impatience, he barely waited for her soft “Come in” before muscling through the door.
She and a showy blonde sat on either side of her desk, and as they both turned to look at him, Dru’s laughter faded. The blonde regarded him with interest, but Dru looked at him as if he’d bulled his way in where he had no business being. His shoulders hunched up slightly.
So, big deal. Like being an outsider was something new.
“Hello,” the blonde said, exposing a deep set of dimples.
She was his type of woman: flamboyant makeup and hair, flashy fingernails, friendly smile. “Hey, there.”
“J.D., this is my friend Char McKenna,” Dru said, and his attention was immediately diverted from the blonde’s eye-catching attributes to Drucilla. Her prettiness was a subtler thing: shiny hair, a sprinkling of freckles, and those dark-lashed vibrant blue eyes. Itdidn’t make a damn bit of sense that she could make him forget the other woman was even in the room.
“Char’s our masseuse here,” she told him. “Char, J.D. Carver. You know what he is.”
Char choked and J.D. scowled at Drucilla. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Dru gave him a cool smile to disguise the surge of heat his abrupt appearance had elicited. For just an instant, she’d been thrown back into that kiss that she’d spent far too much time denying meant a darn thing. Taking a deep, quiet breath, she eased it out. “Is there something I can do for you, J.D.?”
Oh, baby .
She could practically hear the words as he gave her a very male look, one corner of his mouth tipping up. Glancing over, she caught Char pursing her lips in a silent whistle and fanning herself with her fingers, and Dru cursed her own hyperactive imagination as she envisioned all manner of things she could do for him. Damned if she’d be reduced to stuttering and acting like a flustered virgin, though. She raised her brows inquiringly.
“Yeah.” The slight smile and animal heat disappeared, and he dropped the ledgers he’d borrowed on her desk. Straightening, he stood, hands on his narrow hips, and regarded her with level eyes. “Put me to work.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Anything that pertains to the joint. I want to learn it all.”
That was fair enough. As a part owner, he should know every aspect of the business. “Okay.” Shethought for a moment. “Do you have a pair of sneakers?”
“Huh?”
“Sneakers. Do you—”
“I heard you. I just don’t see its relevance to teaching me the business.”
“I’m going to put you to work at the front desk. It’s where every guest’s stay begins, so it seems an appropriate place to start. But it requires you to wear the uniform.” She indicated her own outfit. “We can supply you with the shorts and polo shirt, but we don’t provide shoes.”
“I’ll go to town and pick up a pair.” He turned to Char and gave her one of his rare white smiles. “Nice meeting you.” Glancing back at Dru, he pinned her in place with the intensity of his regard. “I’ll be back in a half hour or so.”
Dru couldn’t have said why that struck her as more warning than promise.
The door closed behind him, and Char sagged back in her seat. “Whoa. Be still, my heart.” She gave Dru a look. “And you said kissing him was okay ? I’m surprised we didn’t have to air-vac you to the Harborview burn unit in Seattle.” She stared at the door consideringly. “I wonder if he has a brother.”
Laughter that felt suspiciously like hysteria exploded out of Dru’s throat. “I don’t know. I’ll be sure to ask.”
Amusement was the farthest thing from her mind, though, after Char had left and she waited for J.D. to return. The sport-shop employee who’d put her on hold came back on the line to ask for a clarification onthe information she’d requested, and Dru brought the phone receiver back up to her lips again.
“Yes. Size large on the shirt and I’m guessing a thirty-four waist on the shorts. You do?
She and a showy blonde sat on either side of her desk, and as they both turned to look at him, Dru’s laughter faded. The blonde regarded him with interest, but Dru looked at him as if he’d bulled his way in where he had no business being. His shoulders hunched up slightly.
So, big deal. Like being an outsider was something new.
“Hello,” the blonde said, exposing a deep set of dimples.
She was his type of woman: flamboyant makeup and hair, flashy fingernails, friendly smile. “Hey, there.”
“J.D., this is my friend Char McKenna,” Dru said, and his attention was immediately diverted from the blonde’s eye-catching attributes to Drucilla. Her prettiness was a subtler thing: shiny hair, a sprinkling of freckles, and those dark-lashed vibrant blue eyes. Itdidn’t make a damn bit of sense that she could make him forget the other woman was even in the room.
“Char’s our masseuse here,” she told him. “Char, J.D. Carver. You know what he is.”
Char choked and J.D. scowled at Drucilla. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Dru gave him a cool smile to disguise the surge of heat his abrupt appearance had elicited. For just an instant, she’d been thrown back into that kiss that she’d spent far too much time denying meant a darn thing. Taking a deep, quiet breath, she eased it out. “Is there something I can do for you, J.D.?”
Oh, baby .
She could practically hear the words as he gave her a very male look, one corner of his mouth tipping up. Glancing over, she caught Char pursing her lips in a silent whistle and fanning herself with her fingers, and Dru cursed her own hyperactive imagination as she envisioned all manner of things she could do for him. Damned if she’d be reduced to stuttering and acting like a flustered virgin, though. She raised her brows inquiringly.
“Yeah.” The slight smile and animal heat disappeared, and he dropped the ledgers he’d borrowed on her desk. Straightening, he stood, hands on his narrow hips, and regarded her with level eyes. “Put me to work.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Anything that pertains to the joint. I want to learn it all.”
That was fair enough. As a part owner, he should know every aspect of the business. “Okay.” Shethought for a moment. “Do you have a pair of sneakers?”
“Huh?”
“Sneakers. Do you—”
“I heard you. I just don’t see its relevance to teaching me the business.”
“I’m going to put you to work at the front desk. It’s where every guest’s stay begins, so it seems an appropriate place to start. But it requires you to wear the uniform.” She indicated her own outfit. “We can supply you with the shorts and polo shirt, but we don’t provide shoes.”
“I’ll go to town and pick up a pair.” He turned to Char and gave her one of his rare white smiles. “Nice meeting you.” Glancing back at Dru, he pinned her in place with the intensity of his regard. “I’ll be back in a half hour or so.”
Dru couldn’t have said why that struck her as more warning than promise.
The door closed behind him, and Char sagged back in her seat. “Whoa. Be still, my heart.” She gave Dru a look. “And you said kissing him was okay ? I’m surprised we didn’t have to air-vac you to the Harborview burn unit in Seattle.” She stared at the door consideringly. “I wonder if he has a brother.”
Laughter that felt suspiciously like hysteria exploded out of Dru’s throat. “I don’t know. I’ll be sure to ask.”
Amusement was the farthest thing from her mind, though, after Char had left and she waited for J.D. to return. The sport-shop employee who’d put her on hold came back on the line to ask for a clarification onthe information she’d requested, and Dru brought the phone receiver back up to her lips again.
“Yes. Size large on the shirt and I’m guessing a thirty-four waist on the shorts. You do?
Similar Books
