Hot Property (Kingston Bros.)

by Tamara Larson

  She felt like she'd been in a perpetual state of irritation lately. It seemed like she was at odds with everyone. Her life had become just one long argument and she was exhausted. She felt emotionally raw all the time. Like she was in a constant state of wicked PMS. It seemed like her life was spinning further and further out of her control every single day. The more she tried to put things in order the more disconnected she felt.

  She'd like to place the blame for this terrible disjointed feeling at Mark's feet, but he was just part of the problem. She was just lost. And angry. And striking out at everyone. The worst part was that she couldn't seem to help herself. She needed a break, but didn't know how to stop and take one without abandoning her family when they needed her most. And this just made her resent them more.

  Lacey reached out and put her hand on Serena's arm, trying to get her attention. "I'm really sorry. We're obviously still in vacation mode. We spent two weeks in paradise spending most of our time in the buff. Adjusting to normal non-naked life has been a bit of a challenge. Forgive us, okay, and we'll keep our hands off each other during business hours." She grinned and looked expectantly at Jack, waiting for his agreement. He just glared.

  "It's not your hands I'm worried about. It's your other more offensive body parts I'm concerned with," Serena said, moving out from under Lacey's placating hand as she zipped up her briefcase.

  "Jesus. You make it sound like an orgy was going on here or something," Jack grumbled. "Besides, it was after four o'clock when Lacey arrived so the Open House was officially over. And even if it wasn't I think you're forgetting that I have as much right to be here as you do. And if I want to grope my future wife while I'm here, then I will."

  Serena slammed her briefcase down on the countertop, put her hands on her hips and spoke through tightly gritted teeth. "No, actually you don't have any right to be here. You're a house builder. This house is built. Your contribution is over. Now it needs to be sold. That's my area. And I can't do that with you people treating my Show Home like a frigging frat house."

  Jack rolled his eyes and looked over Serena's shoulder towards the great room entrance. "Mark, can you believe this? Serena says we're disrespecting the integrity of her Show Home or some such shit. What do you think? Did Lacey and I drive that buyer away with our PDA, or what?"

  Mark approached slowly, his limp more pronounced than usual. "I don't think that weenie was actually looking to buy a house, so your little game of tonsil hockey probably didn't have much of an impact on his decision to buy or not."

  Jack raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean? Why the hell was he here then, if not to check out my master craftsmanship?" He didn't acknowledge Lacey's snort at his arrogant remark.

  "You need to shut up right now," Serena growled under her breath at Mark.

  Mark ignored her completely and focused on explaining the situation to Jack. Serena was obviously beyond listening to reason. "Apparently that loser has been showing up at a lot of Serena's Open Houses lately. And he was just lurking around out front. He took off when he saw me, so obviously he knew he was busted. I got his license plate, but I doubt it'll be enough to warrant a restraining order."

  "Oh my God. A restraining order? You have got to be kidding me. That's ridiculous." Serena scoffed, and turned to Lacey for support. "Lacey, you saw that guy. Why on earth would he have to stalk a woman? He's gorgeous, intelligent, and financially stable. He's the holy grail of eligible guys. Any woman would be thrilled to have his attention, am I right?"

  Lacey looked slightly uncomfortable. "I didn't actually notice him, but it does seem a little odd that he was hanging around outside. I mean, why would anyone do that?"

  Serena gaped at Lacey, clearly shocked at her betrayal. Where was her loyalty exactly? If Lacey was truly sorry for molesting Jack during business hours then she should be backing her friend up right now, not siding with the testosterone twins. "Maybe he was on the phone, or his car broke down, or he was trying to summon up the cajones to ask me out. There's any number of reasons why he might be sitting in his car. And I'm pretty sure there aren't any laws against loitering in this neighborhood, are there?"

  Jack moved around the island until he was standing right in front of Serena. He pointed one finger at her face and glared down at her. "Listen. I don't give a damn if this guy is out in his car, beating his meat with a rubber chicken. My concern is keeping you safe. Why didn't you mention this creepy bastard before?"

  Serena glared right back and didn't back up an inch, even though Jack was towering over her, trying to intimidate her by looking as hard as granite and twice as stubborn. "He's not a creepy bastard. He's just shy. Mark is suffering from some kind of paranoid delusion. I can't believe you would side with him."

  "Shy?" Jack looked at Mark in disbelief. "He's skulking around like some kind of Peeping Tom and she thinks he's shy?" He swung his attention back to Serena. "Why doesn't he just ask you the hell out? Seems pretty wimpy to me. Why would you even want to date a guy who can't get his shit together enough to make his move." Jack backed off a few inches, a little unnerved at how Mark was glaring at him. Obviously, his friend didn't like it when he crowded Serena.

  Serena looked deceptively innocent. "Oh. You mean the way you asked Lacey out immediately? Hmmm....? Or did someone have to intervene on your behalf because you were too nervous to do it yourself?"

  Lacey let out a surprised giggle and Jack turned his glare on her.

  "I'm sorry. Sweetie.” Lacey said, leaning up to kiss Jack’s cheek. “But Serena does have a point. Sometimes it's hard to take that first step. No one wants to take a chance on being rejected. Even big, strong, irresistible alpha males would rather not put themselves on the line unless they're pretty sure they'll get a favorable response. So maybe she's right, and this guy is just a little insecure."

  Mark moved forward and took Jack's place in front of Serena. "Or maybe he's just a dangerous freak, and we need to stop debating this and start deciding how we're going to deal with him."

  Serena grabbed her briefcase and angled her body as far away from Mark as possible. "Fine. You guys discuss it until your lips fall off. I've had enough of people thinking they have any right to tell me how to run my business. I will not have anyone," she bumped his arm with her briefcase as she passed, careful not to touch him again. "Especially you, interfering with my life. So, please feel free to debate whether or not Karl is a dangerous offender or not. I, in the mean time, will be driving out to a client's property and doing my job. Because that is all I ever do anymore." Her voice trembled at the end, but she did her best to control it.

  She spun on her heel and headed for the door as tears threatened to run down her cheeks. Mark called out to her and Lacey attempted to follow her, but Jack just held her back by the arm.

  Lacey gave Jack a questioning look, but he just nodded at Mark's retreating back as he limped after Serena as quickly as his battered knee would allow. "I knew you were up to something," Lacey said, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck and pressing a kiss to his earlobe. An erotic action that never failed to make him shiver. "You orchestrated this whole thing, didn't you?"

  Jack grinned and wrapped his arms around his woman, lifting her onto the countertop, so he could step between her spread thighs. "Well, not the creepy stalker bit, but yeah, I've been dabbling in some match-making. What do you think? Should I start charging for my services?"

  Lacey couldn't help chuckling. He looked so pleased with himself. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him down until they were on eye level. "Well, considering Serena seems to hate the match you've chosen for her with the heat of a thousand burning suns, I can't really see her writing a check anytime soon."

  "Just a matter of time. If we keep throwing them together, eventually they'll either kill each other or admit they're hot for each other. The way Serena has been behaving lately, I'm really okay with either scenario," Jack said wryly as he began unbuttoning Lacey's blouse.

  Lacey attempted to swat his han
ds away. "Jack. Stop it. They might come back, and I'm pretty sure that door is unlocked. Anyone could walk in."

  Jack waggled his thick, dark eyebrows at her. "I know. It just makes it hotter, doesn't it?" He said, flexing his hips against the juncture of her thighs. "Besides, Serena has an appointment tonight, and I'm sure Mark has some drinking and brooding to do. We're totally alone and I seriously can't wait long enough to get you home," he said, yanking her yellow scrubs top over her head to reveal her lacey pink bra. He buried his face in her ample cleavage and inhaled her fresh clean scent, groaning as he kneaded her breasts with both hands. "God, you smell incredible. I can't get enough of you."

  Lacey closed her eyes and sighed as his talented hands and lips worked their magic on her flesh. She'd been worried about Serena for a while now and did want to get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her friend, but Serena was a big girl and Mark really cared about her. If Serena would just open her eyes and see what was right in front of her, she could have everything she wanted, including a really great guy who was completely besotted with her. The best thing Lacey could do for both of them was give them their privacy. She felt like she owed it to them after breaking up their little horizontal mambo session earlier.

  Besides just one touch from Jack and all she could think about was feeling him deep inside her again, and again. It was like a sickness for both of them. Nothing else mattered but touching each other and re-establishing that physical connection between them that was stronger than anything she'd ever encountered. She was insatiable for him.

  Reaching down, she pulled his black T-shirt off and ran her short nails up his back. He arched and groaned, pressing his hard flesh between her thighs in that tantalizing rhythm that she loved so much. Even fully clothed he knew he could make her come by rubbing against her in just that way and he never failed to take advantage of that fact.

  "Hurry, Jack." She panted, leaning back on the granite. "I can't wait either."

  Jack stood up between her thighs and circled his hips, loving the way she responded to him, even when he was behaving a bit like an impulsive mad man. They'd been together for a year, and yet he still couldn't think straight when she was in his vicinity. Everything about her made him want to sink himself deep into her flesh and stay there until he couldn't move a muscle.

  He was pretty sure Mark was over-reacting with this whole stalker thing, but he would follow up with his friend later. Right now, he needed to make his future wife scream with pleasure.

  *****

  "Serena! God damn it. Slow the hell down." Mark called as he struggled down the stairs after her. His knee was in fiery agony. He struggled to keep from whimpering like a little girl as he jarred it again and again with each descending step. How he hated appearing so weak. Especially to her. Just over a year ago he'd been a professional athlete, impressive by most people's standards, now he was hobbling around like a little old man. He felt like he was a hundred years old. What next? Depends undergarments? Prostate problems? Viagra? Jesus. Anything but that. If his dick went soft, he hoped his head wouldn't be too far behind.

  "What do you want, Mark? I've got to go. I'm late already and my client is only in town for one night." Serena said impatiently as she threw her briefcase into the trunk of her sporty little white convertible. Of course, the clasp on the case was loose and cards, brochures and one-sheets flew everywhere. She swore under breath and then found herself fighting back tears yet again as she leaned forward to gather her things. She could have left the mess as it was, but burying her head in the trunk gave her a moment to recover her composure.

  If Mark knew how close she was to a complete emotional breakdown he would feel pity for her, and she couldn't stand that. She wasn't some pathetic damsel in distress, no matter how much he wanted to turn her into one. She would save herself, thank you very much. If she could just stop bursting into tears every few minutes, she would get her house-selling mojo back, find the perfect non-creepy, non-annoying guy, and live happily, ever-fucking-after.

  Mark finally reached the car and gratefully leaned against the large oak tree shading the sidewalk beside Serena's trunk. Pain momentarily forgotten he watched, amused and riveted, as her bottom bounced and gyrated with her movements as she rustled around in the rear compartment of her vehicle. No, Viagra wouldn't be necessary for him as long as Serena's ass was available for ogling. Good Lord, for a slim girl she really did have some mouth-watering curves. He knew he should be admonishing her about the very real threat that blonde bastard presented, but he was too busy staring in wonder as her skirt crept up to reveal a few more inches of her long, smooth calves.

  Serena stood up suddenly, and glared suspiciously at Mark. He was staring at the ground as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. It wasn't like him not to offer some assistance. She wondered if he was too pissed off at her to risk being in such close proximity. Fine with her. The more distance he kept between them the less likely she'd be to act on her bone-melting attraction to him. If anger kept him away from her then she would keep trying to provoke him. Eventually he would give up and leave her the hell alone. And that's exactly what she wanted. Wasn’t it?

  "Jeez. Mark. Why are you standing around gawking at a crack in the sidewalk. It wouldn't kill you to act like a gentleman and offer to give me a hand picking this stuff up, would it?"

  He narrowed his eyes and scowled back at her. "I would, but I'm a little incapacitated here," he said, gesturing down at his knee.

  Serena's eyes travelled down his muscular thighs and she felt a wave of compassion roll over her when she finally noticed the way he was favoring his bad leg. He rarely complained, so the pain must be excruciating if he was willing to mention it. For a moment, she thought about offering him a ride home or perhaps some help getting to his truck, but that would be a mistake. She needed to stay tough or he would get under her skin again. Besides, she knew Mark wouldn't appreciate being pitied anymore than she would. So she snorted instead. "And whose fault is that? If you hadn't catapulted me against that wall earlier, you wouldn't be suffering now, would you?" She asked with a snide smirk.

  "What can I say? I underestimated your weight." Mark said cruelly, stinging from her lack of sympathy. He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. He hadn't meant to insinuate she was heavy at all. It wasn't even true. If anything, Serena was too thin. Now he'd said the one thing guaranteed to ensure a man never saw a woman naked. Ever. Weight comments were unforgivable and yet he'd just laid a whopper on her. Man, he was screwed now.

  Serena's shoulders stiffened noticeably and her lips drew into a thin line. "Nice, Mark. So sorry if I'm heavier than the women you usually throw around."

  Mark groaned in frustration. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Serena. You're being ridiculous. I don't 'throw' women around. You know me better than that. And I certainly didn't catapult you. I gently lifted you." She couldn't seriously believe he would harm a woman, especially her. Could she? No one would mistake him for the sensitive type, but he wasn't a total brute either. He'd rather break his other knee than hurt someone weaker than himself. It drove him crazy that she might think otherwise. To convince her he wasn't actually some kind of knuckle-dragging Neanderthal he was going to have to keep his hands off her completely. Unless she initiated something. And it wasn't looking like that was going to happen anytime soon. No matter how much he wanted her.

  "Ha!" Serena barked out a single unpleasant note of mirthless laughter. "How would I know anything about you, Mark? Not that I'd want to. You've been gone for years. And let me tell you this. Nothing you've said or done since you came back has convinced me of your sterling character. In fact, all I know for sure is that beer is a big part of your diet, and you seem pretty damned determined to sabotage Jack's business. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" She'd almost said, 'like father, like son,' but even she had her limits.

  Confident that she'd hit him where it would hurt second most, she snapped the trunk lid closed and began walking around the car towards th
e driver's side door. She gave him one last dismissive glance and then slid on her sunglasses to cover her eyes. "Good night, Mark. Feel free to stay home for the next week or so and nurse that knee, okay? I'm sure we'll manage without you."

  Mark pushed away from the tree trunk with a grunt of effort and followed her around the vehicle as quickly as his stupid, messed-up leg would allow. He knew her remarks were meant to be hurtful, but he was numb to any comparisons to his father at this point. He had come to terms with his father's faults after the old man's funeral. Standing by the grave site on a cold rainy afternoon, he'd vowed to learn from his father's mistakes and avoid the pitfalls that had plagued him. Witnessing a squandered life has a tendency to give people some perspective, and Mark was no exception. Getting angry over Serena's comments wouldn't change the past or make his dad any less of an asshole.

  Besides, getting into a shouting match with her on the street wasn't going to keep her safe. He needed some kind of assurance from her that she would be careful before he allowed her out of his sight. Otherwise he'd have to spend the rest of the night following her around. He'd have to stalk her himself to protect her from her actual stalker. The irony was not lost on him. He would gladly play bodyguard if it kept Serena safe but he didn't think his knee would last much longer if he didn't get some ice on it as quickly as humanly possible.

  "Serena." Careful to avoid touching her, he grabbed the car door and pushed it firmly closed before she could get it open more than an inch. "I know you've got to get out of here, but what about that Karl guy? You're going to stay away from him, right?"

  "Mark. Honest to god, you are fixated on this subject."

  "Just promise me that you'll screen your calls. And you'll call me if he shows up at anymore of your Open Houses, okay?"

  At this point Serena would promise just about anything to get away from Mark. He was standing much too close, and if she inhaled through her nostrils she could just barely detect the woodsy scent of his soap. She wanted to lean forward and bury her nose in his neck. Then she'd nibble on his full bottom lip for an hour or two before getting to the really good parts. But his good parts were not good for her. She lost her mind and her heart when she got close to him. No matter how difficult it was to resist him, she needed to keep reminding herself that he was toxic. Mark = Emotional Anthrax.