Read Online Messing With Mac by Jill Shalvis - Free Book Online Page A

away.
    â€œWe’ll finish this later,” he told her slim back.
    She lifted a shoulder.
    â€œTaylor—”
    â€œI don’t think that’s necessary.”
    â€œOh, it’s necessary,” he said, watching her stiffen. He was sorry for that, but they worked together, would have to continue to do so.
    They had to finish talking about this, they had to.
    Then maybe he could stop thinking about it.

7
    B UT LATER NEVER CAME . Not that day and not the next, because Taylor did something Mac didn’t expect. She avoided him. She avoided him good.
    She avoided him through the installation of all the plumbing and electrical. Through the hanging and taping of the new drywall.
    Which admittedly wasn’t that difficult, as he used good subcontractors, and for nearly two weeks his presence wasn’t required more than an hour here and there.
    One morning he stood out front of her building with the hose, spraying down the tools they’d used to texture the new walls, lost in concentration, when a breathy female voice whispered “excuse me” in his ear.
    Head whipping up, his gaze collided with… a petite version of Taylor? He’d have sworn Taylor Wellington was a serious one-of-a-kind, yet this woman had the blond hair, the same see-through green eyes, the matching cynical tilt to her head…but that’s where the similarities ended.
    She came barely to his shoulders, and where Taylor defined elegance and sophistication, this slightly younger version defined urban hip. She was dressed in painted on jeans and a little crop top that showed off a sparkling diamond in her belly button, and when she turned around in a circle with a little delighted laugh, he saw the rose tattoo rising above her belt line.
    Now, why anyone would want a plant growing out of their butt boggled the mind, but having passed his thirtieth birthday almost two years ago, he’d discovered he was completely out of touch when it came to such things.
    â€œI look a lot like her, don’t I?” She grinned. “I’m Liza. Taylor’s baby sister. And you’re…”
    â€œMac.”
    â€œThe current boy toy?”
    She actually batted her lashes as she asked this, and suddenly Mac saw another difference. Where Taylor’s eyes and voice were soft at times, even giving, there was nothing soft about Liza. She was cold and hard, and had been around the block more than once. “Boy toy?” he repeated, scratching his jaw. “Uh…no.”
    Liza laughed. “You’re rougher than her usual type, which is usually way too…upscale for me.” A sideways look raked over his body, slowly. “But ifshe put you in a well-tailored suit…oh yeah, baby, I can see her going for you.” Running her tongue over her bottom lip, she looked at him from beneath half-closed, sleepy, sexy eyes. “You’re hot.”
    It’d been awhile since a woman had come on to him so blatantly. In fact, he nearly looked behind him to make sure she was talking to him.
    â€œI have to give it to good old sis,” Liza said. “She always did have great taste. Some advice though, just don’t get attached. Taylor doesn’t dabble with one man for long, not since Jeff.”
    â€œJeff?”
    â€œHer one great love,” she said with overplayed dramatic flair, and stepping close, she ran a finger over his shoulder, down his arm. “Sis is under the mistaken impression that he was the greatest guy on the planet, and that her turn at happiness has come and gone. Stupid, huh? I mean there are billions of guys on this planet.” Her eyes went sultry, speculative. “So how about it, big boy? Are you playing with Taylor, or are you available?”
    He caught her wandering finger just as it roamed down his chest toward his navel. “I’m the contractor.”
    â€œAh, the contractor.” Her eyes darkened as she looked up at the building.