Read Online Paradise Encounter by Pepper Anthony - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Pepper Anthony
Ads: Link
the crush to end all crushes on Maya Thomas.
What he liked best was her smile. Every photo in her Facebook albums showed the same unselfconscious grin. The sparkly white teeth, with that one bicuspid that stuck out every so slightly. Her luxuriant, rose-colored lips. Caramel colored skin. Big eyes he would call a mossy shade of green. My God! Just picturing her now made his cock twitch.
And even though none of the profile shots were full length, he could see enough to know her body must be lush and curvy. Most of the women he’d dated – and his ex-finance, Danielle – were on the slim side. Considering how badly things had ended up with Danielle last year, he was ready for something different. He was certain all those sexy curves would look perfect on Maya.
And feel perfect under his hands.
Whoa, Gable! Get a grip! This was gonna be just another business transaction, nothing more.
He sighed and added the last bag of mulch to the cart. Initially her status had said she was “in a relationship”. She’d also mentioned the guy a time or two when they chatted. The lucky man appeared in one of the pictures with her. He was a big, handsome black guy, Derek Something-or-Other, a professional basketball player. They looked happy together, and yet the last time he’d checked, her status had been changed back to “single”. He had to admit that had made his whole day.
Not that it mattered. Getting personally involved with her was out of the question. If anything went wrong between them, Maya, as office manager, could decide to take the lucrative Wilson Homes commercial account elsewhere. The last thing he needed to do today was commit business suicide.
* * * *
Maya was pleasantly surprised at how easy the oversized pickup was to drive. She tried not to think about all the dirt that had been ground into the torn seat-covers over the years. The little spring dress she wore could always be sent to the cleaners. Soiling a dress while learning to wrangle one of the company pickups was a small price to pay for keeping Junior Wilson happy. She was lucky he was at a lunch meeting today and wouldn’t be back until late afternoon. Maya hoped she could get the trees and mulch delivered to the job site before her boss realized she had blundered.
Thank God for Handy Andy.
He certainly had earned his nickname today!
She had begun to think of him by that name some months ago. Every time she phoned in an order of shrubs or gravel or bark dust, he bent over backward to be helpful. She’d come into the job a year ago with only a sketchy knowledge of landscaping materials. Since then, he’d patiently tutored her in the finer points: how a yard of soil was measured, how river rock was graded for size, or why different shrubs might not work for a particular location or soil type. He seemed to know everything there was to know about planting and gardening in the Pacific Northwest.
Sometimes it felt as if Andy anticipated her needs before she even knew herself what she required. His recommendations were always spot-on and his advice never failed. Over time, she had come to put her complete trust in what he told her.
How different was he from Derek?
Surprised that her ex-boyfriend, the self-centered control freak, had suddenly popped into her head, Maya rolled her window down and let a blast of fresh air into the truck’s stuffy cab. Breaking up with Derek had been one of the smartest things she’d ever done. The longer they were together, the more he’d attempted to manipulate and manage her, until she felt like she couldn’t take a step out of her apartment without his permission. Being a professional athlete, he was often on the road. When he got back to town, he’d quickly slip into the role of the Grand Inquisitor. He even made jealous comments about her posts on Facebook and Twitter.
What he liked best was her smile. Every photo in her Facebook albums showed the same unselfconscious grin. The sparkly white teeth, with that one bicuspid that stuck out every so slightly. Her luxuriant, rose-colored lips. Caramel colored skin. Big eyes he would call a mossy shade of green. My God! Just picturing her now made his cock twitch.
And even though none of the profile shots were full length, he could see enough to know her body must be lush and curvy. Most of the women he’d dated – and his ex-finance, Danielle – were on the slim side. Considering how badly things had ended up with Danielle last year, he was ready for something different. He was certain all those sexy curves would look perfect on Maya.
And feel perfect under his hands.
Whoa, Gable! Get a grip! This was gonna be just another business transaction, nothing more.
He sighed and added the last bag of mulch to the cart. Initially her status had said she was “in a relationship”. She’d also mentioned the guy a time or two when they chatted. The lucky man appeared in one of the pictures with her. He was a big, handsome black guy, Derek Something-or-Other, a professional basketball player. They looked happy together, and yet the last time he’d checked, her status had been changed back to “single”. He had to admit that had made his whole day.
Not that it mattered. Getting personally involved with her was out of the question. If anything went wrong between them, Maya, as office manager, could decide to take the lucrative Wilson Homes commercial account elsewhere. The last thing he needed to do today was commit business suicide.
* * * *
Maya was pleasantly surprised at how easy the oversized pickup was to drive. She tried not to think about all the dirt that had been ground into the torn seat-covers over the years. The little spring dress she wore could always be sent to the cleaners. Soiling a dress while learning to wrangle one of the company pickups was a small price to pay for keeping Junior Wilson happy. She was lucky he was at a lunch meeting today and wouldn’t be back until late afternoon. Maya hoped she could get the trees and mulch delivered to the job site before her boss realized she had blundered.
Thank God for Handy Andy.
He certainly had earned his nickname today!
She had begun to think of him by that name some months ago. Every time she phoned in an order of shrubs or gravel or bark dust, he bent over backward to be helpful. She’d come into the job a year ago with only a sketchy knowledge of landscaping materials. Since then, he’d patiently tutored her in the finer points: how a yard of soil was measured, how river rock was graded for size, or why different shrubs might not work for a particular location or soil type. He seemed to know everything there was to know about planting and gardening in the Pacific Northwest.
Sometimes it felt as if Andy anticipated her needs before she even knew herself what she required. His recommendations were always spot-on and his advice never failed. Over time, she had come to put her complete trust in what he told her.
How different was he from Derek?
Surprised that her ex-boyfriend, the self-centered control freak, had suddenly popped into her head, Maya rolled her window down and let a blast of fresh air into the truck’s stuffy cab. Breaking up with Derek had been one of the smartest things she’d ever done. The longer they were together, the more he’d attempted to manipulate and manage her, until she felt like she couldn’t take a step out of her apartment without his permission. Being a professional athlete, he was often on the road. When he got back to town, he’d quickly slip into the role of the Grand Inquisitor. He even made jealous comments about her posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Similar Books
