Worth the Trouble(34)

She stepped back and glanced away, twirling her hair around a finger. “Are those the real reasons, or are you making excuses because you don’t like me much?”

The accusation and raw emotion stunned him, knocking him off balance. An hour ago he’d have guessed his opinion of her meant nothing. And dammit, how’d she come to a conclusion so far off the mark? Distrust, yes, but not dislike.

“I don’t dislike you, Cat, so get that out of your head.” Her doubtful expression slipped behind his defenses, but he wasn’t about to stand there and profess his wild desire. “Trust me, those are my real reasons.”

Her chin dipped low. “Fine.”

Her rapid descent from delight to dejection landed a punch to his gut. “I’ll draw some plans for you, okay? Someone else can do the actual work. How’s that for a compromise?”

His phone rang before she could respond. Recognizing Jenny’s ringtone, he answered the call. “Sorry, give me a second.” He turned away from Cat. “Hey, Jenny. What’s up?”

“Hank, Mom’s really restless and agitated. No one can handle her like you. Will you be home soon?”

“I’m in the city. It’ll be at least an hour, maybe a bit more.”

“Try to hurry. She keeps pointing out the window. Is it safe for me to take her to sit in the backyard?”

“Sure. Put on some music, too. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Hank hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Sorry.” He noticed Cat watching him with interest, but she didn’t ask about the call. He tried not to speculate about her thoughts, which were as unpredictable as mountain weather. Reaching across his chest, he rubbed a knot out of his left shoulder. “So, do you want me to draw up some plans?”

“Yes, thanks.” Cat tilted her head, provocatively raising a single brow. She approached him and touched his shoulder. The single touch sparked a pleasant prickling down the length of his arm, making him almost willing to sell his soul to keep her hands on his body. “A good massage will get rid of that tension.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He crossed his arms again, this time to keep himself from wrapping them around her. “Never been pampered.”

“Well,” she began, “you’ve missed out on one of life’s great pleasures.”

“I’ll survive. Anyway, I’ve got to get going. If you want me to draw up a plan, I need a tape measure.” He reached into his pocket for a pad and pencil, but came up empty. “And a pencil and some paper, too.”

When she returned with the items, he began taking notes. Within minutes, his mind formed a myriad of thoughts about potential design details. They had to be perfect because she’d be reminded of him each time she looked at them. That recognition altered his breathing.

Whatever he created would live here in her bedroom—a place he’d have enjoyed spending time in, too, under other circumstances. Now he envied the damned furniture. Hell, if this woman didn’t make him lose his mind.

“It’d be helpful if you’d send me an inventory of all your stuff.” He chuckled when her eyes widened with surprise. “It’ll help me plan the interior better. Otherwise, I’ll be guessing at what you need most—shelves, rods, drawers, and so on. The more accurate you are in the beginning, the more satisfied you’ll be in the end.”

“I like to be satisfied.” She purred her words, which affected him exactly as he suspected she intended. Maybe someday he’d figure out why she enjoyed teasing him, but he didn’t have time this afternoon.

“I’ll bet you do, Cat,” he uttered. It was all he could muster. Thirty minutes of sensory overload had scrambled his brain. “Here’s my e-mail address. I’ll do my best to get something turned around quickly. Maybe Jackson knows someone who can do the work.”

“Don’t worry.” Cat shuttered her expression. “I’ll call him.”

“All right,” he said. Her odd tone caught his attention, but he didn’t comment. “I’ve got to go.”

She led him back to her front door and unbolted all the locks. “Mustn’t keep Jenny waiting.”

If he didn’t know better, he’d say she sounded jealous. But Cat had never expressed any interest in him unless she’d been drinking. Clearly spending too much time alone with her made him delusional.

“Bye.” He hurried down the hallway and jogged to his car.

Halfway into his drive home, Jackson called.

“Hey, buddy. What’s up?”

“I just hung up with Cat.” Jackson’s clipped tone surprised Hank.