His coffee mug stalled midair. "Used me?"

"That's what we need to talk about. I consider you a friend, in addition to being a client, and I don't use my friends. At least I haven't until now. I know it's different with men- maybe you don't feel taken advantage of. Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this. But my conscience tells me I need to be totally honest about my motivations."

He tensed. "By all means."

"I needed someone safe who could help me reconnect with my body, someone I wasn't emotionally involved with. So, of course, you were perfect."

Not emotionally involved?

She nibbled at her bottom lip, beginning to look as though she'd rather be anywhere but here. "Tell me you're not mad," she said. "Oh, crap… I'm not going to let myself cry. But I feel so bad. You heard Kevin last night. I…" She gulped. "That whole other complication. What a mess, right?"

She'd thrown one more curveball. "Other complication?"

"You know."

"Refresh my memory."

"Don't make me say it. It's too embarrassing."

"What's a little embarrassment between friends?" he said tightly. "Since we're being so honest."

She gazed up at the ceiling, rolled her shoulders, looked down at the floor. Her voice grew small, almost timid. "You know… The tiny crush I have on Dean Robillard."

The floor shifted beneath him.

She pressed her hands to her face. "Oh, God, I'm blushing. I'm awful, aren't I, talking to you about this?"

"No, please." He ground out the words. "Feel free."

She dropped her hands and regarded him with all kinds of earnestness. "I know it probably won't come to anything-this thing with Dean-but before last night, I didn't even have the nerve to give it a chance. He's obviously an experienced guy, and what was I going to do if the connection I felt wasn't just in my imagination? What would I do if he was interested in me, too? I couldn't cope with the sexual ramifications. But after what you did for me last night, I finally have the courage to at least give it a shot. If nothing comes of it, well, that's life, but at least I'll know it wasn't my neurosis that held me back."

"Are you saying… I was your icebreaker?"

Those honey-colored eyes darkened with concern. "Tell me that's okay with you. I know your emotions weren't involved, but, still, nobody likes to think they've been taken advantage of."

He unclenched his teeth. "And that's what you did? You took advantage of me?"

"I wasn't, you know, picturing him in my mind last night when I was with you or anything. Well, maybe for a couple of seconds, but that's all, I swear."

He narrowed his eyes.

"So are we okay?" she asked.

He didn't understand the smoldering mass of resentment growing in his chest, especially since she'd handed him a free pass. "I don't know. Are we?"

She had the nerve to grin. "I think so. You look a little grouchy, but you don't look like a man whose honor's been violated. I shouldn't have been so worried. For you, it was just sex, but for me it was this huge emancipation. Thanks, pal."

She stuck out her hand, forcing him to set down his coffee mug to shake it or look like a dick. Then she hopped to her feet, threw her arms over her head, and uncurled her small body in a cat's satisfied stretch that pulled up her T-shirt and displayed the small oval belly button he'd dipped the tip of his tongue into last night. "I'll meet you at the gazebo." Her expression clouded with earnestness. "And, Heath, I promise, if you have even the tiniest leftover resentment toward me, it'll disappear by next week. This makes me even more determined to find you the perfect woman. Now, it's not just business. It's personal."

Shooting him a blazing smile, she bounced away into the kitchen, only to pop her head back out. "Thanks. I mean it. I owe you one."

Moments later the cottage door closed. He fell back on the pillow, set his coffee mug on his chest, and tried to take it in.

Annabelle had used him as a warm-up act for Robillard?

Chapter Fifteen

As Annabelle approached the gazebo, she saw Ron and Sharon ahead of her on the path, their arms around each other's waists. She was still shaking, and her stomach felt like an acid swamp. She might not have been the best actress in Northwestern's theater department, but she still knew how to pull off a scene. In front of her, Ron held the gazebo door open for Sharon. His other hand strayed to her bottom. No mystery what they'd been up to last night. Now all she had to do was make certain none of them got an inkling of what she'd been up to.

As she let herself in through the screen door, everybody called out greetings, and she'd never seen a more sleep-deprived, sexually satisfied group. Molly had a rosy mark on her neck that looked like beard burn, and from the smug expression on Darnell's face, Charmaine didn't deserve her reputation as a prude. Phoebe and Dan sat on a wicker couch sharing a single muffin. And instead of nagging Webster as she usually did, Krystal was cooing and calling him "Baby." The only innocent faces belonged to Pippi, baby Danny, and Janine.

Annabelle turned her attention to the meal Molly had set out, even though she didn't feel like eating. A sunny yellow pottery vase filled with zinnias sat in the center of a nutmeg-colored tablecloth displaying frosty pitchers of juice, a French toast casserole, a basket of homemade muffins, and the B &B's specialty, baked oatmeal laced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and apples.

"Where's Heath?" Kevin asked. "Never mind. On the phone."

"He'll be along," she said. "He's getting a late start. I'm not sure what time he got to sleep last night, but he was still awake when I went to bed." As she headed for the buffet, she told herself the lie was an act of kindness, since the truth would have ruined more than a few breakfasts.

Janine, who was filling her plate, cast a disgruntled look at the gooey-eyed behavior going on behind her. "Tell me I'm not the only one feeling sexually deprived this morning."

Annabelle sidestepped. "Krystal should have been more sensitive toward the two of us."

"So we were wrong about you and Heath?"

Annabelle simply rolled her eyes. "You guys do love your drama."

She and Janine settled into a pair of wicker chairs not far from the Tucker family. Annabelle was nibbling at the corner of her baked oatmeal square when Heath made his appearance. He wore khaki shorts and a Nike T-shirt. At least part of what she'd told him was true. She did feel as though she'd laid the ghost of Rob to rest. Unfortunately, another ghost had taken its place.

Pippi, who'd been swiping bits of banana from her baby brother's high chair tray, flew across the gazebo and tackled Heath at the knees. "Pwinz!"

"Hey, kiddo." Heath awkwardly patted her head, and one of her Daphne the Bunny barrettes slid to the end of a blond curl.

Phoebe frowned. "What's she calling you?"

Annabelle slapped on her perkiest expression. "Prince. Isn't that adorable?"

Phoebe lifted an eyebrow. Dan kissed the corner of his wife's mouth, probably because he liked Heath and wanted to distract her. The three-year-old kept a firm grip on Heath's legs as she looked over at her mother. "Want Pwinz to get me juice." She gazed up at Heath. "I gotta stuffy nose." She wrinkled it to make her point.

Molly, who was wiping a glob of banana from the limestone floor, waved vaguely toward the table. "The juice is over there."

Pippi regarded him adoringly. "You gotta phone?"

Kevin's head shot up. "Don't let her near your cell. She's got a thing."

Heath started to reply, but Webster interrupted. "Where are we going on our hike?"

Kevin took the messy bib from Molly. "The trail runs around the lake. I figured we'd do the section between here and town-close to six miles. Nice views. Troy and Amy volunteered to drive us back when we're done."

"They're watching the kids," Molly said.

Troy and Amy were the young couple who ran the campground. Pippi patted Heath's bare leg. "Juice please."

"One juice coming up." Heath headed to the buffet table, filled a big glass all the way to the top, and gave it to her. She took half a sip, handed it back without spilling more than a few drops, and grinned. "I got moves."

This time Heath's mouth curled in genuine amusement. "Yeah?"

"Watch." She dropped to the sisal rug and did a somersault.

"Cool." Heath gave her a thumbs-up.

"Daddy says I'm cool, too."

Kevin smiled. "Come here, pumpkin. Leave Prince Man alone until he's had his breakfast."

"Good idea," Phoebe whispered. "That werewolf thing could happen at any minute."

Ignoring her, Heath took a sip from Pippi's juice glass. "So what time does the hike start?"

"As soon as we get our act together," Kevin replied.

Heath set down the glass and scooped up some of the French toast casserole. He said, a little too casually, "I was planning to take off for Detroit right after breakfast, but this sounds too good to pass up."

Annabelle took a dismal stab at her oatmeal square. She'd barely managed to get through her big scene this morning. How was she going to stay perky for a six-mile hike?

As it turned out, they were mostly separated. Annabelle tried to decide whether that was good or bad. Although she didn't have to keep pretending, she also couldn't be absolutely sure he'd bought her act this morning.

When they returned to the campground, Pippi threw herself at her parents as though she hadn't seen them in years. Kevin distracted her so Molly could nurse Danny, and Molly snuggled up with the baby in the gazebo's wicker rocker. Danny wanted to look around, and he batted away the faded receiving blanket she'd tossed over her shoulder for modesty.