The Spy Who Wants Me by Lucy Monroe

Author:Lucy Monroe [Monroe, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Contemporary
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2009-06-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Mat’s home wasn’t your typical bachelor pad. Instead of renting an apartment in one of the new buildings or buying an easy to monitor condo, her brother had bought a 150-year-old farmhouse with a wraparound porch on a large lot.

Obviously the original homestead, the two-story structure was surrounded by newer developments. There was a small stand of fruit trees, a gardener’s shed and a detached garage, all of them around back. A majestic oak tree offered shade and an old-fashioned swing was in front of the house. Elle catalogued each item for its potential to compromise security.

Inside was a noticeable work in progress.

“I’m restoring it.” Mat offered the explanation even though Elle hadn’t asked for one.

“It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done.” She could see where he’d already done some of the woodwork downstairs. “Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cleaner project area. Heck, Kyle and I used to make a bigger mess than this painting the bathroom.”

“You know how I am.”

“Yep, and I love you for it.”

“So, it’s okay to mention Kyle’s name now?”

Elle stared at her brother for a few seconds in silence, then smiled. “Yeah, it is. I’m always going to miss him. I’ll never stop regretting that I wasn’t even in town when the robbery went down, but I’m done pretending like those years of my life didn’t happen.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Thanks. I think it is.”

Chantal was looking at them in confusion.

Elle shrugged. “Mat can tell you all about my sordid past later, ’kay?”

“He doesn’t have to tell me anything.”

“I think he’ll disagree, but I’ll leave it up to him.”

“Okay.”

“So, what do you think of Mat’s project here?”

“It’s amazing.” Chantal glowed with enthusiasm. “I couldn’t believe it when Matej brought me here last night. I didn’t expect this from him—a house that is so big and with such character. Such a fixer-upper, yes? But it has soul, you know? It would be a wonderful place to raise a family.”

The blush that took over the small blonde’s features as soon as the words escaped her mouth made Elle grin. “He pretends to be a total curmudgeon, but there’s the heart of an artist beating in that grouchy bear’s chest.”

“Oui.” Chantal laughed softly and gave Mat a sideways glance. “He never had me fooled, though.”

It wasn’t just her brother that had it bad, and Elle couldn’t have been happier. “Show me the kitchen?”

Mat and Chantal both turned and walked down a hallway that led to a kitchen that looked like it had been updated in the fifties, but not since then.

“Is it safe to bring tea water to boil on that thing?” Elle asked, teasing.

Her brother would have had the whole house checked for safety issues before moving in. He would never have brought Chantal if the wiring, or anything else, was dangerously substandard.

“Of course. Is that your way of hinting you’d like some?” he asked.

“If you wouldn’t mind. You both stay in here while I do a walk-through of the house, all right?”

Chantal’s brow wrinkled as she was reminded of the reason for Elle having come to Mat’s house initially.

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