She straightened her spine, and put on her most welcoming smile. “Sorry, Miss. I didn’t see you there. Can I get you something or has Kelly already taken your order?”

“She’s here on business,” Kelly replied, beating Lucy to the punch.

A pang of remorse rippled through Kelly when Lucy snapped her mouth shut. She hadn’t meant to speak on Lucy’s behalf, but she didn’t know if the staff were fully aware of why Lucy was there.

Keen to get a move along, Kelly made introductions. “Lucy, Jacinta.” She turned to Jacinta. “Jacinta, Lucy.”

Lucy waved at Jacinta. “Nice to meet you.” She glanced at Kelly. “And yes, your co-worker has already taken my order. Shall we?” She picked up her briefcase.

Wide-eyed, Jacinta cupped her hands around her jaw and mouthed, “Go for it. She’s hot.”

Biting back a grin, Kelly put a finger under Jacinta’s chin, pushed her mouth shut, and whispered into her ear, “Don’t go there.” As an afterthought she added, “Remember, the lady’s here on business.”

On their way upstairs, Lucy turned to Kelly. “To repeat Jacinta’s words, what was that about?”

“Oh, I was just telling her not to forget to fill the pie warmer, and to come and get me if she needs any help.”

“Right, and I’m here to check the plumbing.”

Unable to help herself, Kelly waggled her eyebrows. “Really? Last time I checked my plumbing worked just fine, but I’m happy to take a second opinion.”

When Lucy faltered mid-step, alarm shot through Kelly. Had she gone too far? What the hell was she thinking? God, they hadn’t even made it to the office and she was flirting like a shameless hussy.

As Kelly’s foot hit the next step, relief swept over her when Lucy’s laughter rang out. She released the breath she’d been holding and exhaled a nervous giggle.

“You’re incorrigible,” Lucy said, still chuckling as they reached the landing.

Vowing to herself to act more professional, and prove to her boss she was worthy of being assigned the task at hand, Kelly unlocked the office and ushered Lucy in ahead of her.

The room was small but functional. A large desk dominated the left-hand side, and two filing cabinets took up the right. Kelly wrinkled her nose, it also smelled musty.

“Speaking of your plumbing, are you going to join me and Kate for a drink tonight?”

As much as Kelly was tempted to jump at the opportunity to spend more time with Lucy, she refused to play third wheel.

“She invited you, not me,” Kelly stated as she strode across the office to let in some much-needed fresh air.

She pushed open the window and inhaled the crisp spring air, along with lingering fumes of early morning traffic.

“Don’t play coy, Kelly. It’s not very becoming.”