by Codi Gary
His scowl darkened. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you. Maybe you should dress more conservatively at work.”
Ryan froze and turned toward him, feeling rage bubble up inside. Amusement left the freaking building and her voice came out strained as she said, “Excuse me? I am covered from head to toe; there is nothing about my outfit that is inappropriate or revealing.”
“It fits you like a second skin.”
His oblivious reaction to her tone told her that he either really believed what he was saying or was too upset to care. Either way, if he thought she was going to take a bunch of double standard crap, he was out of his ever lovin’ mind. “You didn’t seem to mind my new clothes over the weekend.”
“Yeah well, that was in your free time. When you’re here, you need to be professional.”
Her eyes narrowed and she hissed, “Is that a suggestion or an order, boss?”
His eyes met her fiery gaze and he tried to speak, “Ryan—”
She waved her hand to cut him off. “I just can’t seem to get it right, can I? Either I’m a boring prude or I’m just asking for it, right? I can’t just do what makes me feel good, because people always want something else. I have been here, working with you, apparently giving you all kinds of signals, but you never picked up on anything until Gracie got ahold of me. Which begs the question Gregg . . . did you really have feelings for me or was it just Gracie’s influence that made me so desirable to you?”
He reached out to her and she slapped at his hands. “Do not touch me. I’m so angry I can’t even see straight. I’m such an idiot! You have no idea who I am. You think just because I dress differently, that I’m not still me? If you knew me at all, you’d know that no matter who flirted with me or how cute a guy was I would never hurt you.”
He tried to reach out to her again but she snatched her jacket and jerked away. “Be sure to lock up, boss.”
IT WAS AMAZING how easy it was for her to avoid Gregg for the next two days. She’d gone about business as usual on Tuesday, and went straight home after her last appointment. She’d ignored his phone calls and curled up in front of the TV to watch Private Practice, a bowl of kettle corn in her lap. She finally turned her phone off after he sent her a text that said, We need to talk.
Thank God she hadn’t done something stupid like tell him she loved him. Well, at least not when he was awake. She might have said the words quietly while she watched him sleeping next to her. He’d looked so relaxed and handsome, and she’d just needed to say the words. And then she’d proceeded to wake him up in the naughtiest way she could think of. Her stomach hurt thinking how awful it was that you could go from blissfully happy one day to crawl-in-a-hole miserable the next.
Wednesday morning, Ryan drove by The Local Bean and saw him sitting inside waiting for her, so she just kept going out to her first appointment. She tried not to think about him, but throughout the day flashes of his smile or the image of him naked under her as they made love had her stomach in knots. She hadn’t meant to lose her temper with him, but he’d deserved a set-down after insinuating she was dressed unprofessionally. That she was somehow asking men to flirt with her. She had just wanted to feel good about herself, and yes, to be more appealing to the opposite sex, but the minute he kissed her outside Buck’s, no one else had even crossed her mind. But she knew needed to talk to him, and no matter what he said, she needed to just get past it and be professional. She could work next to him even if they weren’t together.
After driving back to the studio, Ryan went into The Local Bean to get the coffee she’d missed that morning. Gracie saw her and gave her a guilty smile. “Hey sweets, just the girl I wanted to talk to.”
Ryan raised her eyebrow. “I know we haven’t been friends that long, but I’ve seen your ‘I’ve done something bad’ look enough with Gemma to think maybe I should get my coffee before you say anything.”
Gracie made her usual coffee with room for cream and handed it to her quickly. “So Gregg was in here this morning and he kind of told me what happened between you guys.”
Ryan stiffened, irritated that Gregg would talk to Gracie about their quarrel. “He shouldn’t have done that.”
Gracie shrugged. “Yeah well, I only got the edited guy version so I knew there was more to it. But I may have made a slight error in judgment.”
Ryan smiled a little. “You? No.”
Gracie glared. “You need to stop talking to Gemma. Anyway, it’s not that big of a deal, but I might have said that he should probably apologize quickly because you volunteered for the singles auction on Friday.”
“You told him what?” Ryan’s voice roared in the quiet coffee shop.
Gracie looked sheepishly around. “I was just trying to speed things along so you guys could kiss and make up.”
Ryan groaned. “The fight started because of a client Gregg thought showed too much interest in me. Then he suggested maybe I shouldn’t dress so provocatively at work.”
Gracie gasped in outrage. “What an ass! That’s not even close to what he said happened.”
Ryan raised her eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, he said you two just had a misunderstanding and he was going to give you time to cool down.”
Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “Oh I need time to cool down, do I?”
“Yeah, and that’s when I mentioned the singles thing. I was just trying to speed the makeup sex along.”
Ryan groaned. “Gracie . . .”
“Okay, okay, sorry. I’ll take your name off the list.”
Then Ryan had an idea. A wonderful idea. “No don’t. I’ll do the auction.”
Gracie’s jaw dropped. “Really? Are you sure?”
Ryan grinned over her coffee cup. “Definitely. It’s for a good cause right?”
AFTER TWO DAYS, Gregg was spitting mad. He’d shown up at Ryan’s house on Wednesday night with a handful of roses, hoping to catch her, but she wasn’t home. He’d debated over waiting for her, but it was too freaking cold outside. Plus, with the mood he was in, he’d probably have just made the situation worse.
What had possessed her to do the singles auction after she told him she was still the same Ryan she’d always been? The old Ryan would never have volunteered for a singles auction, let alone when she wasn’t single.
Technically she is single.
The thought was like getting splashed with cold water. They hadn’t discussed feelings or whether their relationship was exclusive. Maybe she thought that he wasn’t serious. Wait, how could she not think he was serious? He’d met her parents, for God’s sake! And to avoid him like they were kids and he was just an irritating guy she wanted to blow off was beyond immature.
He was waiting at her desk when she walked inside on Thursday, and she looked so amazing it made him grit his teeth with irritation. She’d swept her hair up in a clip, loose curls escaping around her face and neck. She wore her baggy black cardigan over a cobalt blue top with enough flesh showing to make him adjust his body in his chair. She walked right past him and headed back to hang up her purse in the closet.
He stood up and followed her. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
She turned and cocked her head. “Good morning Gregg.”
Good morning? His eyes narrowed. “I called you several times.”
She smiled serenely. “Yes, I know. I got your messages.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “I also left some roses on your front porch.”
She nodded. “Yes, they were lovely. Thank you so much for thinking of me.”
He exploded. “What the hell is going on? I have tried to apologize to you, and you keep avoiding me. And then you show up today like there’s nothing going on between us.”
She blinked at him innocently. “I’m just trying to be professional. I even incorporated some of my old wardrobe to make myself less provocative. Thank you so much for your advice, by the way. I totally agree that I was not being appropriate. I feel much better now.”
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He stalked closer, backing her against the closet door. “Messing with me right now is not a good idea, Ryan. I am beyond furious with you.”
Her tone was sickly sweet as she replied, “But why are you angry with me, Gregg? I took a few days to really think about what you said, and I agree with you. Isn’t that you wanted?”
“Why are you doing the singles auction? Because you knew it would piss me off?”
She looked bored and said, “It’s for a really good cause. Besides, if it bothers you so much, you could always come bid on me.”
His eyes were dark as he placed his hands on either side of her head against the door. “I’m going to beat you.”
“But Gregg, that’s not very professional.”
He growled as his mouth took hers, pushing her back toward the wall, feeling the softness of her body from chest to hips. He felt her mouth soften and her hands push against his shoulders weakly before she slid them over his shoulders and kissed him back with a little moan. He pulled away to drag her into the empty studio closest to them and shut the door behind him. She backed away from him, and he felt raw male satisfaction coursing through him.
He’d never been so angry at anyone in his whole life.
Her tone was low and breathy as she started, “Gregg, you know, this isn’t very—”
“Shut up, Ryan.” Before she could respond, his arms wrapped were around her like steel bands and his mouth crushed hers again. His hands slid over her back to grab her butt, and she gasped against his mouth. When he felt her body surrender and her lips play against his, he softened the kiss, running his hands over her lightly. His hands slid up under her shirt to skim the soft skin of her lower back when the bell rang, warning them that someone was in the studio. He pulled back reluctantly and looked down at her hungrily.
“Hello?” they heard a feminine voice call out.
Ryan took a shaky breath. “That’s Mrs. Cranston. She’s here for her prints.”
Gregg released her with a growl. She turned to flee the room but his voice stopped her. “This isn’t over, Ryan. Not by a long shot.”
She turned around and smirked, “See you at the auction.”
Before he could grab her again, she was gone.
Chapter Six
One day until Valentine’s Day . . .
“HOW’S EVERYONE DOING tonight?”
The crowd of men and woman cheered with enthusiasm and Buck Henderson grinned wide, his shiny bald head gleaming in the town hall lights. “All right folks, we all know why we’re here, so gentleman get out those wallets because as always, ladies first. Our first lovely lady owns her own salon, and if you can win this little darling, gentleman, you’ll get a pretty woman and free haircuts for life.” The guys in the crowd laughed. “We’ll start the bidding at twenty-five dollars; let’s give it up for Katie Connors.”
Ryan felt sick having to stand in front of all these men, and it reminded her of what Gemma had said earlier. She did feel a little like a cow at the fair.
Buck went through the names quickly, and when Gracie took the stage, the flurry of bids was downright aggressive until Eric Henderson offered four hundred dollars. Buck pounded the gavel after three “Goings,” and Eric swaggered up to the stage grinning. Ryan couldn’t hear what Gracie said to him, but Eric just shrugged and unceremoniously dumped her over his shoulder. Gracie hollered at him while Gemma and Ryan watched in horror as the large grinning man left the hall with his prize.
Ryan turned to look at Gemma, who was covering her mouth, and she realized that Gemma was giggling uncontrollably. Gemma was still laughing when Buck called her up on stage.
Marcus Boatman and Mike had an intense bidding war, with Marcus bowing out once they reached $375. Mike came up to the stage to lead Gemma down with her hand resting in the crook of his elbow.
A few more women “sold” before Buck called Ryan up onto the stage. She smiled nervously as he introduced her, and she pressed her hands against her stomach, trying to quiet the moths as she searched the crowd for Gregg. She didn’t see him in the sea of faces and started to panic as Buck called for the opening bid. Twenty-five. Fifty. One hundred. One hundred and fifty.
Her eyes focused on the last bidder’s voice, and Chase Trapasso gave her a wide smile. Another voice upped the bid to two hundred, and Chase countered at two fifty, and still she couldn’t see Gregg. Chase was a good-looking guy, but she didn’t want some just any guy. She wanted the man she was crazy about, although at the moment she was pretty sure she was the crazy one, for loving such a jerk. She’d hoped he would have been standing right in the front row, ready to plop down all his money. Maybe she’d pushed him too far and he didn’t want her anymore.
Another voice yelled out three hundred. Chase held his hand up and said loudly, “Three fifty!”
Panic overwhelmed her, and suddenly she reached out to take the microphone from Buck. He was so surprised he didn’t even stop her as she shouted, “Greggory Phillips, where are you?”
The crowd parted a little, and she saw him standing there next to Mike and Gemma, smiling lazily. He gave her a little wave and she saw red.
“Are you going to bid on me or not?”
He shrugged and shouted, “I’m not sure yet. Three fifty is a pretty steep price.”
Her face turned scarlet and she sucked in her breath before yelling: “Why, you lousy, no good . . . you know what? Fine! Don’t bid on me. I’m sure someone else would love to see my tiny white corset.”
The whole room sounded at once, between gasps of surprise and male shouts of approval. Buck tried to take the microphone from her, and she shot him a look so dark the big biker backed up. She turned back to Gregg and nearly choked on the lump in her throat. He was staring at her calmly, and she blurted, “What’s a reasonable price for a woman, then?”
He had the audacity to shrug again. “All depends.”
“On what?” Obnoxious man. How was it she ever thought he was nice? He was awful. He needed to be slapped.
He looked at her squarely. “On whether she loves me or not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I told you I loved you, jackass!” She handed the microphone back to Buck and started to march off the stage.
“Five hundred dollars!”
Ryan turned around and found Gregg pushing his way toward the stage. She stood frozen as Buck banged the gavel when no one challenged his bid, and Gregg took the steps to the stage two at a time. When he reached her, he pulled her close and whispered, “When did you tell me you loved me?”
She couldn’t look away from his intense expression. “The other night before I . . .” She blushed.
He scowled. “It doesn’t count if I’m sleeping.”
She smiled softly. “Why not? I still said it.”
He put his mouth close to hers and urged, “Can you tell me again?”
Her smile spread impishly and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “If you say please.”
His scowl melted into a resigned smile. “Please.”
She pressed closer and whispered, “And say really loud how sorry you are for being such a jerk.”
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk!” He shouted it loudly and impatiently.
The whole room laughed and cheered. Ryan laughed along with them, and Gregg nudged her. “Are you going to tell me?”
She ran her hand over his cheek, looked into his eyes and said, “I love you, Gregg.”
He picked her up against him and spun her around, making her dizzy. When he set her back on her feet, he cupped her face and kissed her like she was air and he was drowning. The kiss ended when Buck tapped Gregg on the shoulder.
“I love a romantic gesture as much as the next guy, but maybe you folks could move it off the stage?”
Ryan buried her face in Gregg’s chest in embarrassment. He grinned at Buck apologetically, swept her up into his arms and carried her off the stage. She lifted her face up and cleared her throat. “You can put me down now.”
He stopped at
the back door and looked down at her with a grin. “Maybe I want to keep holding you.”
He turned to bump the door open with his hip and she protested. “Wait! Where are we going?”
He looked down at her like she was crazy. “I’m taking you back to my place so I can see that pretty little white corset you taunted the masses with.”
She struggled out of his arms until he set her back on her feet. “Don’t you have something you might like to say to me?”
He cocked his head thoughtfully. Her happy face popped into a scowl and she turned away from him, only to be caught back against his hard chest. He leaned his face into her hair and whispered, “Can you contain that crazy temper of yours for a minute? We’ve already caused enough gossip to last our lifetime. I’d like to have some special moments between just you and me.”
But there were some moments that couldn’t wait, and to hell with the gossip. She whispered back, “Tough. I want to hear it now.”
He leaned down to take her lips again. “I love you.”
She sighed. “Say it again.”
He laughed softly and complied. “I love you.”
She sank into him. “I love you too.”
“How did I get so lucky?”
She smiled against his mouth and whispered, “Beats the hell out of me.”
He pulled back and watched her smile teasingly up at him. His mouth twitched. “You’ll pay for that.”
She laughed. “We should go get some food and head over to the dance. Gracie and Gemma are expecting me.”
“Really? Because I was thinking instead of spending the night with a bunch of sweaty dancers listening to bad love songs, we could go back to my place, where I could do a private photo session of you.” His eyebrows wiggled up and down rapidly.
She pulled away, shaking her head with a smile. “No way! You are not taking naughty photos of me.”
He chuckled wickedly. “All right, no naughty photos. But if we skip the dance, I promise I’ll make it worth it for you.”
She really had no interest in attending the dance, but there was no sense in letting him know that. “Prove it.”