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fault for saving your life? Well that’s gratitude. I’ll just let you get turned into a pancake next time.”
    She tossed the napkin down on the tray, wishing she could erase her remark as easily as she had the cheese. So she wasn’t being fair and he was right, he had saved her life, a fact she would no doubt never live down. She would have liked to think she was overreacting and he was really a nice guy and just misjudged, but that didn’t explain his inexplicable ability to suck all rational thought from her brain. He was the only person on the planet who could infuriate her while simultaneously turning all her bones to jelly and her brain to wispy tendrils of fog, which only managed to piss her off all the more.
    “Thank you!” she muttered, unable to meet his eyes or move her stiff lips.
    He leaned a tad closer. “What was that?”
    Her gaze snapped up to his, her cheeks red at the humor twinkling in his eyes. “I said, thank you for saving me.”
    His bottom lip slipped between his teeth in a very wrong, very sexy way that made all her nerve endings tingle. Her attention fixated on the firm fold with longing. “Maybe one more time so I can really enjoy it.”
    Against her w ill, completely out of the blue and fully unwelcomed, her lips twitched. “Shut up!” she muttered, pulling her knees up to her chin. “Are you going to sit down or stand there like a statue?”
    “I’m thinking about it.”
    Slanting him an odd glance, she turned her attention to the eyes drilling unblinkingly into her very soul.
    Suzy was tiny, barely coming to Sophie’s chest with wary blue eyes and a sharp little nose. Her hair was cut into a severe bob that grazed her pointy jawline, very Village of the Damned, Sophie thought. She was all bony arms and legs, which looked even thinner in the khaki pants and red t-shirt. She was unusually pale, like she never saw the sunlight and very blonde, right down to her eyelashes and eyebrows. Combined with her ability to sit statue-still and not blink, she reminded Sophie of a doll she wanted to stick at the back of her closet and forget.
    “Suzy, right?” she ventured carefully.
    The girl nodded.
    “I’m Sophie.”
    “I know who you are,” the girl said sternly, like Sophie was an idiot. “You’re all Mom talks about.”
    Sophie blinked, surprised. “Really? Why?”
    There was sheer disgust on the girl’s face now. “Do you really need an ego boost?”
    Sophie gave a start, not expecting such hostilities from such a small person. “Excuse me?”
    “I suppose you’re kind of pretty,” Suzy continued. “If you like the whole long legs and big boobs—”
    “Hey!”
    Suzy ignored the shout of protest. “But Spencer won’t fall for that, right, Spencer?”
    Doing a very bad job of concealing his laughter, Spencer nodded. “So not into long legs and big boobs.”
    Appalled, Sophie stared between the two. “I do not have … that’s just so … how old are you?”
    “Twelve, but I’m very advance d for my age. I can read at a university level.”
    Definitely Children of the Corn .
    “I bet you thought I was just some dumb kid.”
    Sophie forced a smile. “Nope. Not dumb.” Creepy? Hell. Yes!
    “But back on topic, I personally don’t see anything special about you.”
    It was quickly becoming apparent that the ass gene did not stray far in this family. “I keep my special locked in a box, along with my patience and my conscience. They keep each other company.”
    It had been meant as a joke, but Suzy’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really think you’re funny?”
    “Not on purpose,” she admitted and got a snicker from Spencer.
    “Sarcasm is the lowest form of intelligence, did you know?”
    “Suzy!” Spencer said finally, with a touch of warning.
    “Well that sucks,” Sophie answered evenly. “Sarcasm is the only language I know.”
    Suzy looked at her b rother, her expression saying very clearly, seriously?
    Sophie frowned. “Shouldn’t you be with your dad?