Perfectly Reasonable Read Online Free PDF Page B

any leftovers.”
    “She kept me well fed for the two weeks I worked on her condo.” Margo pulled her salad closer and picked up her fork. “She said you gave her my name. I was curious about that because we’d never met.” She would have remembered.
    “From my dad. You come highly recommended. He won’t let anyone else paint for him.”
    Margo blinked. His dad was a client? “Your last name is Pearce?”
    “No, that’s my maternal grandfather. My last name is Bennett. My dad is Brett Bennett.”
    Margo’s hand stilled. “Bennett Homes.” The biggest developer in Rivermede.
    Trace dug into the salad. “This is delicious. Yup. That’s him. As a matter of fact, he owns this building. I was only allowed to change the paint color if you did the job.”
    She smiled weakly and her heart sank. She wondered if Brett Bennett would feel the same way if he knew her connection with his father-in-law. “That’s a compliment.”
    “Something he doesn’t give lightly. He mentioned you’ll be busy this summer with his new development.”
    That was the plan. Bennett Homes was going to be her major source of income from early spring all the way into the fall. It had been thrilling to win the contract, and it meant steady work for her and Chloe, her assistant.
    She poked at her salad. “Thanks for the recommendation to Mrs. Crombie. I appreciate it.” She pushed her salad away.
    “Not gonna eat that?” Trace asked.
    She shook her head and handed it to him. He switched his empty plate for hers and polished it off. Then he started on the soup with the same gusto.
    “How does your father feel about you applying to medicine?” she said, stirring her soup slowly.
    “He’s totally on board. Thinks it’s a great idea.”
    More incentive for her to help him. Maybe if Trace got into medicine, it would balance the wrong she’d done to his family. She took a few spoonfuls of soup, but her appetite was gone. “I should get back to work,” she said, standing.
    He scraped the side of his bowl to get the last spoonful. “I have to get going, too. I’m playing squash this afternoon.” He gathered his plate and bowl. “With your old boyfriend,” he said, with a small smile.
    Margo’s head jerked in surprise as she gathered her dishes. Medical school and a part-time job painting didn’t leave much time for boyfriends. But the mildly jealous tone was lovely. “Which one?” she drawled.
    Trace laughed. “Daniel.”
    Margo smiled with pleasure. She’d never dated Daniel, but would have. She had played a game or two of squash with him though. “Oh, good luck. He’s good competition.”
    She took a step forward, her bowl in one hand and the plate in the other, expecting to follow Trace into the kitchen. But he turned and stood still at her comment. Her breasts brushed against his chest and his mesmerizing blue eyes looked into hers. She could smell the fresh scent of his skin, and her heart skipped a beat.
    “Is he?” he asked.
    “Wh–What?” she stammered.
    “Competition?”
    A tingle shimmered from her breasts to her belly. Good thing their hands were full. Neither of them needed this complication. “He’s very good at . . .” She swallowed. “. . . squash.”
    Trace’s eyes smoldered. “You and I will have to play sometime so you’ll have something to compare.”
    She felt her nipples harden. Her brain was bathed in hormone heaven and refused to think. “Okay.” Okay? She winced inside. This gorgeous specimen with the frosty eyes invites her to play and all she could muster was okay?
    “Great.” Trace smiled broadly. “It’s a date.”
    He turned and headed to the kitchen. Margo blew out a breath and wondered what she’d just agreed to. Trace set his dishes on the kitchen counter and disappeared down the hallway. Margo carried hers into the kitchen, rinsed them, and loaded the dishwasher.
    She wandered back to the living room and Trace came out carrying a squash racket. She flipped the lid off a new