by Piper King
“Get it back?” I point at the screen. “Did you not watch the same thing I did? She drove out of here with the dozer. She’s not going to just drive it back in like nothing happened. It’s gone, Luke.”
“She didn’t drive all the way to Manhattan in a bulldozer, Jack. Be logical here. Hell, she was with Harper, who I bet put her up to this in the first place. I guarantee you that all they’ve done is moved them. Probably just long enough to try and ruin this meeting.” He stands and places his firm and solid hands on my shoulders, centering me the only way my older brother can. “Think about it, Jack. Stop letting your dumbass heart control your mind. You’re letting this woman get you so worked up you can’t think straight, and it needs to stop long enough to make sure this meeting doesn’t go south.”
I flinch. “My heart has nothing to do with this.”
“Sure thing, little brother. Keep telling yourself that.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the jingle of the front door stops me in my tracks. Luke is right about one thing. We need to focus on Mr. Richards before anything else. My mind flies through various possible explanations as to why we have missing trucks, but they all end up sounding a hell of a lot like ‘The dog ate my homework’ rather than anything legit.
“Morning, sir,” I say as I enter the front workroom where the client is waiting. He’s glancing around our newly-tidy space, nodding as if he likes what he sees. “Thanks for coming by. Would you like a tour of the place?”
“No, no,” he says with a wave of his hand. His blinding-white faux smile reminds me of Zoe, but not in the way I would guess. He’s the opposite of everything she is inside, even though they represent the same thing. She would never smile that way. She’s too wild and too genuine for that. “This is just a formality at this point. If I can take a quick look at your equipment out back, we can get on with the contract signing.
I blink. Once, then twice, then three times, barely believing his words.
Damn Zoe Austin straight to hell. Damn her and her perfect mouth. Damn her sweet little curves. Damn her laugh, her smile. Damn everything about her. And her surprisingly massive balls for stealing my equipment in the middle of the night, effectively sabotaging any chance we have of landing this contract right here and right now.
“Does this mean to say you are no longer considering a bid from The Wilson Group?” Luke speaks up from behind me, saving my damn neck once again. I’m not entirely sure how long I stood there with my mind wandering to Zoe.
“Like I said before, I’d rather we go with a local shop,” the developer says with that fake-ass smile of his. “Plus, I wasn’t too impressed by that girl they sent to do the job.”
That girl. The way his words drip with disdain puts my hackles right up. How can he be so dismissive of someone like Zoe? Of all the things I expected her to do, driving off with my tools certainly wasn’t on my radar. She surprised me, yet again. And regardless of how much she’s pissing me off, her sheer determination is nothing short of impressive.
She stole machinery, Jack. Get a grip and stop thinking with your dick.
“Sure thing,” Luke says with a smile and motions toward the hallway leading to the back door. This was my job to close, but he knows better than anyone that my mind has been screwed sideways by the past two days. He’s better off taking the reins.
That said, I have to focus. Because I can’t let Zoe Austin get the better of me.
We reach the door and lead him into the lot. He glances around appreciatively, eyeing up the fleet we’ve accumulated over the years. Despite Zoe’s sabotage, our equipment looks damn good, gleaming under the morning sunlight. All the hard work polishing things up will be more than worth it if Mr. Richards can look past the tiny little issue of missing trucks.
Maybe he won’t notice.
And for a moment, I think we’ll get away with it.
And then he frowns, turning around slowly once again. “Are you storing your bulldozer and loader somewhere else?”
“Yes,” I say quickly, glancing at Luke and hoping he’s right about the machines not being too far away, about Zoe and Harper returning them soon enough.
“I’d like to go see them now if that’s alright with you boys.” He glances around at the rest of our fleet and jots a few notes on a pad. “Things are looking good here, but orders are to check out every last one. And as I’m sure you know, those two are pretty important to get started on our development.”
I clear my throat. “Of course. Why don’t you come back tomorrow, and we can show them to you then?”
Mr. Richards stares at me. It’s an unwavering, unblinking kind of stare that chills me to my very bones. This guy isn’t messing around, and I can tell he’s had it up to his eyeballs with this whole situation. Even though he said Zoe didn’t impress him, I can tell that my brothers and I are operating on a rope so thin it could better be described as a wire.
“I’m not signing the contract until I’ve seen your bulldozer, Mr. Hall.” He flips his pad shut and slides it into his briefcase. “I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon. But if it’s not here, we’ll have nothing left to discuss.”
13
Zoe
Jack’s meeting with Mr. Richards was scheduled for ten o’clock this morning. The sun has now begun to set, and I figure I’ll hear from him any second now. One thing I can say about Jack is, he’s not stupid. It won’t take him long to figure out that I’m the one behind his missing tools. And knowing him, he’ll come storming into the bed and breakfast, hurling insults at me like it’s his favorite thing to do in the world.
I’m not looking forward to it. I much preferred him when he smiled that smug yet sexy smile, when he ran his fingers up my thighs, when he trailed those hot kisses down my neck. For a very fleeting moment in time, Jack Hall gazed at me as if I was the most wonderful woman he’d ever met.
Of course, that sure as hell didn’t last long.
And this was only going to make things a lot worse.
But at least I will have won. That’s something. Right?
A car door slams, and Harper glances up from the magazine she’s flipping through behind the front desk. We’ve been chatting about her business for most of the day, which has been an awesome distraction from Jack Hall and his massive hammer. I tried to get her to see some reason about the interior design of this place. She doesn’t get a lot of business, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she could do a lot better if she updated a few things. But it’s her grandmother’s place who she lost last year. And she can’t bear to change a thing.
“Brace yourself, Zo. He’s here, and he looks as mad as a hornet’s nest.”
A moment later, Jack fills the entire entrance of the lobby. He is full power, radiating with an intensity that I’ve never felt from any man before. And with that power comes the scent of him, a scent I would very much like to ignore. But I can’t. Because it’s pure sex, blinking me out of the present and back to the moment when he pressed me down against the grass. Dirt, steel, and masculinity all wrapped up in the perfect package that he is.
Jack Hall wasn’t my type. I wasn’t lying about that.
But that’s only because I hadn’t met him yet.
Now I’m not sure I can ever go back to a suave, smooth-faced man in a suit.
Not that I will ever in a million years let Jack know just how much he got under my skin.
“Against my better judgement, I waited to calm down before coming here,” he says without any other introduction or salutation. Just straight to the point, something I’m starting to realize is a trademark of Jack. Something I like. “I didn’t call the cops, despite video evidence of you two stealing our machines. You can thank my brother for that.”
“Noah told you not to call my dad?” Harper shrugs and flips through the magazine with a nonchalance I wish I had. “What a shocker. He likes to act all badass, but he’s a chicken when it comes to the sheriff.”
“Harper, would you mind if I speak to Zoe alone?” Jack say
s without even glancing in her direction. He keeps his gaze steady and firmly locked onto my eyes. “I know you were in on this, but Zoe is the one I want. To talk to about this, that is.”
“Sorry, Jack. No can do. I’ve got to man the front counter in case any customers come in.”
She’s only saying that for my benefit. Harper doesn’t get a lot of customers, something I’ve evidenced in the many hours I’ve spent chatting with her in the front room. She could do a hell of a lot better if she just let go of the nauseating flower explosion in lieu of something a tad easier on the eyes. Interior design was not her grandmother’s strong point, but it’s hard to tell her that when she’s holding onto the only thing she has left of someone she clearly loved.
“It’s okay, Harper,” I say, keeping my eyes steady on Jack’s face. “I’d like to hear what he has to say.”
“Okay, but shout if you need me,” she says before disappearing down the hallway.
After her footsteps have faded, Jack finally breaks his stare. He shrugs his shoulders, shakes his head, and lets out a heavy sigh that seems to come from the very core of his bones. He’s tired. Hell, I’m tired. This fight, as short-lived as it has been, has taken a lot out of me. It feels like we’ve been at this for years instead of days. I wish I could rewind time and do things over, start this off on the right foot.
I guess the same could be said for him.
“First, I just want to clear something up,” he says. “Noah bet me to talk to you for half an hour. That’s it. I’ll admit it was a dumb bet. I never should have done it. Trust me, I never will again. I’ve called quits on Noah’s games from here on. They’re immature and stupid. But even though that’s what started our conversation, it had nothing to do with me asking you to leave with me. I did not sleep with you to win a damn bet. I slept with you because I think you’re hot as hell.”
“Oh.” Well, that’s certainly not how I expected him to begin the conversation.
Hot as hell, eh? I try not to focus on that part of his confession, but it overrides almost everything else he said. It makes my cheeks burn and my heart pump hard. I had talked myself into believing he thought our entire night was a big joke, and now that I know the sex wasn’t game to him, well…my eyes go straight to his crotch.
There’s an unmistakable bulge. One I desperately want to touch again.
What the hell is wrong with me?!
“So, do you think it’s time we call a truce?” he asks, taking a step closer. “I feel like we’re not acting like sane adults. Maybe it’s time we agree to leave each other alone. You get on with your life. I get on with mine. No more bickering. No more sabotage. We do what we need to do and stop messing with each other’s livelihoods. What do you say?”
I have to admit I’m surprised. After the whole theft thing, I thought he’d rush over here and shout so loud the entire town could hear him roar. He seems defeated. Tired. Worn the fuck out. Maybe I really did go too far with the whole machinery incident. I mean, I have to admit it was a little bit rash. And totally unlike me.
Or unlike the girl I thought I was.
I don’t usually do this kind of thing. I keep a cool head. I walk down Fifth Avenue with my hair perfectly coiled and my suit expertly pressed. Where has this rough-and-tumble girl come from? One who apparently likes to play dirty in more ways than one? I don’t drink whiskey. I don’t have sex on the grass with strangers. I don’t sneak into buildings and take said stranger’s belongings. And I certainly don’t then want to do all of the above all over again.
“Okay,” I say, nodding my head and hoping my thoughts aren’t reflected on my face. It would be mortifying if he knew exactly how badly I want him again. “I won’t shoot any more arrows if you don’t.”
His face relaxes into a smile, and he wipes invisible sweat off his brow. “Thank god. You’re wearing me out, woman. I must admit, I didn’t know you had it in you. Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
His words send a warmth through me. “Just because I’m a city girl doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get dirty.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” His eyes spark with a new heat that sends shudders through me. I try to hide the reaction, but I know he’s seen it, just like he saw it the night we had sex underneath the stars. His gaze goes south, travelling all the way to my crotch. I squirm. I can’t help myself. “I noticed you aren’t wearing your skirt. I thought you preferred suits to jeans.”
“It has grass stains on it,” I say in barely a whisper. “And my hose are ripped. I had to go bare-legged to the meeting, and I don’t think Mr. Richards was very impressed.”
“That’s the nice thing about jeans.” He begins moving closer until our bodies brush the way they did last night when he chased me out of Bar Wilde. I had pretended like I didn’t notice then, but it was hard to ignore it. And it’s certainly hard to ignore it now, especially when the anger in my gut has been replaced by something else, something…that I really shouldn’t be feeling. “They’re more durable.”
I swallow hard. “That’s true. You can be a little more…rough with jeans.”
His breath is hot on my face, and my body feels pulled to him as he’s a magnet and I’m steel. Jack reaches out a hand and rubs his rough finger across my jawline, and I shudder at his touch. As much as I’ve tried to block it out, I’ve been dying to feel his hands on me again. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and something tells me no one will ever make me feel that way again. Not like Jack did.
Even though he’s the enemy. Even though he’s done some pretty shitty things.
I yearn for him.
He drops his lips to my ear and presses his tongue against my lobe. I close my mouth and moan despite myself. There is fire in my belly and blood in my ears, and yep, there’s definitely wetness between my thighs.
“There’s only one way to formalize this truce, don’t you think? With my tools?” His voice is a low murmur in my ear, and his hot breath tickles my skin.
I shiver. Yes, yes, god yes. A million times yes. I don’t care what’s happened. I don’t care how much we’ve argued. None of that matters anymore. All that matters are the pleasures only his body can make me feel. I may have stolen his tools, but the only tool I really want is the hard one digging into my thigh as he presses against me. He has gone rock hard, and it turns me on knowing just how easily I can get a reaction from his dick.
I nod and lick my lips.
“I’m so glad we’re in agreement,” he says in a whisper. “So, where are they?”
My eyes fly open, confusion rippling through me. “Where are they?”
“Yes, where’s the dozer and the loader?” A slow, delicious smile spreads across his face when he notices my confusion. “What tool did you think I was talking about, sweetheart?”
My face flames, and I take a quick step back to put as much distance between us as I can. I’m so mortified I could crawl underneath the flowery rug and hide there for the rest of the week. “This isn’t about a truce at all, is it? You just want your machines back.”
“Of course I want my machines back.” He frowns. “I can’t run my business without them, and the developer is coming back tomorrow to check them out. But if we’re calling a truce, I see no reason why you should keep them hidden from me.”
I shake my head, and I want to kick myself. I can’t believe I fell for his tricks all over again. He didn’t come here to wave a white flag. He came here to put his moves on me and make me dumb in the head just long enough to win the contract once and for all.
But I’m not going to let his seduction tricks work this time.
My cell phone buzzes in my pocket. With one eye still on Jack’s smug and stupidly handsome face, I check the readout. It’s Mr. Richards.
“Good evening, Mr. Richards. How may I help you?” I ask, making sure to speak his name as loud as I can so Jack knows who’s on the other end of the call. See how he likes knowing there’s talks and meetings going on with the other side.
“Yes, sir, I certainly would be available for a meeting.” I smile and watch Jack’s face go cold. “How does eleven sound?”
“Eleven sounds just fine.”
We exchange a few more details about the meeting, and when I hang up, I shoot my own smug smile at Jack. He doesn’t look particularly thrilled, what with his crossed arms and scowl. That makes the whole situation that much sweeter.
Look who has the edge now.
“I suppose I should say congratulations,” he finally says. “You got your meeting by sabotaging my business. So, can I have my machines back now?”
A part of me wants to say yes. The softer part. The part of me that fell for his pick-up line in the first place. The part that was putty in his hands only moments before. It’s hard to stay strong when he looks at me the way he does. Even though there’s a hardness in his eyes, there’s still that heat.
But if that was all fake, how can I give in?
14
Jack
I don’t know how it happens. One minute, Zoe and I are having a rational conversation. The next minute, we’re at each other’s throats again. One minute my dick is throbbing against her soft thigh and the next it’s…well, it’s still fucking throbbing. But she’s halfway across the room and staring at me like I’m some kind of wild animal about to jump her.
And well…
That’s not entirely off the mark. She makes me feel animalistic. Despite my intention to come here and give her a piece of my mind, all I want to do is bend her over and spark her cute little ass while thrusting deep inside her glorious pussy.
Shit. Stop thinking like that.
I don’t know what it is about this woman, but I can’t stop my mind from jumping right into the gutter every time I lay eyes on her.