Brawn nodded. “Fine. Thank you but I’m sure I can manage.”

Tim jerked his thumb in the direction of the larger house. “You can come home with me while my daughter goes to the guesthouse to pack her clothes. It shouldn’t take her long.”

Becca glared at her father as she fully faced him. “I have a better idea. I’ll take Mr. Brawn to the guesthouse and show him around. He can start moving into the guestroom immediately.”

“Now, Rebecca—”

Her spine stiffened when she recognized his temper flare and knew they were about to argue again but his cell phone rang. Saved by the bell. She blew out a relieved breath as he dug the phone from his pocket, glanced at the front of it to see who called and softly cursed.

“It’s work.”

Becca waved, all the tension leaving her. “Bye. I know you have to rush off to answer it. Classified shit and all that so we don’t overhear you say yes and no to someone.” She turned and smiled at Brawn. “Let’s go. I’ll give you the tour and show you which room will be yours.”

Brawn hesitated before he bent to lift his duffel bag. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that very much. Please just call me Brawn. I’m not a mister.”

Becca grinned over how polite his manners were as she walked down the path with Brawn following close behind. Her father would have her believe the guy was dangerous but she didn’t feel threatened in the least. She led him through a gate that separated the properties and grinned when her home came into view. It was her pride and joy.

“This is it. It’s two stories, as you can see, a little big for a guesthouse but my grandfather had a lot of family money. He had it built twenty years ago after his brother suffered a stroke.” She paused, feeling a little similar to a real tour guide but Brawn’s keen, interested look urged her on. “He didn’t want him to live in a convalescent hospital so he had men working around the clock to build it in record time. They put it up in five months which is pretty fast but it’s a great house. There are three bedrooms, three and a half baths and there’s even an elevator.”

Black eyebrows lifted as they paused in the front yard.

“I never use the elevator but my great uncle was in a wheelchair and he needed constant care. Two nurses lived here with him to cover different shifts. That’s why it has the extra bedroom when most guesthouses only have two. He was here for six years before his health took a turn for the worse and they hospitalized him. He died a few weeks later and the home sat empty until my grandfather died four years ago. He left it to me and the main house belongs to my father.”

She started walking again, fished out the keys from her purse and unlocked the front door to push it wide open and wave Brawn inside first. He shook his head and indicated she should precede him. It made her like him even more and she entered the house, glanced back and noted he barely cleared the doorway. It made her grateful that the entire house had high, vaulted ceilings so he wouldn’t feel closed in with his taller-than-average height.

He stepped inside and paused. His gaze traveled slowly over the living room and she wondered what he thought of her home. She glanced around too, happy she’d cleaned recently and that everything looked tidy. His gaze finally met hers and he smiled.

“It will do nicely. Thank you. You have a lovely home and it smells good. I can pick up the scent of wood and some unknown pleasant lemon scent.”

She remembered then that Species had keener senses. “There’s a lot of wood flooring and carved details in the house. My grandfather might have wanted it built quickly but he wasn’t willing to cut corners on craftsmanship. The lemon you smell is from the oil I use when I mop the floors. It keeps them clean and shiny without being slippery. Twice a year I have someone come in and actually do the stair railings and the built-in shelving in the family room. It’s too much for me to keep up with on my own.”

He just peered at her, saying nothing.

She nodded. “Let me show you the rest of the house.”

He followed her as she walked through the kitchen and dining room. There was also a half bath and the laundry room on the first floor. The family room came last. She led him upstairs to the first door on the right, the smallest bedroom and bath. Becca opened the door to show him her office.

“This is mine but you’re welcome to use the computer.”

“I hardly use the things. I’m still learning but thank you.”

She turned, almost brushed against him and noticed how good he smelled. He carried a spicy, masculine scent, perhaps his aftershave. She inched around his big bulk to open the door across the hallway.

“This will be your room and it has a private bathroom too.” Her focus drifted to the bed before she looked at him with a frown as her gaze raked up and down his body. “We’re probably going to have to switch the beds. That’s just a full size and I think you’re going to have problems with it since you’re so tall. I have a California King in my room.” Her gaze roamed over his body one more time. She nodded and met his stare. “You’re definitely going to have to sleep in my bed.”

His gaze narrowed and a small sound came from his throat. It surprised her. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he had just softly growled at her. Of course she had to have heard wrong because he was so polite.

“What was that?”

“Clearing my throat,” he explained softly. “Sorry. So we need to exchange the beds?”

“Definitely, unless you want your feet dangling over the mattress.”

“We can change the beds.”

“Drop your bag and follow me. We’ll make sure you fit on it first. If not, I’m sorry. Maybe Dad can order you a longer bed.” She walked out of the room and led him to the last bedroom, down the hallway. She walked inside and was glad she’d remembered to make her bed before leaving for work, a habit she’d formed from having a military father. “Here we are. Do you think you can fit in my bed?”

Brawn stared at the huge mattress. “That will be fine. Thank you.”

She smiled, amused at his stiff stance and it was obvious that he wasn’t comfortable inside her feminine room. “You might want to lie down first to make sure. I’d hate to move them and then realize it won’t work.”

Brawn kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed without protest. It was low to the floor. He seemed at odds with how to get on at first but as he stretched out on his back his feet didn’t fall off the end—just barely. If he angled himself a little across it, he could sleep comfortably. His gaze met hers and he gave her a sexy smile.

Damn. Becca swallowed hard, thinking how incredibly appealing he looked on her rose-colored bedspread, the reddish-pink hue of it making him seem even more masculine if that were possible. The sight of that big, impressive body of his stretched out made her wish he wasn’t wearing clothes.

The urge to climb onto the bed naked with him arose and she clenched her teeth to avoid sighing. She really needed to get laid since a stranger had her body tied in knots. She’d tried to be intimate with the few guys she’d dated but had always ended up thinking of her late husband, Bradley, and the guilt had eaten her up. As her attention wandered across the man’s body the only thing that ate at her was the desire to test out her new mattress with him.

“It’s great.”

She had to remember he was talking about the size of her bed, not her wanting to jump his bones. “Terrific. Let’s get to it then.”

He rolled gracefully and stood. Between the two of them, it didn’t take long to switch the beds. Becca glanced at the king-size bed in the guestroom when they were done. It was a little too big for the space but there was a small walkway at the end of the mattress to allow access to the bathroom.

She bent over to remove the sheets from the bed, wanting to give him fresh, clean sheets. “It’s going to be a tight fit but I think you can squeeze in without too much effort.”