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asked, pulling out a chairand sitting down. Apparently Matt must have asked him to keep Skylar entertained so he could focus all his attention on cooking.
    “No, why?” she answered, lifting her chin as she met José’s gaze.
    “Your leg,” he said, pointing. To her consternation, she realized she’d been jiggling her leg, a nervous habit she’d abolished years ago.
    “Well, maybe a little,” she confessed, glancing at Matt and then mentally cursing when she realized what she’d done.
    When they were all seated in the dining room, Matt began passing around the bowls of food. “Spaghetti with clam sauce,” he said, looking directly at Skylar. “My specialty.”
    There was also salad and garlic toast. After a tentative first bite, Skylar relaxed. It was good. More than good. Restaurant quality. “You can sure cook,” she told Matt before twirling up another forkful of pasta. “This is marvelous!”
    He dipped his chin in a nod, barely sparing her a glance. Again she felt a bit uneasy, though for no good reason she could fathom.
    When they’d finished the meal, José jumped up and went into the kitchen, returning with a tiramisu that looked almost too good to eat.
    “Don’t tell me you made that, too,” Skylar said, eyeing the cake and wondering how she could possibly eat another bite.
    “Nope. I picked it up at the bakery.” Unabashed, Matt grinned at her. Despite thinking she had her armor firmly in place, she felt the warmth of that grin all the way to her tailbone.
    Which reminded her to straighten her spine. “None for me, thank you,” she said, keeping her expression pleasant. “I’m already full, and if I eat anything else, I’m going to need a nap.” Not to mention gain a couple of pounds.
    Rather than press her, Matt simply began cutting slices from the cake and passing them out. Eyeing the three layers of sin, Skylar’s mouth watered, but she managed to resist, pushing the piece of cake back into the middle of the table, where it sat, practically begging someone to eat it.
    “Testing yourself?” Matt asked, one eyebrow raised.
    Surprised at his perception, she almost nodded. But she caught herself just in time. “No, I’m just full.”
    The glint in his eyes practically calling her a liar, he dug in. She fiddled with her camera while he and José devoured the cake.
    Ignoring José’s glare, Skylar looked around, intrigued at this slice of Matt Landeta’s ordinary world.
    Finally, Matt pushed back his chair and stood. “Skylar, do you want to take a walk with me? We can sit outside on the patio and discuss the particulars of your photo shoot.”
    Her heart skipped a beat. He wanted to be alone with her? José’s narrowed eyes and tight lips told her what he thought of the idea. As for her...well, she was supposed to try to seduce Matt, after all. She hadn’t expected him to make it this easy.
    “Follow me,” he said, apparently taking her silence for consent.
    Intrigued despite herself, she did. They went into the kitchen, then out the back door onto the patio. Immediately, the greenery and flowers, along with the warmth of the evening air, soothed nerves she hadn’t even realized had become jangled.
    Turning to face her, Matt jammed his hands into his jeans pockets. Despite her earlier resolution to begin her seduction attempts, she stood frozen. Maybe because he looked...vulnerable.
    And devastatingly handsome both at the same time.
    Reminding herself who and what he was, she decided he was a damn good actor. As she needed to be, if she was going to successfully close this case.
    Swallowing hard, she tilted her head to look up at him. She knew how to flirt, knew to angle her pelvis just so or brush her breasts up against his chest.
    The only problem she had was that she still couldn’t force her body to cooperate. What she couldn’t figure out was why not. She’d never had a problem detaching herself from her job. She did what needed to be done and wrapped things up.
    Except