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Lexie’s aqua blue tank top and low-slung cropped pants fit her like a second skin, molding to every slender curve. Man, she could bend.
    Cool it, Ellersley. Independent state of mind, remember?
    Positioning his briefcase in front of him, he began to recite the Taxation Administration Act of 1953 in his head. Murphy settled onto his haunches at Rafe’s feet.
    Lexie lowered her leg with exquisite control and straightened, flipping her hair back. “Rafe, I found the envelopes!”
    â€œExcellent.” His name on her lips, her excitement… Pursuant to Schedule A, Section D, the party of the first part shall pay a portion of their income to the Commonwealth of Australia, calculated for the financial period from the first day of July to the thirtieth day of June…
    Then, before he could ask where the envelopes were, Lexie noticed Murphy. “Oh, my God, a stray followed you in. Quick, get him out before he goesafter Yin and Yang.” She came at him, making shooing motions. “Go on, bad doggy, out!”
    Murphy started licking her hands. She snatched her hands away.
    â€œThis is Murphy,” Rafe said. “Sorry, I should have asked first if I could bring him here. I couldn’t leave him home alone for days on end. He’s a good boy. He likes cats.”
    Likes to annoy them. The truth was, Rafe had forgotten all about Lexie’s Burmese cats.
    â€œAll right,” Lexie said reluctantly. “But if they get stressed, he’ll have to stay in the backyard.” She noticed the grocery bags. “What’s this?”
    â€œI thought I’d pick up a few things since I’ll be around a lot this week. You know how crabby I get when I’m hungry.” His conscience wouldn’t allow him to go out to eat knowing she was lunching on two-minute noodles.
    Hetty straightened out of her yoga pose. “Hello,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Hetty. I arrived yesterday just as you were leaving.”
    â€œPleased to meet you officially,” he said, shaking hands.
    Lexie peeked inside the grocery bags at the meat, cheese, eggs, fruit and vegetables he’d bought. She gazed at him, her eyes so dazzling they were hard to look at and impossible to turn away from. “You didn’t have to do this.”
    â€œSo,” he said, rubbing his hands together like somecartoon character because otherwise he’d reach out and touch her or do something equally inappropriate. “Show me to the envelopes.”
    â€œTa-da!” She gestured grandly to the dining table.
    Rafe’s heart plummeted to the soles of his croc skins.
    Holy shit.
    Manila envelopes full to bursting were stacked four high and five or six wide. There must be dozens of them. As he looked, a precariously balanced envelope slid off the top of the pile and fell on the floor.
    â€œI’ll put away the groceries.” Hetty picked up the bags and carried them to the kitchen.
    â€œThanks, Mum,” Lexie said.
    Rafe walked over to the table and picked up one of the bulging envelopes. “Where did you find them?”
    â€œIn the garden shed,” she said excitedly. “I remembered where they were in the middle of the night. You know how sometimes you wake up and the answer to something that’s been puzzling you is right there, clear as a bell? I woke up with a picture in my mind of me shoving them on the potting table.”
    The woman was certifiable.
    And she was standing too close. Her perfume combined with the scent of her warm skin was stirring his hormones. Occasionally he was attracted to women he audited, but until Lexie they’d always been easyto resist. All he could think of right now was wanting to grab her and kiss her breathless.
    He’d never encountered anyone like her—sexy and exasperating in almost equal measures. “Why would you put them in the garden shed?”
    â€œThey were driving me nuts. I had to paint.” Her