"We will?" I asked as I stared at the couch.

"Of course we will. Come on."

Forty minutes later Pyper handed me an ice pack as I sat on my couch.

"You poor thing. Don't feel bad, I trip all the time. Let me see it." She gently pulled my hand away from my head. "It doesn't look too bad, considering you face-planted the corner of your desk." She ran a finger along the skin above my eyebrow.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry." She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a small bottle. "Here, take a few of these."

As soon as I downed the pills and a gla.s.s of water, a shirtless Kane walked in, carrying my desk. I'd left it on the second floor landing after tripping and almost knocking myself out. I cleared my throat. "Thank you," I croaked out.

"No problem."

Shifting the ice for a better view, I watched Kane. I just could not tear my eyes away from that chest. The view was more than enough to make me forget about my throbbing head. My hand twitched, aching to touch him, and I yelped in pain. "Oh, s.h.i.t! That hurt."

A shadow blocked the sun shining in through the window. I gazed up into Kane's worried expression. He placed a pillow at the end of the couch. "Here, lie back."

I did as he said, speechless once more from the heart-aching view.

He took the ice bag from me and gently laid it on my head. "Just relax. We'll take care of the rest."

I gave him a weak smile, not trusting my voice.

For the next hour I entertained myself by watching Kane, still shirtless, and Jeff, a club bouncer, move in my furniture and put together my bed. All kinds of Kane fantasies were entertained as his rippling muscles flexed under the weight of the headboard. That bed had some serious potential, and I had plenty of material to work with. I'd been having vivid s.e.x dreams every night for the last four nights. My libido was definitely in overdrive. My mind had formed a particularly fascinating scenario involving caramel when Kane stood up and announced they were finished.

"Already?" I sat up.

Kane glanced at his watch. "Already? We've been at this for two hours."

"Right. What do I owe you?" I reached for my purse.

"For what?"

"The furniture and your time. Jeff's too."

"Didn't Pyper already tell you that stuff was free?" To my disappointment, he pulled his shirt back on.

"Yeah. But it's such nice stuff. I should pay you something for it."

Kane stood with his arms folded and shook his head.

"Well, for your time then." I pulled my wallet out, intent on not letting this go.

"I'll collect later." Kane said with a wry grin. "As for Jeff, you can just give him a tip. He's already on the clock for the club."

"That isn't right! He's been doing my work, not yours. Let me pay his hourly wage."

Kane shook his head again. "No. I was going to get him to clean out the storage room anyway. It doesn't matter if it goes up here, or if it goes to the restoration place."

I stared at him. Was he for real? "At least let me take you to dinner sometime as a thank you."

"I'm counting on it." Kane walked away, signaling to Jeff it was time to go.

"Wait!" I pulled out forty dollars and pressed it into Jeff's hand. "Thank you both so much."

Jeff looked at the cash, then at me, then to Kane.

"Take it," Kane said as he opened the door.

Jeff smiled and nodded, following Kane.

"Thanks again," I called as they left.

Immediately, I pulled out fresh sheets and went to work on making up my new bed. When I'd finished I topped it with my favorite down comforter and added poppy red and coral pillows for color. Standing back, I felt the lure of crawling into my new sanctuary. But my stomach growled. Loudly. I hadn't eaten since my break at the coffee shop and couldn't put it off any longer. I pulled my phone out and ordered a small veggie pizza.

With twenty minutes to wait, I showered and was draped in a robe when I heard the knock.

Grabbing my wallet, I raced to the door. When I opened it, my jaw dropped, and instinctively I cinched my robe tighter.

"Dinner's ready," Kane said, sweeping past me with the pizza box and a paper bag.

"Uh..."

He handed me the box and pulled me to the couch. "Sit."

"How-"

"Do you have a bottle opener?"

"On my keychain." I pointed to my keys on the counter.

He chuckled and pulled out two beers. Popping the caps, he asked, "Always prepared, huh?"

"Swiss army knife."

He handed me a Guinness. I smiled. I could get used to a man who remembered my beer of choice. "I found the delivery guy outside looking lost," Kane said as he sat next to me.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Dig in."

I wasted no time and sighed with pleasure at the first bite. "Yum." I held out the box, offering him a piece.

He peered in. "Where's the meat?"

"I don't like pork."

"I hear they have other meat options."

I swallowed my next bite. "So I like veggies on my pizza. Get over it. It's not like I knew I'd have company"

His eyes roamed over me. "So I see."

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Didn't he have naked employees needing his attention?

"Supposed to?" He pursed his lips. "In a matter of speaking, maybe. But Pyper has it under control. Besides, it isn't busy right now."

"d.a.m.n. She works all the time. When does she sleep?"

"I don't think she does." Kane grabbed the last piece, and we ate in silence.

When I finished I asked, "How much was the pizza?"

He shook his head.

"I can't not pay you for my dinner. I can just call and get the total from the pizza place."

"Sure you can *not pay' me. I ate most of it." He wadded up his napkin and tossed it into the empty box.

"You only ate half, and you brought the beer." I opened my wallet and thrust a twenty at him.

"It wasn't that much."

"I don't care. Just take it," I said, frustrated. I wasn't used to being taken care of, and I wasn't a freeloader either. "Look. Thanks for all your help, but I can take care of myself."

"I can see that." His eyes twinkling, he got up and moved toward the door.

I followed and thrust the twenty at him again. "Take it, or I'll put it in your pocket myself."

"Really?" A mischievous grin spread over his face. His antic.i.p.ation p.r.i.c.kled my skin.

I groaned inwardly. Not the smartest comment I'd ever made. To save face, I took a deep breath and moved in. His arm came around me as I slipped the twenty into his back pocket. My b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed up against his chest, and the thin material of my silk robe did nothing to hide my now aroused and pointed nipples.

Kane lowered his head. My breath caught just before he pressed a light kiss on the bruise above my eye.

He smiled down at me. "You can let go of my a.s.s now."

As if burned, I jumped back, folding my arms over my chest.

Chuckling, he opened the door. "Bye, Jade. Thanks for dinner."

I closed the door and stood there wondering what in the h.e.l.l just happened. The room suddenly became very cold, snapping me out of my trance. I turned toward the window and saw the outline of a medium-built, fair-haired man. The apparition grew into an almost solid image, took two steps, and vanished.

Shock rooted me to the floor.

Chapter 5.

What the h.e.l.l was that?

My heart hammered against my chest, and I stopped breathing at the same time. The combination made my head spin. I forced myself to take deep breaths. My right arm wasn't shooting with pain, so I knew I hadn't suffered cardiac arrest. Though for a minute there, I wasn't so sure. When my heart slowed to a relatively normal rate, I moved cautiously through the apartment, scanning the emotional energy.

When I'd completed my circle without incident, my shoulders relaxed. Had I imagined the apparition? I didn't think so. Maybe it wasn't just my apartment that was haunted. Maybe the ghost haunted the whole building, and he'd left for the night. I could only hope. Grateful I had somewhere to be, I wasted no time getting ready for work.

After searching my closet, I dressed in a long pencil skirt and a wrap-around top, cut low in the front. Slipping on my only pair of heels-cute, strappy, black ones-I checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Perfect if I was headed out for a date. Maybe a little overdressed for working a bar at a strip club, but I didn't have anything else suitable. It would have to do.

Grabbing my keys, I took one last look at my apartment. Satisfied my ghost was still absent, I locked the door behind me and headed for the club.

A few minutes later I paused, letting my eyes adjust as I entered Wicked. The lights were dim as usual, but the place hadn't started to fill up yet. Eight-thirty was still on the early side for a strip club. A cute, tiny blonde dancing on stage caught my eye. I frowned, wondering why anyone would want to strip down and get felt up by random guys every night. It made my skin crawl thinking about it.

I closed my eyes and focused on constructing my emotional barrier. Once my cylinder was in place I made my way over to the bar toward Pyper and Charlie. "Hey, I'm a bit early."

"Good, that'll give Charlie more time to get you up to speed." Pyper stepped closer. "That's one h.e.l.l of a shiner you have above your eye."

"Thanks." I reached up, trying to cover it with a piece of my hair.

Pyper laughed. "You're fighting a losing battle."

"Ah, give my girl a break. It takes talent to look that hot with half your forehead black and blue," Charlie said, waving toward a stool. "Sit down. I'll get you a drink."

Seeing Pyper nod, I happily obliged.

Charlie set a tall, slender gla.s.s of ice and a diet c.o.ke on the counter and held up a bottle of rum in question.

"No thanks. I took some pain pills. I don't think that's a good combination." Apparently drinking on the job was optional. Why not? It was a strip club.

"You're such a good girl," Charlie said, winking at me.

I snorted. "I need lessons on misbehaving." I'd forgotten what it felt like to let loose every once in a while. Ever since I landed in New Orleans I'd been the height of Miss Responsibility. Something was seriously wrong with me. I had done nothing but work since I got here. Eyeing Pyper, I mentally penciled in a night on the town. No doubt she'd coax me into something not suitable for the PG-13 crowd.

"No time like the present," Charlie said, spiking my drink with some Captain Morgan's.