by Lori Foster
LORI FOSTER
CATHY YARDLEY
Say Yes
The Cinderella Solution
Contents
Say Yes
Lori Foster
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
The Cinderella Solution
Cathy Yardley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
LORI FOSTER
Say Yes
Say Yes
“Are we going to do a lot of…this, when you move in?” Sara asked breathlessly.
Gavin’s brain shut down. “Aw, hell.” Reminded of his plan, he shoved himself away from her. How did that saying go? You won’t buy the cow if the milk is free? Not that he liked comparing himself to a cow. A bull, maybe…
“Sara, if this is going to work, you’re going to have to stop making it so easy on me.”
“Me? What about you? You’re the one who started the kissing.”
“Yeah. But you didn’t have to go all soft and hungry on me.”
“I’m not going to let you blame me for this, Gavin! You’re the one who climbed into bed with me.”
“But I’m not the one who tried to crawl on top of you in the middle of the night.”
She sucked in so much air, she choked. “I would never…!”
Nodding, he said, “Yes, you would. You did.” Then he added in a low voice before she could get too worked up, “But I didn’t mind at all.”
Dear Reader,
When I was six years old, I won a drawing contest in the city newspaper. The prize was a complete Worldbook Encyclopedia set. (And lucky for me, a rubber finger puppet!) My parents made me a deal. I’d give them the encyclopedias until I graduated, and they’d buy me anything I wanted. I wanted a baby pig.
At a nearby farm we found the most adorable little spotted piglets running around playing. But there was one especially homely pig, just sorta gray, sorta fat, sorta shy. I chose him. And named him after Monnie, my grandma.
He got fatter and uglier as time went by, and finally I gave him to a local farmer who promised to keep him as a stud pig. Monnie was happy till the day he died.
I’ve always loved animals—the tailless cat, the bird with a broken wing, the snake a neighbor wanted to kill, the dog who shed too much. Every animal I’ve come into contact with has added something to my life.
This story is about a woman who loves pets just as much as I do—especially the dysfunctional or ugly ones.
Of course she needs a man who’ll love them as well, so I found him for her.
I hope you enjoy Say Yes!
Lori Foster
P.S. You can write Lori at P.O. Box 854, Ross OH 45061, or send an e-mail to [email protected]
To my computer-guru buddy and good friend Jen Sokoloski. Without you, Jen, my computer and all that goes with it would likely still be a mystery.
Thank you for all your help.
And to Linda Keller, my best friend.
Thank you so much for listening, talking, sharing, giving—for being you.
1
IT WAS THE LOUD, SHRILL scream of rage that drew Gavin Blake’s attention, along with the frantic shrieks that followed. Gavin stared down the middle of the narrow street, blinking hard to make certain he wasn’t hallucinating. But no. There was his usually calm, very friendly neighbor Sara Simmons, her dark curly hair bouncing out behind her as she ran hell-bent after Karen, his used-to-be girlfriend. He hadn’t seen Karen in months, not since their breakup, and the sight of her now wasn’t what fascinated him. No, it was gentle, sweet, passive Sara—who at the moment held a rake which she wielded with all the force and efficiency of a massive war club. And each time she swung it, punctuating her efforts with low, threatening growls, Karen wailed in fear.
A disbelieving smile twitched on his mouth as he heard Sara issue a rather lurid, improbable threat. So far as Gavin could tell, Sara hadn’t even touched Karen yet, but it was a close thing. Karen’s shirt was open, but her efforts were all centered on escaping the woman bent on retribution, not on covering her half-naked chest. As they neared the entrance to the garage where Gavin stood, he tried to get himself out of the way. But Karen made eye contact, and evidently, even though they were no longer involved, she decided he might be her savior.
Hah! Sara behaved very much like a woman scorned—or a woman who had caught her fiancé intimately involved with another woman. And knowing Karen as he did, that assumption wasn’t unrealistic. He’d learned some time ago that Karen would never be a faithful, devoted, loving partner. Which was why he’d ended the relationship and sent her on her way months ago.
But as the two women ran straight for him and he saw the fury—and the hurt—in Sara’s eyes, Gavin knew for a certainty Karen had been up to her old tricks. He decided to stay out of the matter and let Sara do her worst, knowing she wouldn’t actually hurt Karen. But the women had other ideas.
They tried to use him as a maypole.
He dropped the file he’d been holding and saw the approved plans for another subdivision scatter across the garage floor. He struggled to maintain his balance with Karen trying to shield herself behind him and Sara trying to go straight through him. He bent to retrieve a floor plan being mangled under furious feminine feet and was promptly shoved away and onto his backside. Having just come from the office, he was unfortunately wearing dress pants. He started to grumble, but then Karen made a dive for the house, and Sara followed, climbing right over the top of him.
There was another loud screech, and Gavin couldn’t help but grin. He’d known since first meeting Sara that she was a passionate little thing, filled with energy and an abundance of emotion. But this was the first time he’d seen that emotion really set free. The jerk she’d planned to marry would never have made her happy. Gavin supposed, in a way, he owed Karen his thanks for showing Sara just how big a jerk Ted really was.
Then he heard the sound of breaking glass and decided he’d have to intervene after all. Knowing Sara, and he’d come to know her very well since she’d moved into one of the houses he built, she’d hate her loss of control once she calmed down.
He wondered briefly if she’d allow him to console her.
Coming up behind Sara, he was just in time to duck the rake as she took another swipe at the cowered, screeching Karen. Gavin snatched it out of her hands, and when she rounded on him, he pulled her close in a careful bear hug. “Just calm down, honey.”
He tried to keep the satisfaction and good humor out of his tone. Little by little, the enormity of the situation was sinking in, and he was starting to feel damn good. He’d now see the end of Sara’s fiancé—and without a guilty conscience. He’d held back, keeping his personal interest to himself, unwilling to involve himself in a set relationship, even though he knew the relationship was doomed. Sara was much too good for Ted, she just hadn’t seemed to realize it.
But with these new crimes against him, Sara would surely send Ted packing. Finally they would both be free of ties, and he’d be able to pursue her the way he wanted to.
Sara growled, and he had to admit, the menacing sound was very effective. “Let me go, Gavin.”
No way. She felt damn good in his arms, too good. He looked down at her
rigid expression, her bright eyes, and had to fight to keep from kissing her. This was the first time he’d ever been able to actually hold her, and he liked it—a lot. She growled again and he saw that slightly crooked front tooth, the one that always taunted him, made him want to touch it with his tongue. He tightened his hold just a bit more, relishing the feel of her small body tucked up against his, and breathed in her gentle fragrance. Sara always smelled of sunshine and softness and woman. He lowered his mouth to her ear.
“I think you’ve made your point, honey. Karen understands the error of her ways.”
She struggled in his arms. “You don’t know what they… They were in my house, in my bed!”
He did know. The house meant everything to Sara, but very little to Ted. In fact, Sara had bought the place herself, no small feat for a woman alone with a moderate income. And not a day went by that she didn’t tell him what a wonderful job he’d done building that house. She made him feel as if he’d given her the moon.
“It won’t happen again, Sara. I promise.”
He had a hell of a time controlling his elation. And when Sara peeked up at him with energy and emotion blazing in her blue eyes, he couldn’t help himself. He smiled.
Very slowly she looked around. A lamp lay broken on the floor and Gavin saw her wince. When her gaze landed on the shattered picture, she closed her eyes as if in pain. Color flooded her smooth cheeks.
Behind him, he heard the sounds of Karen slinking away. No doubt she planned to make a strategic retreat. Gavin ignored her. In the three months she’d been gone, he hadn’t missed her once. “Sara? Are you okay now?”
“Let—me—go.”
Cautiously, making certain she wouldn’t bolt after Karen again, Gavin lowered his arms. She stood there, her eyes still closed, her cheeks pulsing with heat. She said in a strangled whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Gavin touched her cheek, swamped with tenderness and a real healthy dose of desire. “Hey, don’t worry about it. After a boring day in the office, I needed a little excitement.”
She drew in a long, slow breath, then opened her eyes, but didn’t look at him. Instead she surveyed the damage. “I didn’t mean to break anything.”
“Karen would probably disagree.”
Her gaze shot to his face and her hands curled into fists. “I don’t want her anywhere near me ever again.”
She was such a ferocious, impassioned little thing when duly provoked. “Don’t worry. I think Karen has learned her lesson. Besides, I wasn’t the one who invited her here.”
She scowled. “No. Ted apparently did.”
“What will you do?” He was very curious, but he held no sympathy for Ted. In fact, he wanted to rub his hands in glee over Ted’s folly. The idiot.
Sara lifted her chin, then slowly stepped around the broken glass on the floor. “I’ll take care of Ted.” Gavin watched her stiff posture as she walked away, and he wondered if he should accompany her home so she wouldn’t have to face Ted alone. Then he thought better of it.
Ted didn’t stand a chance.
Besides, Sara was private, with a streak of dignity and pride a mile wide. She wouldn’t want an audience when she gave Ted the boot. He knew Sara—not as well as he’d like to, but probably better than Ted would ever know her. At least he knew enough to realize how important old-fashioned values were to her. Possibly because they were important to him as well.
She’d talk to Ted, listen to his lame excuses, then toss him out on his miserable can. She’d be hurt for a while, but she’d get over it, just as she’d get over Ted. Gavin was willing to give her some time.
And then it was finally going to be his turn.
HOUSE FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Stunned, Gavin slowed his truck until he came to a complete stop. Sara had been avoiding him. The friendly talks in the yard had ceased, as had her spontaneous visits to the construction sites. It used to be that Sara couldn’t keep away when she saw the crew working on another house on her street. She loved the process of seeing a house built, of everything coming together to make a home, almost as much as he did.
But lately, her pride and embarrassment had caused a wall he was damn tired of beating his head against.
And now she wanted to sell? Like hell.
Cursing to himself, he put the truck in Park and climbed out. He glared at the stormy, cloud-filled skies, then glared even harder at the For Sale sign. Stomping over to her yard, he ripped up the sign and threw it into the back of his truck, then brushed his hands off in a show of satisfaction. Try to sell, would she? Without a single word, without giving him the chance he’d been waiting for? Ha!
He’d been patient too long, that was the problem. He had a plan, and it was time he put it into motion. He wanted Sara, had wanted her for a long time. And starting right now, he was done with waiting.
SARA WAS NAKED, she was wet, and she was frustrated.
She was also alone.
Water sloshed over the sides of the large Jacuzzi tub when she jerked awake. The vivid fantasy she’d conjured in her mind evaporated. She realized it was the loud clapping of thunder that had startled her from the luxury of her bath—and the man she’d been dreaming of.
Disgusted, she shook her head. She’d made a point of avoiding Gavin since that awful, fateful day. She shouldn’t be dreaming about him, either. She was tired, that’s all, too much overtime at work wearing her down. She’d counted on a leisurely soak in her Jacuzzi tub to ease away her weariness and her aches and pains. But since Gavin had built the house and installed the tub, it was no wonder her thoughts had chased after him again. Now the storm was here, and her fantasy gone, so she supposed her bathtime was over.
Water dripped onto the ceramic tile floor as she threw a worn towel around her body. Sheesh. Even in her imagination, she couldn’t indulge a satisfactory romantic interlude. Maybe she should give up on dream men, just as she’d given up on the real thing. Romances, even the imaginary kind, evidently weren’t meant for her. Besides, dogs were much more reliable. Unfortunately, like the house, dogs required upkeep. And as much as she wanted one, she wasn’t home enough to keep a dog company—or vice versa.
Still dripping, she stomped off to close the windows. Without the cooling breeze, the interior would soon become unbearable, but she couldn’t afford air conditioning any more than she could afford a dog.
The evening had turned very dark, and she remembered her front door was open, with only the screen door latched. As she went to close it, she saw the threatening sky, felt a spattering of the rain as it blew in over her porch. She thought again how nice a pet would be, another living thing to keep her company on a dreary night like this. Granted, a dog wouldn’t provide quite the same company as a man, but then, a dog required much less maintenance. Dogs weren’t as messy as men. They were more loyal and friendly. Dogs never made promises they couldn’t keep…
Suddenly she noticed her For Sale sign was missing. She’d only just put the thing in the yard that day!
Distracted from her daydreams by the possibility of vandalism, she clicked open the lock on the screen door and stuck her head outside, automatically breathing in the churning, moist night air.
“You planning to dance buck-naked in the rain?”
Squealing, she lurched backward and slipped off her wet feet before the familiarity of that deep, masculine voice could penetrate. She would have fallen if her backside hadn’t smacked up against the gaping front door.
It took her a moment to regain her dignity—what was left of it—before she cautiously stuck her head outside again. A burst of white light splintered through the night, and she saw her one and only neighbor, Gavin Blake, standing to the side of her door. He was in the shadows, but she would recognize his body, his voice, his presence, anywhere. She shivered. Boy, could she recognize him!
But Gavin would forever be relegated to the role of her fantasy man. Nothing more was possible. Not after the incident.
She continued to stare, then blinked in s
urprise as her eyes adjusted. Soaked completely through by the storm, Gavin stood there in a soggy T-shirt and shorts, with a bottle of wine in one large hand.
Good grief! He was too darn gorgeous, too big and imposing and male. He was also the last person she ever wanted to see, other than in her dreams.
But…but there he stood.
Her stomach took a free fall and her heart shot into her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, but when she opened them again, he was still there, still watching her. “A pet. I most definitely need a pet.”
Gavin raised his brows, his dark eyes glinting in the shadows, his tone amicable. “Hey, I hadn’t planned on anything so forward, at least not this soon, but petting’s good. I’m into petting if that’s what you really—”
“No!” Sara dodged his outstretched hand and ground her teeth together, feeling foolish. “I meant a pet, as in a dog that might have barked and let me know someone was here.”
His gaze slid from her face to her towel-wrapped body. “Then I’m glad you don’t have a dog.”
With a gasp, she ducked into the house and shielded herself behind the front door. After a long, silent moment, she began to realize he wouldn’t just go away, and that she’d once again made herself look ridiculous. She poked her head around the door.
Gavin chuckled. “I’m getting soaked standing here, babe. You going to ask me in or what?”
“Ah… No. Not a good idea.” She knew her tone lacked conviction. She’d wanted him, really wanted him, for the longest time, but not now, not at this precise moment.
Not dressed only in a towel.
He looked down at his feet, as if considering the situation, then pulled the screen open and stepped inside. “Sara.” His tone was chiding. “I’ve given you plenty of time. I hoped you’d be willing to talk to me now.”
