Read Online Beauty and The Best (Once-Upon-A-Time Romance) by Judi Fennell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judi Fennell
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luckily found the other one.
She wasn’t normally this disorganized, but for some reason she was all thumbs trying to get ready for this date—dinner.
It’s a dinner, Jolie. Nothing more .
Tell that to her hormones.
Todd knocked.
“ Be right there,” she said, trying not to break her neck as she slid Foot into the sandal. Of course, she shoved the little thong thingy between the wrong toes, so she had to do it again.
Shoe on, she took a quick breath and found herself going all 1950’s glamour goddess before opening the door, brushing the hair from her forehead and running her hands down the dress. If she’d had a mirror by the door she would’ve glanced into it and puckered her lips, brushing at the corner with her pinky finger in case any lipstick was smudged. But, no mirror, so Todd would have to take her with smudged lipstick or not.
Oh, take me, take me.
And it was with that thought that she opened the door.
Hellooooo.
Naughty Girl was on the mark with that assessment. The man was looking good. Really good. Sinfully good. The kind of good that could get a good girl into trouble.
And she was so trying to be a good girl.
“ Hi,” Jolie said, trying to keep the husky glamour goddess from emanating from her throat à la Anne Bancroft in “The Graduate.” Or Mae West with her “Come up and see me sometime.”
Would it be too clichéd to lean back against the door frame? Probably. Not to mention pathetic. He thought she was, quote, “cute, I guess.” Not the most inviting reason to do a come-hither.
Plus there was the job she had going with him. And that was all she had going with him and as soon as Naughty Girl listened up and paid attention, they’d all have a much better evening.
Well, no, that wasn’t true. They’d probably have the best time if she took Nasty’s advice, but that couldn’t happen.
“ You ready?” he asked.
“ What? You can’t tell? Well, gosh, I didn’t think the fifteen minutes I was missing in my normal routine would show that drastically. See what happens when you get caught up in a good story? Pages fly by and the time even quicker. Before you know it, you’re missing dinner—and obviously necessary primping time—because you’ve got to find out if Lady Hammonton sashays across the crowded ballroom right into the oh-so-dashing Jeremy Godfield’s arms and—”
“ Jolie?”
Okay, let the floor open up and swallow her whole right now.
“ Um… right. Sure. I’m ready. Just let me grab, um… my bag.” Luckily, she’d had the forethought to hang her bag on the closet door so she wouldn’t have to do the throw-the-clothes-all-over-the-bed/sofa thing in front of him.
Bag in hand, she stepped through the door, pulling it shut behind her. “All ready,” she told him.
“ You look very nice,” was what he told her in return, the upward curve of his lips drawing her attention to the sparkle in his green eyes and those crinkles at the corners.
And there went her knees to mush.
It only took four words. Four words! How did he do that? She’d have to remember that one and throw it in her book somewhere. Turn heroine’s knees to mush in four simple words, by Todd Best.
“ Uh, thanks.” Uh? Uh ? Good God, Jolie, your vocabulary is regressing . “You look pretty spiffy yourself.” Khakis with a forest green golf shirt tucked in the waistband showed off his upper body quite nicely. Not that she was supposed to be noticing. That “she was human” excuse was getting a bit thin.
It was a breezy night with the soft wind off the river, perfect for cooling the summer air. The early arrivals to the evening cricket chorus warmed up their “instruments” from the grove of elm trees behind the parking lot, Jolie’s heels clicking a soft rhythm along the pock-marked cement walkway. At the top of the steps to the asphalt, she turned to look at Todd and darn if she didn’t touch him on the arm. His touchy-feely-ness must be catching. “We’re eating
She wasn’t normally this disorganized, but for some reason she was all thumbs trying to get ready for this date—dinner.
It’s a dinner, Jolie. Nothing more .
Tell that to her hormones.
Todd knocked.
“ Be right there,” she said, trying not to break her neck as she slid Foot into the sandal. Of course, she shoved the little thong thingy between the wrong toes, so she had to do it again.
Shoe on, she took a quick breath and found herself going all 1950’s glamour goddess before opening the door, brushing the hair from her forehead and running her hands down the dress. If she’d had a mirror by the door she would’ve glanced into it and puckered her lips, brushing at the corner with her pinky finger in case any lipstick was smudged. But, no mirror, so Todd would have to take her with smudged lipstick or not.
Oh, take me, take me.
And it was with that thought that she opened the door.
Hellooooo.
Naughty Girl was on the mark with that assessment. The man was looking good. Really good. Sinfully good. The kind of good that could get a good girl into trouble.
And she was so trying to be a good girl.
“ Hi,” Jolie said, trying to keep the husky glamour goddess from emanating from her throat à la Anne Bancroft in “The Graduate.” Or Mae West with her “Come up and see me sometime.”
Would it be too clichéd to lean back against the door frame? Probably. Not to mention pathetic. He thought she was, quote, “cute, I guess.” Not the most inviting reason to do a come-hither.
Plus there was the job she had going with him. And that was all she had going with him and as soon as Naughty Girl listened up and paid attention, they’d all have a much better evening.
Well, no, that wasn’t true. They’d probably have the best time if she took Nasty’s advice, but that couldn’t happen.
“ You ready?” he asked.
“ What? You can’t tell? Well, gosh, I didn’t think the fifteen minutes I was missing in my normal routine would show that drastically. See what happens when you get caught up in a good story? Pages fly by and the time even quicker. Before you know it, you’re missing dinner—and obviously necessary primping time—because you’ve got to find out if Lady Hammonton sashays across the crowded ballroom right into the oh-so-dashing Jeremy Godfield’s arms and—”
“ Jolie?”
Okay, let the floor open up and swallow her whole right now.
“ Um… right. Sure. I’m ready. Just let me grab, um… my bag.” Luckily, she’d had the forethought to hang her bag on the closet door so she wouldn’t have to do the throw-the-clothes-all-over-the-bed/sofa thing in front of him.
Bag in hand, she stepped through the door, pulling it shut behind her. “All ready,” she told him.
“ You look very nice,” was what he told her in return, the upward curve of his lips drawing her attention to the sparkle in his green eyes and those crinkles at the corners.
And there went her knees to mush.
It only took four words. Four words! How did he do that? She’d have to remember that one and throw it in her book somewhere. Turn heroine’s knees to mush in four simple words, by Todd Best.
“ Uh, thanks.” Uh? Uh ? Good God, Jolie, your vocabulary is regressing . “You look pretty spiffy yourself.” Khakis with a forest green golf shirt tucked in the waistband showed off his upper body quite nicely. Not that she was supposed to be noticing. That “she was human” excuse was getting a bit thin.
It was a breezy night with the soft wind off the river, perfect for cooling the summer air. The early arrivals to the evening cricket chorus warmed up their “instruments” from the grove of elm trees behind the parking lot, Jolie’s heels clicking a soft rhythm along the pock-marked cement walkway. At the top of the steps to the asphalt, she turned to look at Todd and darn if she didn’t touch him on the arm. His touchy-feely-ness must be catching. “We’re eating
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