As I approach the house, I see the front door is open, and Kas-hole is standing there, looking all dry in his dark blue jeans and V-neck jumper.

He looks hot—as much as I hate to admit it.

I hate that he’s a good-looking bastard.

Jaw clenched, hands balled at my sides, I come to stop in the porchway.

“Dry off before coming inside.” He holds out a towel to me. “I don’t want you dripping all over the floor.”

Um…what?

I stare at him in shock.

He blankly stares back at me and gestures for me to take the towel.

Argh! I hate this guy!

I have to stop myself from reminding him that, if I make a mess, I’ll be the one who cleans it up anyway.

Ignoring him, I drop my bag to the floor and pull off my trainers. Barefoot on the cold floor sends shivers running up my legs. Unzipping my raincoat, I yank it off and drop it on the floor by my bag. Leaving me in just my wet dress.

Shivering and not looking him in the eyes, I reach out and pull the towel from his still-outstretched hand. I bring the towel to my face, patting it dry. Then, I run it over my arms and bare legs, drying them off. Reaching back, I tug my hairband out. Gathering up my hair, I squeeze the water out of it and then rub the towel over it.

When I’m done, I make the mistake of looking at Kas.

He’s staring right at me.

But, for once, he’s not looking at me with distaste.

The look in his eyes…it’s intense.

I can’t remember anyone ever looking at me like this before. I feel like he’s stripping me bare.

A tug of need pulls at my lower belly, surprising the hell out of me.

And I suddenly don’t feel so cold anymore.

His stare is heating me up from the inside out.

What the hell is this?

How can I be feeling…whatever I’m currently feeling for him? I hate him.

But, apparently, my body missed the memo on that one because she seems to quite like him at the moment.

“Mr. Matis…” I whisper his name, not sure why or what I hope to achieve by doing so. I’m beyond surprised at how breathy my voice sounds.

And it’s the sound of my voice that seems to bring him back to life. I watch as his expression shuts down. His brows draw together in a frown of disdain, and without a word, he turns on his heel and strides away.

Okay. What the effing hell was that all about?

I’m putting it down to me not having had sex in a really long time. My body and hormones just saw man and got confused for a moment.

That definitely will not happen again.

On a sigh, I bend and pick my raincoat up before shaking the water off it. I pick my shoes up and walk into the house, shutting the door behind me.

I head straight for the utility room and hang my coat over the clothes airer. I put my trainers into the dryer.

My dress and underwear are soaked. But there’s nothing I can do. I don’t have anything to change into. I’ll just have to wear them and hope they dry while I work.

First though, I need to sort my hair out.

Taking my bag with me, I head to the downstairs bathroom. Locking myself inside, I stare in the mirror.

I look like a drowned rat.

I get my hairbrush out and brush the knots out. Then, I tie it up into a messy bun. Stashing my hairbrush back in my bag, I unlock the door and let myself out.

My feet slam to a halt when I see Kas standing on the other side of it.

“I brought you something to wear.” He gestures to my wet dress and then holds out a red polo shirt and a pair of jodhpurs. The polo shirt has Matis Estate embroidered on the right breast.

“The polo’s a large, but the jodhpurs should fit you. It was all we had left in stock.”

I’m so stunned by his kindness that it takes me a moment to speak.

“Thank you.” I take the clothes from him and look up into his eyes.

He gives me a sharp nod, and then he turns and walks away.

I’ve just turned back into the bathroom when his voice pulls me back. I turn to see that he’s stopped at the end of the hallway, and he is half-turned back to me.

“I’m sorry for drenching you earlier.”

My jaw hits the floor in shock. “I-it’s okay.”

Without another word, he disappears around the corner, leaving me standing there, stunned.

Nine

I’m on my knees, scrubbing the bathtub in the main bathroom, when my right boob starts to vibrate.

I decided to keep my phone on me in case Anne called, and as these tight-as-hell jodhpurs don’t have any pockets, I had to stash my phone in my bra, hence the vibrating boob.

Reaching in my top, I pull my phone out, seeing Anne’s name on the caller display.

My heart starts to beat a little faster as I connect the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Daisy. It’s Anne from Social Services.”

“Hi. Thanks so much for calling me back.”

“Sorry I’m a bit late in returning your call. I wasn’t in the office yesterday, and I’m just catching up on messages.”

“No problem at all. I understand.”

“So, your release came through.”

“Yes.” I smile.

“Good. I am pleased for you.”

“Thank you. Anne…I wanted to talk to you about Jesse. What do I need to do to start the process of applying for custody? And when can I see him?”

“Well, first things first, you and I need to have a chat.”

“About?” My tone is edgy. I just can’t help it.