Boyfriend for Hire (11 page)

“Yo, Fubar, where are you?” Brody’s voice echoed through the empty halls of the Victorian.

“Go away, I don’t have time for you today,” he called down the stair shaft. He had bigger problems than Brody’s legal whatever to deal with, like the dry rot he’d discovered running the length of the top floor.

Brody bounded up the stairs, ignoring Dave’s request. Nothing new there. Brody always did what he wanted and expected Dave and Jason to follow along, no questions asked. Nothing had changed in the last three decades.

“Hey, pretty boy, unless you want to get your designer suit dirty, leave.” Dave bent to inspect the planks at the end of the hallway. Shit, more rot. They’d have to replace the entire flooring for the hall, bath, and all four bedrooms on this level.

Brody toed the wood, grimacing. “Where’s your crew?”

“Sent them home to enjoy the weekend and sunshine. Watch your step or you may find yourself taking the express to the second floor. Luckily for both of us, the damage isn’t as bad out here as in the west bedroom and the one next to it.”

“You shouldn’t be up here alone.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Dave sat back on his heels, spying the file in Brody’s hand. “Since when do you dress up on a Saturday?” The dude worked 24/7, but usually played it casual on the weekend.

“Since I had an appointment at the bank to secure our new loan for the equipment we talked about.” Brody stepped carefully across the hall, testing the wall for stability before he leaned against it. “Met the new bank manger, Mr. Leduc. Guy’s a prick. Tawny’s better off not working for him. Hey, has she found another job?”

“Yeah, started this week. Why?”

“Nothing. Something he said. I’ll follow up with her.” He thrust the file at Dave and tossed him a pen. “Need you to sign these. I’ll get Jason’s signature later tonight and then I’ll drop them off Monday. Should have the money by the end of the month.”

Something he said? About Tawny? Dave read over the forms, pen poised. If the shithead was talking smack about Tawny, he didn’t know if he wanted to do business with him. “What did he say?”

“Chill, Tarzan. It wasn’t about your girl. More of a general remark about women in general and another aimed at one of the tellers.” Brody gave him a look. “Sign the papers. We don’t have time to reapply with a different bank.”

“You a freaking mind reader now, Bro?”

“Dude, everyone else may think you’re some kind of laid-back, let the good times roll slacker. Cupid and I know better.” Brody’s hand shot out, punching Dave in the shoulder. “You’ve never brooked fools or backstabbers, and there’s never been a greater champion of the fairer sex than you.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“Not at all,” Brody said dryly, “we just know you hide the real you behind a lazy smile.”

He raised a brow. “What the hell does that mean?”

Brody took the signed papers and pen away before he continued. Maybe he thought Dave would stab him with the makeshift weapon. “You talk a good game about living a freestyle life, no responsibilities, just letting life happen as it comes at you. In truth, you’re one of the hardest working people we know. You never miss a day of work. Your mom wants for nothing because you give her the moon and stars before she can even ask. And if anyone needs anything, you’re the first person to volunteer your time, expertise, or help. Hate to break it to you, Fubar, but you grew up a long time ago and are now a bona fide adult, complete with responsibilities.”

His parents hadn’t stopped fighting long enough to give him brothers. Instead life handed him Jason and Brody. At times, they drove him over the edge (brilliantly so), yet he knew, always knew they had his six. Just like he had theirs. “Lawyer, mind reader, shrink. What’s next on your list of accomplishments?” The ribbing was done in good nature and Brody took it that way.

“I’ve always yearned to be a prima ballerina.” Brody grinned.

“Yeah? I could see you in tights and a tutu. You’d be the belle of the ball.”

“Helloooo.” Tawny’s voice drifted up from the front door. “Anyone home?”

“Don’t come up,” both men yelled in unison.

“You having a naked fest up there or what? Because if you are, I’m definitely coming up.”

He quirked his lips upward. “She would too.”

“I might lose my man card by admitting this, but that woman actually scares me. Good luck, buddy, I’m out of here.” Brody headed for the stairs.

“Right behind you. Tawny and I’ve been roped into tasting champagne or cake or something wedding related, and while Tawny scares you, Cherry terrifies me. She may be little but she packs a punch, Bro. Not to mention she cries at everything lately. No way was I going to say no.”

“Speaking of women you can’t say no to, dinner next week. Mom wants all her boys home for a home-cooked meal so she can make sure we haven’t wasted away.”

“I’ll be there.”

They hit the main floor landing to find Tawny had wondered into what had once been the front parlor and would soon be the reception and bar. Brody hung around long enough to exchange greetings, congratulate Tawny on the new job, and tell her if she needed any help to come see him. What the hell? Was Tawny in a legal jam?

She hadn’t said anything to him last weekend. Then again, the lady had an interview to ace, and things at the party did take a sudden turn into the land of bizarre with her boss’s heart attack.

“Everything okay?” he demanded, once again doing exactly what Brody had accused him of, sticking his neck out to offer help before it was asked of him.

“Yeah, that was weird.” She looked out the window to where Brody was getting in his car. “Does he know something that I should know?”

A small chuckle escaped as Dave thought over his own conversation with his brooding friend. “Brody always knows something us lesser beings don’t. The true question is, do we really want to know? I tend to go with the theory of if I needed to know, he’d tell me. Until then, why worry?”

She chewed on the side of her lip, staring out the window. “If you say so.” Turning back around, her full focus took in Dave from head to toe, leaving him with a feeling of inadequacy. “Are you done here? Our appointment with the baker is in forty-five minutes.”

“I’m all yours, darling.” They headed out the door, and as Dave locked up he took in her hot pink dress, black jacket, and killer heels. He glanced down the front of him at worn, faded-out jeans with one knee ripped and both the pants and shirt covered in dust and cobwebs. Shit, should have grabbed a change of clothes that morning. Too late now. If they missed the appointment, Cherry would kill him, or worse, cry. “How’s your boss doing?”

“Funny you should ask.”

Dave gave her a quizzical look.

“He’s out of the woods and at home recovering. He’s very grateful to you. As a matter of fact, the entire company is, and they’ve sent a few gifts to show their appreciation.”

She opened the back door of her Mini Cooper and Dave’s eyes popped wide. The last time he’d seen a spread like that, Brody’s old man had died.

“That’s all for me?”

“Yep, every last pie, cake, and batch of cookies. Maybe we should stop by your place and drop it off first. It’s pretty hot out and you wouldn’t want any of it to spoil or melt.” She closed the door and headed around the toy car.

“Good idea. I can get out of these grubs, and after we’re done doing whatever for the lovebirds, I can buy you a drink to celebrate your first week.”

After making two trips from Tawny’s car up to his second-floor unit, Dave hit the shower and grabbed the first clean shirt he spotted in the closet. He pulled on a pair of relatively clean jeans—hey, they weren’t covered in paint stains, dirt, or oil and didn’t stink, that qualified them as clean in his book—and sauntered into the living slash kitchen. Tawny had put all the food away and stood looking out the window. Strolling across the room to join her, he looked around. She’d picked up. His sneakers, which were kicked off last night in the middle of the room, were now set by the wall, the mail was in a neat stack on the table, and the dish towel hung on the oven door.

“Thanks for straightening the place up for me. Long week.”

“No prob, just keeping busy while I waited. I let the dogs out too and filled their water.” Her body language and casual tone could have fooled most, but not Dave. Over the past few months he’d learned to read her. When Tawny got nervous, she didn’t make eye contact and she had a habit of scratching her neck. Just like she was doing now.

Dark, angry red lines marred her creamy cocoa skin. Before he could follow through with his thoughts to kiss every mark until they faded away, Tawny spun around and headed out the door.

“We better get going before we’re late.”

She refused to let him drive, but insisted they take her toy version of a car. Not that he minded a woman who took charge every now and then. Folding his six-foot frame into the sardine can was another thing. If they got hit, he’d fly through the front window because there was no space between him and the dash.

“Hey, are you doing anything next Saturday? Say around six.” Her eyes never left the road. Hands gripped at ten and two.

“Are you asking me on a date, darling?” Hot damn, he’d finally worn her down.

“No. Yes.” She whipped her little car into a parking space in front of the bakery. Dropping her head onto the steering wheel, she murmured something that sounded like
what am I doing
. After a few minutes she lifted her head and looked him straight on. “Look, here’s the thing. I had a great week at work. Monday I start working on a high-profile event and the boss, Mr. Spinelli, has invited me . . . us to the Pawtucket Red Sox game. Only a select few have been asked. Please, come with me? I don’t want to blow it.”

Not quite what he’d had in mind. But hey, he could work with it. “Sure, I’d love to. Come on, it’s baseball. You don’t have to give me the hard sell.”

There went that hand scratching away at her pretty skin, making him want to kiss the welts away. And then she went and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. It took everything Dave had, every ounce of willpower and manners drilled into him by his mom and Brody’s, not to haul her over the shifter and devour her mouth.

“You might think twice when you hear the rest. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend a little longer. I’m sorry. I figured it’d be a one-time deal. But you had to go and play hero and I can’t break up with you now.” Her hands shot up in front of her faster than the man of steel. “I know it’s asking a lot, but it will only be for a few weeks, you know, until I’m settled in and they can’t live without me. Then we can break up and everything will be fine.”

“I don’t know. It’s a lot to ask,” he teased.

She sat back in a slump. “I know I’m overstepping the friendship line. It’s just that if I tell them we’re not dating, I’m afraid they’ll think I misled them to get the job. Then I’ll get canned and have to go to work for my brother. Please, David?”

Hell yeah, he’d do it. What red-blooded male would turn down a chance to romance Tawny Torres? Not to mention, get to put his hands on her succulent body. “When do I start?”

The sigh of relief as she slipped her arms around his neck and thanked him sent warm air scurrying down his shirt. The hardest thing he’d ever done—keeping his hands where they belonged.

Sitting back in her seat, she blinded him with her smile. “Now. This town isn’t really that big, and who knows where we’ll run into someone. Sorry to put a crimp in your nighttime activities for a while.”

What a joke. The only companion he’d had for months had been his right hand. “No worries, I’m not seeing anyone right now, and hey, I get a free baseball game out of it. It’s like the mondo prize from the cereal box.”

“Hope you still say that after the first pretty girl throws herself in your arms and you have to turn her down.”

They exited the car and he held the door open to the bakery. “That rarely happens these days. I swear.”

A loud squeal pierced his ears and probably every living being within a five-mile radius as they stepped inside.

“Snooky-bear! OMG, I’ve missed you sooo much and you’ve been such a naughty boy not calling me back. But I forgive you, or will after you show me how sorry you are.”

Great. Fucking great. Mandi. He was lucky the last time he’d seen her and broken things off to get away with his balls intact. He pried her octopus-like arms from around his neck, noting a steady, loud tapping.

Glaring at him from no more than a foot away stood Tawny, toe tapping, hand on hip, and a look that said she wouldn’t need a sharp instrument to cut off his manhood.

He was so screwed.

Unbelievable. Five minutes. They’d been pretend dating for five minutes, and already, he had another woman in his arms.

This farce would never work. Not if David went around groping women everywhere he went. Thank goodness the only other person in the bakery besides Miss Perky Blonde with the big boobs was the baker, who stood patiently waiting for them.

Making eye contact with her, Tawny rolled her eyes and gave a little nod toward the long-lost lovers.

“Hi, welcome to Sin, where we encourage you to be wicked. Are you Tawny and David, perhaps?” The petite woman came out from behind the bakery case, dressed in white pants, a hot pink shirt and an apron that read
eat wicked every day.

Worked for Tawny. “Yes, we’re here for the wedding cake tasting.” she let her voice rise and emphasized the word “wedding,” which had the desired effect.

Big boobs stepped back from David. Her gaze shot back and forth from the object of her desire to the object of her hatred, Tawny. “Snooky-bear?” She laid a possessive hand on David’s arm. “You’re getting married?”

Tawny felt a small ping of sympathy at the hurt in her voice. She now recognized her as the woman he’d been dating when they first met.

David reached a hand out to clasp Tawny’s hand. Firmly caught in his grasp, Tawny had no choice but to move to his side as he pulled her up close. To keep her balance and hold some distance between them, she splayed her hand against his chest. It didn’t work. Her breasts framed his arm. David glanced down before meeting her look. The sides of his mouth lifted, heavy-lidded eyes burned with fire while his heart beat an erratic rhythm beneath her palm.