by Lynn LaFleur
Scandal and Sin
Lynn LaFleur
First in the Men With Tools series.
Rye Coleman falls in lust with Alaina May the first time she walks into the office of his construction firm. During the tour of the old house that she wants to renovate, that lust takes over when Alaina falls on a broken step, right into his arms. Sex is hard and fast, and he imagines a lot more of it—until she tells him she’s the sister of the woman who humiliated him in front of the entire town three years ago.
Rye accepts the remodeling job, but refuses to have anything personal to do with Alaina. He can’t be sure she won’t treat him like her sister did. But Alaina is determined to convince Rye she’s nothing like her sister. A picnic meant to thank him for his hard work turns into the first of many nights of lovemaking.
A murder from seventy-five years ago, a ghost in the old house and a modern-day man determined to stop the remodeling threaten the blossoming love between Rye and Alaina.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Scandal and Sin
ISBN 9781419929632
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scandal and Sin Copyright © 2010 Lynn LaFleur
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication December 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Scandal and Sin
Lynn LaFleur
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Botox: Allergan, Inc.
Dr Pepper: Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
Harley: H-D Michigan, Inc.
It’s a Wonderful Life: Republic Pictures
Liquid Paper: Liquid Paper Corporation
Post-It: 3M Company
Sonic: America’s Drive-in Brand Properties, LLC
Tarzan: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Visa: Visa International Service Association
Chapter One
April 4, 1937
I watched him yesterday afternoon. He stood in the doorway of the bank and ogled every woman who walked past him. He tipped his hat as a gentleman would, but I could see the evil in his eyes. Some women returned his smile, some avoided looking at him, some stepped into the street to keep from walking close to him. I saw fear on some of the women’s faces. They wouldn’t be afraid of him without a reason.
I don’t like the way he looks at Laura. I see that same evil in his eyes when he is around her. I’ve told Laura that, but my sister always tells me I am imagining things. Laura is so trusting of everyone, so sure the good in a person always outweighs the bad.
I don’t think he has any good in him at all.
*
Present Day
“Yes, Mrs. Olinghouse,” Rye Coleman said into the telephone receiver. “The doors were delivered about an hour ago. My crew will be out first thing in the morning to install them.”
“Not before eleven o’clock. I have a breakfast meeting. Your crew may come tomorrow afternoon.”
Rye was glad Bella Olinghouse couldn’t see him roll his eyes. He did his best to be considerate of other people’s schedules and work around them, but Mrs. Olinghouse was always a pain in the ass. The elderly widow had way too much money and thought that gave her the right to inconvenience everyone around her. “No problem, ma’am. I understand about meetings. Unfortunately, my crew won’t be able to install the doors tomorrow afternoon. They’re already booked.”
“Oh.”
He pictured Mrs. Olinghouse lifting her chin and sniffing in disdain. He’d feel sorry for her if he didn’t know she loved to make people bend to her will. She took after her father that way. The ornery bastard had lorded his money and power over everyone in Lanville until the day he died.
“You aren’t the only construction firm in the area, Mr. Coleman. Perhaps I should order the doors from someone else.”
Since she’d paid for the doors in advance, Coleman Construction wouldn’t be out any money should she decide to use another contractor. Rye doubted it would come to that. Bella had threatened to take her business elsewhere in the past when Rye didn’t jump at her command. She never had. “You’re welcome to do that, ma’am. They’re a custom size and it took four weeks for them to arrive. It’ll take at least four more weeks for another firm to get them.”
“Oh.”
Rye knew she wouldn’t want to wait any longer. She’d already waited a month for her fancy French doors.
“When could your crew install the doors, Mr. Coleman?”
He looked toward the entrance when he heard the bell over the door jingle. His brother, Dax, came inside, dressed in a paint-spattered T-shirt and faded jeans. Rye motioned him forward. “Thursday.”
“That’s two days from now.”
“That’s the best I can do, Mrs. Olinghouse.”
Dax also rolled his eyes as he slouched in the chair before Rye’s desk. Rye grinned. Dax and his other brother, Griff, had dealt with Bella Olinghouse enough to know how difficult she could be.
“I suppose Thursday will be fine, if that’s as soon as you can do it.”
“Would you prefer morning or afternoon?”
“Two o’clock works best for me.”
“Two o’clock it is. See you then.”
Rye hung up the receiver to Dax’s laughter. “The old biddy got you again, huh?”
“Actually, I got her. I refused to give in to her. This time, I made her play by my rules.”
“Good for you. If more people in this town didn’t bow down to her, she’d probably be a lot nicer.”
“She’s a lonely woman, Dax. She doesn’t have any family here. Her children moved away a long time ago.”
“That’s her own fault. Who would want to be around her for longer than ten minutes? You know that feeling you get when someone scratches a chalkboard?” He shuddered. “That’s how I feel around her.”
Rye studied the carbon copy of himself sprawled in the chair. Dax’s hair was longer and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache covered his face. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. His mother had delivered them via Caesarian section, so he was two minutes older than Dax, four minutes older than Griff. Being one of triplet brothers meant very little time to himself while growing up. Rye had resented his brothers for the lack of privacy. Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without them.
He felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have family close by.
“Is the courthouse done?” Rye asked.
Dax nodded. “I put the f
inal coat on the ladies’ room half an hour ago. It looks really good.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
Dax shifted in his chair and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. “So, what’s next?”
“Nothing until Thursday morning. That’s when we start on the mayor’s house.”
A wide smile crossed Dax’s lips. “You mean I have a whole day off? I can sleep in tomorrow?”
Rye chuckled. “You have a whole day off.”
“Hot damn!” Dax clapped his hands. “Now I have to find someone to spend the night with so it’ll be worth sleeping in.”
“I doubt if that’ll be a problem for you.”
“Nope. I just have to figure out which lovely lady I’m going to grace with my presence and my body.” Dax grinned wickedly. “See you later, bro.”
Still chuckling, Rye watched his brother stroll to the door. Dax turned the knob at the same time as a woman’s face appeared in the glass pane. He opened the door and stepped back so she could enter. She looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected anyone to be on the other side.
“Excuse me,” she said in a soft, lilting voice.
“No problem. You can run into me any time.”
Rye recognized the interest in Dax’s eyes from across the office. Rye didn’t interfere with his brother’s love life, except when it came to business. He didn’t approve of Dax coming on to a potential customer. “Dax,” he said in his “big brother” voice.
“Yeah. Right.” He shrugged one shoulder and grinned again at his brother. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.” He waved at Rye. “Later.”
Rye slowly stood and stared at the woman who had entered his office. An oval face, big brown eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips combined to make her stunning. Wavy auburn hair fell past her shoulders to curl over full breasts. She wore a plain brown T-shirt and jeans that gently hugged her generous curves.
His heart thudded in his chest, blood rushed toward his cock. It’d been a long time since he’d reacted so strongly to a woman.
You just reprimanded Dax for coming on to a customer. Business and pleasure don’t mix.
She gazed at Rye, frowned, and looked back out the door’s window. He assumed she was looking at Dax. People who met them for the first time often thought they were seeing double. It was even more interesting when Griff was with them.
“My brother,” he said, adjusting his fly while her attention was focused on Dax.
“Apparently.” She turned back to him. “The resemblance is amazing.”
“We’re two of triplets. Our other brother looks just like us.”
Rye doubted if she’d come in here to talk about him and his brothers. Finding out what she needed would also help him get his mind off his burgeoning hard-on and back to business. “How can I help you, Ms.…”
“May. Alaina May.” She approached the desk and held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m looking for Mr. Coleman.”
Alaina. Not exactly a common name. A vague memory flashed through his mind of a girl named Alaina, but he couldn’t associate a face with the name.
Rye jerked himself back to the present. “You found him.” He took her hand. It was soft and warm, with medium-length fingernails painted a pale coral. He had the strongest urge to raise her hand to his lips and kiss the back. “Rye Coleman at your service.”
She blinked. “You can’t be Mr. Coleman.”
Rye raised his eyebrows. He almost laughed at the shock in her wide brown eyes. “Why can’t I?”
“You’re too young.”
“Should I be flattered or insulted?”
She released his hand and curled her fingers into her palm. She’d been as affected by their hands touching as he had. “You own Coleman Construction?”
“Yes, along with my brothers.”
“I assumed you’d be older. Your reputation is outstanding.”
Rye tipped his head. “Thank you.” He motioned toward the chair Dax had recently used. “Please, sit down.”
She did, crossing her legs and tossing her hair over one shoulder. He recognized the get-down-to-business look in her eyes. Rye returned to his chair and waited for her to speak.
“I want to purchase a house here in Lanville. I’d like to get your opinion on refurbishing it.”
“You’re moving to Lanville?”
She nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’m going to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast.”
Rye thought that was an excellent idea. The small town had two bed-and-breakfasts, but a lot of tourists passed through their area in the summer to visit the state park. The park was the largest in the area and drew hundreds of people, especially in the summer. Tourists often had to go to nearby towns to find a place to stay since the two B-and-Bs filled up fast. It would be much better for Lanville’s economy to keep those tourists—and their money—in town.
“I know I have to check on zoning and all that legal stuff, but there’s no reason to do any of that if the house can’t be repaired.”
“Where is the house?”
“On County Road 311.”
Rye knew every road in the area because of his business. There was only one house on that road that wasn’t occupied. “You aren’t talking about Stevens House, are you?” Rye sat up straighter in his chair. That house was the last place in town he wanted to refurbish. If it were up to him, it would’ve been demolished years ago. “Ms. May, you don’t want to buy that house.”
The excitement in her eyes dimmed, to be replaced by confusion. “Why not?”
“It hasn’t been lived in since…” He stopped and tried to remember so he could tell her how long it’d been vacant. “I’m not sure of the exact year, but it’s been at least fifteen years. I don’t know why it hasn’t fallen down.”
“It definitely hasn’t fallen down. I looked at it this morning.” She uncrossed her legs, leaned forward and gripped the edge of Rye’s desk. “I can see so much potential there. It makes me think of the house in It’s A Wonderful Life. Did you ever see that movie?”
“Only about two dozen times. It’s one of my mom’s favorite movies.”
Alaina smiled. “Mine too. I’m a sucker for a romance.”
Her smile suddenly faded. Straightening her shoulders, she sat back in her chair, once again all business. “Can it be refurbished, Mr. Coleman?”
“Rye, please. Yes, it can probably be refurbished, but I’ll have to look at it to be sure.”
“When can you do that?”
“Ms. May, have you contacted the owner about purchasing the house?”
“If you’re Rye, I’m Alaina. I haven’t talked to the owner yet. But that won’t be a problem. I can be very persuasive.”
Rye didn’t doubt that. Self-confidence practically oozed from the young woman. However, he doubted if Alaina May had ever dealt with someone as unreasonable as the person who owned Stevens House.
For now, he’d go along with her and check out the house since it was so important to her. He looked at the large schedule on his desk that listed all his employees’ names and where they were to work each day. He was supposed to have lunch with the sheriff at one o’clock, but that was pleasure, not business. Instead, he could grab a quick bite and meet Alaina at Stevens House in an hour.
He didn’t want to step through the front door, but business came before his own bad feelings about that house. “How about one-thirty to look at the house?”
“One-thirty will be perfect.” Her smile returned when she stood. “I’ll see you then.”
Rye admired the gentle swing of her denim-covered ass as she walked toward the door. Alaina May had a very nice body…one he wouldn’t mind taking several hours to explore.
Some men liked a woman to be model thin. Rye preferred curves, and lots of them. He’d much rather hold onto a plump bottom than be jabbed with sharp bones when he made love with a woman. He especially loved large breasts…caressing them, sucking the nipples, sliding his cock
between them.
Alaina May’s body would give him a lot of pleasure in bed. Or on his desk. Or up against the wall.
Something about her seemed so familiar. He knew he’d never met her before today. He would’ve remembered that mane of auburn hair and those big brown eyes.
Whether he knew her or not didn’t matter. Rye didn’t mix business with pleasure. While he loved where he lived and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, there was a downside to a small town. Everyone knew everyone and loved to talk. Dax had no problem sleeping with the local women. Rye preferred to travel to other towns to find lovers. It made things less…messy.
The Coleman family had endured one scandal over seventy-five years ago, plus his own personal scandal three years ago. Rye wouldn’t do anything that might cause embarrassment to his family for the third time.
*
Alaina slid behind the steering wheel of her car and blew out a deep breath. She’d been surprised to see Rye and Dax instead of their father Kenneth at Coleman Construction. She hadn’t considered the fact that the father had passed the company down to his sons. It had taken some quick thinking on her part to pretend she didn’t know them. She couldn’t admit her true identity, not yet. If she did, the company would never agree to refurbish Stevens House.
The brothers were even more handsome than they’d been sixteen years ago. And neither of them had recognized her.
That was probably a good thing. She was here on business, not to chase after hunks, even one she’d had a crush on as a teenager. Besides, it had been so long since she’d been with a man, she wouldn’t know what to do. Sex was highly overrated anyway. Making love usually left her frustrated instead of rolling around the bed in orgasmic bliss.
Alaina snickered at that last thought. It sounded like a line from a really bad book.
Her cell phone chirped as she pulled away from Coleman Construction. She pulled over to the side of the road and dug through her large tote, hunting for the phone she misplaced at least twice a week. Finally locating the electronic nightmare, she tugged it from her tote and flipped it open. She smiled when she saw her housemate Emma Keeton’s name.
“Hey you.”
“Hey you back,” her friend said. “How’s it going? Did you buy the house?”