Hammered

by Desiree Holt

  Now it was his turn to laugh. “I don’t know what this has to do with getting the job, but okay, I’ll play. My folks made it real easy for us to live at home while we were building the business. It didn’t matter where we lived, anyway, because we spent so much time either in that first office we rented or on the jobs. Sometimes we just slept on one of the cots we kept in the office.”

  “You’ve come a long way,” she pointed out.

  He chased a bite of muffin with his coffee. “Yep. And we did everything by the book. That’s something our folks always taught us. Don’t cut corners. Always keep your word. Those things are very important to us, no matter how many projects we work on or how big they are. It may sound corny but our word is our bond.”

  Olivia felt something turn over inside her. Alex McMann was a well-respected businessman. He and his brothers had built an extraordinary company. Yet they hadn’t lost any of the sincerity they’d brought to the business in the beginning. Livy had a bullshit meter that dinged when anyone was snowing her. There was no snow—or bullshit—around this guy.

  She felt something else, something she hadn’t expected. Envy, for him and his brothers and their family. Deliberately she forced it away. She couldn’t let herself be distracted by wishing for something unreal.

  “I’d offer to drive you home,” Alex said. They’d finished their coffee and muffin and Livy was disposing of their trash. “Only I don’t happen to have a car handy.”

  “No problem. It’s a nice walk.” She held out her hand. “Nice running into you. Thanks for the coffee and muffin.”

  He laughed. “My pleasure. Thanks for the third degree.”

  Heat crept up her face and Livy knew she was blushing. “Was I that transparent? I must be losing my touch.”

  “Not at all. It’s just a technique my brothers and I use ourselves to make sure our client is solid. It isn’t just the money that attracts us to a job.”

  He was still holding her hand. The contact sent tingles up her spine and skittering over her skin. Oh, not good. Remember the rules.

  “I’ll be sure to tell that to Frank. He’ll be impressed.”

  She started to pull her hand back but he curled his fingers around it. “Since I can’t drive you home, how about if I take you to dinner tonight.”

  She frowned. “Dinner?”

  “Nothing fancy. Just casual.” He studied her. “Or is that against the rules?”

  “Against the rules?” She felt like an idiot.

  “This can be a business dinner.” He winked at her. “You can finish questioning me.”

  Her head kept shouting No! but her body was screaming Yes! “Uh, sure. Okay. I mean, thanks. That would be nice.” Why was she stammering like an idiot? “What time?”

  “Seven o’clock.”

  She borrowed a pen from the barista and wrote her address and cell number on a paper napkin. “See you then.”

  She hurried out the door ahead of him, waved and jogged off, wondering if she was about to make a huge, huge mistake.

  * * * * *

  ”I think she wants to know everything including whether I wear boxers or briefs,” Alex said to his brother.

  Tyler had stopped by on his way home from a job site and caught Alex just after he’d come back from his jog. The two of them were relaxing on Alex’s rear deck with ice cold beers.

  “She sounds like a barracuda,” Tyler commented, taking a long pull of the icy liquid. “At least that’s the word on the street.”

  “Oh?” Alex lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t think her streets and yours intersected.”

  Tyler clapped a hand dramatically over his heart. “You wound me, my man. Just because I look like I live in a dirt pile doesn’t mean I don’t get gossip from polite company.”

  Alex chuckled. Tyler was the supervisor on all their jobs and dressed accordingly. Women who saw him in his grubbies were shocked when they saw him in his hand-tailored Italian suits.

  “So what do you hear?”

  Tyler took a long pull on his beer. “I told you. Barracuda. Shark. Great packaging but she eats men alive.”

  “Are you speaking of business or pleasure?”

  Tyler shrugged. “Either one, the way the word on the street is. She’s a serial dater. When you’ve served your purpose you’re done. But no one wants to piss her off because it’s well known she’s the power at Concordia. Frank Vincent depends on her very heavily. For a lot of things.”

  Alex frowned. “You mean—”

  Tyler cut him off at once. “No. Uh uh. No hanky panky All business. People who know say she’s the best mind in this business.”

  “Interesting.” Alex stared off into space, his brother’s words spinning in his mind.

  “If what they say is true she’s definitely not my cup of tea. Or yours.”

  “She’s a very astute businesswoman, covering all her bases,” Alex said straight-faced.

  Tyler burst out laughing. “Well, look at you, Mr. Stick-up-his-ass Businessman. ‘Astute businesswoman’?”

  “Okay, okay.” Alex looked across his feet propped on the railing to the expanse of lawn and thick trees at its edge. “But I’ll tell you this. What you hear is spot on. I don’t know about the maneater part but she is sharp as a tack, damn good looking, and she uses every weapon in her arsenal. I wouldn’t want to cross her. Ever. I have a feeling her opinion will have a lot to do with whether we get this job or not.”

  “So I gather you won’t be seeing her socially?”

  Alex tilted his bottle to swallow some beer. “Actually I’m taking her to dinner tonight. Nothing fancy,” he hurried to assure his brother. “Just a casual dinner out. If we end up working together it would help to have a good relationship. Not adversarial.”

  “You watch yourself, big brother. She could be setting you up.”

  “I’m on full alert,” he assured Tyler. “Trust me on that.”

  “Just be sure you know all the rules.”

  “Don’t worry.” He finished his beer, stood and stretched. “Two can play at that game. I think you’re right. She’s Frank Vincent’s bloodhound and she’ll end up taking point on this project. After all, it’s all a numbers game, right?”

  “As long as it doesn’t compromise quality.” Tyler nodded.

  “I’m making it my mission to find out what makes Ms. D’Angelo tick so we can get our game plan together. We’re in the bigs here, Tyler. We aren’t going to fuck it up.”

  * * * * *

  Why on earth am I so nervous?

  You know why, the devil on her shoulder said. You just don’t want to admit it.

  “It’s just chemistry,” she said aloud, then looked down at Raymond, patiently lying in front of the dresser. What kind of a dog name was Raymond, anyway? She’d walked him and fed him, then let him out in the yard one more time. Now she looked at him as if he held the answer she was looking for.

  “What do you think, big guy? What should I wear? Skirt or jeans? Tank top and camp shirt or silk?”

  His tail thumped on the floor and his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

  “Yeah, you’re a big help.”

  She wanted to get this just right, make him relax without giving him any big ideas. Oh, if sex came up, that was okay. Her mouth watered when she thought of him in bed.

  But nothing else!

  She stared into the closet where she’d hung the few clothes she’d brought for the weekend. Casual meant different things to different people, depending on who you were with. Anything from a simple dress and low heels to jeans and a pretty top. Where was he taking her? Ragout’s had what was called casual dining, although how casual it could be with table clothes and flowers she didn’t know. Or Hannigan’s, a nice seafood place on the river. Maybe Bluebonnet’s, rustic chic. Her dining habits were so opposite. She was either in a four-star or five-star restaurant or eating something quick from the deli.

  This wasn’t even a date. It was a business meal, right? Then why was she so worried, the wo
man who knew what to wear for every occasion? Because she’d never had a business meal with someone quite like Alex McMann.

  Or any kind of meal. The dinners she shared with her lovers were more a prelude to sex. They weren’t interested in getting to know each other better than the few nights they’d spend together. She certainly wasn’t. Hidden inside her, buried deep, was still that lonely little girl hungry for any scrap of affection. She’d never put herself in that position again. So she chose her playmates carefully, men who were only interested in the same thing she was—no-strings sex, no long-term commitments. They were as focused on their careers as she was. They were men who attracted her physically, who knew how to treat a woman, and they always parted with no regrets.

  What scared her now was the intense chemistry flaring between her and Alex McMann. What was that all about? She thought she’d left it behind in high school. So what was it about him? Okay, the guy was class all the way—custom-tailored suit that fit his lean runner’s body perfectly. Thick brown hair with an expensive razor cut. Not so different than most of the men she knew. Maybe it was the classic face with its square jaw and aquiline nose. Or the lashes a woman would kill for paired with coffee-brown eyes.

  Maybe it was just the whole package. Certainly when she saw him in his t-shirt and jogging shorts that morning she’s had all she could do to keep her hands away from him.

  Business meal, she reminded herself.

  Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that and maybe you’ll believe it.

  Whatever it was it was driving her crazy. She had business to conduct here. Frank was depending on her to be his barometer on this and she couldn’t screw it up.

  Okay, Olivia. Deep breath. You can do this.

  She took one last look at herself, glad she’d chosen the white jeans with the lavender silk tee, just as the doorbell rang. Grabbing her purse she hurried to her foyer to open the door, Raymond lumbering behind her. And ohmigod! There he was in all his mouthwatering glory, in tight charcoal jeans that molded to his lean hips and a deep green Henley tee that clung to his broad shoulders.

  Oh, she was going to be in deep shit if she didn’t watch herself.

  His gaze traveled the length of her body and he let out a slow whistle, then grinned. “Is it appropriate to whistle at a business associate?”

  Unaccustomed heat crept up her cheeks. “Of course. As long as it’s strictly businesslike.”

  Now that was a dumb thing to say.

  He stared at the dog. “And who’s this?”

  “This is Raymond.”

  He stared at her with a quizzical look.

  “Yeah, I know. Who names their dog Raymond, right?”

  “I guess they can name him whatever they want. Raymond it is. Hey, Ray, I’m taking your babysitter out to dinner. Watch the house, okay?”

  Raymond’s tail thumped on the floor again.

  Alex laughed and stood aside for her to walk out. “Will he be okay while we’re gone?”

  “Sure. He’s very well trained. He’s been fed and watered and walked and played with. In five minutes he’ll be asleep on the bed, which he knows he can only do when my friend is away.”

  She didn’t know what she’d expected for his ride but not the gleaming Mercedes in the driveway.

  “Is that yours?” Another stupid remark. Of course it was his. What was the matter with her?

  “Yes, ma’am.” He opened the passenger door for her. “We all have pickups but we mostly use those when visiting a job site or running errands. Besides.” He winked at her. “I couldn’t exactly take a business associate to dinner in a pickup, now could I?”

  Business associate. Okay. She’d better keep it on that level.

  The car was a masterpiece, only to be expected of a high-end vehicle like this. The seats were covered in a butter soft luxurious leather, the console trimmed in wood. After Alex turned on the ignition he pressed a button and soft music filled the interior from several speakers. She’d ridden in a lot of expensive cars but unlike their owners, she didn’t think Alex had driven this to impress her, just to make her comfortable. Unless her radar was really skewed, she was pretty sure he was planning to get this contract on its own merits and the reputation of his company, not because he catered to her.

  Which made this whole evening even more of a puzzle to her. He knew she was analyzing him. Would probably try to question him some more. But he was relaxed and easy in her company and trying to make her the same. He was unlike any man she’d spent time with in what seemed like forever. So what did that say about her choices?

  Quit analyzing everything and try to enjoy yourself.

  They didn’t talk much on the drive to wherever they were going but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. And truth be told, Livy was just as happy for the quiet. She could relax into it and study the man next to her.

  She was surprised when they pulled into the parking lot of The Corral, a well-known barbecue restaurant.

  Alex turned off the ignition and shifted to look at her, noting the look on her face. He frowned. “Problem? You don’t like barbecue?”

  She shook her head. “No, no. I love barbecue. I haven’t met a rib yet that I couldn’t devour. I just thought…”

  “That I don’t eat in places like this? Take people here? What? We can go someplace else if you’d rather.”

  Livy unlocked her seatbelt. “No. This is fine, Alex. Really.” When he still didn’t move she said, “Aren’t you getting out?”

  “Maybe we should get something straight first.” His tone was serious. “Livy, my brothers and I haven’t always had the kind of money we do now. We come from a typical middle class family with great parents. We started the company with a loan from our dad and paid it back the first year. I told you this morning what it was like.”

  “Alex—“

  He shook his head. “Let me finish. As we moved up the financial ladder we allowed ourselves to enjoy some of the perks—new homes, cars, clothing. We took clients and dates to better restaurants, because we could. And for some people that was more important than it was to others. And it’s part of the business. We know that.”

  “Listen.” She tried again to interrupt him. She hadn’t meant to unleash this can of worms.

  Nice going, Livy.

  Alex went right on as if she hadn’t spoken. “But beneath all the flash we’re still us. We still pay the same attention to quality and design. We still make sure every job gets done properly. We have more money to spend. That’s the only difference. What you see is what you get. If you’d rather go someplace else, just say the word.”

  How could she have misjudged him so badly? Was her internal radar not working? Or maybe she’d just become hardened by all the stereotypes she spent time with—in and out of bed—and couldn’t see the diamond in the bowl of rhinestones. Besides, she always equated rich with her father, a man who had buried every scrap of emotion, taking enjoyment only from his success and what it could buy for him. She wondered if her brain needed an instant overhaul.

  She dragged in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “Let’s try this again.” She turned toward him and held out her hand. “Hi, Alex. Nice to see you again. I understand this place serves great barbecue and my mouth is watering. Shall we go inside?”

  He stared at her for a long moment before he burst out laughing. “I’ll say this for you,” he said at last. “You can do a quick change.”

  “Yeah. Stock in trade. Let’s forget everything else and just go inside and eat, okay?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  It surprised her how easily conversation flowed between them when she wasn’t trying to game him. And because she wasn’t so focused on probing beneath the surface and analyzing him she actually got a better measure of him than she might have otherwise. Besides, it was hard to be on your toes with a man when you had barbecue sauce on your fingers and a pile of bones on your plate.

  She tipped back her beer to swallow the last of it an
d leaned back in her chair.

  “That has to be one of the best meals I’ve had in ages.”

  Alex grinned at her. That grin was beginning to do things to her insides that she wanted to chase away.

  “Better than five star service and three waiters?”

  She sobered. “Let me say something in my own defense. I’m not a snob, despite what I’m sure you think by now. It’s possible the people I hang out with, usually for business, have rubbed off on me. But this was a great meal and very pleasant conversation. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much.”

  He winked at her. “Maybe we’ll have to try it again.”

  She felt her own lips curved in a smile. “Maybe we will.”

  They listened to soft music again on the way home. When she got out of the car he walked her to the door.

  “I had a nice time, Livy. I think I got a better measure of you than if we’d done nothing but discuss business.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. Oh? Is that good or bad?”

  “I’d say real good. And I think you have the same feeling.”

  “Mmm, maybe.” No, no, I don’t. I can’t afford to.

  “We’ll have to do it again.”

  He took both her hands in his and leaned forward, just barely brushing his mouth against hers.

  “Isn’t it nice to let down that wall once in a while?” he asked in a soft voice.

  She blinked. “Wall?”

  “You’re very special, Livy.”

  “Special?” Her voice sounded far away to her. She was still reeling from that lighter-than-air kiss.

  “Uh huh. I have a feeling you don’t even know how special. But I’m going to show you.”

  He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Sleep tight, Olivia D’Angelo. Pleasant dreams. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  She stood in the doorway, watching him drive away, then shut the door. Leaning back against it, she touched her mouth with the tips of her fingers. Her lips still tingled. She had a feeling Alex McMann might just turn out to be more than she could handle. Certainly more than she’d bargained for. And it scared the bejesus out of her.