Read Online Open House (Kingston Bros.) by Tamara Larson - Free Book Online
Authors: Tamara Larson
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would work."
"No. Please don't," Lacey shouted. She didn't want to be trapped here like a rat, but that was preferable to him suspecting that she might be suffering from some repulsive stomach bug.
"Lacey, what's really going on here?"
"Nothing. I just need to get back."
"Seriously? You were fine on the ride up here. Was it my driving? Some people don't like the way I drive."
"No, it wasn't that. Though I am a little surprised that you still have a license. I just wasn't planning on running into him again."
"Jack?"
"I guess so. You called him 'Jay' before."
"Because he's a Jack Junior, and it was too confusing having two Jack's in the family. But never mind that. You don't like my cousin?"
"He's your cousin?"
"Yeah. Did he do or say something offensive at the Open House? He wasn't creepy, was he? He's been out of the game for awhile and I'm not sure if he realizes how intense he can appear."
"What do you mean? In the game? He's married. The only game he should be playing should be with his wife."
Serena gaped at her. "His wife has been out of the picture for almost a year and a half!" Serena wanted to tell Lacey about the accident at this point, but thought Jack would prefer to tell her himself. Besides, Lacey was skittish enough without sharing that particular story. "And how did you know he was married anyway? He didn't even bother to tell you his name last week, and yet you seem to know a lot about him. Now, who's creepy?"
Lacey flushed a bright red. "Alright. I looked him up online. But just because I was interested in his skills as a builder. I wasn't cyberstalking him."
"You totally were," Serena said, triumphantly. "That's okay. If he wasn't my cousin, I'd probably do the same thing." Serena's smile faded. "But I'll warn you, the subject of Deborah, his wife, is a touchy one, so I wouldn't bring it up. Even his family avoids the subject. That's why she's still on the website. No one has gotten up the nerve to ask him about removing her. And he hasn't been interested in dating, so we didn't see any urgent reason to change it."
"So, he's single?" Lacey asked tentatively. How could that guy be single? And being single didn't mean he wasn't above flirting with women to sell houses. Maybe Serena was kind of like his real estate pimp and set him up with desperate, lonely women all the time? It would totally work. What woman wouldn't want to buy a house from him, especially in his manly shirtless state? That sight had certainly fried her brain cells, not to mention her panties.
"Very. And he asked me if I had your phone number after the Open House last week."
Lacey looked at her doubtfully. "So, he could ask me about the row-houses, right?"
"Absolutely not. He was into you. But turned chicken-shit at the last second. That was just some weird macho ruse."
"Seriously? So you orchestrated all this just to get us together? Wouldn't it have been easier to just give him my email address?"
"Well, partly. It seems silly now, but I wanted to check you out first."
"Okay. That's what the interrogation at the coffeehouse was all about. You were doing some kind of background check. So, did he know about this?
"Oh God. No! I acted completely on my own. I swear he didn't even know I had your email address."
"You're going to an awful lot of trouble to match-make for him? Should I be worried?"
"Well, like I said, getting you two together was only part of it. I have an ulterior motive that I'll get to later. Bottom line is, I really do think a place like this would work for you, and if you want to go back inside, Jack will show us around and maybe you can get to know him a bit. He's a bit of a grump, but a great guy otherwise. And I think he needs someone like you in his life. But no pressure."
"Right. No pressure at all. But what are we going to tell him about my reaction to seeing him? I did run off like a freak." Maybe Serena had a point. What harm could there be in getting to know him a bit. It was possible that he
"No. Please don't," Lacey shouted. She didn't want to be trapped here like a rat, but that was preferable to him suspecting that she might be suffering from some repulsive stomach bug.
"Lacey, what's really going on here?"
"Nothing. I just need to get back."
"Seriously? You were fine on the ride up here. Was it my driving? Some people don't like the way I drive."
"No, it wasn't that. Though I am a little surprised that you still have a license. I just wasn't planning on running into him again."
"Jack?"
"I guess so. You called him 'Jay' before."
"Because he's a Jack Junior, and it was too confusing having two Jack's in the family. But never mind that. You don't like my cousin?"
"He's your cousin?"
"Yeah. Did he do or say something offensive at the Open House? He wasn't creepy, was he? He's been out of the game for awhile and I'm not sure if he realizes how intense he can appear."
"What do you mean? In the game? He's married. The only game he should be playing should be with his wife."
Serena gaped at her. "His wife has been out of the picture for almost a year and a half!" Serena wanted to tell Lacey about the accident at this point, but thought Jack would prefer to tell her himself. Besides, Lacey was skittish enough without sharing that particular story. "And how did you know he was married anyway? He didn't even bother to tell you his name last week, and yet you seem to know a lot about him. Now, who's creepy?"
Lacey flushed a bright red. "Alright. I looked him up online. But just because I was interested in his skills as a builder. I wasn't cyberstalking him."
"You totally were," Serena said, triumphantly. "That's okay. If he wasn't my cousin, I'd probably do the same thing." Serena's smile faded. "But I'll warn you, the subject of Deborah, his wife, is a touchy one, so I wouldn't bring it up. Even his family avoids the subject. That's why she's still on the website. No one has gotten up the nerve to ask him about removing her. And he hasn't been interested in dating, so we didn't see any urgent reason to change it."
"So, he's single?" Lacey asked tentatively. How could that guy be single? And being single didn't mean he wasn't above flirting with women to sell houses. Maybe Serena was kind of like his real estate pimp and set him up with desperate, lonely women all the time? It would totally work. What woman wouldn't want to buy a house from him, especially in his manly shirtless state? That sight had certainly fried her brain cells, not to mention her panties.
"Very. And he asked me if I had your phone number after the Open House last week."
Lacey looked at her doubtfully. "So, he could ask me about the row-houses, right?"
"Absolutely not. He was into you. But turned chicken-shit at the last second. That was just some weird macho ruse."
"Seriously? So you orchestrated all this just to get us together? Wouldn't it have been easier to just give him my email address?"
"Well, partly. It seems silly now, but I wanted to check you out first."
"Okay. That's what the interrogation at the coffeehouse was all about. You were doing some kind of background check. So, did he know about this?
"Oh God. No! I acted completely on my own. I swear he didn't even know I had your email address."
"You're going to an awful lot of trouble to match-make for him? Should I be worried?"
"Well, like I said, getting you two together was only part of it. I have an ulterior motive that I'll get to later. Bottom line is, I really do think a place like this would work for you, and if you want to go back inside, Jack will show us around and maybe you can get to know him a bit. He's a bit of a grump, but a great guy otherwise. And I think he needs someone like you in his life. But no pressure."
"Right. No pressure at all. But what are we going to tell him about my reaction to seeing him? I did run off like a freak." Maybe Serena had a point. What harm could there be in getting to know him a bit. It was possible that he
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