Heating Up by Stacy Finz Read Free Book Online Page A

have room service, only breakfast and wine and cheese in the afternoon, which she’d already missed. She decided to leave her things in the car and stroll over to the restaurant, which also had a bar and, of all things, a bowling alley. The dining room was quite nice and the food decent. She’d taken many a client there for lunch and dinner.
    It wasn’t until she was seated that she noticed Griffin and Lina in a booth toward the back and silently groaned. They waved to her and she wanted to disappear through the floorboards. To make matters worse, Griffin motioned for her to come join them. As if that was going to happen. Uh-uh, no way. She pretended to take a call on her new phone, hoping he’d think she was doing business or meeting someone. But no such luck. He got up and loitered next to her table until she finished her fake call.
    Dana plastered on as pleasant a smile as she could muster. Griffin was still her most important client, after all. “Hi.”
    â€œLina and I want you to come sit with us.” He may as well have said, Lina and I think you’re pitiful.
    â€œActually, I’m—”
    â€œHey,” a deep voice rumbled behind her, and the next thing she knew, Aidan was pulling out the chair across from her.
    If he hadn’t just saved her from telling a mondo lie, she would have thought he was damned presumptuous for helping himself to her table. Correction: She still thought Aidan was damned presumptuous but was inordinately thankful that he’d gotten her out of a jam. The last thing she wanted to do was break bread with Lina Shepard.
    â€œI didn’t realize you had company.” Griffin smiled like he thought she and Aidan were on a date. Fine, let him think what he wanted.
    â€œHave you met Aidan?” She knew he had, but it made her feel less gawky to pretend he hadn’t.
    â€œYeah, of course. How you doing, Aidan? How’s the new job?”
    â€œAll good.” Aidan got up and shook Griff’s hand.
    â€œI gotta get back.” He nudged his head toward his table, and Dana watched Aidan follow Griff’s direction and give Lina a long, appreciative look. Great .
    After Griff left, Aidan buried his face in the menu. “What are you getting? Maybe we should share a few things.”
    She didn’t know yet what she wanted to order. But for him, she highly recommended the humble pie.

Chapter 4
    C rap. Maybe he’d interrupted something he shouldn’t have. But by the time Aidan saw Griffin, it had been too late. He had already started toward Dana’s table. When he’d come in, the restaurant had been crowded, and he hadn’t wanted to sit at the bar. And there was Dana with a whole table to herself.
    He gazed at her over the top of his menu. She really was very pretty. Different from Sue, with her compact body, dark hair, and amber eyes. Sue was tall and voluptuous with auburn hair—and great legs that went on forever.
    â€œYou finish your errands?”
    â€œMm-hmm.” She had her eyes glued to the menu, like it held the secrets of life.
    â€œIn Reno?”
    She put the menu down. “I got a phone at Costco and paint for the house at the hardware store.”
    Aidan eyed her new phone. “Give me your number.” Pulling out his, he programmed in her digits. “Here’s mine.”
    â€œUh . . . okay . . . I guess it would be prudent in case of an emergency.” She plugged in the numbers he gave her.
    A waitress came to take their orders and both of them put their phones away. Dana got a salad and Aidan went for a steak with all the fixings, a side of onion rings, and a plate of nachos for the table.
    Dana lifted her brows. “You must be hungry.”
    â€œI didn’t eat much today. The nachos are for both of us to share,” he said defensively. “Tell me about yourself.”
    â€œLike what? You already know I’m a real estate agent and that my house burned