by Joanna Blake
Not that I gave a damn what he thought. He was a brute. A big, rude, entitled, wealthy Southern brute.
His brother on the other hand, was a gentleman.
“We’d be happy to join you.”
Daniel grinned at me.
“See you at 7 o’clock.”
Chapter Four
Jackson
I could not stop frowning as we headed back to the house for lunch. That woman was a blight on peace! And now Daniel had invited her to our home. I would have to be pleasant to her.
I did not want to be pleasant dammit! I wanted to… I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, but it was not to make small talk with a cantankerous woman like that!
For some reason I kept thinking about kissing her. I scowled and shook my head. I probably just wanted to kiss her to shut her up!
And even that might not work!
“Why did you do that Daniel?”
“What? Invite her to dinner?”
I nodded curtly.
“I was just being neighborly.”
I glared at him. He held up his hands. Daniel was always the peacekeeper. I wondered what the hell had gotten into him, stirring up trouble like that.
“Okay, fine. I couldn’t help but notice the sparks flying back and forth between the two of you.”
“Sparks? Now you sound like a girl.”
“You didn’t think she was attractive?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m not blind for God’s sake.”
Daniel laughed at my quick refusal. I cursed and walked away from him. I knew he was right. My reaction to that woman had been strange to say the least.
Hungover or not, nobody made me lose my cool.
Especially not adorable, annoyingly spunky city girls.
Even with dirt smudged on her face, and her hair tied back under a kerchief she was cute as a button. No, not cute. Fucking beautiful.
Never mind the fact that her body looked like sex on wheels.
For the second time I found myself wondering what it would be like to shut her up with a hot, deep, let’s get down to business kiss. I’d toss her on her back and yank her clothes off her. I’d be sure not to stop kissing her.
Just to make sure she didn’t start talking again!
I’d screw her until she was too tired to yap anymore. Or complain. Or run away.
Then I’d do it all over again.
Of course that might be hard considering the woman hated me. I’d seen the look she’d thrown at me. If her eyes were a fist, I would have hit the ground. A woman like that was not going to just tumble into bed with me, no matter how badly I wanted her to.
And I had a feeling that this particular itch was not going away anytime soon.
I groaned as the chainsaws sprung back to life.
Angelina
“How was it?”
“Huh?”
“Your walk.”
“Fine.”
“Uh huh.”
Casey was giving me the stink eye. She knew I wasn’t telling her everything. I sighed, wiping my hand over my brow.
“I met our neighbors. Well, I met two of them. We are having dinner with them Friday night.”
“And?”
“And one of them is a pain in the ass!”
“Was he cute?”
“Casey!”
I tossed a paper towel at her and she ducked. I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing the tub on the first floor bathroom. I’d already installed the safety rails that would help Casey get in and out of the tub. Now I was making it clean so she could have a salt bath.
The minerals helped with the pain and getting a good night sleep.
“I think it’s clean, Ang.”
I looked down. She was right. It wasn’t just clean, I was close to scrubbing the porcelain right off. I was on a rampage ever since my run in with Jackson Delancey.
I’d cleaned the living room and moved our bags to our prospective bedrooms. I’d even opened up the windows upstairs and down to start airing things out. And I had an eye on the third floor attic for a photography studio.
“Well, was he?”
I stood and stretched, running the water to rinse the tub. Then I checked the temperature and let the tub start to fill.
Finally I looked at her.
“Yes.”
“How cute?”
I sighed.
“Movie star cute. If movie stars looked like muscle bound cowboys. But he’s far too old for you.”
She grinned at me as I helped her strip and climb into the bath. I poured salts into the water and leaned on the edge of the tub.
“I wasn’t thinking about me.”
“Who were you thinking about then? Me?”
“Yes, you! When was the last time you went on a date?”
“I don’t have time for dates. Besides that is not what this is! Why would I go on a date with someone I hated on sight?”
“Uh huh. Sure. You know what they say Ang.”
“No, what?”
“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin.”
“Well, that coin happens to be a royal pain in the ass.”
I rolled my eyes at her and handed her a dog-eared romance novel. Casey loved to read in the bath. That did sound nice actually.
Maybe I would try it someday.
“It’s because of me.”
My hand was on the doorknob when I heard her. She spoke so softly I almost missed it. I turned to see her with a strange look on her face.
“What did you say?”
“You don’t date because of me.”
“Case- that’s not true.”
She looked at me, her big brown eyes shining.
“It is. So for me, give this a shot.” She held up her hand when I started to argue. “If not this guy, someone else. Please Ange.”
I stared at her, my emotions in turmoil. I didn’t want her to feel like that. Not for a second. None of this was her fault.
“You are not a burden, Case. I would do anything for you.”
“I know. So do this for me.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Alright. I will if you stop saying things like that. Or thinking them.”
She smiled at me then and sunk lower in the bath.
“Deal.”
“Call me when you want to get out.”
She nodded, already opening her book.
I went to start cleaning the room I would sleep in tonight. Except, when I thought about everything Casey had said, I had a feeling I would be up late thinking.
About Casey. About how our lives had changed when she got sick. About how I had just agreed to go on a date. I tried to imagine what kind of guy I would meet out here in the country. What kind of guy would want to even date me.
I used to be considered a catch. But look at me now. Wearing dirty jeans. I hadn’t had a manicure or a blow out in a year. I shrugged. What did it matter? I had said I would go out with someone if they asked.
It wasn’t my fault if no one did.
Even though he was the last man on earth I wanted to go out with, his image kept popping up in my mind. His cool gray blue eyes. His broad shoulders. His strong jaw and handsome face.
His smug, smirking, handsome face.
Jackson Delancey.
Chapter Five
Jackson
“Mornin’ Jackson, you here for that fencing?”
I nodded, tossing a couple of boxes of nails onto the counter. We had plenty of employees to do the work on the estate, but I liked to be the one to order the supplies. I let Mrs. Garretty handle the household stuff, but when it came to the horses, stables and paddock, it was all me.
There was a reason my brothers called me a control freak.
Peter looked up from behind the cashier and flushed. He stammered, his eyes glued to someone standing behind me. I had a sudden feeling I knew just who it was.
“I’m sorry Miss Randall, we’re out of those patch kits. I looked everywhere.”
> “Please, call me Angelina.”
My head turned to the side before I knew what I was doing. My whole damn body swiveled toward the sound of her voice. I could not help but smile when I saw her standing beside me.
She had that damn kerchief on her head again. It should have looked silly but it didn’t. For some damn reason it looked sexy as hell. So did her designer denim overalls. They hugged her bottom and showed off the round shape of her luscious tits. I let out a low whistle. Those melons were definitely a healthy handful, even for a big man like me.
“AHEM.”
I lifted my eyes to meet her flashing green ones. In the darkness the gold was hardly visible at all. I realized you could only see the sparkly bits in the sun or a bright light. It felt like a secret, knowing that about her.
She was adorable.
She was also not at all pleased to have caught me checking out her jugs. She looked fired up. For some perverse reason, I enjoyed getting a rise out of her.
My smiled widened.
“Miss Randall.”
She glared at me. I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to tell me to call her Angelina.
She didn’t.
“It’s Ms. I’m not a schoolgirl.”
Pete let out a sharp bark of laughter. Now it was my turn to glare at him. But only for a second. It was next to impossible to keep my eyes off her.
I decided not to fight it.
In fact, I decided that I was going to bed her. Tonight. It was the only way to get her out of my system. Which meant I should probably stop deliberately antagonizing her. I changed tactics, giving her my most charming smile.
“What’s the patch for?”
She scowled at me, which only made her look cuter. Damn if the woman didn’t look good no matter what she was doing. I had a feeling she would look good digging a damn ditch. Especially if she was pissed about having to do it.
She reminded me of an angry, adorable hissing little kitten.
I shook my head. Cute as they were, kittens were known for having sharp claws. And teeth.
Not that I'd mind her clawing me. Especially my back. As long as it was while she yowled with pleasure.
She was upset enough to answer me. I was relieved to see she was finally teed off at something besides yours truly. And she was giving me an in without realizing it.
“Everything in the house is leaking! There’s a leak over the porch. In the attic. And one of the pipes is leaking into the basement every time we use the bath.”
I closed my eyes, immediately imagining her in the bath. Her face would be soft and her eyes closed as her big juicy breasts bobbed on the surface of the water. I pictured myself leaning down and bobbing for apples. I’d take a little nip before I pulled her nipple into my mouth and…
I opened my eyes to find that she was watching me suspiciously. I realized I probably looked like an idiot. I was literally grinning like a kid in a candy shop at the imaginary scene in my mind.
It was a good thing she had no clue what I was thinking. I leaned against the counter and smiled at her, hoping to set her mind at ease. A woman had to trust a man to let him between her thighs.
Her sweet, plump, silky thighs.
“I know a good plumber if you need one. And a good roofer. Hell, I know just about everybody around here.”
She looked surprised at the offer and then she shrugged.
“Thanks but Pete already gave me a list.”
For some reason that raised my hackles. She’d been here a handful of days and Pete was already doing her favors? Pete’s family had owned the feed and supply store for generations. I liked Pete, even if he couldn’t ride a horse for shit.
Squash that.
I used to like Pete.
Pete was watching the exchange with glee. He was obviously thrilled to watch Jackson Delancey crash and burn with a woman. Hell, I couldn’t blame him. It’s not like it ever happened before.
Not even once.
I decided to put a big dent in his day. I grabbed my nails and signed the invoice for the fencing. Then I turned back to Angelina and spoke loud enough so Pete would be sure to hear.
“Suit yourself Ms. Randall. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
I winked at Pete as I turned and walked away, whistling.
He did not look happy at all.
Even he knew he didn’t stand a chance against a Delancey.
Angelina
“Wear the green one.”
“What?”
“The green top. It brings out your eyes.”
I was riffling through one of the cardboard wardrobe boxes still in the living room. I looked around. The house looked like a war zone. And none of the workmen I’d called were available to come for at least a week.
Or longer.
At least there wasn’t any mold in the house itself. We would know because Casey reacted to it immediately. Sensitivities to chemicals, strong odors and mold was another charming side effect of the drug’s toxicity.
We joked that we could loan ourselves out to real estate companies.
‘Casey the Mold Detector’ and ‘Angelina the Spider Hunter.’
We made quite a team.
I turned up the hepa air filter in the living room just to be safe. Then I went into her bedroom and turned that purifier up too. The lights flickered slightly and I groaned and called out to Case.
“Add electrician to the list!”
She chuckled as I came back into the room. She’d dutifully jotted it down on the yellow pad that was becoming a very long, very intimidating list. The fact that she always found humor in every situation was one of the things I loved about her the most.
Most people would bitch and moan about what she’d been through. Or worse, they would give up and just consign themselves to life as an invalid. But Casey was strong. Even in the darkest moments, she didn’t get bitter.
She also didn’t give up.
And if she didn’t, well, I couldn’t either.
It was a funny thing to look up to your little sister.
I grabbed the green silk tank and my favorite jeans without really thinking about it. Then I pulled on a drapey knit cardigan. I slipped my feet into some high-heeled booties and I was done.
“No makeup? None of your jewelry?”
I looked at Case.
“I told you this isn’t a date.”
Casey raised an eyebrow at me.
“Well, I want to look pretty even if you don’t. Anyway, you promised to give things a chance around here. Even with the cowboy.”
I sighed and got out my tiny makeup bag. I wiped everything off with an all-natural disinfectant wipe before I started working on Casey’s pretty face. The last thing she needed was an infection.
I turned on one of Casey’s favorite playlists and leaned over her, carefully smudging some stain onto her lips and cheeks. Then I ran a soft brown pencil over her eyelid.
She fluttered her eyelashes at me and I laughed.
“Your turn.”
“Alright you win.”
“I always do. One of the perks of being the sick one!”
I shook my head at her twisted sense of humor and slipped into the bathroom to apply a tiny bit of makeup. Then I rummaged through a box until I found some of my jewelry. I didn’t have much left, having sold most of the most expensive stuff off. But I’d amassed quite a collection at trunk shows in New York back when I had disposable income.
I sighed. I missed those days sometimes. Dinners with friends, weekend trips and happy hour. Shopping for the latest styles without a second thought. But being here with my sister, taking a second chance at life, well that meant more than all the rest of it piled together.
And then some.
I selected a gold bangle for Casey along with a pair of small sapphire studs. Small gold hoops and a necklace with a modern looking evil eye design for me.
If I had to spend the evening with Jackson Delancey, I had a feeling I would need it.
When I
presented myself to Casey she let out a low whistle.
“What? You’re a fox.”
“More like a chihuahah.”
I laughed and shook my head, wheeling her out of the house to the car. It took both of us to get her into the seat and buckled in. I climbed in beside her and smiled.
“Might as well get this over with.”
“Ange, you promised.”
“I will be cordial but I am not going to flirt with the man!”
“Come on Angie, flirt a little.”
I sighed as I pulled out onto the main road.
“We’ll see.”
Chapter Six
Jackson
I was pacing back and forth while I reviewed the plans for the upcoming Fourth of July Horse Show and Picnic. It was one of our most widely attended events and it had to be perfect. I stopped and looked at my audience. Daniel and Jake were staring at me with matching expressions on their faces.
Not attentive, as I expected.
No, they looked amused.
“Have a drink brother. Relax.”
Jake stopped Daniel from getting up to pour me a drink. He looked at me strangely, as if I had grown a third head. I frowned at him, starting to get annoyed.
“Are you sure you are recovered, Jacks? That was one hell of a hangover you had the other day.”
“I’m fine. I can pour my own damn drink.”
Just to prove the point I walked to the bar.
“Are you nervous about something, Jacks? The girl we got coming to dinner maybe?”
I turned to stare my cackling brothers into submission.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I forgot she was coming. Is that tonight?”
Even Daniel rolled his eyes. I never was a good liar, dammit.
“You never forget anything Jackson. Everyone knows that.”
“Forget what?”
Elle and Francesca came into the expansive living room with a fresh bottle of wine and glasses. We had servants of course, but we didn’t stand on ceremony here. We got our own damn drinks.
Well, most of the time anyway.
