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found desirable. Realizing that, if she were smart, she’d tell him the apartment was no longer available. Instead she lifted her eyes and said, “Thank you, Mr. King.” You have just given me reason to live.
    He lifted the mug in salute, his mouth tilted. “Anytime.”
    She definitely caught that fast enough. Fighting back yet another blush, she mumbled something about seeing the rest of the apartment and clomped down the short hallway to the back. Eddie followed, slowly, as if he had no use for time.
    Mala stopped in front of the white tiled bathroom, which was almost all tub, a wonker of a claw-footed number. A plain white shower curtain hung like a plastic ghost from a ring over its center. Eddie was standing very close to her as they both peered into the room. In fact, if she moved an inch to the right, she could…
    â€¦see that the tub had more rings than Saturn.
    â€œAnd for what it’s worth,” she said, whacking her way through a jungle of hormones to get to the small bedroom, “there’s a walk-in closet. Cedar-lined, no less.”
    But she could tell Eddie’s gaze had been snagged by the linens—sheets, blankets, pillows, towels—neatly stacked in thecenter of the fairly new double mattress. He walked over, skimmed one knuckle over the pillow. Mala tried not to shiver.
    â€œI thought maybe you might not have any of your own,” she said from the doorway. “You know, since you just got here. And I have extras. Mostly stuff my mother pawned off on me. There’s dishes in the cupboards, too, and a couple pans and stuff. But that doesn’t mean you get maid service,” she added quickly. He twisted around, amusement crackling in his eyes. And she found herself fighting a twinge of disappointment that they’d already explored the outer limits of their relationship five minutes ago. “Washer and dryer are downstairs, in the mudroom. I do laundry on Fridays, usually, but you’re welcome to use them any other time.”
    He studied her for a long moment, then said, “Sounds good to me. Where do I sign?”
    She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or scared witless. “Come on back down. The receipt book’s in my office.”
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    He shadowed Mala into the office, pulling out his wallet while she rummaged through her desk for her receipt book. He wasn’t a particularly big man, not compared with her line-backer brother, or even Galen’s husband, Del, but sometimes there’s more to a man than his size. In Eddie’s case, it was his quiet intensity, she supposed, that seemed to infuse every molecule with his presence. Not to mention every molecule in her body. The book found, she glanced over, clearly saw four hundreds and a fifty in his outstretched hand.
    â€œI said two-fifty for the first month, remember?”
    â€œI know what you said. But you’ll find it’s real hard to argue with someone who won’t argue back.”
    Irritation singed her last nerve. But at herself, not him. “I’m not a charity case, Mr. King.”
    â€œThe name’s Eddie. And what you are, is stubborn. Didn’t I just tell you you’ll get nowhere arguin’ with me?”
    â€œWhy?” she asked, just this side of flummoxed. First the man as good as says he has the hots for her, then he wants to throw away two hundred bucks. This was seriously messingwith her entire belief system. “Why on earth would you voluntarily pay more than I asked?”
    â€œI have my reasons,” he said. “Now you gonna take your money or not?”
    She wrestled with her pride for about two seconds, then took the money. “Thanks.”
    â€œSee how easy that was?”
    A quick glance caught the slight smile teasing that take-me-now mouth. Mala wrote out a receipt, annoyed to discover her hand was shaking, then handed it to him with the keys. “I’ll try to get up tomorrow sometime to