with humor. Alaina liked
this Rye much better than the rude man of earlier today. She smiled and he
returned it.
As quickly as it had formed, his smile
disappeared. He frowned and looked back at his legal pad. “I’ll start with the
roof. That needs to be repaired first.”
Okay, what just happened? They seemed to be getting along fine, then the light went out in
his eyes and he became stiff and wooden again. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No.”
His voice said no, but his tone said yes.
“Rye, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, Alaina. This is a
business arrangement, nothing more. You need to remember that.”
She had no idea why he’d say something like
that. “What did I do to make you think I don’t know that?”
“You smiled at me.”
“I smiled at you? Since when is that
a sin?”
Scowling, he tossed his pen on top of the
legal pad. “I don’t want you thinking there will be a repeat of what happened
between us yesterday, because there won’t be.”
Alaina had met some arrogant men in her
life. She never would have believed Rye was one of them. He’d just proved her
wrong. Yes, the sex had been scorching. That didn’t mean she planned to drop
her panties every time he looked at her.
“This meeting is officially over. Have a
nice life, Rye.”
She made it three steps before Rye grabbed
her arm to stop her. “Where are you going?”
She jerked her arm away from him. “I’m not
going to spend the next several months with someone who glares at me and snaps
at me when I did nothing wrong. We had sex, Rye. We , as in you and me.
It happened. Neither of us planned it. But you’re treating me as if I’m Alesia
and I’m not. See?” She picked up a hank of her hair and waved it in his face.
“Red hair, not blonde. I didn’t plan what happened between us. I wasn’t trying
to use you. But you can’t seem to get that through your thick skull. Don’t
worry. You don’t have to worry about me attacking you again. I’ll find another
construction firm to work for me.”
“All right, all right! I’m sorry.”
“That’s the lousiest apology I’ve ever
heard.”
If possible, his scowl deepened. “What the
hell do you want from me?”
“I want you to treat me with the same
respect you’d treat any other customer. If you can’t do that, then give me that
list of construction firms you mentioned and I’m outta here.”
He looked away from her and blew out a deep
breath. She waited, unsure if he’d agree she should leave or admit he was
wrong.
“I’m sorry,” he said again, his tone more
convincing. She saw the sincerity in his eyes when he looked back at her. “I
mean that. You’re right. I should treat you the same way I treat all my
customers. You’re also right that it was both of us yesterday who got carried
away.”
“Thank you for admitting that.”
He stared at her for several moments. “You
look like Alesia, but you don’t look like Alesia.”
“We favor a little, but she took after our
father’s side of the family. I’m the image of my mother.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips. “Then
your mom must be a fox.”
Alaina chuckled. “I’ll tell her you said
that.” She quickly turned serious again. “I’m like my mom in every way, Rye…not
my sister or my father. I’ve never gotten off by hurting people.”
He looked at her for several moments, his
gaze moving over her hair, her face, her body. It lingered on her breasts
longer than anywhere else before returning to her face. “I won’t be rude to you
again, Alaina.”
“So we’ll start fresh.” She held out her
hand to him. “Hi. I’m Alaina May. I have a remodeling job for you.”
With humor twinkling in his eyes again, Rye
shook her hand. “I accept your job.”
She held back the gasp of pleasure at the
touch of his skin on hers. It wasn’t easy. Being close to Rye kept her hormones
in a constant frenzy.
Rye released her hand. “I’ll call my dad
and see if he can meet
this Rye much better than the rude man of earlier today. She smiled and he
returned it.
As quickly as it had formed, his smile
disappeared. He frowned and looked back at his legal pad. “I’ll start with the
roof. That needs to be repaired first.”
Okay, what just happened? They seemed to be getting along fine, then the light went out in
his eyes and he became stiff and wooden again. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No.”
His voice said no, but his tone said yes.
“Rye, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, Alaina. This is a
business arrangement, nothing more. You need to remember that.”
She had no idea why he’d say something like
that. “What did I do to make you think I don’t know that?”
“You smiled at me.”
“I smiled at you? Since when is that
a sin?”
Scowling, he tossed his pen on top of the
legal pad. “I don’t want you thinking there will be a repeat of what happened
between us yesterday, because there won’t be.”
Alaina had met some arrogant men in her
life. She never would have believed Rye was one of them. He’d just proved her
wrong. Yes, the sex had been scorching. That didn’t mean she planned to drop
her panties every time he looked at her.
“This meeting is officially over. Have a
nice life, Rye.”
She made it three steps before Rye grabbed
her arm to stop her. “Where are you going?”
She jerked her arm away from him. “I’m not
going to spend the next several months with someone who glares at me and snaps
at me when I did nothing wrong. We had sex, Rye. We , as in you and me.
It happened. Neither of us planned it. But you’re treating me as if I’m Alesia
and I’m not. See?” She picked up a hank of her hair and waved it in his face.
“Red hair, not blonde. I didn’t plan what happened between us. I wasn’t trying
to use you. But you can’t seem to get that through your thick skull. Don’t
worry. You don’t have to worry about me attacking you again. I’ll find another
construction firm to work for me.”
“All right, all right! I’m sorry.”
“That’s the lousiest apology I’ve ever
heard.”
If possible, his scowl deepened. “What the
hell do you want from me?”
“I want you to treat me with the same
respect you’d treat any other customer. If you can’t do that, then give me that
list of construction firms you mentioned and I’m outta here.”
He looked away from her and blew out a deep
breath. She waited, unsure if he’d agree she should leave or admit he was
wrong.
“I’m sorry,” he said again, his tone more
convincing. She saw the sincerity in his eyes when he looked back at her. “I
mean that. You’re right. I should treat you the same way I treat all my
customers. You’re also right that it was both of us yesterday who got carried
away.”
“Thank you for admitting that.”
He stared at her for several moments. “You
look like Alesia, but you don’t look like Alesia.”
“We favor a little, but she took after our
father’s side of the family. I’m the image of my mother.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips. “Then
your mom must be a fox.”
Alaina chuckled. “I’ll tell her you said
that.” She quickly turned serious again. “I’m like my mom in every way, Rye…not
my sister or my father. I’ve never gotten off by hurting people.”
He looked at her for several moments, his
gaze moving over her hair, her face, her body. It lingered on her breasts
longer than anywhere else before returning to her face. “I won’t be rude to you
again, Alaina.”
“So we’ll start fresh.” She held out her
hand to him. “Hi. I’m Alaina May. I have a remodeling job for you.”
With humor twinkling in his eyes again, Rye
shook her hand. “I accept your job.”
She held back the gasp of pleasure at the
touch of his skin on hers. It wasn’t easy. Being close to Rye kept her hormones
in a constant frenzy.
Rye released her hand. “I’ll call my dad
and see if he can meet
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