"They'll be ready."
"Make sure that they are,” Mars said with a tone that bucked no argument. He strode down the marbled hallway and toward the elevator.
Trevor waited until Mars disappeared behind the polished brass doors, then took a deep breath and loosened his strangling tie. Whew! He'd made it through another challenge by the skin of his teeth.
With no assistance from his boss, either. Smythe. The jerk. This whole mess was really making Trevor open his eyes and see the obvious. How could he have ignored the truth for so long of what kind of person Smythe really was? Of course, underhanded practices were common place in the corporate business world anymore. And if a guy wanted to climb the proverbial ladder of success, he had to look the other way, not ask questions, and learn to play the game. Or be benched.
For a lot years Trevor that thought was exactly what he wanted. But he wasn't so sure anymore.
He opened his closet door and pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans and a grey T-shirt. He ran his hands over the cottony soft denim. That is where he could find a good, honest day's work, at Studs for Hire.
The idea of going to work in jeans and a T-shirt rather than a stuffy business suit, appealed to him more every day. Jeans were comfortable, durable, homey. And they symbolized the backbone of this country. Blue jeans represented the average, down-to-earth working man who made this nation strong. Trevor could feel his yearnings for success shifting to become a part of that backbone. There was more to life than cocktail parties, overpriced cars, belonging to the right class and knowing which fork to use.
Besides, Syd liked the way jeans hugged his backside. She'd deny it, but he'd caught her sizing him up on more than one occasion. And the glint in her eyes said she liked what she saw.
Trevor on the other hand would like Syd in even a potato sack. These days, she was the only boss he wanted to shmooze with.
* * * *
"So after putting two & two together, I'm positive Trevor is still working for Smythe and Jones,” Syd said, then took a spoonful of her vanilla chocolate swirl waffle cone.
Knowing this tell-all session called for an emergency run to the nearest TCBY, the girls piled into Sydnie's yellow Torino and took off. Now, after spending the last fifteen minutes filling Casey and Terri in on all the details of her and Trevor's past association, and the real reason she'd left the ad agency, she felt angry. The whole ordeal was too painful to talk about even though all the self-help books claimed letting pent up angers and frustrations go, were supposed to be therapeutic, as if lifting an imaginary weight off one's shoulders.
Only Sydnie felt more like she'd been buried under a rock slide. Life could be so cruel. Just when you thought you could trust someone, wham! They slapped you in the face.
The prospective hurt of being betrayed a second time by Trevor stung too deep to even contemplate.
Sydnie jabbed her spoon into the remaining yogurt in the cone. She thought she was smart enough to learn after the first time Trevor duped her. But no. She had to let it happen all over again just because she couldn't keep her desires in check.
And now, she was faced with a new, even bigger dilemma. What was she going to do about Trevor this time? This time, walking away wasn't an option.
"But I don't get it. Why would he still be working for Smythe and Jones if he's working for us?” Terri asked.
"He's obviously after something."
"Like what?” Casey asked. “Money? You to be the mother of his child? Or just plain ol’ sex?"
"That's crazy,” Syd huffed and stuck her tongue out at Casey before taking a chunk out of her cone.
"Is it really so crazy? You admitted things got pretty hot between you two before you left Smythe and Jones. Maybe Trevor's discovered he can't live without you after all. Could be that he wants to pick up where you left off, on the top of his desk?” She licked the last of the yogurt off her red spoon and smiled.
Sydnie choked at her friends reasoning. They had picked up where they'd left off, only this time it was on the top of her desk.
"I'm not sure what he wants. But that part of our relationship, what there was of it, is over,” Syd said in an effort to convince herself more than her friends.
"Really? Stop kidding yourself, Syd. A man doesn't look at a woman the way Trevor looks at you and not feel something for her. He wants you."
"Don't be ridiculous, Casey.” Heat pricked at Syd's cheeks. She pushed back her chair, tossed their napkins in the trash and strode toward the door, ready to forget all her Trevor problems.
"Why deny it?” Terri asked as they walked to Syd's car. “Trevor is hot. Why not make the most of it?"
"Because!” Sydnie whirled around to face her friends. “Being a hunk isn't the only thing that makes a guy Mr. Right."
"True,” Casey chimed in. “He's got to be a great lover, too.” Casey and Terri smiled and nodded their heads.
"Stop it! Both of you.” Sydnie shook a scolding finger at them. “Trevor Vanden Bosch made a fool out of me. He used me!” Sydnie pulled her keys out of her purse and struggled to hold her hand steady enough to unlock the car door. “I won't go down that road again. Once is enough. Dammit!” She pounded her fist on the roof of the car. “Don't you get it?! He used me!"
For months Sydnie had kept all the frustration, all the hurt, all the anger hidden away from her friends, and she thought, from herself. But now that she dared to talk about it, she discovered she'd never buried it at all. The ugly truth was just lying in wait, holding off for the right time to strike.
"Hey, take it easy, Syd,” Casey said. “Let us help you."
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I can fire Trevor on my own.” Syd opened the car door and plopped down behind the wheel. The passenger door opened and Terri crawled into the back and Casey slid into the front seat opposite Sydnie. “He's on my turf now. He can crawl away on all fours in shame this time."
"You can't fire him, Syd,” Terri said from between the camel-colored bucket seats. “We need him too much. We've got a bunch of jobs waiting that we need a carpenter for. And with the grand opening next week, we can't let him go."
Sydnie focused her attention on the speedometer, longing to race her car to its maximum speed of one-hundred and twenty miles per hour. There was nothing quite like a fast car and loud music to help a girl put things in perspective. She glanced at her friend's expectant faces and knew hot rodding wasn't an option today.
"Then we need to get some more men hired as soon as possible,” Syd said as she turned the key. The 351 Cleveland engine roared to life. She put the car in gear and took off out of the plaza parking lot. “I refuse to be made a fool of a second time. Casey, do we have any new apps we can take a look at?"
"Yes. In fact, we had about a dozen more come in this week alone. And some very promising ones at that. Word is getting around."
"Good. Sort through them and line up the interviews right away. We need to have enough manpower on board if we're going to make this work."
"I've got an idea,” Casey said. “You said that you think Trevor is after something."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, find out what it is. And, in the process, have a little fun at his expense."
"And just how am I supposed to do that?"
"Seduce him."
"What?!” Sydnie couldn't help but laugh. “You've got to be kidding."
"I never kid,” Casey said defensively. “Trevor is after something. It's clear to me from what you've told us, he thinks seducing you will give him what he's after. Step on the court for some one-on-one fun. If he thinks seduction can give him what he wants, it can give you what you want."
"Turnabout is fair play, Syd,” Terri added.
"Getting even is tempting,” Syd agreed. She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
"Then it's decided,” Casey said. “I'll get you scheduled in for an emergency session at my spa as soon as we get back to the office."
"Your spa? What for?"
>
"Honey. You're out to snare a man. You'll be amazed at what a facial and pedicure can do for a woman's confidence."
"Sounds scrumptious. Can you get me in, too?” Terri asked as Syd raced the car down the busy street.
CHAPTER NINE
Trevor pulled on the handle of the Studs for Hire office and about jerked his arm out of its socket. “Damn! Why the hell is the door locked?” he grumbled. The idea that maybe Sydnie was trying to tell him something flickered through his mind. But he'd never allow her to lock him out of her life so easily.
He peered through the tinted glass door but couldn't see anyone. Glancing at the parking lot he noticed two cars, but neither one was Syd's.
"Where is everybody?” Pulling his keys out of his pocket, Trevor turned the lock and stepped inside. First appearances told him all was quiet on the handyman front. “That's odd,” he mumbled as he checked one empty office after another. The place looked as though the girls had all checked in this morning, but then left suddenly. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was only ten-thirty, way too early for lunch.
Where was Syd? Where were Casey and Terri? They should be here, busy at work.
They could be in a business meeting, but if so, wouldn't they have it here?
A terrible thought struck him. What if one of them were sick or, worse yet, hurt? He hurried into Syd's office to see if she'd left him any kind of note explaining their whereabouts. Her computer was on and the screen saver fish swam back and forth as usual.
Papers lay scattered on her desk and on the floor where they'd fallen the night before as he'd lifted Sydnie onto its smooth surface.
He grinned at the arousing memory. If he had anything to say about it, he was going to see that they finished what they'd started here on this desk.
But first he needed to find her.
Trevor rummaged through the papers searching for a note, but all he found were proofs of brochures and business cards for the business. He dug a little deeper and saw her drawings for a business logo and layouts for an advertising campaign. He studied the layouts with appreciation and marveled at Sydnie's talent. She was good at coming up with new, clever ideas.
Very good. These layouts proved why Mars was so insistent Sydnie be the one to head up his advertising for the Stardust account.
She was the best.
Smythe had been a fool not to recognize her unmistakable talent. And he had been a fool for not doing everything in his power to keep her in his employ. Smythe had let her walk out, a box of belongings tucked under one arm, and didn't lift a finger to stop her.
And neither had Trevor. The day Sydnie had resigned from Smythe and Jones, was a day Trevor would never forget. It was the day he realized, too late of course, that he was in love with her.
"Looking for something?” he heard Syd ask from behind him. He stiffened at the sharpness of her voice, but then a wave of relief rushed through him. She was all right. He turned and gave her a genuine smile. She didn't have any scrapes or bruises that he could see, and in fact, she looked more beautiful than ever.
"A note,” he said, “from you. When I got here, the place was locked up tight and deserted."
"Something came up.” She took the ad layout he was holding and dropped it on the desk. “But then if you'd made it to work on time, you would have known that. Where have you been?” She crossed her arms and tapped her index finger on her sleeve.
Trevor saw a flash of suspicion cloud her gaze. “I had a dental appointment” he said hoping like hell he sounded convincing. “Didn't I tell you?"
"No. You didn't."
"Sorry. I guess it slipped my mind."
"Yes, it did. This isn't like your old job where you can come and go as you please—"
"What was the emergency?” he asked, shifting the conversation so he wouldn't have to come up with any more lies today. “Is everything all right? Are Casey and Terri ok?"
"They're fine. We just needed a TCBY run."
"TCBY?” he asked. Trevor couldn't stop a laugh from escaping his throat.
"What's so funny?” she asked.
"Nothing. I guess making an ice cream run first thing in the morning is one of the perks of being your own boss. I'm glad everyone's all right. You had me worried, Syd."
Sydnie stepped out from behind the desk and stood before Trevor. “Did I?” she asked softly. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She moved closer. So close in fact that Trevor could smell the subtle honey scent of her hair. Aftershocks of their rendezvous the night before flooded his body with a blazing ache that was getting damn tough for him to deny.
He swallowed hard and struggled to find something intelligent to say. “Yeah."
"I have another job lined up for you.” She let her head fall back slightly, exposing the hollow of her throat to his gaze.
"Do you?” Trevor could only hope it would be an order to meet her at her apartment for a little box spring adjustment.
"Yes. I think you'll enjoy it.” She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip. Trevor suppressed a groan and shortened the inches between them. Here was his chance to finish the game. And Syd was making it easy.
Too damn easy. Trevor bristled, his gut warning him that possibly the roles of cat and mouse had been reversed.
The phone rang and Sydnie stretched to answer the call. The tip of her breast brushed against Trevor's arm and jolted him with an impact that rivaled that of a lighting bolt. He jammed his hands into his jeans’ pockets to keep from pulling her into his arms and toppling them to the floor in a tangle of scorching need.
"This is Syd,” she answered. She sounded a little breathless, and Trevor grinned to himself. It was nice to know that he affected her as much as she did him. “Thanks, Casey. I'll be there.” She hung up the receiver and blessed him with another view of that sultry smile of hers. Trevor gazed at the perfect, moist bow of her mouth. Sydnie really did have the most kissable lips he'd ever seen.
And had the pleasure of ever tasting.
He wanted to taste them again. Now! Twelve hours between kisses was way to long to wait.
She traced the tip of her finger across his chin and for a second Trevor was afraid he was drooling. Was Syd wiping up after him rather then bestowing him with a caress? Ever since that night in his office, she'd just as soon kick him in the ass as show him the least bit of affection. Could it be she was changing her mind about him?
God, he hoped so. But then, if things got too serious, too soon between them, it was going to make his task all the harder.
For the both of them.
"About that job,” Syd said. She rummaged through the papers on her desk. “I need to clean this off. I can't stand clutter. Drives me insane."
"I could help you. Clean the clutter off your desk, that is. As I recall, we had a good start at it last night."
Syd's hands stilled on the papers for a few seconds before she resumed her search. “Here it is,” she said, giving him no other indication she'd heard a single word of his innuendo. She stuffed the work order into his hand and glanced at her watch. “You'd best hurry. You can't be late.” She grabbed him by the arm and steered him toward the door.
"All right, all right. I'm going."
"Trevor?"
"Yeah.” He stopped and turned around.
"Make sure you do a good job. There's a lot riding on this one."
"Have I given you reason to doubt my skills?” he asked, feeling a little hurt by her implication.
"It's not your carpentry skills I'm worried about,” she said sarcastically. Her phone rang again and she raced to answer it, leaving Trevor wondering what kind of circus he was going to walk into this time.
* * * *
Sydnie moaned softly as the masseuse placed the last of the warm stones on her back. Ah. This was the life. Lounging the afternoon away and being pampered with a manicure, pedicure, and a massage, all fit for royalty, was pure decadence.
This was costing her a small fortune, but Casey was
right. Nothing like a trip to the spa to make a girl feel sexy and invincible.
She hoped like hell it worked. That little scene between her and Trevor in her office this morning was proof that she needed some serious help in the seduction department. Sydnie Riley was no femme fatale.
"Case,” Syd said to her friend who was lying face down on the next table.
"Hmm?"
"It's harder than what I anticipated."
Casey opened her eyes and arched a perfectly plucked brow. “It's supposed to be, kiddo. Didn't you take sex ed in high school?"
James, Sherry - [Studs For Hire 01] Page 10