скачать книгу бесплатно
Something about the way he said her name made her face feel hot. In fact, she was beginning to sweat under her designer suit. She seriously needed to check the thermostat. Maybe the air-conditioning was on the fritz.
Or maybe her internal thermostat had gone haywire.
She resisted the urge to fan her face. “With the gala less than a month way, the first item on our agenda is to get you fitted for a rental tux.”
“With all due respect, that’s not exactly in my budget.”
She waved away his concerns. “I’m sure the foundation can cover the expense.”
His brow pulled low. “I’m not looking for a handout.”
“We’re a charitable foundation. Helping people is what we do. And the benefit is a black-tie function.”
His expression darkened. “Is that legal?”
His sudden change of demeanor, from playfully flirtatious to darkly suspicious intrigued her. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“A literacy foundation renting tuxedos for people? Sounds … unethical.”
She hadn’t really thought of it that way. But she doubted it would be a problem. “I’ll talk to Ana about it. I’m sure we can work something out.”
He seemed to acknowledge that as an acceptable answer. And though his behavior was the slightest bit … odd, she assumed it was just male pride.
She hoped he would accept the foundation’s help, as it would be a damned shame to miss the opportunity to see Brandon in a tux. He was going to look fantastic. Although she didn’t doubt that he would look even better wearing nothing at all. And the things he could probably do with that body …
“So, let’s do it,” he said.
Do it? She sucked in a quiet breath. She hadn’t said that out loud, had she? No, of course she hadn’t. Was he some sort of mind reader? “E-excuse me?”
“You said we had to fit me for a tux, didn’t you? Let’s go.”
Oh, the tux. “Yes, right. Of course.”
“What did you think I meant?”
She refused to answer on the grounds that it would mortify her. “Nothing. I just … I didn’t necessarily mean right this minute.”
He leaned forward in his seat. “No time like the present, right?”
“Well, yes, but …” She frowned, opening her laptop to check her calendar for appointments. “I have to check my schedule. I had several calls I planned to make this afternoon.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Let me guess, you’re the kind of woman who plans her workday down to the last minute.”
He said that like she was some freak of nature. Living such a spontaneous and … uninhibited lifestyle, he couldn’t possibly understand the pressures of the corporate sector. But she wasn’t totally incapable of compromise. She typically required several days’ notice for this sort of appointment, but if she moved a few things around, and stayed an extra hour at the office, she could make it work.
It’s not as if she had anything pressing waiting for her at home. Not even a pet. She was allergic to cats and considering the hours she worked, a dog was a responsibility she simply didn’t have time for.
“I suppose I could squeeze you in,” she told him. “But I’ll need to have a word with Cheryl first.”
“How ‘bout I meet you outside?”
“Sure. I’ll just be a minute.”
They stood at the same time. Even in her three-inch Manolo Blahnik pumps, he was a good five or six inches taller. She wasn’t normally intimidated by tall men. She wasn’t intimidated by anyone, but something about him put her on edge. The fact that she had to walk past him to get to the door made her nervous.
What did she think he was going to do? Pull her in his arms and kiss her stockings off?
If only.
Being around a man so blatantly sexy was a stark reminder of how long it had been since she’d had any male attention. Of any kind. She’d been so busy the last few months, she hadn’t had time to even think about dating. And sex? Hell, she could barely recall how long it had been since she’d had any. Any worth remembering, that is.
How sad was that?
She was willing to bet that Mr. Dilson could put a very pleasurable end to her dry spell. But he wasn’t relationship material and she wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of woman. Besides, she never mixed business with pleasure.
All things considered, it would be in her best interest to do her job, and stay as far the hell away from Brandon Dilson as possible.
Anyone who claimed that posing as an uneducated ranch hand to decimate the reputation of a bitter rival didn’t have its perks, had obviously never met Paige Adams.
Brandon Worth—or Brandon Dilson as the people at Hannah’s Hope had come to know him—leaned against the passenger’s side door of his pickup, soaking up the Southern California sun, considering this new development. When he’d made the decision to infiltrate Hannah’s Hope and expose the foundation as a fraud, seducing one of their contractors hadn’t been part of the plan, but a man had to do what a man had to do.
Maybe by getting closer to Ms. Adams he would uncover the nefarious practices he suspected were driving the success of Hannah’s Hope. And in the process he could finally bury its founder, Rafe Cameron.
If Brandon hadn’t chosen to stay on the family ranch despite his father’s failing health, Rafe may have never pulled off the very hostile takeover of Worth Industries, the manufacturing company that had been in his family for generations. Rumors were flying that Rafe planned to shut down the factory and sell it off in pieces, which would put more than half the city of Vista del Mar out of work and devastate the community. Brandon couldn’t help feeling personally responsible. He let his bitterness toward his father overshadow his obligation to his hometown, to his legacy. Now he was determined to make amends.
Through Hannah’s Hope, he planned to expose Rafe for the swindler that he was. Unfortunately, the volunteer he’d been working with the past couple of months knew virtually nothing about the inner workings of the charity. And he’d been careful to keep his distance from the Hannah’s Hope office, for fear that his sister, Emma, who was on the board, might make a surprise appearance. He hadn’t changed so much in fifteen years that his own sibling wouldn’t recognize him.
Paige Adams could be his ace in the hole.
Paige emerged from the building, extracting a pair of designer sunglasses from a designer bag and sliding them on. She sure had a thing for labels.
He didn’t usually go for the corporate type, but she couldn’t be any worse than his gold-digging, soul-sucking, vampire of an ex-fiancée. And when they shook hands there were so many sparks flying he thought for sure the surface of her pristine desk would ignite.
He had the sneaking suspicion that beneath the designer suit and polishe persona there was a wild woman lurking there, just itching to break free. And he would be more than happy to lend a hand. To run his fingers through her pale blond, upswept hair and mess it up a little. To kiss away that flawlessly applied lipstick.
He clearly made her nervous, a fact he would use to his advantage.
She spotted him leaning against the truck and strode over. She knew exactly where she was going, and how she planned to get there.
He grinned. They would just see about that.
As she approached, he opened the passenger door and gestured her inside. “Hop in.”
She stopped abruptly, blinking behind her shades. “Oh, um, I thought we would meet there.”
“No point in wasting gas if we’re both going to the same place. Besides, parking is a pain this time of day.”
She hesitated. Maybe she assumed because he couldn’t read well, he was also a poor driver. Or maybe she just preferred to be in control. It made sense that anyone as well put together as Ms. Adams had to have at least a few control issues.
He flashed his most charming smile. “Don’t you trust me?”
He could see her brain working to summon a response that wouldn’t offend or alienate the foundation’s star pupil. Then she peeked inside the truck. He wasn’t sure what she thought she might find in there. Or maybe she worried she would dirty her designer clothes. The suit alone must have set her back at least a week’s pay. Or maybe she was a trust-fund girl. The kind with a daddy who catered to her every whim, bought her everything her greedy little heart desired. He’d met his share of those at boarding school.
“I’ll get you back in one piece,” he said. “I promise.”
Finally, she nodded and stepped past him to climb up. Quite a feat in her high heels, so he cupped her elbow to give her a boost, which gave him an awfully nice view of her nylon-clad thigh and—hello—was that a garter? Ms. Adams was an old-fashioned girl.
“Buckle up,” he said before he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He got in and grabbed his own thrift-store sunglasses from the dash and put them on. Though he wasn’t normally into labels, he did miss his Ray-Bans. “Where to?”
“The rental establishment is just a few blocks from here, off Vista Way,” she said, looking even more on edge than she had in her office. “Do you know where that is?”
“Sure do.” Though he hadn’t lived in Vista del Mar since he was fifteen, when his dad sent him away to boarding school, he’d been in town long enough to relearn the area. Not much had changed. He backed out of the parking spot and maneuvered out of the lot into the heavy afternoon traffic. Paige sat awkwardly at the opposite end of the bench, spine stiff, nails digging into the edge of the seat.
He looked out the side window to hide a wry grin.
She was clearly the kind of woman who thrived on order and discipline. Being in control. And maybe it was a little depraved, but as he was pumping her for information, he just might have a little fun knocking her world off its axis.
Two
For a man who spent his time isolated from the world taking care of horses, Brandon sure did have a way with people.
The store she took him to for the fitting had recently opened, and Paige had been wanting to try it out, but twelve minutes after they walked through the door she knew she wouldn’t be coming back. The salesperson, a dour-looking older woman with a perpetual frown, was on the phone when they walked in and didn’t even acknowledge them. Five minutes later, when she did finally hang up, she went directly into the back room, still with no acknowledgment that they were even there, and didn’t come back out for another seven minutes.
When she finally approached them she was snooty and condescending and looked down her nose at Brandon. If that wasn’t bad enough, she actually rolled her eyes when Paige told her they were on a budget and wanted to see the bargain rack.
She was so rude that Paige had half a mind to walk out and take their business elsewhere. But after a few minutes of Brandon’s teasing and flirting, he had the woman giggling and blushing like a schoolgirl. It was truly fascinating to watch. And though Paige wouldn’t have believed it possible, when he mentioned the tux was for a charitable event, she even offered to upgrade him to a more expensive brand for no extra cost. Then Brandon mentioned that Paige was an event planner and the woman must have seen potential future revenue. She became friendly to the point of being sticky sweet. Paige doubted she would ever return, though. Having a salesperson treat her clients rudely, even for five minutes, reflected badly on her company. It was a chance she couldn’t take.
“So, that was an interesting experience,” Brandon said when they were in the truck and on the way back to her office.
“I should apologize. I’ve never used that store before. And I never will again.”
“Why not?”
“After the way she treated us when we came in? It was totally unprofessional. And I don’t understand how you could be nice to her when she was so condescending.”
He shrugged. “I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was really busy. Or maybe she was just having a bad day and needed someone to cheer her up.”
“That’s still no excuse to be rude to people.”
He glanced over at her. “You can’t tell me you’ve never had a bad day. Never snapped at someone who maybe didn’t deserve it.”
“Never a client.”
“Well, you’re a better person than most.”
Or maybe she’d just learned to keep her emotions out of her business. And she considered it a shame that someone with Brandon’s impressive people skills would be stuck in a career as a ranch hand. He could do so much more with his life if only he were properly motivated. Now that his reading skills had improved, he could get his GED and go to college.
Not that it was any of her business what he did with his life, she reminded herself. As an image consultant, helping people make serious life changes was a part of her business, and she loved what she did. But as Brandon had clearly stated earlier, he was happy just the way he was. And technically, he wasn’t even her client. He only needed the skills to hold his own at the gala. Beyond that, she had no right sticking her nose into his life. It was just a shame to see all that potential go to waste.
She noticed that Brandon missed the turn back to her office.
“You should have turned there,” she told him, gesturing in the direction of the street they’d just passed. Maybe, being unfamiliar with the area, he’d forgotten which route to take.
“I know where I’m going,” he said.
“But that’s the way back to my office. This route will take you several miles out of your way.” And into one of the slightly less reputable parts of town. And she was on a tight schedule. It was already well after four, but she could probably sneak in a phone call or two before business hours were officially over, then do some internet research on a 60th anniversary party she was planning.
“Maybe I’m not taking you back to your office.”
Her heart gave a sudden start. What was that supposed to mean?
What if getting in the truck with him hadn’t been such a hot idea after all? What did she really know about him? He was attractive and charming, but so was Ted Bundy.
She glanced over at him. He leaned back casually, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other propped in the open window. Not at all like he was about to pounce or pull a gun on her.
Just in case, she slid a little closer to the door, ready to shove it open the second the truck came to a stop if necessary. “Where are you taking me?”
He glanced over at her and grinned. “Relax. I’m not kidnapping you. I just thought I would take you out for a drink. Consider it my way of showing you my appreciation.”
She let out a relieved breath and relaxed back in her seat. “That’s really not necessary. Hannah’s Hope will compensate me for my time.”
“Well, I’d like to do it, anyway.”
“I really need to get back to work.”
“It’s almost five on a Friday.”
Four twenty-seven to be precise. And the longer they drove in the wrong direction, the later she would be getting back. “I planned to work late.”
They stopped for a red light and he turned to her, looking puzzled. “Why?”
Because I have no life, was the first answer that popped into her head. Sad as that was. But that was not the reason. “I have obligations.”
“Which I’m sure can wait until tomorrow.” The light turned green and he accelerated. “Am I right?”
“Technically, yes, but—”
“So, wouldn’t you rather be doing something fun?”
“Work is fun.”
He raised a brow at her.
“You don’t enjoy work?” she asked.
“Not on a Friday night,” he said, giving her a sideways glance. “You look like a woman who knows how to navigate a dance floor.”
Actually, she was a terrible dancer. She was so uncoordinated, she couldn’t even manage simple aerobics. She was always two steps behind the rest of the group. “Well, I’m not. And I really need to get back to the office.”
