Page 8 of One Unexpected Kiss

He chuckled. “If I had any doubt you were a lawyer, that rebuttal cleared it up for me.”

Before I could decide if that was a compliment or an insult, the front door opened and my sister called, “Claire, I’m back with provisions!”

Bennett straightened. “Well, since your toilet is fine, I should get going.”

“Oh.” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice. But we weren’t going to stand outside my room and shoot the shit for the rest of the morning. I was sure he had things to do—as did I, even if I would rather continue as we were. “I’ll walk you out. Maybe I’ll come by the brewery later and we can continue catching up.”

I tried for nonchalantly flirtatious, but my ex-boyfriend’s voice echoed in my mind—“Men don’t marry women like you.” I pushed it away. He was out of my life—I wouldn’t let him take up residence in my thoughts.

Looking over his shoulder at me as he walked down the stairs, Bennett smiled. “Make sure that you do, and the first round will be on me.”

I practically preened, and I mentally shot Reg the one-fingered salute as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

Stephanie’s eyes widened at the sight of Bennett. “And who is this?”

“This is Bennett,” I explained. “He was here to fix the toilet.”

“Oh, wow, that was fast.” Stephanie smiled at him. “Were you able to fix it?”

“It was already fixed by the time I got here.” Bennett pointed at me.

“Oh. Well, it isn’t every day you meet a woman who has a law degree and knows her way around plumbing.” My sister beamed.

I stifled a groan. She was trying to be my wing woman, and I really, really wished she wouldn’t. Subtlety was not in my sister’s repertoire.

“No, I guess not,” Bennett said good-naturedly.

“In fact,” Stephanie drawled, “she’s sin—”

“Thanks again, Bennett.” I went to the front door and opened it. If I didn’t get Bennett out of here, things were going to get awkward really fast.More awkward than him walking in on you naked?

He glanced at the door then turned back to Stephanie as if my gesture wasn’t a clear indication that he’d overstayed his welcome. I’d forgotten about this obstinate side of him. “You must be Claire’s sister.”

Stephanie held out her hand. “Yes, I’m Stephanie Markham. Nice to meet you.”

His brow furrowing, Bennett took her hand. “Markham… where have I heard that name recently?”

“Probably my husband’s company, Markham Corporation. You’ll see the name all over down here once the resort gets built.”

Bennett crossed his arms. “You don’t say.” His tone was different, all the casual friendliness gone.

Oblivious to his change in attitude, Stephanie kept talking. “Yes. It’s going to be great! An indoor water park, a day spa, maybe even a casino! When it opens, you won’t have to worry about the off-season ever again.”

I was about to tell Stephanie she was putting the cart before the horse—after all, Phil hadn’t sent me down here for nothing—when a glance at Bennett’s dark expression left me speechless.

“The Carolina Banks is doing just fine as it is,” he said coldly. “So don’t get your hopes up about building that resort.”

I reeled back with a sense of whiplash at how quickly Bennett’s tone had changed. Moments before, he’d been borderline flirting with me, and now he was being an asshole to my sister. Bennett had always been a little rough around the edges, but this behavior crossed myOh hell noline. My hands clenched into fists even as my heart and mind battled, trying to make sense of everything.

Stephanie chuckled. “You obviously haven’t met my husband. When Markham Corporation sets its sights on something, it’s only a matter of time. Besides, he’s sent his secret weapon this time.” She gestured to me with pride, still oblivious to the chill in the air.

Instead of looking at me with admiration, as he had when I’d been wrapped in a towel, Bennett studied me as a boxer would study his opponent in the ring. “You’re the secret weapon?”

His incredulous tone reeked of disrespect, which hurt because it had come out of nowhere. Just moments before, he’d seemed happy to see me and had offered to buy me a drink, which would have been the closest thing I’d had to a date in months. As an attorney, I’d had plenty of practice dealing with assholes, and it saddened me that Bennett had slotted himself into that category. Maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted by the physical pull I felt toward him, I would have picked up on it sooner.

“I’m here representing Markham’s interests, yes,” I said.

“I hope you’re used to disappointment, because Markham is not destroying my home with a tacky resort.”