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cold.”
    Logan opened his mouth then closed it again, respecting his uncle’s wishes. He set a plate in front of Ben, and sank into one of the ornate chairs Rose had hunted from an antique sale. The stately furniture looked like it belonged in a dollhouse when he graced it.
    “Good morning to you too, Ojii-san.” Kyana kissed Ben’s temple lightly then claimed the chair he and Logan drew out for her simultaneously. Sandwiched between them, she felt safe…and hungry. How long had it been since she’d really had an appetite?
    “Same to you.” He winked. “More like good evening. Logan was going to bring you dinner in bed. Hurry up and scoot under the covers if you want, I won’t tell him you’re awake. Maybe he hasn’t noticed.”
    “I sure as hell picked up on that, but it wouldn’t stop me from making a special delivery.” He licked a daub of cream sauce from his fork. The sensuality he harnessed even in such a small gesture gave her heart palpitations.
    She cleared her throat before trying to play it cool. “I’m not about to make him serve me after he already did all the work.”
    “It would be my pleasure.” The heat in his stare scorched her twice over yet somehow it gave her shivers too. “You’d better get used to it. If I’m going to be staying here, I’ll be pulling my weight.”
    “I vote for him as our cook.” Ben forked up a huge bite of steaming salmon. “No offense, girly. I’ve had enough cans of soup to last me the rest of my life.”
    Just the thought of hearty beef and vegetable had her groaning too. The sound quickly morphed into a sigh when she tasted the heavenly dish Logan had whipped up as if it were nothing. “Not going to complain there. You’re hired, Logan-kun.”
    “Welcome home.” Ben smiled then focused on devouring his dinner.
    Kyana and Logan exchanged a smile over his head.
     
     
    “Careful. I know the fire chief cleared this section of the structure. Still, I don’t like the way the beams were compromised.” Logan bounced on a spot that looked a little suspect. It creaked yet held.
    “Then why don’t you wait downstairs?” Kyana glanced over at his mammoth frame. “I’m not exactly a bean pole, but I’m a hell of a lot lighter than you.”
    “Hey.” He paused his inspection to pat his six-pack abs. “This is all muscle, babe.”
    Kyana rolled her eyes. “No shit. You’re so damn hard, you make a lousy pillow.”
    “I didn’t hear any complaints last night or the night before or the night before that.” His infectious grin made her wish she were close enough to smack him in the shoulder. Their friendship had picked up right where it had left off all those years ago.
    Still, she didn’t bother to argue. Neither one of them had scrambled very hard to find alternate sleeping arrangements. An afternoon or two could have emptied out the spare room in Rose’s house to give them each a private spot. Both of them had clung to every available excuse to keep from going to the effort.
    “Hell, last night you crashed before I even finished telling you about how me and Jerry Lu got the cow onto the roof of the school. You pestered me for months about that one back in the day. Ben says you’re an insomniac. I think he’s nuts. I mean, it’s not every day a woman conks out in my bed. Well, your bed. Whatever. You know what I mean.” He grinned. “Besides, you’re not supposed to sleep on the hard parts. There are better uses for those.”
    She hoped he’d interpret her harrumph as feminist indignation rather than the self-annoyance that spawned the sound. Because although she knew his teasing was meant to be harmless fun, she couldn’t help but wish he was serious.
    “How about you put yourself to better use right now.”
    He strode toward her with no hesitation. “Here?”
    “Where else?” She tried not to laugh when he neared. “Boost me up so I can grab those wicker baskets off the top shelf of the closet. I’m pretty sure that’s where