Falling For Ken (Blueprint to Love Book 2) (31 page)

His thoughts drifted back to their conversation by the elevator. When he'd been busy launching a standard pick-up line, her response had been decisive.
Many women need help. But I am not one of them
. Marisol was tough. He'd bet she was protective of her clients at the shelter. She'd probably seen just about everything humanity had to offer.

Jeff allowed himself a grudging smile. Marisol represented an interesting challenge. His usual game plan would require tweaking. She wasn't a typical one-and-done pushover. She would demand effort. Well-planned and highly coordinated. Though subtlety was a tool he'd rarely been called upon to utilize in the past, he was smart enough to realize he would need it now. But with a little Traynor elbow grease– and maybe some advice from his sisters-in-law– he could pick up a few pointers. By the time he was finished, Marisol Ortega wouldn't know what hit her.    

***

Mari sank back in her chair, resisting the urge to kick off her pumps. Soon enough she could slip back into the jeans and sneakers that were her uniform at the shelter. The men and women she served didn't care how she dressed to assist them. They worried about the roof over their head and the hot meal in their belly. They cared whether they would be privy to the same luxury the next day. And the one after that.

Checking her watch, Mari waited for Jefferson Traynor to return. For a part of her job she did not enjoy performing, she was rather adept at soliciting donations– of both time and money to assist the New Beginnings Shelter. About to undertake her biggest challenge, it was fortunate she performed so well. Adding a wing to the shelter had been her dream for nearly five years. She was down to the last half million they needed to complete the addition. But—more importantly, they finally had enough money to get the project started.

The remaining hurdle was securing the contractor who could make it happen for the lowest price, in the shortest amount of time. The shelter had been overcrowded for months. Every night, people were turned away. That situation would only intensify by the time winter rolled around again.

Marisol rose when she saw Jeff in the hallway, wrapping up his conversation with a colleague. It was the ultimate irony that the annoying man she'd met in the lobby was the unlikely savior who would be the catalyst to make her dreams for the new wing happen. But if she could parlay his interest in her into lower prices . . . a shorter schedule . . . better equipment. Mari smiled. She didn't mind using sexual attraction to get what the shelter needed.   

He re-entered the room with as much energy as he'd shown earlier. Shrugging free of his suit jacket, he tossed it on the chair. "Okay - let's take a look at these plans."

"How about back here?" She cleared one of the tables, unable to contain her frown as she noticed the mountain of untouched pastries on the tray.

His gaze followed hers. "You hungry? I'll get the waiter to bring us more coffee."

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I was thinking of the waste. To you, that pile probably doesn't mean much." Meeting his attentive gaze, she smiled. "Just a billion calories."

Rolling up his shirtsleeves on tanned, strong . . . capable looking forearms, he paused. "What does it mean to you?"

She turned to survey the room. "To me, this represents three hundred dollars that could have been spent on meals at the shelter." Turning back, she found him watching her expectantly. "Care to take a guess how many meals that would provide?"

He shrugged. "To be honest– three hundred bucks doesn't sound like a huge amount of money, but when you put it that way-" His expression changed, indicating he was performing some serious mathematical calculations in his head. "I'd guess if you were careful you could make about fifty meals with three hundred bucks?"   

She smiled over the flare of interest in beautiful, green eyes. "Actually we can do a little better than that. With three hundred dollars, the fantastic volunteer chefs at New Beginnings can stretch that to cover closer to two hundred meals."

Jeff emitted a low whistle. "Seriously?" When she nodded, he held up a finger. "Don't move. I'll be right back."

When he disappeared through the double doors once again, she wondered where he possibly derived so much energy. She was leafing through her construction notes when he returned five minutes later– an army of waiters following closely on his heels.

His wink made her stomach flutter. Shocked, she met his gaze. The cocky smile told her Jeff knew it, too. He pointed out the pastry. "I'd like all of this sliced into smaller portions and wrapped so Miss Ortega can take it with her. We'll be leaving in forty minutes."

It was her turn to stare as the waiters scurried around to load up the pastries. "Why are you doing this?"

"The money's not totally wasted if everyone at the shelter gets to enjoy a billion calorie dessert, right?"    

Why hadn't she thought of it? Jeff Traynor's eyes sparkled when he grinned– reminding her of an overgrown kid who was having way too much fun. He'd taken her lemons and gifted her with lemonade. Mari's smile was genuine when she thanked him. "You're absolutely right."

***

Jeff was pretty sure he deserved a medal. He glanced at his watch to confirm his award-winning abilities. Yeah. He was damn sure. The last hour and fifteen minutes had been spent inhaling the intoxicating scent of Marisol Ortega. He'd observed– at close range– how her eyes changed from one bewitching Caribbean blue to another– depending on her mood and the light in the room. Her hair– long, chocolate strands that whispered for his fingers to run through each curl had remained untouched. He'd noticed– yet miraculously refrained from confirming, what he suspected was the softest, honeyed skin he'd ever seen.

All of this herculean effort had taken place while he'd been required to speak coherently about the numerous changes she wished to make. She'd hit him with question after intelligent question– how much would this change cost? Would they still have room for this other feature? Where would it go? Would it add days to the schedule?

Releasing a gusty sigh, he watched her gather her briefcase. Marisol had been pleasant. She'd been polite. She'd been persistent– damn persistent about what she wanted for her shelter. She'd grilled him steadily– yet by all accounts, she'd been completely unaffected by him. When he'd asked her to lunch, she'd paused for so long, Jeff figured she was trying to think up a plausible excuse. When she finally answered, she'd asked if she could decide later. Apparently if their current meeting ran too long, she'd shoot him down again. Not exactly the situation he'd painted for himself.

What the hell was going on? He was charming, damn it. He was persuasive.
Plenty
of women had made it abundantly clear they found him attractive. Seriously . . . it was a shitload.

He worked out. He showered daily. So– what was he doing wrong with her?

"Jefferson? Did you still wish to have lunch?" Marisol set her briefcase near the stack of pastry boxes that still needed to be loaded into her car.

His gloom-laden thoughts scattered as his brain skidded back to reality. "Do you have time?"

"I don't mean to be forward, but I would have time if you let me pick our lunch spot." She smiled, a question in her mesmerizing eyes. "Would that be okay?"

Hooyah.
Hell, yeah
. He contained his grin with effort. And the high-five. Definitely not cool. "No problem."

"I want to take you to one of my favorite places."

Jeff's stomach tilted. She could choose the most expensive place in town for all he cared. Marisol had offered a genuine smile– the first one directed solely at him. "Lead the way. I'll carry these boxes to your car."  

Chapter 2

Mari parked in the alley behind the building, forced to wedge her car between a delivery truck and a volunteer's sedan. Confirming in her rearview mirror that Jeff was still with her– she crossed her fingers she wouldn't embarrass herself when she parallel parked in the tight space. With parking at a premium, he definitely had it easier with his motorcycle.

Pulling up next to her, Jeff parked his bike on the sidewalk in an effort to keep the alley clear. She opened the passenger door, intent on pulling boxes of pastry from her backseat when he approached, a concerned expression in his eyes. "What's wrong?" 

He scanned the deserted street, frowning. "You shouldn't be parking here– this isn't safe."

She waved a hand to dismiss his worry. "I've parked here before. We'll be fine."

"Where are we? I don't think I've ever been here before."

Before she could respond, he quickly moved in front of her– putting himself and the car door between them. "What are you doing?"

"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice suddenly tense. "There's a very large, very scary looking guy approaching us. Whatever happens– if I tell you to run– just go."

Mari stole a peek over a broad, solid shoulder and smothered her laughter. Brushing his arm, she felt the muscles contract under his shirt. "Jefferson– it's not what you think."

Determined, he kept his gaze on the massive man approaching. "We're
not
about to be attacked by a giant who looks as though he walked off the set of a James Bond movie?"

Still clutching his arm, she moved into the alley. "Jeff– this is the shelter. We're having lunch at New Beginnings. And this-" She stepped forward to greet the man approaching them with a scowl on his scarred face. "This is Pete Shea." She nodded at the man towering over her. "Pete? I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Jeff Traynor."

To her relief, Jeff immediately relaxed, his guarded expression dissolving in a smile. "Nice to meet you, Pete."

Pete continued to glare down at Jeff from his six foot seven height. His expression indicated he'd slipped into his world of military scenarios. She made a mental note to discuss the increasing lapses with his counselor at the VA Center.

Mari sensed Jeff closing the gap between them. "Pete?" She tried again to defuse the tension. "Jeff is building our addition for us. Maybe after lunch– you can walk with us for a few minutes and share your suggestions with Mr. Traynor."  

Her words had the hoped-for effect. Like a magic charm, Pete's brooding face split with a smile of welcome and he extended his hand to Jeff. "Nice to meet you. I've got lots of ideas on the addition– lots of stuff that will make the perimeter safer," he explained. "We need to protect the flank. Right now–we're exposed."

"Exposed?" Jeff's gaze shifted to her.

"Yeah, man. It's hard to sleep at night knowing we could be attacked from the south. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit."

Mari ignored the question in Jeff's eyes. "Pete– could you help us carry these pastries inside? If you've already eaten lunch, you could set these out on the dessert table in the back."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be happy to accept that duty." Walking past Jeff without a second glance, Pete gathered the boxes from her seat and headed to the back door of the shelter.

Beautiful eyes reflecting curiosity, Jeff stared at her for a moment before smiling. "I have a feeling this will be the most interesting lunch I've had in a long time."

CHASING MARISOL, February, 2016

Dear Reader:

Thank you for reading FALLING FOR KEN. I hope you enjoy the Traynor family as much as I enjoyed creating them. If you liked this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Now that you've read Harry and Kendall's story, I hope you'll return for Jefferson. The third installment of Blueprint To Love is CHASING MARISOL, when perpetual player Jefferson meets Marisol Ortega– a rare woman who has zero interest in his overwhelming charm. CHASING will be available February, 2016. The first book, TRUSTING JAKE, is available at all retail sites. Other books include my traditionally published novel, a romantic suspense, FOR HER PROTECTION released in 2010. Another four- book series will be on its way to readers in late 2016.

Blueprint To Love Series

Book 1:
Trusting Jake

Book 2: Falling for Ken  

Book 3: Chasing Marisol (February, 2016)

For Her Protection

To learn about upcoming books, please visit me at my
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Happy reading!

Lauren Giordano

About the Author

Lauren Giordano is an award-winning author of eight novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense. She also writes a blog exploring the endless, troubling encounters she experiences on the journey to 'create' in her kitchen.
Her Cooking Disasters blog
can be found at www.laurengiordanoauthor.com. Originally from the Northeast, Lauren makes her home in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband, two daughters and two vacationing cats who never seem to leave.