Marley laughs and motions me inside. “This is my sister, Rian.”
He extends a hand. I’m surprised to see the nails are trimmed and cleaned. Actually, they look manicured. And I think his eyebrows might be shaped. What’s up with this guy?
His smile is suddenly a smirk, as I slip my hand into his. Then he blatantly peruses me. Like it’s the most obvious once-over ever. “Rian? That’s a unique name. I didn’t realize you and Marley were twins.”
“Fraternal, but yes. And it’s nice to meet you too, Lawson.” It’s a very non-surfer hippie name.
“Come on in and sit down, we can talk about my plan, and hopefully I can thaw those frosty auras the two of you are throwing off.”
Auras?
As we pass through the foyer and down the hall, I notice a doll by a closet door. There’s a tiny little hook beside it, and it looks like it’s hanging up a jacket. Weird.
“Lawson is the owner of this house, and 105.”
“We own a couple more, but yeah, that’s right.” He nods and calls out, “Hey, bro, the Realtors are here!”
“Coming!”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and goose bumps rise along my arms. I know that voice.
I’ve heard the word coming in that exact deep baritone. It’s been growled in my ear along with other words to form phrases such as Are you coming? It’s been taunted against my lips: I can feel you coming again and Ah, fuck, I’m coming. Flashes of last night strobe behind my lids with every rapid blink. Now that I’m no longer coming like a porn star on ecstasy, I’m wholly embarrassed by my horribly wanton display. This cannot be happening right now.
The thump of shoes hitting the stairs tells me it is, indeed, happening.
“Oh no.” I take a step back, toward the door in preparation to escape what will surely be a very awkward, embarrassing situation, but it’s too late.
Last night’s orgasm provider appears, and dear sweet Lord in heaven, he looks absolutely edible. His hair is perfectly styled, not a single strand out of place—which wasn’t how it looked last night when he left. I’d had my hands in it a lot, particularly when he’d gotten on his knees for me. I need to return that favor. Next time maybe … wait. No. We’re representing them as agents. This is bad, on so many levels. There should not be a next time. No matter how much my vagina wants there to be one. Or the rest of me.
My face must be the same shade as a stop sign, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do to avoid this epic train wreck. Pierce does not seem like the kind of guy to let something like this slide. Beyond the embarrassment, I recognize that this whole thing seems rather suspect.
“Oh shit,” Marley mutters.
I’m outside of Pierce’s line of view, hidden somewhat behind Marley and a pillar. He rolls the sleeve of his crisp white dress shirt—his is actually buttoned and he’s wearing a tie, it’s hot pink—and turns his attention away from his brother, who’s busy grinning like a fool, in our direction. That tie is like a flare signal, and I have to wonder if I’ve been set up by this guy, and what the damn purpose is if that’s the case.
He stops short as his gaze lands on Marley and then moves farther to the right, to me.
His tongue sweeps out to wet his bottom lip. If I thought Lawson’s perusal was blatant, it’s got nothing on Pierce’s. I feel as if I’m being undressed when his gaze moves over me.
His delectable mouth curves up at the corners, one side tipping higher. “This is a surprise.”
“Yes. It is that.” I nod slowly in agreement, uncertain as to whether or not his is as authentic as mine.
“So you two know each other?” Lawson is bouncing on his toes, still smiling.
“We sure do.” Pierce’s grin widens.
When will the embarrassment end with this man?
CHAPTER 12
FATES ALIGN
PIERCE
Normally I don’t buy into the idea of fate or kismet, or any of that other bullshit. But even I can recognize how unreal this continued running into each other has become. Inside of a few weeks, I’ve gone from a couple of chance meetings to these highly unlikely collisions.
Rian looks like a deer caught in headlights. A very beautiful, somewhat angry deer, with wide, panicked eyes. She’s wearing a very conservative, ultrafeminine dress that’s probably meant to make her blend into the background. She’s highly unsuccessful. Especially in contrast with her sister’s overly loud, extra beachy outfit. The absence of color puts the focus on her face. Her sandy brown hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders, curling at the ends. I had my hands in that hair last night. It’s soft, and it smelled like the ocean and some citrusy, fresh shampoo.
She takes a halting step away from me, and her hand flutters up to her throat. The same throat my lips were on, the one my palm was curved around. Her tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip on a quick exhale.
It’s obvious she wants to bolt, and I suppose I can understand why. Our rather unconventional introduction seems to be pushing far outside the realm of anything considered normal.
“I’m so confused,” Rian says. “What’s happening right now? Is this some kind of prank?” She looks to her sister. “Are you responsible for this?”
Marley shakes her head. “I’m as stunned as you are.”
Rian rubs her temples. “So let me get this straight. You two are brothers and you own this place together?”
“No, this is my place, but Pierce is crashing here for the summer,” Lawson replies with a smile. “However, we co-own the property we’ve taken off the market.”
“What about the place we’re currently staying, sixty-nine? Do you both own that too?” Marley asks.
“Correct.”
“May I please use your bathroom?” The color has drained from Rian’s face, which concerns me.
I point down the hall. “There’s a powder room around the corner.”
“Thanks.” Rian grabs Marley by the wrist and hauls her away.
They both disappear inside and the door slams shut, followed by the low whir of the ceiling fan.
“So that’s your hot fuck from last night, huh?”
I’d like to slap the grin off Lawson’s face. “Keep your voice down, asshole.”
“Calm your tits. They’re not listening to us.” He motions to the closed bathroom door, which does little to muffle the high-pitched, yet hushed tones coming from the other side. “This is a very interesting turn of events.”
“It sure is.”
“Marley’s the one who hit your car, right?”
“Yeah.”
Lawson strokes his beard. “You know, we could make this work to our advantage.”
“Whatever you’re scheming, you can stop now.”
He splays his hands on the counter. “Just hear me out. We could get them to lower their commission on the other property, and if you’re sleeping with the twin, I bet we’ll get great insider information. You rock starred that shit last night, right? Or wait, did you pull a fuck and chuck? Is that why she’s freaking out? Did you bail in the middle of the night or something?”
“I didn’t pull a fuck and chuck.” I don’t tell him that she was the one who kicked me out.
“Huh, well, she seems pretty sketched out about you being here. Why’s that?”
I shrug. “I don’t know her well enough to answer that question.”
“I’m gonna go try and listen through the wall.” He moves around the island, toward the bedroom connected to the bathroom.
I follow along behind him. There’s no way I’m letting him eavesdrop, so I knock on the bathroom door. “Everything okay in there?”
Lawson gives me his what-the-fuck look to which I arch a brow. The door swings open and Marley steps out of the bathroom. Rian’s hand shoots out and she grabs me by my tie, pulling me into the small space. She throws the lock, leans against the door, and crosses her arms over her chest.
The panic is gone. In its place is wary mistrust. “You need to exp
lain this.”
“Okay.” I lean against the vanity and mirror her pose. “What exactly would you like me to explain?”
“Did you know?”
“Know what?” I’m antagonizing her. I know exactly what she’s asking me: Did I know she was connected to our property, and that she was supposed to sell our flip?
She uncrosses her arms and stalks over, jabbing her finger into my chest. “Don’t play with me, Pierce.”
Her eyes are fiery, hot with unwarranted and misplaced anger, but behind that wicked front is hunger and longing, and a little bit of fear. I get it. I feel it echoing around in my cells. Pushing this woman’s buttons turns me on in ways that defy logic and rationality. “I enjoyed playing with you last night.”
Her jaw clenches and she exhales through her nose. Her cheeks heat, a burst of pink against her creamy, peachy skin.
“Did you enjoy being played with?” I nod, more to myself than her. “I think you did.”
“You are unbelievable. Did you convince your brother to take the house off the market? Is this because I didn’t invite you to stay the night?”
I bark out a laugh. “Seriously? You think my ego is that easily bruised?” I lean down so I’m only inches away from her face. Close enough to see the green flecks in her amber eyes. Close enough to watch her pupils dilate and feel the warmth of her breath pass over my lips. “I know why you sent me home, and it has nothing to do with not wanting me in your bed all night long.”
She blinks a few times as if she’s been slapped. Her expression shutters. Oh yes, I’m familiar with this kind of emotional guarding. I do it all the time. But there’s something different about her, about this connection we share. I’m not willing to back down entirely, but I’ll back off for now. I straighten, giving her the space she seems to need.
“To answer your question, no, I didn’t know. I’m as shocked to see you this morning as you are to see me. I thought you were an accountant.”
“I never said I was an accountant, just that I’m good with numbers.” Rian paces the small space. “How is this even happening?”
“Maybe it’s kismet.” I grin at her incredulous expression and lift a shoulder in a slight shrug. “You have to admit, it’s pretty wild.”
“It’s crazypants is what it is.” She stops her pacing and props her hand on her hips. “Okay, so here’s how this is going to go: What happened between us last night isn’t going to have any bearing on the deal we’re making today.” She purses her lips and points a finger in my face. “And just because I came more than once, doesn’t negate the fact that you and your brother are pulling a house off the market hours before an open house.”
“I can get on board with that. Does this mean that once this deal is done, we’re going to celebrate with more orgasms?” I wink.
“You’re incorrigible.” She flips the lock on the door. Before she can open it, I flatten my palm against it and lean in, crowding her. She tenses. “What’re you doing?”
That’s a good question. I’m not actually sure. I’m being an asshole again, maybe because that seems to be the version of me she responds to the best, which begs the question, what the hell happened to make her so jaded and angry? So I antagonize her, just to see how far I can push. “You sure you’re calm enough to be rational out there?”
“I’m perfectly calm,” she says to the door. The tremor in her voice gives away her lie.
“You’re sure about that?”
“Yes.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
I duck down and whisper in her ear, “Say that when you’re looking at me.”
She spins, hair whipping me in the face. We’re nose to nose. Her expression in no way reflects her rigid stance. She’s the picture of serenity as her eyes meet mine and stay locked there in the gentlest of challenges. They say go ahead and fuck with me; see who wins. They say keep pushing my buttons.
“I’m perfectly calm. Are you?” Her voice is jazz-club smoky.
“Not even a little bit.”
Her brow furrows in confusion.
“I need to tell you something.” I’m too close for her to be comfortable, but I don’t want to leave the bubble of her space. I feel that same pull, the one I felt when I confronted her in the grocery store. The same pull that had me messaging and calling her the week that followed. The very feeling that was missing when I watched her sister scratch my car.
“What’s that?” Her voice is all breathy and soft.
“I really love this dress on you.”
She smooths her hands over her hips. “Oh.”
“I thought you should know.”
We stare at each other for what seems like forever, both of us leaning closer until the tips of our noses touch. We jump at the rapping on the other side of the door. “You two coming out anytime in the next millennium?” It’s her sister.
I push away and Rian shakes her head, but she’s still smiling as she puts her hand on the doorknob and twists. Looking over her shoulder, she says, “Business is still business.”
CHAPTER 13
NEGOTIATIONS: ROUND TWO
RIAN
I clap my hands together and feign calm. I am not calm. I am not okay. This whole thing could blow up in my face and I would really like to keep my face. It’s the only one I’ve got. “Let’s get down to business.”
“I think you did that last night,” Marley quips.
She and Lawson snicker, Pierce coughs from my right. I glare first at her, then at Pierce, who both quickly school their expressions. Lawson’s smile is wide and his teeth are blindingly white against his tanned skin. “Oh come on, you have to admit that was funny. We’re doing business, you got the business from my brother last night.”
“Can it, Law,” Pierce mutters. “And will you please button your shirt?”
“I don’t like being confined by fabric.”
Pierce shakes his head. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Sure do. All right.” Lawson slaps a palm on the table. “While you two were having a lover’s quarrel and some super quiet sex in the bathroom—”
“We were not having sex in the bathroom,” I snap.
“Whatever, it’s cool either way. Just as long as there aren’t any messes to clean up, we’re golden.” He gives me the thumbs-up. “So this is how it’s going down. I received some intel that our neighbor two doors down are putting their bungalow on the market tomorrow. I want to get in there and put an offer on it before it goes public.” He points to Marley. “And I need you to work your magic to make that happen.”
“Who told you they were putting it up for sale?” Marley glances at me, a hint of potential accusation in her eyes.
I try to use facial expressions to indicate that I in no way divulged that information to Pierce last night. I was far too busy having orgasms to talk about what houses might be for sale on the beach. Besides, he didn’t even know what I do for a living until now, and I didn’t realize he wasn’t just a landlord.
“I might’ve had a conversation with their granddaughter the other day. So I’m thinking, since you owe my brother some money for damaging his car, you can get us in to see it first and give us a break on the commission. Drop it by a percent or something.”
“No. Absolutely not,” I cut in. “First of all, I’ve already given Pierce a check for the paint and that has nothing to do with the sale of the house. So no discount for anything.”
“How about half a percent?”
“Still no.”
“My brother could’ve called the police, but he didn’t,” Lawson says with an arched brow.
“And you’re breaking a contractual agreement by taking your house off the market, so don’t throw out baseless threats in a bid to cheat us out of money we’ll earn by getting you a good deal on the house.”
“Fuck, you’re hot,” Pierce says.
All three of us look at him. I’m sure my face is red again. And for th
e love of all things Coco Pebbles, my nipples have perked right up. So stupid. This guy is way too smooth, too good with his words and his hands and his magnificent man hammer. He’s too intense. It’s bad. Intense equals dangerous. This kind of lust dulls all the other senses, whitewashes reason, makes a person do thoughtless, senseless things; like having sex with a relative stranger on a dryer after one dinner date. And it wasn’t even a real date.
Pierce taps the counter. “I said that out loud, huh?”
“You sure did. Good job holding your cards close, dude.” Lawson shifts his attention back to me and clears his throat. “Okay. No cut on commission. Can’t blame me for trying.”
“Okay.” Marley smiles, no longer pissed off at the situation. “Now that that’s settled, you want me to see if I can get you in to see the property before it hits the open market?”
“Exactly. You think you can make that happen?” Lawson sips a seaweed green shake. It coats his mustache and makes it look like he sneezed all over his upper lip until he licks it away.
“Let me make a few calls.”
Of course Marley can make it happen. She’s the agent on the house Lawson is talking about. All she has to do is call the owner and set up a walk-through. All I need to do is draw up the paperwork. And we’ll make full commission on the sale, which could put us in an excellent position financially. It means we might finally be able to finance our own flip.
I don’t like how much it seems like a setup on both sides. It feels … dishonest not to let them know that we’re the selling agents.
But I know Marley, and she isn’t going to tell him we’re the selling agents until she absolutely has to. Not when he’s pulled his house from the market in the eleventh hour. She slips her phone out of her purse and crosses through the living room. Flipping the latch on the sliding glass door, she steps out on the deck, leaving me alone with Pierce and Lawson.
“So, kind of ironic that you’re the lawyer and he’s the one with the piercings, huh?” I gesture between them and wish my mouth and brain would work in tandem instead of independently of each other at times like these.
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