Desire by Design - By Paula Altenburg Page 0,36

contract. Imploding the old building will cost a lot more than leveling off the property that was purchased for the new project.”

Uncle Bob waved it off. “Connor and I are on the same page.”

“You’ve already brought Matt into this. Now you want to change the building site. Do you have any idea how much implosion will add to site preparation costs?”

“Don’t you go worrying about money,” Uncle Bob said. “I have ways of covering additional expenses.”

“It’s my job to worry about money.”

Matt noticed with increasing alarm that Eve was almost vibrating from the effort it took to control her frustration. For Uncle Bob’s sake, Matt hoped he really did have ways of covering the additional expenses. He rubbed his leg, hoping that small gesture would be enough to cause a distraction and maybe win some sympathy. He wondered if a little moan would be overkill.

“I think I should lie down,” he said.

At once, Eve turned all her attention to him.

“Sure. You go lie down. There’s no big hurry on that design,” Uncle Bob said cheerfully, reaching for the door. “It can wait a day or so until you’re feeling better. Just don’t let Evie sweet-talk you into drawing some low-budget eyesore.” He disappeared with a wave of one hand.

Matt winced as he rose to his feet. Low-budget eyesore. There was no doubt about it. Uncle Bob seemed to go out of his way to antagonize Eve. The joke was on him, though. She wouldn’t have to do much sweet-talking at all to get Matt to do just about anything she wanted at this point. He rubbed his leg again. Unfortunately, her methods of persuasion weren’t what one could call “sweet.”

“Here, let me help you.” She wriggled her way under his arm as if she belonged there, and Matt’s knees nearly buckled. Man, she was little. And strong. He’d been too drugged earlier to fully appreciate what it must have taken for her to get him in the house and up the stairs, but he knew he hadn’t done it all alone. He dimly recalled her helping him out of his pants, too. Too bad he couldn’t talk her into helping him take a shower.

The thought of being naked with her wasn’t doing anything for his navigational skills as she helped him limp his way into the living room.

No, Uncle Bob, never in a million years would there be any reason other than business for me to be living with Eve.

Matt tried to come up with something to say to distract her from the flowers, the construction project, Uncle Bob, and the unwanted attention she was receiving from certain parts of his body.

“Thanks for showing such remarkable self-control with Uncle Bob,” he said. “I know he can be hard to take sometimes, but he’s important to me. All my life, he’s stepped up to the plate whenever I’ve needed a dad. I owe him for that.”

“How do you know I was using self-control?” she asked, the beginning of a smile tickling the corners of her curvy mouth.

He knew more about her than she might suspect. He probably knew more about her than she did herself. For instance, Eve shouldered way too much responsibility for work. And if she worried too much about work, she probably worried too much about other things in her life, too.

“I just do.”

“Well, then, thank you for not saying anything to Bob about the real reason you moved in here.”

This was the closest she’d come to discussing it with him, and he wanted to push, but didn’t dare push too hard.

“How do you know I didn’t?” Matt asked.

“I just do.”

She said it with utter conviction, and a glimmer of pleasure lit Matt’s insides. If she believed he’d never tell anyone her secrets, it meant she trusted him at least a little. And Matt discovered he would do a lot to earn Eve’s trust. He liked her straightforwardness.

“I forgot to tell you,” he said, stretching out on the sofa with his shoulders braced against one armrest, and both feet dangling off the other. “Your mother called last night. She and your father are coming for a visit at the end of the month.”

He waited for her to bring up her house rules, especially the one about answering the phone, but she didn’t. Instead, she adopted the air of a woman resigned to the inevitable.

Eve sighed. “My parents are planning this huge fortieth anniversary party. It’s more of a family reunion. They’re coming to the city to pick up