The image of sultry hazel eyes and creamy skin entered his mind. His balls tightened as he remembered the dream he’d been rudely woken from. Frenzied hands had gripped his hips, waiting for him to take the plunge. He would’ve loved to have finished the dream. God, he would love to taste the real thing, but he couldn’t think of that right now while on the phone with his sister.
“Why do you need a decorator?”
“I’ll explain later. I’ve got to go.” He hung up.
He left the messy office, telling Ellen he had a few things he needed to take care of and to keep the doors locked until the cleaning crew arrived. She assured him she’d be fine and to take all the time he needed.
Heat surrounded him as he left the office, and he could feel it seeping through his black tshirt. The sun bounced off parked cars and the glass of shopfront windows. The early January morning already promised to be a scorcher. He walked the short distance to his car, slid onto the warm leather seats, and drove with anticipation to Lauren’s shop.
Chapter Seven
“Earth to Lauren!” A hand waved in front of Lauren’s face, making her jump in surprise.
She’d been miles away, staring at a blank computer screen.
The smudge of freckles on Jaime’s nose crinkled as she laughed. Jaime had started working for Lauren two years ago after finishing high school, looking for a part-time job to help pay her way through university. Upon getting to know Jaime, Lauren discovered that their stories weren’t dissimilar. Jaime had also come from a home which offered no support or much love and affection. And even though Jaime didn’t have good role models in her life she’d come out of the turbulent environment as a caring and respectful young woman. Lauren felt a bond toward Jaime, and made a promise to herself that she would help Jaime out whenever she needed it.
“Your spreadsheets can’t be that engrossing.” She poked her head around to see what Lauren was looking at but frowned when she noticed the blank screen.
Lauren blamed her distraction on the late night with the girls, drinking too many cocktails Ava had made. She was getting too old for excessive drinking. Those days had passed. But Jade had needed cheering up. Her cousin Caitlyn had broken up with her fiancé and Jade swore it was because of the Brennan curse and she was doomed to live a lonely life.
Lauren needed to blame the distraction on the alcohol because she didn’t want to admit that the lapse of concentration was due to a sexy sports star in tight jeans and a drop-dead, gorgeous face. She hadn’t told Ava and Jade about Jack’s visit and the invitation to dinner. After the song and dance they’d made about their first meeting she didn’t need them performing a whole Broadway show.
Now Jaime was standing in front of her with a bemused look. Her long, dark brown hair tied up in a high ponytail swung behind her head. Her smooth, creamy skin was absent of makeup apart from a swipe of cherry red lip-gloss, and she wore a soft yellow maxi dress with tiny, white flowers. How long had Lauren stared vaguely at the computer before Jaime finally got her attention? She didn’t need her to ask questions about why she was so absent-minded.
Shuffling some papers around to appear as if she’d gone back to work, she said, “I’m sorry, Jaime. What’s up?”
“I’ve got some packages to take to the post office before customers start coming in. Do
you have time to come out to the front or would you like me to wait?”
“No, you can go now. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Waving, Jaime left the office, and Lauren heard the tinkering bells of the front door as she left. Before Lauren had time to get out of the chair, the bells tinkered again.
“Jaime must have forgotten something,” she mumbled. But when Jaime didn’t call out or come back into the office she assumed there was a customer waiting. She rose, straightened her skirt, and entered the shop.
As if she’d plucked him out of her daydreams, Jack stood in front of a display of crystal vases, looking a million times better than any dream ever could. When she entered the shop Jack turned and flashed an oh-so-sexy smile. Her stomach did a funny flip-flop and she could hear her heart pounding.
She was in a whole lot of trouble if one smile made her insides turn to mush.
* * * *
Watching Lauren standing in the threshold of the shop, he could have sworn, for a moment, a flash of pleasure lit up her eyes at seeing him. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared. Today she wore her hair tied back. His fingers itched to run through it, tousle it up, and give it back its bedroom look of his dream.
“Hi, Jack.” Her voice sounded husky and incredibly sexy.
She cleared her throat and fiddled with the silver locket, drawing his gaze down to her cleavage exposed by the V-neck, coral-colored top. Noticing where his gaze had drifted to, she snatched her hand away.
“I’m assuming you’re in need of a gift?” With hand on her hip, a firm, frosty tone replaced her husky, sexy voice. Like she had remembered she didn’t want to be around him for some reason. He’d really like to know why.
What had he done to cause the ice in the air? A dinner invitation surely couldn’t result in such a cold shoulder.
“No, I don’t need a gift.”
She raised her palms in the air then dropped them by her sides. “Then what do you want?”
Never before had he needed to charm a woman into going out with him. But she was proving to not easily be swayed.
