Playing With Trouble (Desire Bay)

by Joya Ryan

  “No, he said I had to ask you? The floor man. Which is not happening. This shop is important to me. It was my mother’s and special, and I’m here to restore it.”

  “It’s foreman, and yeah, you do have to ask me when it comes to using the warehouse in any way.” Which included money. “Since I know the accounts and the business plan and I run this place, that’s not such a crazy request.”

  But Laura shook her head like she’d just been hit in the face. Like this was something devastating in her world. Was she really so stuck-up she refused to ask “the help” for . . . well . . . help?

  After a long moment, she mumbled something that sounded like, “I can do this,” and then faced Jake.

  “Don’t mistake this crazy scheme my father has set up as me reporting to you, or me somehow putting my life in your hands. I’m doing this on my own. And I’m not going to tolerate you telling me what to do.”

  Those words came out harsh, like they’d been broken from deep in her chest, but Jake couldn’t think about why right now. Whatever she’d done the past ten years wasn’t his business. Baughman Home Goods was his business, though. And he’d make sure it stayed in good shape and in the black.

  “And stop with the muscles,” she said, looking at his chest again. “Get a baggier shirt, for God’s sake, I can see everything.”

  He smiled. “So does this mean you don’t want to join the company softball team?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  The woman might irritate him, but she had his heart racing in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.

  A challenge.

  And she wasn’t as immune to his charms as she’d like to pass off, because she was back to staring down at his belt. So he flashed her a smile and flexed for good measure.

  “If you think I won’t go after what I want, you’re mistaken. Because I will. And this flower shop is mine. And the entire business will be, too, since it is connected. So I hope you enjoy working under a Baughman.”

  Oh, he could get on board with doing a lot more than working under her.

  “You know, I do enjoy my job very much. Actually”—he leaned in a little—“rumor is, I get to work here as long as I want for the rest of my life.”

  Oh, she did not like that statement, because her scowl hardened and her pretty face looked ready to crack with fury. But she’d heard Walt same as he had. This was up to them. Thirty days to show how each ran a business. Walt would retire, and good thing for Jake. He’d already been doing a pretty good job running the business so far. He wasn’t interested in destroying Laura’s dreams. In fact, he would continue to think of the warehouse and shop as separate.

  “You know what they say about rumors?” she said in a calm, vicious tone. “They make an ass out of you.”

  He frowned. “I think you’re mixing up your sayings.”

  “Nope, I said it right.”

  A low hum worked its way up his chest. He’d forgotten how much fire she had. They’d never been enemies. But they were never overly close. He wasn’t a band geek pining for her attention anymore. He was in charge of the Baughman legacy, the warehouse, and the business funds. Being friends with her had been nice, but fighting with her was kind of fun—a new development that, as of now, got him hot. Laura Baughman was a challenge and a turn-on. One look at her told him she’d forfeit her flower shop endeavor the moment one of her manicured nails broke. Another part of him wanted to believe in her. But he didn’t know Laura like he had ten years ago. Who knew what she was willing to do and where she was willing to run? Because while he didn’t know the details, she’d run away from home once, only to run right back.

  He’d never expected Laura to ever come home, and honestly, Jake had never thought she’d really claim any part of the business if she did. And she already had ideas. Something he’d get to the bottom of, but first he had to make her aware of this situation.

  “I understand you’re excited about the flower shop. But the warehouse is what makes the money. The shop is mostly an office and—”

  “And I’m going to change that. There’s no flowers in there. It looks more like an office.”

  “Well, because it is.”

  “No, it’s going to house and sell flowers.”

  “So you’re talking about start-up capital, and that is something we need to discuss, because the profit comes from the warehouse.”

  “This is my family’s business, and that means that it’s part of whatever it is you’ve been doing the past few years.”

  “Ten,” he said, getting aggravated. “Ten years. Same number of years you’ve been gone, having no idea what’s going on. Now you’re here, ready to claim a business when it looks like you just lost a fight with a mud puddle,” he said.

  “It was a pothole, and it was particularly aggressive, I assure you. In fact”—she waved her hand, which was still gripping a busted shoe, in his direction—“that’s something that should be fixed.”

  He laughed. The woman wasn’t even here for a full twenty minutes and she was dishing out orders? Typical. She was a different breed from him. He’d known that back in high school. But it seemed Laura was coming in feisty, and Jake’s patience was being tried. Because the business, Walt, his family, and this town meant everything to him. That couldn’t be risked or messed with. Not even by a Baughman herself.

  Walt worked with his hands. He had taken Jake in when he was eighteen and given him a job. His own dad had split when he was young, and he was the oldest. He had his mother and sister to take care of. And Walt had given him the opportunity to be the man his family could depend on.

  Which was why preserving what he and Walt had built, his legacy, was so important to him. Jake wanted to buy the business so it could be run correctly and make Walt proud even after retirement. Unfortunately, nearly all of the equity he’d put into the company was sweat. And it was still Walt’s. And Walt wasn’t very helpful in settling disputes.

  “You can’t start barking orders when I’m not even sure you’ll last a week here,” Jake said.

  Her gaze shifted, like his words cut her somehow. She opened her mouth to yell, maybe defend herself, then snapped it shut. She thrust her chin in the air and said, “This is my home and my hometown, and I’m here for the long haul. The past doesn’t matter, and it’s none of your business anyway. I’m here now. Claiming the flower shop. And”—she clasped her hands together and glanced around—“there’s a lot that needs to be done around here.”

  Jake agreed. The warehouse was constantly busy, and he was always either hauling bark or visiting construction sites to drop off lumber.

  Baughman Home Goods’ biggest moneymaker was what went on behind the poor excuse for a gardening shop out front. They were the key supplier of lumber and rock in the area. No one came in for flowers; they came in for supplies. Hell, they didn’t even stock and sell flowers anymore. This turn in the business was what had kept Walt from going under years back. And Jake would make sure it stayed that way.

  “I want a key to the floral shop door,” Laura said.

  He chuckled. “Honestly, Laura, all kidding aside. How long do you think you’ll last here? Your quote in the yearbook was ‘Never stay still and always chase the bigger and better.’”

  She looked at him dead in the eye. “Well, that was then. I’m home now. And I’ll be home long enough to outlast you and make these thirty days skyrocket in profit and prove I can run this place.”

  Oh, that got his blood heating another degree. He pushed off the forklift he’d been leaning against and invaded her personal space. “Don’t bet on that. I have more stamina than you can imagine.”

  Her lips parted and her shaky inhale was the only indication that he was getting to her. Which was exactly what he needed to be doing. Because the air was charged with heat, aggression, and passion. He was ready to kiss her, swat her ass, make her beg and scream his name. All of it. Which was a bad idea. She was wrong for him, and the boss’s daughter to boot. He was set to take over an
d he wouldn’t go risking his reputation—especially with Walt—or the business on Laura’s ideas. Besides, she had a track record for blowing in like a tornado only to run off after the damage was done. The sooner she was ready to either stay or quit, the sooner Jake could officially take over for Walt and officially get over Laura. Something he hadn’t realized was a problem until just today.

  At the very least, he had to make her see that this was a hard business. He also had to try to get his dick under control, because Laura Baughman was standing in front of him ripe for the picking. She was also a distraction. For God’s sake, he was hard just from staring down her wet top, mile-long legs, and incredible ass.

  “Come on, Laura . . . whether it’s now or in a few days, the end is the same. You’ll run right back to where you came from.”

  “You’re wrong. This is my home. My business. And this is where I’m staying.”

  “You don’t sound sure about that,” he challenged.

  “I am.”

  “Because you’re so good at sticking around?” he said.

  She frowned. Like he’d hurt her feelings. Which wasn’t what he was going for—he just needed her gone. Already she was messing with his mind. So he slapped on a smile like she didn’t affect him and watched her throat bob on a hard swallow.

  Jake wasn’t sure what he was doing. What he did know was that he was drawn to her. If she was going to be around for any length of time, that was going to be a problem. Call it crazy or stupid or full-on lust, but he was feeling all three for the blonde before him, and that needed to stop.

  “I’m staying. And there’s nothing and no one who can push me away,” she said with finality. But he didn’t miss her perusal of him.

  Her gaze drifted to his mouth and her words were coming out a little raspier than before. Oh yeah, he affected her, too. Another reason he needed to get her high-class—perfect—ass away from him. Which would be tricky, considering she was all up in his space.

  “One more thing.” She took a step closer. “Don’t get too comfortable, Jacob.” Another step, and her voice was low and made his jeans impossibly tight. “This little stunt my father pulled with his ‘Work it out, kiddos’ isn’t going to last forever.” She trailed a finger down his chest, giving sight to the fighter in her. “My first order of business is to make this my business. You never know—you may want to leave all on your own.”

  With that, she turned on the only heel she had left and strutted that sweet ass away, deeper into the warehouse, leaving him raging pissed and desperate as hell to go another round with her—preferably in his bed.

  Because there was no way he was going anywhere. The battle was set. And Jake was playing for not only his own livelihood, but Walt’s legacy and the only business he’d ever had.

  “Deep breath . . . ,” Laura told herself as she limped around the large pieces of machinery and away from the sinfully sexy Jacob Lock. He’d filled out quite a bit since she’d seen him last. He should be nothing more than an annoying obstacle. Not tall, dark, muscular, and . . . did she mention sexy?

  It’d taken everything she had to feign confidence, because when she laid eyes on him, a few more puzzle pieces slid into place, and they hurt. Her father had trusted Jacob. Clearly, he was the one who had been running the business. Sure, she had a place at the flower shop and her mother’s memory and wishes with that. But her father loved Jake. Trusted him. And now she more or less had to go through Jake? She’d spent the last decade being kept on a leash by her ex, and her fresh start and penance to her mother were now dictated by Jake’s grace?

  No.

  It broke her heart thinking of that. She needed to change . . . everything. She couldn’t go back, no matter how much she wished she could. She could only move forward, and she would. She’d keep her promise to her mother to make sure the flower shop lived on. Even though it had taken her a long time to find her way, Laura was finally home, and she felt like she just might be heading in the right direction for the first time in ten years.

  She hadn’t meant to be snippy with Jake, but between catching her off guard and now her father’s stipulations, Jake was an obstacle. A giant, sexy, chiseled obstacle that she had to get past for the sake of her soul and her mother’s memory. Because if Jake was set to run the business as a whole, the shop would be gone forever. He obviously didn’t care about it; otherwise it would be open now.

  She’d prove her worth. That she didn’t need babysitting or to go through Jake for anything. She’d do this on her own. That was the point. But Jake was making that—and her no-dating rule—really difficult at the moment. Celibacy sucked, and it was wearing on her. Especially since Jake was right—he was not the same as he’d been high school. He looked more than capable of handling a woman’s pleasure.

  But she wouldn’t daydream about that. There were too many other questions she had to sort through. But she knew two things: first, this was her chance to try to build a life and get closer to her mother’s memory, and second, Jacob Lock was the son her father had never had.

  Her father valued him. Maybe her father wanted to leave his legacy to Jacob? Either way, he’d given her the chance to run the shop. And she wouldn’t fail. Because she still had a shot to have it all and make her mother proud.

  She shook her head, warding off the pity party. She wasn’t going to let the past rule her. All the awful insecurities that had been drilled into her head that she was flighty, useless . . . no. She wouldn’t listen to that. She’d made a promise to herself that she would be strong. Assertive. This was her moment to be anyone she wanted to be. And she wanted to be her mother’s daughter. One she could be proud of. One who didn’t run away.

  She also needed hope for the future since she had very little in the present other than this opportunity. And she’d cling to that. She might be in over her head—she looked up to the lifter thingy’s jawlike bucket literally over her head—but she was smart and a hard worker. Sure, she’d been popular and the prom queen, but that—along with her spotty record of bad choices in men whom she’d had to prove herself to—was exactly why this fresh start was so important. She was determined to make the most of this chance.

  Surely, she could do this. Run the office and shop and contribute. She could make Baughman Home Goods a bigger success than ever. Outshine the warehouse, even! Okay, maybe that was a bit ambitious, but she’d learn and she’d help. Granted . . . she just wanted to run a flower shop, not lumber and gravel central. But still, she could do it. And her first order of business was to revive the flower shop. She had a month to figure her life out and turn a profit before her father would intervene and make Jake her permanent boss—or her his.

  Jacob was going to be a problem, though. If she were honest, she’d admit that she was attracted to him. Looked a little long at his chiseled jaw and firm, full lips. Wondered what it’d feel like to be on the receiving end of all that strength and power . . .

  Good thing she wasn’t being honest.

  Nothing about this situation was great. But she’d manage. She had to. For once in her life, she would come through for herself. She was used to being alone, used to being underestimated, but this time? She needed a win. And she couldn’t let Jacob Lock, with his persuasive mouth or rock-hard body, distract her. He was the competition.

  Her mind was clouded with thoughts of their encounter. Every syllable his husky voice had uttered had made her want to choke on all her words, because what she was greeted with was more than a surprise—it was shocking.

  He was six-plus feet of solid muscle. In a fitted blue T-shirt that had oil and dirt smeared on it and low-slung blue jeans that were worn to perfection in every possible way, he could easily pass as a member of the superhero squad. Not the band alum and nerd she remembered.

  He was a little dirty, a lot down-home, and not big city in the slightest. A trait she kind of liked. Because the mere way he wore that brown leather belt and those scuffed-up work boots made her hormones jump for joy.

  Yeah,
she had been staring. She was also painfully aware that she resembled a drenched, lopsided poodle. He pulled off the damp look better than she did. The moisture from the rain made his T-shirt cling to his skin, giving her a glimpse of a perfectly chiseled chest and abs.

  But all that didn’t matter. He was the one person that was the exact kind of wrong. Did she want to stop pining for men she had to prove herself to? Wanted to stick to her no-dating rule? Then she needed to stay far away from Jacob Lock. Because even thinking of dating made her think of sex, so that was a bad idea, too. He obviously wasn’t her biggest fan. So for now, it was wise to forget the way those icy-blue eyes made her wet body even wetter.

  “Already lost? The exit is back that way.” That same raspy voice belonging to her newly acquired nemesis boomed out. He accompanied his words with a hiked thumb in the direction she’d come.

  “Does anyone work around here?” she snapped. Desperate to find someone that wasn’t him.

  “Yeah. Me. A lot. The crew took off at four.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there was one last delivery that I could handle myself. And Carl’s son had a T-ball game he needed to get to. No sense in keeping on good men and having them miss important stuff just for the sake of an hour.”

  She glanced down the front of him. Yes, she believed that. The man was built to handle lots of things. Heavy machinery included. And he was nice, too? Of course, he’d always been nice. He also used to wear headgear. Which was what she was trying to focus on instead of how perfectly straight and white his teeth were.

  “What about the floral shop? Dad always kept it open until five. It doesn’t look like it’s been open all week.”

  He looked at her for a long moment. “It hasn’t been open for a lot longer than that. We don’t go in there much, unless we’re doing payroll or the books. The majority of our business happens out back.”

  She glanced around, trying not to let her heart hurt with that tidbit of news. The floral shop was the only part of this whole operation she thought she could handle. And like Jake had said earlier, it was a glorified office. First rule in marketing was understanding what your business was selling. So like it or not, she had to understand the business as a whole. Including the warehouse.