Beguiling Briley

by Allie Standifer

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  Beguiling Briley

  ISBN # 978-0-85715-301-2

  ©Copyright Allie Standifer 2010

  Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright October 2010

  Edited by Jess Bimberg

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom

  .

  Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

  Club Botticelli

  BEGUILING BRILEY

  Allie Standifer

  Dedication

  To David—Until we meet again…you are always in my thoughts and forever in my heart.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  OnStar: OnStar

  Jell-O: Kraft Foods

  Twinkies: Hostess Brand

  Diet Coke: The Coca-Cola Company

  Chapter One

  She fell in love on April Fool’s Day. That alone should have told Briley Evans she’d lost her mind. Love had never factored into her life. She knew two of her friends were happy with the men in their lives. But love…for her? Never in a million years would she have used her name and that one word in the same sentence. The emotion might work for other people, but she lived in reality where love existed only in movies and sappy greeting cards.

  The two exceptions to the rules in the game of love came in the form of Emma and Olivia. Two of her four closest friends had found men who genuinely cared about the women and didn’t want to change a thing about them. Given that all five friends shared a waist size larger than the usual starving super models said a lot about the men who loved them.

  The night her world flipped upside down happened by sheer accident and stupidity as did most things in her life. Briley needed to get her laptop fixed. Instead, she ended up giving her heart away. Not the plan when she’d walked into Immortality, the tattoo and computer repair shop one of her friends had recommended. And not that she allowed herself to acknowledge the strange emotions. Love meant leaving yourself open to pain. Since Briley wasn’t a masochist, it left love off her to do list.

  The nights were still cold in Avalon, so she’d bundled up her generously curved self and driven over. The shop stood out, not in the seedy porno/biker way she’d imagined. The frosted glass and simple lettering looked classy not cheesy. Housed in an old warehouse district, the store looked clean and inviting. A shock, but a pleasant one.

  A bell tingled over her head as she opened the door to warm air and the scent of peppermint. Definitely not the clean smell she’d expected either. Briley looked around, trying to get a feel for the place and maybe a hint of the talent that supposedly worked there. Instead, she saw him.

  He had his back to her, a thick hunter green sweater fitted over his runner’s frame as he bent over and fiddled with the strange looking machine in front of him. Tousled dark brown hair curled over the tanned nap of his neck while long fingers played over wires. Worn jeans and brown scuffed hiking boots completed the back frame of the picture, and Briley’s stomach tightened from just that small glimpse of him.

  Stupidly, naively, she shrugged the reaction off. After all, she saw good-looking men, including their nicely formed fronts, all the time at Club Botticelli, the club one of her best friends, Olivia, owned. What did the curve of one man’s neck matter? Even though said neck made her mouth water with the urge to bite and nibble her way across his skin. She could almost taste the salty tang of his flesh on her tongue.

  Irritated at her unusual and completely out of character response, Briley straightened her shoulders, made sure her chin tilted up in just the right angle and cleared her throat. If no one else had come at the door’s chiming, surely he must be the lone employee there. Granted, the time she’d chosen to show up was rather late, but still a place like this, which catered to people’s temporary emotions with permanent reminders, should be accustomed to late arrivals. Not to mention all the people staring at the blue screen of death and two-seconds away from throwing their now useless computers off tall buildings or bridges.

  Being the owner of her own business Briley knew you had to put the client first. She did it every day at her travel agency. Customers first, personal life second. The motto had gained her a great reputation, a solid client list and a very lonely personal life.

  When the man with the nibble worthy neck didn’t turn around at her subtle attempt to get his attention, Briley decided to make herself known by getting deep into his personal space. She wanted her computer fixed and ready tonight before she lost what little remained of her sanity.

  Her boots made a sharp clicking sound in the quiet of the room, yet the stranger refused to move and continued to play with whatever had caught his focus. He hummed a low tune under his breath as he worked seemingly content and happy. When she rounded the flat table to face him, she finally saw why. Two small black buds were cradled in his ears and were also the source behind the humming. When he jerked upright at her presence, she found herself staring into the most startling light green eyes surrounded by silver rimless glasses.

  With a quick pull, he stumbled to his feet, dropping everything in his hands as he stared at Briley. “Ah…” In a vague wave he brushed away the stray lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes. “Hi.” He flashed a bright and slightly flustered smile. “Didn’t hear you come in,” he confessed and sheepishly pulled the buds out of his ears.

  A part of her she didn’t even know existed melted at his slightly self-conscience smile. “Hello.” A nerd, she mused, enchanted without knowing why. Men with brains were nice, but were never required in her chosen bed partners. Briley preferred her men to be buff and orally talented. Reciting Shakespeare couldn’t turn her on as fast as a well-timed thrust.

  Those uniquely coloured eyes quickly scanned the room. Surprise lit his gaze as he realised they were alone. “Ah…” he stammered again in a way she found charming. Strange, but charming. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know Trev had left. Normally, he lets me know before leaving the shop.”

  Not knowing or really caring who this Trev person was, Briley kept her mouth shut. She’d found out a person would learn more by keeping their tongue silent than filling the air with useless words. So she gave him a small smile and nodded. Not sure what devil perched on her shoulder and encouraged her behaviour.

  “I’m Carter.” He introduced himself in an absentminded gesture. “Carter Moore. Again, I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in. It’s so late I didn’t think to keep an eye on the door.” He scraped a hand through his hair before nervously shoving both hands into the worn pockets of his jeans. “Ah, I didn’t know I was suppose
d to keep an eye on the door.”

  He looked so anxious and cute Briley had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking, but something about the man with his blinking ice green eyes warned her not to break the moment. No matter how weird the moment felt. She took him in with one long, leisurely glance. Carter Moore stood six feet and some inches with broad shoulders, slim hips and worn-out boots. A few crisp brown hairs curled from the open neck of his shirt. His sleeves had been rolled to the elbow, displaying strong, corded forearms, and Briley guessed the shirt hid muscles in all the right places. Yummy. Tousled brown hair waved over his eyes and along his neck giving him a slightly dishevelled and distracted look, which was substantiated by a five o’clock shadow. Perfect white teeth flashed against a broad smile. She felt her stomach jerk and her heart race.

  “Can I help you with something?” Again, he looked around like the answer might be painted on the sterile white walls surrounding them with their stark framed photographs. “Are you thirsty? I can make you some coffee, tea or cocoa if you’d like?”

  His awkwardness soothed her in a way she’d never experienced or even expected. “I’m fine.”

  He nodded, red painting his cheeks. “Ah…would you… do you…” he stammered, his gaze landing anywhere, but on her. “I’m sorry normally I’m not such a total failure at human communication. It’s just…” His gaze finally slid over her, one long, slow slide that made things lower in her body tighten up. “You must hear this all the time, but you have to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Carter jerked his gaze away as heat climbed up his neck and darkened his sculpted cheekbones even more.

  Shock held her immobile for a moment. Given that she wore clothing leaning towards the heavy end of double digits, most men swept past her at first glance. As accustomed as she’d become to the fickle nature of men, this man’s blazing honestly melted her.

  Still, she needed to clear her throat before finding her voice. “Thank you.” And mentally revised her opinion on men with brains. What had she been missing out on by avoiding this species? Come to think of it, why hadn’t any of her girls told her these men were good for more than fixing her computer and setting up her surround sound?

  He refused to look at her. “You’re welcome, but it’s nothing but the truth.”

  “Okay, I won’t argue with you,” she teased wanting to get another look at his face.

  While he didn’t fit the conventional standards of good looking, something about him pulled at her. The thick brows that arched over his eyes, his strong blade nose, and most of all, he had soft full lips that should have looked feminine, but on Carter Moore, they only looked sexy and masculine. His body, what she could tell with his clothes on, was perfect. He had broad shoulders, slim hips and a lot more muscles than she’d expected to find on a computer geek.

  One lean hand jerked from his pocket as he turned and paced away from her. “Are you looking for Trev? Because I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Like I said I didn’t even know he had left.”

  Briley managed to pull her eyes away from the taunt firm backside teasing her with his every step to take another look around the sterile room. She saw a long counter running along the far side of the wall. She imagined the glass-topped case filled with pictures or drawings of the artwork done or available here. Along with whatever licenses and such that were needed to run a business like this.

  The other half of the business overflowed with desktops, laptops and various other computer components. Most Briley couldn’t name or identify, but it still gave her a secure feeling that someone in the building would know how to fix her laptop.

  There on the far end of the counter sat a large white message board. She grinned as she read the words. Trev must really have a sense of humour or know Carter well.

  “I believe there was a minor emergency with Bull. He wanted you to lock up after you finished with the gun, but turn off the outdoor lights for the night.” She fought a grin as he turned to look at her, astonishment written all over his handsome face. “The lights were to discourage customers. Too bad, huh?” she teased, unable to repress her smile.

  “How…” He followed her gaze to the message and returned her grin. “Guess I should have known. No one’s bothered me in the past,” he flicked a quick look at his watch and his eyes widened, “wow, two hours.”

  “I take it you are not one of the tattoo artists here?” Briley would have liked to feel his hands on one part of her anatomy. Too bad she wasn’t in the market for a tattoo. She would have splurged and bought new underwear for the event. Okay, so she probably would have stolen them from the goddess designer of real size clothing, Trinity. But if her friend thought Bri might have a chance to end her sexual drought Trin would have donated an entire suitcase of naughty underwear.

  “Oh no, Trev’s my brother. I came in tonight to fix one of the guns and must have tuned out when he told me what was going on. Bull’s his dog, but I guess you must know that.” Again, the colour in his face deepened and the flush enchanted her. Though why he’d think she’d know anything about Trev’s dog confused her. “I can take a message, if you want.”

  She opened her mouth to say no that she’d return on another night. Ha, like Briley would survive the next hour without her computer, much less twenty-four of them, but Carter cut her off.

  “Oh crap, you’re not one of my brother’s women, are you? Because I wasn’t trying to come onto you or anything when I said you were beautiful. You were… I mean you are, but I was just stating a fact not trying to get into your pants.”

  “I’m not sure if I’m flattered or insulted.” She gave him a long, considering look, all the way down his long form to his surfboard-sized shoes, which tapped in a nervous pattern. Hmmm, they—whoever in the hell they were—always said you can tell a lot about a man by the size of his feet. Judging by those kickers, Briley might need a change of underwear before the night was through. “But no, I don’t know your brother. I just came in here to get a crash cart for my laptop,” she said, letting him off the hook.

  He let out a breath she hadn’t known he was holding. “Good.” His dark head bobbed up and down, causing that lock of hair to fall back over his eye. “That’s good.”

  “I don’t really think so. My entire life is on this thing,” she explained, holding up the white laptop. “I’m not sure I can survive the separation.”

  “Oh man, I didn’t mean good that you’re computer went nuts. Just that you’ve come to the right place to get it fixed.”

  She blinked up at him in surprise and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, okay. So you’re going to be my hero?”

  Colour again darkened his cheeks at her words. She’d never seen a man blush so much. “Depends on how bad it is.”

  “Oh…” Here, she hesitated not sure how much to reveal to a man she’d just met and one who wouldn’t be seeing her out of her pants anytime soon. After all, her laptop literally held everything in her life, from her work contracts to the porn Recee insisted on sending her. How much would he learn about her in the course of bringing her machine back to life? “Well, it made a few gurgling noises, one really low beep of protest then BAM the blue screen of death.”

  “Gurgling noises?” He rocked back on his heels and looked thoughtful. “You have backed up, right?”

  Since he made it a statement instead of a question, Briley felt no need to explain or offer details. She simply agreed. “Yes, I did.”

  “If you have the backup disk, I can take a look at it now. Then reinstall your information from the disk. We’ll have you up and running in no time.”

  Relief washed over her until the rest of his words sank in. “There’s supposed to be a disk?”

  “Yeah, if you back up your work every night then the computer requires a disk, external hard drive or a memory card. It stores all the information,” Carter said slowly, like he’d suddenly found himself in a conversation with a not too bright two-year old.

  “Crap, I knew those were angry noises. I mean it�
��s like the stupid thing yelled at me every night. I just thought it was tired and sick of me. Who knew it really wanted something?” she complained, thinking back to the weird sounds the stupid thing had made every night at one in the morning.

  Carter’s lips tilted in a half smile. “It wanted a way to store the information, but I’m guessing you don’t have it.”

  “Nope, like I said I thought he was just spouting off steam. You know cursing me in computer language,” she told him, keeping her eyes off the man in front of her. Damn it, could she sound like a bigger idiot in front of a hotter guy? Some days, Briley was certain the universe was out to get her. Today definitely felt like one of those days. Oh yeah, if anyone ever asked her to sign a petition to ship the stupid people of the world on to their own island, Briley would chip in for the airfare. Then, take her place at the head of the line.

  Barely resisting the urge to smack herself upside the head, she finally gathered enough courage to look at the genius in front of her. Did he think she was the slow girl from down the lane? “Guess you hear a lot of stupid people saying even stupider stuff?” The hopeful tone could not be kept out of her voice. She didn’t want to be the moron who thought her computer cussed in this man’s memory.

  “I’ve heard worse things,” he admitted, his smile showcasing twin dimples that made her heart leap and her thighs clench.

  Oh hell, not dimples, too. She desperately wanted to fan herself. The sudden heat wave made her excessively warm in her winter coat.

  “Let’s see what we’re looking at?”

  Silently, afraid to incriminate herself worse in his eyes, Briley handed the white and pink machine over to his tender mercies.