foot. “How would you like it if I walked around naked?” The

minute Cass said it, she knew it was the wrong thing to say.

“I’d like it a lot.” Evan took a step towards her.

It was then that a voluptuous, raven hair beauty appeared. “What’s going on!”

The angry look in her eyes was directed at Cass.

“’Morning, Adele,” replied Evan, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Adele glared at Cass. “Who’s she?”

Cass glared at Adele.
So this is the spoilt, rich girl
. “I’m Cass Kelly and I work

here now.”
And I will kick your ass if you give me any attitude, sweetie.

“Why are you naked with her?” Adele’s attention turned to Evan.

“Oh, he’s not with me. He’s just naked all by himself.” At that stage, Cass really

wanted a coffee. Naked men and pissy women were the last thing she felt like dealing

with.
And why is it bitches always look good in the morning?

Evan smiled at Cass. “You could get naked with me.” His voice was low and

suggestive.

Cass felt hot all over. “You’re a pig.” She tightened her belt a little more.

“Hey! He’s my boyfriend. You can’t talk to him like that!” The other snapped at

her.

“Your boyfriend? I thought you were just screwing his cousin, the cook? That has

to be complicated.”
Honestly some men would have sex with anyone
. Cass ignored

the sudden start of laughter from Evan. “Well sister, you tell your boyfriend to put

some pants on.”

Adele stiffened at her words. “He looks fine.”

Yes, he does
. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it.” She turned and started to walk

back down the hall it her room. She would hunt down caffeine later when things were

less complicated.

“Scared?”

Cass turned her head to look at him. “Not at all.” Her gaze travelled down his

body to rest on the hard shaft and bulbous head of his dick. “Seen one, seen ‘em all.”

She smiled sweetly and continued on her way. “I have to check on Bert and Mitzi.”

They would be much easier to deal with than this pair.

“She has children?” Adele scowled at Cass’s back.

“Nah. She has chooks.” Evan chuckled as he watched Cass stomp off. Some

women just got to a man straight away. Cass Kelly was one of them. She had a smart

mouth that he wanted to taste and the swing of her ass under the terry toweling of her

robe made him want to strip her and squeeze that flesh.

“Evan?”

He looked down into the big, blue eyes of Adele Andriotti. On the outside she

was beautiful. There was no doubt about it. But inside? He had no idea what Murdo

saw in her. Sex could get a relationship so far but without a good heart it would

flounder. Adele was heartless, spoiled and petulant. There was not enough sex in the

world to make him want to be with her. He understood why his cousin was bonking

her. She was available. Murdo had no morals. They were a good match. “Yeah?” He

knew he had to get some clothes on. Not only did he have work to do on the hotel roof

but giving Adele any ideas was not healthy for any man.

“I’m sorry about last week.”

Evan sighed. He had been in the shower when she had walked right in, dropped

to her knees and gobbled his dick down her throat. At the time, he had been stunned.

Evan enjoyed sex and surprises but not with his cousin’s girlfriend and not with

Adele. “Look it’s okay. I’m not going to tell Murdo.” It had taken every ounce of

willpower to push her mouth from his flesh and get out of the shower to wrap a towel

around his body.

“I want you not him,” Adele told him.

Evan knew Adele wanted everything and everyone. It was her spoilt nature to

take. “We’ve been through this. We’re not right for each other. Murdo’s more like

you.”

She reached down, her hand encircling her shaft. “Do you really mean that?”

He closed his eyes. A hand on a dick was always going to turn him on. But this

was not the woman for him. “Adele, I have to tell you the truth. I met Cass in Cairns a

month ago when I was there. I suggested she come outback so we could continue the

relationship.” He winced when her hand squeezed his flesh.

“Liar.”

Evan gently pulled her hand off. If she continued touching him he would not be

able to stop her. If he came in her hands, that would give Adele a power over him that

would be dangerous. He liked his cousin, but Murdo was a little nuts and inclined to

overreact. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you, but that’s the way it is.” At that

moment Cass reappeared in the hall, scraping her red hair up into a ponytail. She was

dressed in simple khaki shorts and a white cotton knit top.

Cass dropped her hands when she spotted the couple. “Oh, jeez,” she muttered as

she started to move past them.

“Cass?” His hand reached out to touch her forearm.

“What?”

Evan knew she would be mad as hell but a man have to do when he had to do. He

reached out, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

A very naked, hard, hot man was kissing her and it felt good.
Real good
. Cass

was momentarily stunned when his mouth descended on hers and their bodies molded

together. Some men knew how to kiss. This was one of them. Her thoughts went from

annoyed to I-want-more as her hands slid up to his shoulders and pulled him closer to

her. Tongue, lips, hot, naked flesh, angry woman wailing like banshee. Cass opened

one eye.
Frigging Adele.
And the noise that was coming from out of her collagen

lips? It would put a siren to shame. It was hard to kiss someone when that was going

on. Talk about a mood killer.
Not that I’m in the mood to be manhandled by some

naked man I barely know and pretty sure don’t like.
Cass dropped her hands and

pushed away from Evan, her fingers momentarily brushing the head of his spongy,

upwardly thrust penis.
Nice.
She looked up into his eyes. “Er, um.”
What did one say
in this situation?
Great kiss. Can I have more? Can you shut your whiny girlfriend

up?

“Are the chooks okay?” Evan asked, his hand still on her waist.

She’s forgotten all about Bert and Mitzi when she had stomped off to put a

protective layer of clothes on. “Ah—yeah.” She looked him up and down, unsure

what to say. Indicating the kiss was amazing would lead to others. She wasn’t there to

kiss people. She wanted an uncomplicated, naked-man-free life. “Evan—”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

Sweetheart?
Oh boy. You go around kissing and sweethearting women and stuff

got complicated.
Cass looked at the angry, loud Adele. “Shut up.” She was amused

when the dark haired woman’s mouth snapped shut.
I see. I’m being used.
“Evan?”

“Yeah?”

“Do that again and I’ll punch you in the stomach.” Yes, she enjoyed the kiss but

she didn’t want to be taken advantage of. If he wanted to piss Adele off that was fine

but Cass wasn’t going to help him. She licked her lips and looked him in the eye.

“Are we clear?”

“I understand exactly where you’re coming from,” Evan returned with a grin.

“And for god sake, get dressed.” It was hard being angry at a naked man.

“Yes, ma’am.” He reached over and tugged a lock of her hair. “I’ll see you later.”

“Not,” muttered Cass as she headed up the hall in search of the office.

“Good morning!” Flo greeted her as Cass walked into the reception area.

“You look like you’ve been hit with a sledgehammer,” remarked Jo.

“No, just a naked man kissing people in the hallway.” She looked from one

woman to the other. “I told him I would punch him in the guts if he did it again.” Cass

was more annoyed with herself than him.
I should have pushed him away. I should

have yelled at him. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
It was a moot point now. Evan had

kissed her and it messed with her brain cells and she didn’t like it.

“Ah, Evan.”

“He is inclined to wander naked in the morning.”

Oh, boy. That I didn’t need to hear
. That was really going to screw with her

equilibrium. “And Adele was with him.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Flo nodded and looked at Jo.

“Yeah, he would have kissed you to get Adele off the track.”

That really annoyed Cass. “He kissed me to spite her?”
Well, damn. Hearing that

confirmed was the pits.
“So he used me?”

“Well, I’m not sure. We do know Adele has always had a thing for Evan. We

figured when he didn’t want her, that’s why she latched onto Murdo.”

“Bastard.” Cass had to admit it smacked at her pride.

Flo shrugged. “Men are strange. They don’t think like us. As for Adele, she could

be a problem. She’s a vengeful one. It’s all that Sicilian blood in her. Her family came

over to harvest sugar cane in the 1950’s around the Mossman area. They made a

fortune, bought a property out here and now they raise livestock and do very nicely

for themselves.”

“She wants Evan?” Cass thought back to what the women said about Adele

wanting to marry money. “Is he rich?”

“Word is he’s done okay for himself.”

Money didn’t mean a great deal to Cass, mainly because she had a limited supply

of it and it was all earmarked for bills. “Well, he’s still a bastard for kissing me like

that.” She wanted to be kissed because for the man to do anything else would be

impossible.

“Yeah, kisses screw up everything.”

Cass held on to two corners of a double bed sheet and flung it out so the material

spread out onto the bed. That’s what she was doing. Making hotel beds. Normally it

was something Adele was supposed to do but the lady in question had gone home in a

snit. After meeting Adele, Cass found it hard to believe she would do any manual

labor at all. She didn’t look the type who would be domestic in any way, shape or

form.

Due to Adele’s sudden imposition, they were down one staff member. It was an

interesting start to her first day. Regardless, Cass wasn’t about to let her employers

down. What was making a half a dozen beds in the scheme of thing? While she rarely

made her own bed, Cass had worked in hotels before. She knew the drill. One lot of

guests out, another in. Make it look seamless. They had twenty rooms. Twenty beds.

Easy.

Her thoughts strayed to Evan, which she’d told herself, she wasn’t going to do.

But she did. That kiss was still on her mind. “Damn man,” she muttered as she bent to

tuck in the corners.

“Who?”

“Fuck.” It was the damn man in question. There were two options. Ignore him or

pretend in didn’t affect her in any way.

“Cass?”