“What are you—”
Before he could finish the question, she braced herself mentally, reached under his hand, and tipped his coffee mug so the contents poured down the front of her suit.
“Hey!” He jerked the mug away.
“Justin!” She looked down at her wet clothes, thankful the coffee had been only luke-warm. “Look what you’ve done. Now I have to go change.”
She gave Jordan a smug grin as she left. In the hall, Bonnie caught sight of her.
“What happened to you? Isn’t the presentation in like,” she glanced at her watch, “Fifteen minutes!”
Marley nodded and hurried past. “Meet me in the bathroom in five.” She made the round trip to her truck with a minute to spare and started to change as Bonnie joined her.
“Justin told me what you did. Are you crazy?”
“Maybe.” She stripped off her blouse and realized she should’ve thought the situation through a little better. Her bra was soaked, and she didn’t have another one packed in her bag. “Shit. Now what?”
Bonnie saw her dilemma. “I’d give you mine, but it’d never fit.”
Marley regarded Bonnie’s figure and, for the first time ever, wished her chest were bigger. Turning her back, she removed the wet bra and slipped on the white tee shirt from her duffle before facing the mirror to see her nipples clearly defined. Her gaze met Bonnie’s reflection.
“No,” they said in unison. Marley groaned at her stupidity.
“Finish dressing,” Bonnie instructed. “I’ll go scrounge up a jacket. And, here.” She handed Marley mascara and lipstick. “They’ll never even look at what you’re wearing. Well, after I find you a jacket, that is.”
Without waiting for Marley’s answer, she scooped up the coffee-stained checkered one and disappeared. By the time she came back, the jeans were on, the make-up was applied and Marley had begun to think she’d ruined her entire career with one stinking cup of coffee and dumb-ass vanity. She should’ve dealt with the damn checkers.
Bonnie held out a red-wine colored blazer for Marley to slip on. She buttoned it in front and faced the mirror. Good, it worked. She would even go so far as to say she looked nice.
“Where’d you get this?”
“Shari in accounting is about your size. She said you can give it back tomorrow.” Then she started to pull on the band holding Marley’s ponytail.
She reached to stop her. “I don’t want it down.”
“Twist it up into that knot you do, it’s more sophisticated.”
She did as instructed, then stood impatiently while Bonnie turned her, pulled a few strands free to frame her face, and stood back for a final inspection.
“Great. Much better than the checkers.”
“You didn’t like it either?” Marley asked with consternation.
Bonnie shook her head. “Sorry.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“Forget it. You look awesome now. Chin up and go get ‘em. They were getting out of their cars downstairs when I was on my way back from accounting.”
Calling her thanks to Bonnie over her shoulder, Marley rushed from the bathroom to her office. Inside, she stopped short when she saw the empty table where the model had reigned. A knuckle-rap on the door spun her around.
“Come on, Renegade, they’re here.”
Justin stood at the door, Jordan just behind him. It was impossible to miss their sweeping assessment as she started forward, but she focused on Justin. When his gaze rose to her face, his slow smile gave her all the confidence she needed.
Chapter 13
Marley shook hands with the Jenkins committee members, then stood aside while Justin and Jordan said their goodbyes. The moment the doors closed and the twins faced her, she raised her eyebrows.
“That went well…didn’t it? Or was it just me?”
A grin split Justin’s face, and he strode forward. “You were great!”
Before she realized his intentions, he pulled her into a hug, lifted her off her feet and swung her around twice. She hadn’t even caught her balance when Jordan stepped up to hug her, too. But he only held on for a moment.
With a self-conscious laugh, she said, “It wasn’t only me. We made a good team.”
“Yeah, but your passion really hit home.”
“I created it, I’d better be passionate.”
A knock at the door preceded Vince and Bonnie’s entrance. “How’d it go?” Bonnie asked.
“Marley kicked ass,” Jordan proclaimed.
“We all kicked ass,” Marley corrected.
Justin started gathering up the papers and files on the conference table. “Well, we’ll find out for sure on Monday.”
Marley didn’t know how she’d survive that long. Everyone helped clean up and then Jordan suggested they all take the afternoon off.
Marley went to her office and actually sat at her desk for the first time. She’d been so busy with the model, she’d spent all her time at the drafting and conference tables.
Sitting straight in her chair, she rested her palms on the cool, smooth surface of the cherry wood in front of her. A slow smile spread across her face. She had a good feeling about her future, no matter the outcome of the meeting.
Of course, she felt pretty damn good about that, too.
“Someone’s pleased with herself.”
Marley looked at the connecting door. Justin really did look nice in that suit as he leaned against the doorjamb, his short hair slightly messed from when she’d seen him run a hand through it.
“It was a good day,” she said.
“Day’s not over yet.”
Her pulse tripped at his low voice but she remained casual. “Seeing as all I’m planning to do is take a hot bubble bath and go to bed early, I’m sticking with past tense.”
He straightened and came further into the room. “Those are your plans?”
“Yep.” She reached for her briefcase and duffel bag and stood. “How about you?”
“Sadly, no bubble bath.” She laughed, and he smiled as he added, “I’ve got a few more things to take care of, then I guess I’ll head back to Jordan’s place. Maybe go for a run or something.”
“I’m too tired to even consider that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He looked about to say more, and she waited with anticipation.
“Enjoy your bath.”
She held back her sigh of frustration and walked out the door. It’d been two days since he’d kissed her. Two days of smiling like an idiot and touching and brushing against him by ‘accident’. But it’d gotten her nowhere. Apparently, she wasn’t cut out to act like a woman any more than she could dress like one.
When she reached her truck, she tossed her things on the passenger seat and turned the key in the ignition. Familiar clicking noises greeted her.
“Oh, come on, not now.” She leaned her tired head against the steering wheel.
****
Justin stepped from the building to see Marley leaning underneath the hood of her truck. He headed over and leaned under with her.
“What’s wrong?”
She kept her gaze focused on the engine. “I have absolutely no idea.”
“Marley Wade, I’m shocked.” He held back a grin with effort. “You of all people, I would’ve thought would be able to jiggle a spark plug or re-adjust the carburetor to get this thing running again.”
“That sounds doable.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Where are the spark plugs?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted without apology. “I’ve always been more into building things than fixing them.”
“Me too. Nate’s my mechanic.”
A frown crossed her face with the mention of Nate. Justin guessed she hadn’t heard from him yet. Without giving himself time to think about why he shouldn’t offer, he said, “I’d be glad to give you a ride.”
After a moment of hesitation, she surprised him. “That’d be great, thanks.”
“No problem.” He glanced at his wa
tch, then did a double take and mumbled, “Damn. Let me make a quick call.”
“What’s the matter?”
He pulled out his cell phone and they started for his Jeep. “I just need to reschedule a meeting at a job site.”
“Will it take long?”
He cast her a strange look and held up the phone. “A minute, maybe two.”
She rolled her eyes. “The meeting—will it take long?”
“Oh. Well, no, but I don’t have time to run you home beforehand.”
“That’s okay. I’ll wait in the Jeep.”
He let her convince him she truly didn’t mind because he wanted to spend time with her. The meeting lasted longer than he’d anticipated, and he came out of the trailer to find her in a borrowed hardhat and protective eye gear, drilling holes through the studs to run electrical wire for the electrician.
“I can’t leave you alone for a second,” he half-joked, scowling at the men gathered around her.
Marley stood with a guilty smile. “Don’t be mad at them. I was proving myself.”
“Do I dare ask why?”
“I offered some advice and they looked at me like I was crazy, so I bet them.”
“I’m not even surprised.” He turned to the foreman. “What’d she take you for?”
“Twenty bucks.”
Justin chuckled. “Never trust a woman in a—”
“Hey,” she protested. “It’s not my fault they didn’t believe me.”
“She’s right.” The foreman handed over the money. When she hesitated, he pushed it into her hand. “You won fair and square, and I always make good on a bet.”
Justin led her back to the Jeep after she’d thanked the men with a disarming smile. He knew she wasn’t flirting with any of them, but the looks they directed toward her awakened his little green monster again.
Digging his keys from his pocket, he said casually, “That reminds me, now that you work for me again, I still owe you a dinner.”
She paused with the passenger door open. “That’s right, you do.”
Lifting a brow, he asked, “So how about it—or was your heart set on that bath?” That hot, steamy, sexy bubble bath he wanted to—
“Hmm, a relaxing bath in my whirlpool tub with mounds of bubbles, scented candles, and some music, or…dinner with you.” She tilted her head with a teasing smile that heated his blood.
“No fair,” he accused. “When you put it that way, I want the bath.” With you. He slid behind the wheel before his imagination took off at full speed.
She laughed as she climbed into the Jeep. “Dinner sounds good, because then I don’t have to cook, and I won’t be hungry while I’m soaking in the tub later.”
Yeah, but he would be.
****
Justin looked at what was left of Marley’s double fudge brownie sundae. Melted ice cream, spoon tracks in the fudge puddle the treat had sat in, and a smear of whipped cream on the edge of the plate.
“That,” she said with a sigh, “was heaven.”
He leaned forward to inspect her plate. “You missed a few crumbs.”
She scraped the spoon across the fudge one last time and licked the chocolate off with a smile. “Everything was so good.”
He couldn’t remember what he ate, much less if it tasted good. Between his increased blood pressure watching her eat that dessert and the repeated mantra in his head as to why he couldn’t pursue her, he was ready to explode.
“You picked it,” he reminded, referring to the restaurant.
“It’s my first time here, though after tonight, I’ll be back again.”
He agreed. The waitress returned with his receipt, and he rose to pull back Marley’s chair. The look she gave him held an echo of her expression earlier, when he’d come around to open her car door, held the restaurant door open, pushed her chair in and rose when she went to the restroom.
He had the distinct impression she wasn’t used to men treating her like a lady. Her reactions also made him wonder if she even liked it, but as she hadn’t demanded he stop yet, he figured he’d carry through.
They spoke little on the way to her house, and he noticed she had her eyes closed most of the way. He knew she wasn’t sleeping though, because her fingers drummed against her thigh and her breathing wasn’t the even cadence of someone resting peacefully.
After parking in the empty driveway, he opened her door again and followed her up the stairs onto the porch. He told himself he was only doing the gentlemanly thing, making sure her house was safe before leaving her alone. But as she fit the key in the lock, he had to clench his hands at his sides to keep from turning her around into his arms.
“You know...Nate’s not home. Would you like to come in?”
She said it to the door, then turned to meet his gaze. Would he like to? Oh, yeah. Should he? Hell no.
“I’ll make some coffee, or if you’d prefer a beer…”
He’d prefer her. Right here, right now. The force of that thought sent him back a step. He cleared his throat. “I really should get going.”
He began to leave before he changed his mind.
“Is it me?”
Her question stopped him in his tracks. He turned to find her glaring at him, hands on her hips. The suit jacket she’d worn all day parted, and he now had an unobstructed view of her thin, white tee shirt underneath. It was suddenly very clear why she’d kept the jacket on, even in the heat of the afternoon when he’d left his suit coat in the Jeep. And thank God she’d left it on while drilling holes in the studs at the job site.
He dragged his gaze back to her face. Damn, she’d asked him something. “What?”
“Is it me? Or am I doing something wrong?”
He stared at her in confusion, still trying to get his mind back on track.
She sighed with obvious dissatisfaction. “I mean, I realize I’m new to this whole seduction thing, but it’s turning out to be a lot harder than it appears on TV.”
That didn’t make much sense until the flashbacks started. A brush of her fingers here, the bump of her shoulder there, her tight ass bending over…
His eyes narrowed, and he gripped the railing.
“Are you telling me the past two days have been deliberate?” His voice rumbled low, the husky accusation unmistakable. Despite the shadows of the porch, he saw her blush.
Still, her chin rose as she openly admitted, “Yes.”
He couldn’t contain a groan of complete frustration and plowed his fingers through his hair. “My God, Marley, you’ve been driving me nuts.”
She stared for a moment. “Is that good or bad?”
“Good—now that I know it wasn’t just me.”
She visibly relaxed. The beginning of a smile curved her mouth, and he was done for. He couldn’t remember a single reason as to why he shouldn’t take her right here, and frankly, even if he had, he would’ve chucked any arguments out the window without a second thought.
“Does that mean you do want to kiss me again?” she asked. “Because the other night you were pretty adamant that it wasn’t going to happen again.”
Despite the desire beginning to tighten his gut, Justin laughed as he stepped back onto the porch. Grasping her arms, he pulled her against him. “You are unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”
He began to close the distance between their lips. She pushed on his shoulders, halting him with a slight frown. “Okay—again—good or bad?”
“Good. Definitely very good.”
“Well, that’s good, then. Great, actually.”
“Yes, it is,” he murmured his agreement and began to lean again.
“And about you being the boss—”
He stilled. He’d just chucked those thoughts. “I’m trying to ignore that fact.”
“We should talk about this.”
“Talking is not always good.”
“But don’t you think my job performance will speak for itself? That people will be able to see my job has nothing to do with who
m I slee—um—who I…”
She trailed off, her attention suddenly riveted on his shoulder where she picked at his shirt. That’s when he realized she was nervous. “Are you trying to talk me out of this, or yourself?” he asked.
“Neither.” She frowned. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you won’t shut up.”
“I just wanted to clear—”
“I can’t kiss you if you don’t shut up.”
He waited, but she didn’t say another word. He dropped his head an inch or so, watching her eyes close as she lifted up to meet him. Justin halted just before their lips touched, held his position, and watched her face.
Her breathing grew shallow. His heart pounded with anticipation. Urgency warred with desire. He held steady, making the moment when they touched all the more worthwhile.
Marley felt the whisper of Justin’s breath on her lips and waited…waited…waited. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with expectation. His scent, an intoxicating combination of sandalwood and male, completely took over her senses. The warmth of his solid body against hers was so stimulating she couldn’t even imagine what it’d be like when no clothing separated them.
His hands at the back of her neck pulled on her hair until it tumbled free of its knot. She sighed as he threaded his fingers into her hair, first massaging her scalp, then combing through the length of her curls. His hands slid back up along her arms to grasp her shoulders and still, he hadn’t closed that last inch between them.
She couldn’t stand it any longer, not a second more. She began to open her eyes and that’s when his mouth captured hers. His tongue sought immediate access. She opened at his insistence, relishing his immediate domination.
After a wild minute, she realized he was groping for the door handle and helped him get them inside without breaking contact. She definitely wanted privacy for what she had planned, because while her slip-of-the-tongue-decision on the porch hadn’t really surprised her, she didn’t want the whole neighborhood to witness the loss of her virginity.
Once the door slammed shut, he pressed her against it, his body grinding into hers with the force of his passion. His hands bracketed her face, tangling in her hair. The wood panel behind her had nothing on the male body in front, and her knees weakened.
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