The Expert’s Guide to Driving a Man Wild (Bluebonnet #3)(19)
Author: Jessica Clare

Sure enough, when she got to the bathroom, she stifled a gasp of horror at the sight of drool tracks at the corner of her mouth and the rings under her eyes. She hurriedly washed her face and then began to brush her hair quickly, trying to look as presentable as possible. Dear Lord. It was so unfair that such a good-looking man had seen her looking her worst. After she looked decent enough, Elise dug through the boxes under the counter until she found a package of tampons, took one out of its plastic applicator, and flushed it, wincing the entire time at the thought of the damage it’d create.

Calming herself, she smoothed a hand down the front of her modest flannel pajamas and headed back out to the main room of the lodge.

Brenna and Rome stood by the door, and she was shaking his hand. He was smiling down at Brenna, and Elise felt another pang of jealousy. She wished he’d looked at her like he did Brenna, that pleased expression on his face, gaze slightly flirty.

“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” Brenna said cheerfully. “You can meet the guys then, and we’ll figure out rooming arrangements.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity. You won’t be disappointed.”

“I know,” Brenna said. “Plus, you’re a total stud with all that inkwork. You’ll look amazing in Elise’s photo shoot.”

His brow wrinkled a little, the piercing there bobbing. “Photo shoot?”

“Oh! Yes.” Brenna caught sight of Elise and crossed the room quickly, moving toward her and looping an arm over Elise’s shoulders as if to show her off. “Elise here is in town for the next few weeks and is going to be doing a pictorial spread of our instructors for a women’s magazine. We’re going to doll up the instructors and make them look hot and it should bring in some serious business. Isn’t that right, Elise?”

That blue-eyed, dark-lashed gaze focused back on Elise again, and she panicked, her heart thumping.

Behind him, Brenna made a lathering motion, as if dirtying up Rome’s abs.

Elise froze. She wanted to fall through the floor. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of something clever to say. Something casual and funny. Heck, just something boring.

Nothing came out. She settled for a quick, jerky nod.

His mouth curved into a sexy half smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior for the photos, then.” He nodded at the two of them. “It was nice to see you, ladies. Brenna, if you need any further information from me, please give me a call.”

“Will do. See you soon, Rome.” She wiggled her fingers at him as he closed the front door behind him and Elise stood there like a mute statue. As soon as the door was shut, she turned and gave Elise a speculative look. “That man was sex on a stick, wasn’t he?”

The breath she’d been holding exploded out of her lungs. “I . . . yes.” Her cheeks went red. “He was very unusual-looking.”

And already, she was picturing how she’d photograph him, her face hot at the thought.

FIVE

Brenna surfed the Web on her computer and yawned, waiting for Grant’s inevitable return to their small office. She was alone, since Pop had arrived a short time ago and volunteered to give Elise a few lessons on driving the four-wheeler ATVs so she could tour the land. Elise hadn’t looked thrilled, but she hadn’t wanted to disappoint Pop, either, and so she’d gone.

That left Brenna waiting on Grant. For some reason, she was slightly tense. Maybe it was because they’d had sex and their relationship was bound to change in some way. Maybe it was because he’d oh-so-awkwardly tried to get her to move in with him after a single night of sex. She was starting to guess that Grant didn’t do casual anything. The man had a pike up his ass the size of a flagpole.

And then again, maybe she was nervous because she’d just hired him a new instructor without bothering to check with anyone. But hey, he’d told her to handle the employee thing and she did. And Rome was fit and seemed like a decent guy. She suspected he wasn’t qualified in the slightest but she didn’t care about that. A big tattooed distraction was what this place needed to get the focus off her and Grant, and Rome fit that to a tee.

Plus, Elise had been staring at him, mouth slightly agape, and Brenna couldn’t resist seeing what would happen if they threw the two of them together.

All in all, there were plenty of good reasons to hire Rome in her eyes. Grant would hate all of them. She chewed on a pencil eraser, thinking hard. They had five cabins now and six employees. Colt and Beth Ann lived in theirs and probably wouldn’t budge, and she wouldn’t ask anyhow. No one would want Dane and Miranda’s cabin, because Dane insisted on no electricity. He was a “true survivalist” he told them. Brenna mostly thought he was nuts.

Grant would never give up his cabin, either. It wasn’t really a cabin, but more like a tricked-out lodge that just happened to look like a cabin. It had all the amenities and since he was the owner of the business, she really supposed that he wouldn’t want to plant a new employee there.

That left her and Pop. She couldn’t ask Pop to move. The elderly man’s trailer had collapsed just a few weeks ago, trapping him inside it for days and scaring the hell out of Colt. He’d moved Pop to the Daughtry Ranch so they could all keep an eye on him, and so moving him wasn’t the answer.

That left just her. She continued to chew on the eraser, thinking. Grant was going to suggest that she move in with him again. She just knew it. And that conversation was going to suck. She didn’t mind giving up her cabin for Rome, though. What she did mind was Grant’s assumption that she’d just move in with him and turn into his girlfriend.

Maybe she just wouldn’t tell him about Rome until she had to, then. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

• • •

When Grant came into the office a short time later, he was dressed impeccably in a gray Polo that showed off the muscles of his chest rather admirably and a belted pair of dark blue chinos. She paused in her web-surfing to appreciate the look of him and when he glared at her, she shrugged.

So much for worrying about how things would be awkward at work. Him glaring at her? That was normal.

“Where’s Elise?”

Good morning to you, too. “Pop’s showing her the ATVs so he can give her a tour of the ranch.”

He frowned. “That’s not safe. ATVs are dangerous vehicles.”

Brenna gave him an odd look. “The guys use them all the time.”