Playing With Trouble (Desire Bay 1)

“That’s great you got a customer,” he started. “But you have nothing to sell them.”

She walked even closer, right up to his porch, but didn’t step on it. Her glare hit him hard, and he smiled around a swig of his beer. Damn, he loved her feisty side. Crazy how a woman could be so passionate . . . when she showed up, that was.

“Oh, I have something to sell. Actually, it’s a multiple flower order for a party, and it’s going to be great.”

He nodded. He didn’t doubt she was capable. But she needed to see for herself the hole she was digging. If she wanted to spin her wheels and spend her money on this grand idea, fine. It would be a hard lesson learned, but maybe then she’d see that the floral part of the business wasn’t worth hanging on to.

“Well, good for you,” he said and tipped his beer toward her in a salute.

She put a hand on her hip and blew a lock of hair of her eye. The same one he’d just been thinking about. She looked him over as if not impressed, but the slight flush in her cheeks when her gaze hit his chest told him she was a little impressed.

“Enjoying your day off, I see.”

“Yep.” He took another hearty swallow of beer. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a weekend off. And when something good comes along, I take full advantage.”

“I’m sure you do,” she muttered.

Jake saw her peek around at the large, open windows into his house.

“Still jealous about the woman who was here earlier? She’s gone, you know.”

Laura shrugged. “I don’t care about that in the least. Actually, I was just noticing how you have a pretty pathetic setup in there.”

“Well, don’t spare me the truth of how you really feel.”

But her words made Jake look over his shoulder into his house. His leather sofa and big-screen TV were noticeable. Hardwood floors. It was nice. So he had bare walls and no real sense of a cozy vibe, pictures, art, whatever. And yeah, in the daylight it did look a bit sterile. But he didn’t need any of that. He really didn’t. But Laura was real close to becoming the second woman of the day to criticize his house.

But for some reason, Laura bringing it up bugged him more than his sister. Like . . . he wanted to impress her or something.

“What’s wrong with my place?” he asked.

“It’s empty,” she said. “It’s just . . . depressing, really.”

“Coming from a woman who lives in that.” He pointed at the fifth wheel. “People who live in campers shouldn’t throw stones at gorgeous, custom-built homes.”

“At least it’s lived-in and warm.”

Jake wanted to argue, but honestly, he didn’t have much, because his ex had taken most everything, and whatever she hadn’t taken, he’d gotten rid of. He didn’t want reminders of her or the life he’d planned to have. It was just him now. In a house. Alone.

Sparse.

Yep, that about summed it up.

“I like it how it is,” he said and barely sounded convincing. “And besides, using words like warm doesn’t mean the camper is nice. That’s code for cluttered and messy.”

Her brow peaked. “Really? That’s what you think? Well, then . . .” She turned and walked toward the camper. “Why don’t you come see for yourself?”

Jake was off his seat and on her heels in record time. “I was wondering when you were going to invite me in,” he said against her ear as he stood behind her while she unlocked the door.

She spared him a glace over her shoulder. “I’m not inviting you in. You can look, but you can’t touch. And only so I can prove you wrong.”

Sounded like Jake’s situation at the moment with the sultry blonde. Look but don’t touch, and always the competition.

“Okay,” he acknowledged. “Then how about after the grand tour I take you to dinner?”

What the hell was he doing? Nothing smart. But after a day alone in an empty house, he wanted to talk to Laura more. Get caught up in her wide eyes and happy ideas. Hear her voice go up and down in volume with excitement.

“No dating,” she said drily.