Feels Like Family by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page A

solution we worked out in there is the best thing for everybody?”
    “Possibly,” he said. “But by Karen’s own admission, her friend was fired for being unreliable. In my book, that’s not a terrific recommendation, no matter what her skills are.”
    “Not only a horse’s behind, but stubborn as a mule, too,” Helen muttered under her breath.
    “I heard that,” he said.
    “As I intended,” she replied, then studied him curiously. “I thought you liked Karen.”
    “I like a lot of people I don’t want working in my kitchen,” he said. “Not if they’re not going to show up when they’re supposed to.”
    Helen’s lips curved in a small smile and she resumed walking. “Does that also mean you don’t mind having someone you dislike working in your kitchen?”
    “If they do the job well,” he said, his gaze narrowing as he strode beside her. “What’s your point?”
    “You don’t seem overly fond of me at the moment.”
    “Because you’re annoying the hell out of me right now.”
    “And last night?” she teased.
    “And last night,” he agreed.
    “And yet we worked so well together. Interesting,” she said thoughtfully.
    “What’s so interesting about that?”
    “The way your mind works. Can I ask you something else?”
    “I don’t imagine I can stop you, interrogation being one of your primary work skills.”
    “How did the kiss fit in?” she asked, clearly catching him off guard. Color bloomed in his cheeks.
    “I apologized for that,” he reminded her.
    “I know, but what sparked it? A sudden attack of lust, the heat of the argument, a desire to get even because of the pie I’d tossed at you?”
    “I wish to hell I knew,” he said.
    “Come on. Think about it,” she prodded, stopping to look at him. “I just want to know so I can avoid triggering that particular response again.”
    “You and me both,” he said, then studied her intently. “You seemed to be into it at the time.”
    “I most certainly was not!” she replied indignantly.
    “Bet I could prove what a liar you are.”
    Now there was a challenge that was best avoided. And since she seemed to be increasingly off balance around Erik, maybe it was time to turn the tables. After all, the man was seriously cute when he was befuddled. Feeling downright daring, she reached up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, hoping to throw him even further off-kilter.
    “Let me know when you figure out how we wound up with our lips locked,” she said. “We walked past my office five minutes ago and I need to get back there. See you.”
    “Hold it!” he commanded before she could leave. “What about the apology you owe me?”
    Helen frowned. “Excuse me?”
    “That pie you tossed in my face,” he reminded her.
    “You deserved it,” she said.
    “Maybe you deserved that kiss,” he said. “Maybe I should take back that apology. After all, it could happen again.”
    Helen gave him a hard look. “Don’t even think about it.”
    There was a daring gleam in his eye as he took a step in her direction. She backed up and nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.
    “Okay, okay, I’m sorry about the damn pie,” she said hurriedly. “Now I really do have to go.”
    She spun around and took off in the direction of her office as fast as she could, given the three-inch heels she wore. Viewed from Erik’s vantage point, her haste probably wasn’t a pretty sight, but impressing him wasn’t real high on her priority list right now.
     
    “Women!” Erik muttered as he watched Helen cut across the grass in an awkward gait and run up the front steps to her office.
    But it wasn’t women in general who made him nuts. It was this woman. He needed to stay as far away from Helen as humanly possible. Maybe he could figure out some way to get Dana Sue to ban her from the kitchen at Sullivan’s. No, that was impossible, given Dana Sue’s apparent matchmaking scheme, which, now that he thought about it, had probably kicked into gear