by Lynn LaFleur
He’d taken her against a wall. She still hadn’t gotten over how hot it had been.
Orgasms were rare for her during sex, especially ones as powerful as she’d experienced with Rye. She’d usually get right to the peak, yet wouldn’t be able to get over it. Rye had not only pushed her over the top, but had done it twice.
She longed to feel him inside her again.
She’d hire another construction firm to refurbish the house, but it wouldn’t be the same. She wanted the best to do it, and she knew that would be Rye’s company. Plus with his company working for her, she’d have the excuse to see him every day.
A vehicle pulled up to the back of the house. With her lousy luck, it was probably a deputy sheriff coming to arrest her for trespassing.
“Alaina?”
Her heart stuttered in her chest when she heard Rye’s voice. She scrambled to her feet and dusted off the seat of her jeans. “In the library,” she called out.
He stepped through the doorway, looking absolutely edible in tight, faded jeans and a dark brown T-shirt that matched his eyes. She loved the thick mustache over his upper lip. It had felt incredible when he’d kissed her.
She wondered how it would feel against her pussy.
Right now, that mustache framed lips that were tight with disapproval, or perhaps disgust.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
“I talked to my brothers last night,” he said without returning her greeting. “They both agreed we should take this job.”
Alaina blinked. His comment surprised her. “They did?”
“Yeah.”
“But you still don’t want to?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want. Majority rules with me and my brothers. They say it’ll be a great job for our employees.”
“You don’t believe that?”
He looked away from her. She saw his chest rise and fall with his deep breath before he looked back at her. “Yeah, it’ll be a great job for our employees. New construction is down around here, so this job will keep them busy for months.”
“I hear a ‘but’ after that sentence.”
“I don’t want to work for Alesia’s sister. Her betrayal was a long time ago, but it taught me to be cautious where women are concerned. I know about Alesia’s reputation, and your father’s. I can’t help but think you’re exactly like your sister and father after what happened here yesterday.”
His words hurt, but they also made her angry. He’d given her earth-shattering orgasms, but that didn’t mean she had to accept his bullshit. He had no right to judge her based on what her father and sister did in the past. “I’m nothing like my sister or my father.”
“You’ll have to prove that to me.”
“I don’t have to ‘prove’ anything to you, Rye.”
He stared at her and she stared right back. She refused to back down when she’d done nothing wrong.
“We need to take the keys back to Bella,” he said after several moments of silence.
“Okay.” She noticed he’d said “we” need to take the keys back. “Are you going with me to her house?”
“I called and told her we’d be there by nine-thirty.”
“Thank you for doing that.”
He gave her a single nod, then turned and left the room, leaving her to scramble after him.
Outside, she started toward her car. Rye’s voice stopped her before she could open the driver’s door.
“What are you doing?”
“You said we’re going to take the keys back to Bella.”
“We are. You’re riding with me. We’ll go to my office after we see her. We have a lot to talk about.”
She wasn’t sure if it would be smart to ride in the same pickup with an angry lion. From the stern look on his face, he wasn’t about to take a no from her. “Let me grab my purse.”
He had his pickup started and the air conditioner running when Alaina slid onto the passenger seat. She didn’t try to strike up a conversation with him, suspecting he’d either not answer her or grunt out a one-or two-syllable response. She stared out her window, watching the wildflowers. The bluebonnets were in full bloom. Seeing them always made Alaina smile. She hadn’t noticed any around Stevens House. Planting bluebonnet seeds this autumn was a definite must.
She had to remember to ask Bella how many acres went with the house. She wanted to create walking paths for her guests through the gardens and trees. Right now, the only gardens around that house were of cactus and weeds. It would take a lot of time and effort to make the grounds beautiful. Alaina looked forward to every moment of pulling weeds and planting seeds.
If Bella sold her the house.
Positive thinking. She will sell the house to me. She has to.
Fifteen silent minutes later, Rye pulled up in front of Bella’s house. Alaina didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door since she doubted he would today. Nor did he place his hand on the small of her back when they climbed the steps as he had yesterday.
Alaina began to feel like a contagious disease.
“Am I supposed to let you do the talking?” she asked once he’d rung the doorbell.
“I’m here because Bella knows me. You can do your own talking.”
The maid once again answered the door. For the first time today, Alaina saw Rye smile.
“Hiya, sexy,” he said to Susan.
She blushed all the way to the roots of her hair. “What would your mother say if she knew you were flirting with someone old enough to be your mother?”
“She’d say I have good taste.”
Susan laughed. “I still say you are a devil, Rye Coleman.” She opened the door wider. “Come in. Mrs. Olinghouse is waiting for you.”
Bella sat on her throne, a delicate china cup poised at her mouth. She looked at Alaina over the rim of her cup, then past Alaina to Rye. She gave a small nod.
“Ms. May. Mr. Coleman.”
“Thank you for seeing us, Mrs. Olinghouse,” Rye said.
“You looked at the house?”
“Yes,” Alaina answered, even though Bella’s attention was still focused on Rye. “It will be breathtaking after the remodel.”
One white eyebrow arched. “That’s assuming I agree to sell it.”
“Yes, of course.” Alaina swallowed the sharp retort she wanted to make. The old biddy must love to make people squirm.
Bella waved her free hand toward the couch. “Sit. Would you like tea or coffee?”
“None for me.” Rye took the same spot on the couch where he’d sat yesterday. “Alaina?”
“No, thank you.” She perched on the edge of the couch close to Rye, but not close enough to touch him. “Are you going to sell the house to me, Mrs. Olinghouse?”
She didn’t flinch when Bella Olinghouse turned those sharp gray eyes on her. Alaina saw no reason to be coy. She knew what she wanted and this woman could give it to her.
“You’re rather impulsive, aren’t you, Ms. May?”
“No, ma’am, I’m not. I’ve thought long and hard about this. I want to buy your house. I know with the Coleman brothers’ help, I can turn it into the most beautiful bed-and-breakfast in North Texas.”
“You’re very ambitious. Or naïve.”
Alaina caught herself before she gritted her teeth. She didn’t want Bella Olinghouse to see any kind of weakness. “I’m a hard worker. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. I’ll work right alongside the Colemans in that house. I’m not very good with power tools, but I can use a hammer or screwdriver and I’m a great painter.”
“Perhaps you’d be in the way more than you’d help. Isn’t that right, Mr. Coleman?”
Alaina looked at Rye to find his gaze on her and not Bella. She couldn’t make out the emotion in his eyes. It drew her to him, made her want to know his thoughts. “I’m sure we could find things for Alaina to do.”
Bella took a dainty sip of her tea. “You have the necessary financing to buy the house, if I agree to sell?”
It
was difficult for Alaina to look away from Rye, but she forced her attention back to Bella. Hope bloomed in her chest. If Bella asked about money, then she must be considering selling the house. “Financing isn’t a problem. I can give you a check now for the down payment.”
“You’re determined as well as ambitious.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After one more sip of tea, Bella set her cup on the table next to her chair. “I looked at the house two weeks ago. You’re right that it’s slowly deteriorating. There’s no reason for it to remain standing. I should have it torn down.”
Alaina’s stomach leaped into her throat. She opened her mouth to protest. A firm squeeze on her arm stopped her. She looked at Rye. He shook his head slightly. Alaina closed her mouth again.
“I’m curious to see what you’d do with my old home, Ms. May. I know with the Coleman brothers doing the work, you’ll get the best construction firm in a three-hundred-mile radius.”
Rye tipped his head. “Thank you.”
Bella laced her hands together over her stomach. “I’ve decided to sell the house to you.”
Alaina wanted to jump up and do a happy dance. She didn’t think Bella would appreciate the outburst, but it was difficult to remain seated. “Thank you, Mrs. Olinghouse. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I don’t expect to.”
Alaina opened her purse and removed a checkbook. “I’ll give you a down payment right now. How much do you want for the house?”
“Twenty-five thousand.”
That seemed like a fair down payment. Alaina found a pen and opened the checkbook to write out the check. “I don’t have a problem with twenty-five thousand for the down payment. How much do you want for the house?”
“That isn’t a down payment, Ms. May. I want twenty-five thousand for the house. Period.”
Alaina’s mouth dropped open. She lost the strength in her hand and dropped her pen. Rye picked it up and handed it back to her. “You aren’t serious.”
“Don’t I sound serious?”
“But-but I want the land too.”
“Yes, I assume you do.”
“You’ll sell everything to me for twenty-five thousand dollars?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Do you have a problem with your hearing?”
“No offense, Mrs. Olinghouse,” Rye said, “but that’s ridiculous. There has to be twenty acres with the house.”
“Twenty-two.”
“Land in that area runs for ten thousand an acre. You could get a minimum of two hundred thousand without the house.”
“I’m aware of land prices in our area, Mr. Coleman.”
“You’re willing to throw away over a hundred thousand dollars?”
“I believe the deal is between Ms. May and me. It’s none of your business, Mr. Coleman.”
“Mrs. Olinghouse, are you sure?” Alaina asked. “I appreciate the low price, but I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
“Shall I take back my offer to sell, Ms. May?”
“No!”
“Then do not argue with me.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. “The check, please.”
Alaina scribbled out the check and handed it to the older woman. Bella laid it on the end table without looking at it.
“I’ll have my attorney draw up the necessary paperwork. As far as I’m concerned, the house is now yours to do with as you please.”
“So Rye and his brothers can start the remodeling now?”
“Mrs. Olinghouse,” Rye said. “Again, no offense intended. Alaina can’t do anything with the house until the land is rezoned as commercial property.”
“You take care of whatever building permits you need, Mr. Coleman. I’ll take care of the rezoning.”
Just like that, Alaina owned the house. She didn’t want to breathe, to move, for fear she’d awaken and this would all be a dream. She’d wanted this ever since her grandfather died five months ago.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Bella said. “I have an appointment at ten.”
“Of course.” Alaina stood. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“I expect it to be glorious when it’s finished.”
“It will be. I promise.”
“We’ll see ourselves out.” Rye took Alaina’s arm. “Thank you, Mrs. Olinghouse.”
Once outside the huge house, Alaina couldn’t contain her glee any longer. She gave a loud “Whoopee!” and turned in a circle, her arms flung wide. “Ohmigod, I can’t believe the house is mine!”
“I can’t believe it either. I don’t understand why she sold it to you so cheap.”
“I don’t care. All I care about is she did sell it to me and it’s mine!” Clasping her hands together in front of her breasts, she gave Rye a huge smile. “When can you start working on it?”
“We have a lot to talk about before any work is done.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m too happy right now to let anything bring me down.”
*
The fact that Bella had sold the house and land so cheaply made Rye suspicious. There had to be something seriously wrong with either the house or property for her to almost give it away. He decided he’d do some checking on his own and find out what had made Bella agree to almost give away her place to a virtual stranger.
“What’s first?” Alaina asked once they were back in his pickup. “Do I have to hire an architect? Can I tell you my vision and go from there? Do I sign a contract with you? Do I pay you a flat fee or by the hour? You hire all the subcontractors, right? I don’t have to worry about that?”
She was shooting questions at him so quickly, he had trouble understanding all the words. “You don’t have to hire anyone. I’ll take care of that. We’ll talk about my fee and the contract at the office.”
“Okay.” She shifted on the seat and turned toward him. “I have a notebook in my car with my ideas. I want to keep the same layout of the house. I researched what colors were used in houses when it was built. I want to use some of those colors, but also mix them with a more modern color scheme.”
“Dax can help you with that. He has a great eye for color. He’s also blunt. If you pick a color he feels won’t work, he’ll tell you.”
“That’s good. I want the house to be magnificent when it’s finished.”
“We’ll do our best.”
“I know you will.”
He could feel her watching him, yet she didn’t say anything else. He glanced at her. “What?”
“I didn’t expect it would be you and your brothers who own the company. I thought it would be your father, or even your grandfather.”
“Why?”
“Because of Coleman Construction’s reputation. I assumed it would take someone older to build up such a sterling reputation.”
“Our dad started the business. We started working for him when we were barely teenagers. As I got older, I wanted to expand the business to include other areas of construction. I talked to Dax and Griff and they agreed it was a good idea. Dad said he’d give us the business and we could do whatever we wanted, as long as he could work for us.”
“What other areas of construction?”
“Anything a person needs. Plumbing, electrical, roofing, flooring. You need it, Coleman Construction can do it.”
“Sort of a one-size-fits-all.”
“Yeah.”
“Your idea worked. Even the queen said you’re the best.”
Rye glanced at Alaina again to see her grinning. He chuckled. “I suppose I should feel honored to get a compliment from Bella. She doesn’t give out many of those.”
“Do you know why she’s so bitter and rude?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Could be she’s lonely. She doesn’t have any family who lives close. I doubt if she has any friends.”
“That’s sad. A person needs friends. I don’t know what I’d do without my two friends, Emma and Kelcey. They’re the best.”
“I
have my brothers. They’re my best friends.”
“No arguments with them?”
“Hell, we argue all the time, but it doesn’t take us long to get over it.”
A comfortable silence fell between them. Rye felt at ease with Alaina, and he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to think about how good she’d felt in his arms yesterday, how her pussy had fit his cock so perfectly. He didn’t want to think about that sexy little sound she made in her throat when she came, or how much he longed to feel her in his arms again.
He couldn’t get involved with another Pearson sister. Alaina was off limits.
Rye had to remember that.
Chapter Six
April 12, 1937
The Sullivan sisters intercepted me at the drugstore, so I did not get the chance to speak to him. Laura is visiting our grandparents in Fort Worth until the weekend. That gives me the chance to try to speak with him again while she isn’t here.
I know she would tell me not to bother him, that he’s a very busy man. I don’t care how busy he is. I must get close to him to protect my sister.
*
Alaina walked into Coleman Construction after Rye opened the door. She tried not to touch him, but her arm brushed his stomach as she walked past. Just like that, she was thrown back to Stevens House yesterday afternoon when Rye had taken her against the wall.
She hadn’t had a vast number of lovers in her lifetime, but that had been the hottest sex she’d ever experienced. His cock had been so hard, so thick…
“Are you planning to live in the house?” Rye asked, taking the chair behind the large desk.
His question snapped her out of the erotic trance. She cleared her throat so her voice wouldn’t sound hoarse. “I’d like to. What do you think?”
“It’s been a long time since I was in the house, but I think there are four bedrooms on the second floor. There’s also a large attic that runs almost the entire length and width of the house. It could easily be turned into at least two bedrooms, maybe three.”
Goose bumps erupted on Alaina’s skin. She could hardly wait to jump in and start the remodeling.
Rye reached inside his desk and withdrew a yellow legal pad. “Guess I’d better start taking notes.” He selected a pen from the holder on the desk. “I assume you’ll want to add private bathrooms to each of the bedrooms.”