Page 24 of Miss Understanding

I shivered at the chill in the room. I was still wearing my yoga pants and sweatshirt, and he’d changed over into jeans and a sweater. I’d never seen the man in denim before, and it was quite the different look for him. Made him appear younger. Sort of like he had when he’d been sleeping earlier.

Getting up to stretch my legs, I eyed the wood stove. I had no clue how to start a fire, but how hard could it be? That being said, the wood was outside, and it was already dark. Perhaps it would be a task for tomorrow. “Need anything?”

“No.” He didn’t look up but just sighed, making it clear I annoyed him one hundred percent of the time.

First, I finished putting the food away and gathered the dishes.

“I said I’d get to those later,” he grumbled from the couch.

“It’s fine. I’m only soaking them.” Even that pained me because I’d rather get them done and out of the sink. But on the other hand, I wasn’t opposed to him pitching in.

Deciding what the hell, I reached for a wine glass and poured the red. It had been calling to me all night. One glass certainly wouldn’t hinder my ability to word search. As I took my seat again, I sipped some of the rich Malbec and set down my glass. I found his gaze resting on me.

“What are you doing?”

“Having a glass of wine and going back to work.”

His disapproval was obvious. So what? If he was going to be annoyed anyway, I’d give him a reason this time around. I wasn’t going so far as to throw back shots and party, but he had hijacked my Saturday night. And frankly, I needed a glass of wine in order to deal with him.

“Can you scan these three pages of my notes and email them to me?” he asked, holding up the papers.

“Sure.” I was getting up to take the pages and climb the steps when the doorbell rang.

Our gazes locked in surprise.

“Maybe it’s Shirley to check on the house?” I posed.

But he’d apparently decided he wasn’t curious, after all. He simply went back to his laptop and ignored the summons.

Guess it was up to me to answer the door. I did so to see a stranger on the doorstep.

She was pretty with blond hair and a bright smile. “Hi. I’m Allison. Liam’s sister.”

“Oh, hello. I’m Kendall. Nice to meet you. Uh, come in.”

“Thank you. Smells like snow out there for sure.”

As soon as she walked in, Liam stood up from the couch. He looked none too pleased at the intrusion. “Allison, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know. I was in the neighborhood. Wanted to check out the digs.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I thought I was clear how I felt about drop-ins.”

“Tough. I’m your big sister. Like I’ve ever listened to your suggestions.”

Too funny. Her gaze scanned the room briefly before landing on me. “So, Kendall. You’re adorable. How long have you worked for my brother?”

Awkward, yet she had an instant likeability about her. “Um. Almost four months now. But I’ve been with the firm over three years.”

“What did you guys do for dinner?” She walked into the kitchen, taking off her jacket as she did so. Clearly, she wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

“Oh, I cooked.”

“He has you making his meals?” I could tell it hit a nerve, especially by the way she was glaring at him.

“She cooks whether I want her to or not. I’ll probably end up gaining five pounds by the end of the week.”

Asshole. “I enjoy cooking, and since your brother was nice enough to pay for the food, I’ve made the meals.”