But he was surprised to find himself striding up the steps to her front door and banging on it.

He paced the porch. She was the one who’d wanted to nail down every detail, wasn’t she? He strode back to the door, banged again. The least she could do was maintain some pretense of interest in the project for a lousy week.

He zigzagged back and forth across the porch again. What the hell was he doing? This was stupid. It was none of his business what she did or how she did it, as long as she paid the freight. He drew a deep breath, let it out slowly and had nearly calmed himself down when the door opened.

There she was, looking all heavy-eyed and sleepy, her face flushed, her hair just a little tumbled. Like a woman who’d just slid herself out of bed, and had plans to slide right back in again.

Damn it.

“Brody?”

“Yeah. Sorry to wake you up. After all it’s only four in the afternoon.”

Her brain was too fuzzy to register the insult, so she gave him a sleepy smile. “It’s all right. If I go down for more than an hour in the afternoon, I don’t sleep well at night. Come on in. I need coffee.”

Assuming he’d follow, she turned and walked back toward the kitchen. She heard the door slam, but since it often did in this house, she didn’t think anything of it. “I just got in a couple of hours ago.” She started a fresh pot, willed it to hurry. To stretch out fatigued muscles, she automatically moved into the first position. “How are things going on my job?”

“Your interest in stuff always blow hot and cold?”

“Hmm? What?” Third position, rise to toes. Get coffee mugs from cupboard.

“You haven’t been to the site in a week.”

“I was out of town. You take it black, right? A little emergency in New York.”

Instantly his annoyance shifted into concern. “Your family?”

“Oh, no. They’re fine.” She arched her back, twisted a little, winced. “Can you…I’ve got this spot right back…”

She curved her arm over her back, trying to reach a sore muscle between her shoulder blades. “Just press in there with your thumb for a minute. A little lower,” she said when he complied. “Oh. Mmm, that’s it. Harder.” She let out a low, throaty groan, tipped her head back, closed her eyes. “Oh, yes. Yes. Don’t stop.”

“The hell with this.” Viciously aroused, he spun her around, slammed her back against the counter and crushed his mouth to hers.

Heat flashed through her logy system, lights slashed through her sleep-dulled brain. Her lips parted on a gasp of surprise, and he took the kiss deep. Took her deep before she could find her balance. She lifted her hands, a helpless flutter, as she tried to catch up.

She was trapped between his body and the counter, two unyielding surfaces. All the fatigue, the vague aches, burned away in the sudden fireball of sensation.