Nailed

by Jennifer Laurens

  The song ended and everyone on the floor broke out into applause. A leisurely, sumptuous sax played next, and Mandy knew a slow dance was on the agenda.

  A.J. didn’t even let the first few bars of the song go by, he slipped his arms around her, closing the gap between them, and she was next to him from chest to knees.

  Muscles and male all the way down.

  She kept her gaze on the band, feeling his locked on her. Out the corner of her eye, she saw his lips curve into a smile. “You all right baby doll?”

  It would have been rude not to meet his gaze then, so she did, ignoring that she’d started to sweat, that her heart was skipping in her chest and she was shaking. “I’m great. This has been great, A.J. Really.”

  “It has been,” he agreed. “You’re a good dancer.”

  Mandy laughed. “There’s nothing to bear hugging.”

  Still, she couldn’t deny that he held her close, tight, with a poise she’d never felt in the arms of another guy before. In his arms she didn’t feel awkward or gangly but protected and...wanted. She wondered how often he’d danced this way.

  “How did you find this place? I’d never pegged you for a country club kind of guy,” she said, looking at the crystal chandeliers, the mirrored walls, and the blissful faces of the conservative patrons in the room.

  “My family has a membership here.”

  “Oh.” She thought that you had to be rich or have an old, established family name to be a member of a club. He must come from money. “So you are a country club guy.”

  “You mean old and stiff?”

  “Well, kind of, yeah. But you’re not snobby at all.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Nice clothes, sleek car…” Mandy leaned back in his arms, studying him with a smile. “What do you want to do for a real job?”

  His hands tightened briefly around hers but his lazy smile remained. He chuckled. “You don’t consider framing a real job?”

  “For—” Mandy stopped herself from saying ‘guys who couldn’t finish an education.’ “Did you go to college?”

  “Yeah, I went. Got my degree.” The slightest thread of defensiveness was in his voice. “Then I decided I didn’t want to be an accountant stuck behind a desk all day.

  I’d rather work with my hands, feel the sun on my face, and be able to dine at fine restaurants like Hooters for lunch.”

  Mandy laughed. At least he had a sense of humor about his future. Still, that he was settled with such a lackluster future wedged under her skin like a sliver.

  Maybe money came easily for him, easy enough that his motivation was driven by necessity rather than ambition.

  For now, she’d enjoy his company, soak in the music, the moment, and bask in the movement of his body next to hers.

  He continued moving them in a slow lull, like a ship cradled on ocean waves. He adjusted his grip around her and suddenly she was even closer. His eyes were dark and intensely focused on her mouth. His fingers spread on her bare back, lighting little sparks under her skin.

  “You cold?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened. “N-no.” Sweat sprung from every pore in fact. She hoped she wasn’t shiny, that he couldn’t see it. “It’s hot. I’m hot. Must be the sunburn. Are you hot?”

  His lip lifted on one side. “It’s warm in here, yeah.”

  “Whoo.” She slid one hand from his neck and fanned herself, glancing around. “Do you think the air is on?”

  He chuckled, low and soft near her ear. “You’re trembling.”

  Mandy’s heart nearly jumped from her chest. He could feel that? Fear, fascination, curiosity and something she couldn’t identify swam inside her in a turbulence gaining momentum. She felt like she might burst open, right there on the dance floor if she didn’t sit down somewhere fast.

  “Relax.” His voice was lower than the trombone and buzzed next to her ear.

  Her heart sped. Her knees weakened.

  “Excuse me.” She broke free of him, and wound through the other dancers in search of a chair.

  Finding one, she nearly collapsed into it. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and that fire was consuming her from the outside in, threatening to converge on her turbulent feelings. Mandy couldn’t bear to look at him as he strolled quickly to her, concern on his face.

  He sat down next to her, his right hand gently on her arm. “You all right?”

  Mandy nodded. How mortifying. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Probably got too much sun today.” He pressed the back of his hand first to her forehead, then to her left cheek. “Want to call it a night?”

  As if a load of lumber had just been lifted from her body, she felt instant relief and wondered why, when she’d enjoyed herself so much. “Maybe I’d better.”

  She was at a loss for words, humiliated that she’d behaved like a juvenile, and didn’t say anything as he walked her to his car. He’d felt her trembling. She closed her eyes and kept her face toward the window. He started the engine.

  “Hey.” His hand covered hers, resting on her lap.

  “Baby doll?”

  Time to redeem yourself, she thought, opening her eyes and facing him. “This really was fun tonight. I really am sorry I…I…” panicked, she thought now, like a girl on her first date. What a dork.

  He squeezed her hand then returned both palms to the steering wheel. “We had a good time, that’s what this was about.”

  She nodded, that same relief flowing over her she’d felt after she’d left the dance floor. They talked about their favorite types of music the rest of the drive, and A.J. told her to bring a CD Monday to the site so they wouldn’t have to listen to Larry’s stuff.

  He walked her to the door with his hand poised at her back. Mandy liked that he was still gentlemanly in spite of her embarrassing social hiccup earlier.

  It was past midnight. Her parents were in bed, and Marc wouldn’t be showing up for a few more hours yet.

  Her heart pounded with every step that brought them closer to the front door, to that place where uncertainty hung in the air.

  Within the protection of the two-story vestibule, she turned and faced him. His eyes shimmered into a smile. His hand slipped from her back and reached up along her naked shoulder sending icy pain into a liquid pleasure. Mandy’s heart shot into outer orbit. What was he going to do? She blinked. His smile slowly faded into something driven and intense. His gaze slipped to her mouth.

  “Mandy,” his voice was almost a whisper. “I want to kiss you.”

  The scent of him swirled around her head. He leaned close, and her pounding heart nearly shattered against her ribs. Not from fear, no. This was A.J. She trusted him. Liked him. Respected him for treating her with such care. His breath mingled with hers, their lips so close, hers tingled with want.

  “But I won’t kiss you, Mandy, unless you want me to,”

  he whispered against her mouth.

  “I want,” she managed, head spinning. Then his lips covered hers. He didn’t wrap around her, just slid his warm hands up to her face and held her there, his kiss soft and gentle. Mandy’s heart skyrocketed into a galaxy of fluttering stars. Her knees trembled and she reached up, her hands skimming his chest until they wrapped around his neck and locked. She’d never been kissed like this—under the rough hands of a skilled craftsman, building feelings inside of her she didn’t know existed. She was ready to abandon herself until he eased back and the cool air on her lips, the kind but controlled look in his eyes told her the kiss was over.

  chapter ten

  Mandy was certain when she got dressed for work the next Monday morning she looked different. Like a woman. Her skin was radiant, her eyes gleaming in a perpetual smile.

  She put on her bathing suit and boardshorts, then tugged on fresh white socks and her work boots. Her hair went in a ponytail on top of her head. Yes, she thought giving herself a final once over in her full length mirror, she looked like the woman she was.

  Who are you kidding,
she mused. The color was from her dissolving sunburn, not her date with A.J.

  She quickly applied sunscreen to avoid repeating the sun scorch today.

  It was always sticky after dates, creating this strange vibe that you couldn’t see, but was thick, dense and not easily navigated nonetheless. Though she doubted A.J.

  would be anything other than charming and professional, she’d been out with enough guys to know you could never assume.

  Thankfully, Marc hadn’t asked her about the date.

  It allowed her the privacy she wanted and felt was necessary so that he didn’t acquire the wrong impression of A.J. He was prone to exaggerate, and the last thing Mandy wanted was for A.J. to lose his job because of Marc’s overactive imagination.

  His scowl greeted her when she got in the cab of the truck. “I told you not to wear that again.”

  “Get over it.” She shut the door. “Nobody else was bothered by it.” Mandy buckled her seatbelt.

  He let out a snort.

  “I thought you weren’t going to tell me what to do?

  What happened to ‘You’re a big girl’?”

  “Okay, okay. Fine.” He backed out the car in a screech that screamed he was still angry. Mandy changed the subject.

  “So, how was your night out on the town with Sensei Larry?”

  “Oh, man.” Marc rubbed the beard he’d neglected to shave. “Lame.”

  “What? Lar losing his touch?”

  “No, he’s got the touch, that’s not the problem.”

  “She was there again?” Mandy asked, floored by the news. “That girl?”

  “Woman,” Marc corrected. “That woman and her name’s Samantha. Yeah, she was there, and they’d prearranged it.”

  “No!”

  Marc nodded. “I’m screwed with the bet, for sure. I figured Larry as a holdout.”

  “I can’t believe he spent two nights with the same woman.”

  “More than two. Thursday, Friday, and they made plans for this coming weekend.” Marc shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it’ll be getting any better. He didn’t even look at anybody else all night. It sucked.”

  “Marc!”

  Marc sighed. “This means my days of learning the art at the hands of a true master are probably over.”

  Mandy laughed. “If you wanted to learn from a master, you’ve been shadowing the wrong guy. A.J.’s the—” Mandy stopped.

  “A.J.’s what?” His eyes shot to hers. “What, Mand?

  If he laid one hand on you, I’ll run his fingers through the band saw.”

  “Marc, stop it. Nothing happened.” She wanted to kick herself for running off at the mouth. “He’s the most decent date I’ve been on. Seriously. Considerate, not in any way pushy. A real man.”

  Marc snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  “It’s true. Whatever side of him you’ve seen at work or at those clubs you guys go to, was not the side he showed me last night.”

  “Of course not, you’re his boss’s daughter and his supervisor’s sister. He’s not stupid.”

  Mandy didn’t like the doubt Marc was trying to plant in her mind. “Anyway, we’re just friends. I don’t feel that way about him.”

  “I didn’t think so.”

  “How—how could you tell?”

  “I’ve seen the way you light up around guys you like—like a searchlight.”

  “I do not.” She crossed her arms, face and body flushing.

  “All girls do. That’s how we guys know whether or not to make moves.”

  “Like a lighthouse you mean,” she scoffed. “You’re hopeless.” She doubted A.J. relied on such ridiculous, if not inconsistent signals. Certainly she hadn’t been lit up like a lighthouse last night, had she?

  “So,” she started as they pulled into the Haynes parking lot. She saw the guys waiting in their shorts and shirts, coffee cups steaming in their hands. “Was I like that last night? Come on, Marc, the truth.”

  He was grinning and she hated that. He pulled the car into his spot and killed the engine then looked over.

  “You weren’t megawatt. More like streetlamp.” He got out and shut the door.

  But there had been light inside, Mandy knew that, she’d felt it. It’s what made her want to kiss A. J.

  “Morning, baby doll.” A.J.’s green eyes glittered over the rim of his coffee cup, sending a trickle of warmth down her middle. He had on denim work shorts and an orange shirt. No bandana. His hair was scruffy, like a brush with abused bristles. A charcoal hoodie was tucked under his arm. She walked over trailing Marc.

  “Morning.” She sent everyone a small wave, taking special notice of Boston, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with A.J., his hands tucked in the front pockets of his khaki carpenter shorts. He wore a yellow tee shirt today, the color of the sun, and it made his skin darker, his eyes sharper. He looked kind of anxious, and Mandy wondered why.

  “You bring your sunscreen today?” Boston asked.

  Mandy blinked, surprised. He usually took a good hour to warm up in the mornings.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “I did.”

  His sharp gaze slowly, purposefully raked the whole of her before returning to her face.

  Mandy shivered. A.J. stepped forward and held out his hoodie. “You cold? Here. Take it.”

  Marc took one look at her and snatched the hoodie, shoving it at her. “Yeah. Good idea.”

  A sudden chill sent goose bumps over Mandy’s skin so she slipped it on. “Thanks. Come on, let’s go,” she said, and crawled into the truck bed. She plopped down, perturbed.

  She brought her knees up and crossed her elbows, burying her head so she could think. Sort. Figure out.

  A.J. was handling what had happened between them with the smooth ease she had anticipated, and Boston had no idea what had gone on. Still, he seemed turbo-attentive. Maybe he did know what had happened last night, maybe the guys had been talking about it before she and Marc got there. That didn’t sound right. Mandy didn’t know any guys that discussed their dates except Larry and Marc, and they only reveled over conquests.

  The truck swayed as everybody piled in. She heard the thud of steps near but didn’t look to see who it was.

  If it was A.J. she’d talk to him just like she always did. If Boston had chosen to sit back here with her, she’d…Her heart skipped just thinking about him. Her palms went wet. Curiosity and hope mixed, and she lifted her head just as Marc started up the diesel engine.

  Boston. He sat down next to her, his shoulder flush with hers. Mandy clutched her knees. Every cell, every nerve and fiber jumped from the pressure of his body next to hers.

  The wild waves of his hair lifted and tangled in the wind as they drove. His profile was strong, determined and utterly mesmerizing. She could stare at him for hours, she realized, like an insipid idiot.

  “How was your weekend?” he asked, bringing his knees up close enough so he could rest his arms on them.

  His dark gaze sliced her open. He knew she’d spent time with A.J., was that what he was after?

  “Good.” She skipped Friday night’s details. “My mom and I went shopping. She came home with a haul but I didn’t find anything. Sunday we watched a golf tournament. Marc’s addicted to any and all things sports.

  How was yours?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I fixed a clogged sink in unit two-A, changed a lock on a bedroom door in one-B.”

  “Ah, the joys of home ownership.”

  “Yeah,” he chuckled, “right.”

  “So you basically went from work to work.”

  “Basically.”

  “No fun at all? Nothing for yourself?”

  “Owner upkeep is fun in a round about way – keeps your investment competitive.”

  She laughed, leaning into his shoulder for a second.

  “You know what I mean. Everybody needs some down time. Workout time, bookstore time – whatever.”

  “I spent my free time at the bookstore.”

  “Yeah? Did y
ou make some new discoveries?”

  “No.” The air rushed by and around them, loosening the shorter strands of Mandy’s hair. She tried to spread them back, but they just whipped out again, catching Boston’s keen gaze.