Page 52 of The Rebel Billionaire

If anything moved in my yard, lights would go on and the system would send an alert to my phone and Sinclair Security. If I hit the panic button, the police, the Sinclair team, and Lucas would know in an instant. And all the time, the cameras would berecording.

If anyone touched the windows or tried to break open the door, the wrath of hell would descend upon them in the form of a screeching alarm that rendered me temporarily deaf when Everstestedit.

I didn't like the idea that there were cameras inside my house, even though I trusted the team at Sinclair Security not to spy on me without reason. It just made me uneasy to know people could be watching anythingIdid.

After I'd convinced him I understood how to work the system, Evers left with a hug, a kiss on my cheek, and a warning to becareful.

He'd been relieved to find out that Aiden knew about the attack, but I was absolutely positive he'd be calling my brother anyway. Oh well. I was used to it. Aiden had probably called one of them the second I left the house, demanding to know all about the security system. And as soon as he pried Detective Brennan's name out of Evers, Brennan would get a call ofhisown.

I threw the clothes from the storage bin in the washing machine in the mudroom and tried to figure out what to do next. We'd finished with the mantle that morning, and I wasn't ready to tackle the paint on the rest of the trim until Lucas showed me the easier way tostripit.

I'd pulled all the rotten boards off the porch, and it was ready for the contractors to show up the next day to start putting it backtogether.

I was about to go upstairs to make notes for my meeting with the contractor in the morning when there was a knock on the kitchen door. I tried to ignore the giddy feeling in my chest at the thought of seeingLucas.

It's just Lucas, I told myself.Nothing to getgiddyover.

Ha.

If there were ever a man worth getting giddy over, Lucas Jackson was at the top of the list. But giddy was an emotion reserved for the heart. What we had going on was focused a little lowerthanthat.

I unlocked the door and turned the handle before I remembered the alarm. Holding up one finger to tell him I'd be right back, I went to the keypad in the hallway off the kitchen and stared at it for a second before punching the buttons to disarm thesystem.

The screen flashed green, indicating the alarm was off. Sweet. I was sure I'd eventually manage to set the thing off by accident, but not yet. I went back and finished opening the door, letting Lucas into thekitchen.

"You remembered to turn on the alarm," he said with approval. "A lot of people only turn them on when they're out, but you need to use it allthetime."

"I know, I know," I said, interrupting him. "Evers gave me the lecture. Seriously, I don't want anyone getting in here and coming after me. I won't forget to use thealarm."

"What about the work on the house?" Lucas asked. "You're exposed while workmen are going in and out. Even if we vet everyone, they're not going to set the alarm every time they open and closethedoor."

"Then I'm just going to have to take a risk," I said, "because I'm not stopping work on thehouse."

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, preparing to argue, and I rushed on. "Lucas, I can't. My contractor has me on his schedule. If I pause the job, he'll move his crews on to his next client and who knows when I'll get them back. I like this guy. He doesn't talk down to me and he does good work. He shows up when he says he's going to show up, and so far, every project has been completed almost on time. We don't even know that whoever came after me last night is going tocomeback."

"Is there any point in arguing with you about this?" Lucasasked.

He uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his army green cargo pants. His T-shirt had been washed so many times it was a mottled gray, the fabric stretched tight over his biceps and across hischest.

Lucas was used to using his size to intimidate. I'll admit, with his eyes narrowed and all those muscles showing in stark relief, hewasintimidating, even a littlescary.

I wasn't afraid of Lucas. No, when he towered over me, looking pissed off and dangerous, all I wanted to do was touch him, to peel up that tight T-shirt and lick my way across the ridges of his abs. To unsnap his cargoes and shove them down over his lean hips andtightass.

I shook my head, chasing off my lustful thoughts. It was the middle of the day, forGod'ssake.

What had we been talkingabout?

The side of Lucas's mouth quirked up in a half-smile and he said, "Are we going to fight or do you want me tofuckyou?"

Well, if those were my only choices . . . nocontest.

Lucas's smile grew into a full-blown grin. "I brought the equipment to start stripping the paint off that trim in the front hall, but if you'd rather fuck, we can do thatinstead."

I bit my lip in indecision. I really, really wanted to have sex with Lucas again. I couldn't imagine ever not wanting to have sex withLucas.

I also wanted to get that paint off the trim, especially without using that smelly paint stripper. He laughed at the look on my face and said, "Or, we could work on the house for an hour, and then I'llfuckyou."

He walked past me to the back door, pausing to drop a kiss on my lips before he disappeared onto the porch, reappearing a few seconds later with a cardboard box in his arms, a power cord spilling overtheedge.