Once she caught sight of him taking a swim in the pool and she’d been astonished at his hard, muscular body. To her shock, she’d had hot dreams of him that night.

She’d always felt self-conscious around him. He was Jessica’s stepfather. Tall, gorgeous, and intimidating. Not that he’d ever tried to intimidate her. Her heart thumped as she remembered how he would look at her with those dark, unreadable midnight blue eyes and smile. In those instants, she’d always felt like the most special person in the world.

She knew it had just been her fantasizing. She was just a friend of his stepdaughter’s. He was polite, but she was barely of notice to him.

Now he’d agreed to help her with her article and she was thankful for that.

She sighed and knocked on the door.

* * *

The door opened and Ashley found herself gazing into Mr. Gallagher’s deep midnight blue eyes. The sight of him took her breath away. His dark wavy hair gleamed in the light from the entryway. He wore black jeans and a blue-and-white-striped shirt, yet his attire did not feel casual. Something about the way it hung on his large frame. Neat, streamlined, almost as if the clothes had been tailored to his body. Which they probably were. He was a very wealthy man. This house—which she could tell from the grounds and the elegant entryway behind, with the sparkling chandelier and marble floor—was clearly very expensive, and it was just one of many he owned.

But what affected her the most, standing here in front of him, was the sheer power of his presence. There was a natural air of authority about him that had nothing to do with the age difference between them.

“Ashley. Welcome.”

“Thank you.” She barely stopped herself from stammering the words. She hadn’t realized she’d been gritting her teeth until she opened her mouth to speak, so she concentrated on relaxing her jaw.

“May I take your coat?”

She slipped off her short leather jacket and handed it to him. He opened the closet door and hung it up, then turned to her again. His gaze settled on her face, then perused lower, down her body. God, she felt underdressed in her faded jeans and lace-trimmed T-shirt. She could feel her shoulders stiffening as he examined her.

Then he smiled and some of that tension eased.

“Please, come in.” He moved aside and she stepped into the large foyer.

A curved staircase led to the second story. Up there would be the bedrooms. Heat sizzled through her at thoughts of him carrying her up the stairs and tossing her onto his big bed, then stripping the clothes from her body. Her gaze darted to Mr. Gallagher and his lips curled up in amusement, as if he could read her lustful thoughts about him. A man who looked like him probably had that happen all the time.

“Would you like a tour of the house?” he asked.