He checked sliding doors that opened to a currently empty covered terrace. It, too, was secure. “I’m not letting you stay here alone.”
Slowly, she pivoted to face him. “You’re notlettingme?”
“Time out. Let me rephrase that.” God save him from difficult women. She’d known him long enough to know what he meant. “Addie would kick my ass if I walked off right now.”
That softened her expression.
Aha! A toehold.Everyoneliked Addie, so he’d use that to his advantage. “Can you imagine how she’d feel if she kneweverything that had gone on tonight, how Mike had hassled you, and now a broken window?”
“Maybe.”
“No maybe to it. She’d be pissed if you were here alone. Hell, Glory, she’d come here herself and insist on staying until it got repaired.”
“No she wouldn’t.”
“Want to bet? I’ll call her.” Like a threat, he lifted his cell phone.
Her sigh of defeat gave him hope.
Leaning down to better see her expression, he promised, “You won’t even know I’m here.”
“Oh, I’ll know.”
Hmm. Though he didn’t want to, he offered, “I’ll sleep on one of the couches.”
“Not necessary.”
Full of hope, he said, “No?”
“I have a guest bedroom.”
Well, hell. “Great.”
She bit her lip, undecided, then looked back toward the living room and that broken window. “I have no idea how to secure it for the night.”
“I do.” Keeping his hands to himself wasn’t easy. He wanted to touch her, smooth her hair, brush his thumb over her cheek again...
Kiss her senseless.
Instead, he looked into big blue eyes full of exhaustion. Yeah, he felt that. He, too, was tired to the bones. “Got any tools?”
“Oh.” She brightened. “I do, yes.” Hustling past him, she went through the kitchen, to the foyer and into a single-car garage.
Kam followed, then looked around in interest. Along everywall, boxes were stacked. He saw a huge framed mirror, some other pieces of art, and three very large house plants.
Glory went to one box and unearthed... a pink tool kit.
Knowing it’d piss her off, he fought the grin. She looked so damned pleased with herself, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Again. “Ah, you came prepared.”
“I had the idea of hanging the art and the mirror, but it’s heavier than I remembered.”
He opened the petite tool kit to find a slender hammer, scissors, bit driver, measuring tape, pliers... Nothing all that sturdy but the hammer would do. “Nails?”
She went back to the same big box, dug around, and found a small pack of finishing nails. He looked around the garage again. “Are any of the boxes empty?”
“I, um... No.”
“Is there one we can empty real quick?” To explain that, he said, “I don’t see any wood, and we’ll need to cover the window with something, or your house will fill with bugs.” Not to mention that a creep could just climb right in.