All Jacked Up (3 page)
Authors: Lorelei James
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Adult, #Western, #Red Hots!, #Contemporary Romance
I know better. I-I just wish there was something…” Her voice dropped and she bit her lip.
Oh fuck no. Was tough as nails Keely McKay about to burst into tears?
Don’t fall for it.
But he found himself drawn to her anyway. “Hey. Cowgirl. Don’t cry.”
“I’m not.” She expelled a watery laugh. “Although, you should know I was prepared to throw myself at your feet and promise I’ll do anything if you’ll help me.”
Anything? Now we’re talking.
15
Lorelei James
A preposterous idea began to form. One so…crazy she might actually go for it. Maybe they could help each other out.
“Anything?” he prompted.
Keely’s steely, yet teary-eyed gaze met his. “Yes. Anything.”
Jack leaned forward. “Then marry me.”
16
“M-marry you?” Keely sputtered. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
“No. I’m dead-ass serious.”
“Why the fuck would I marry you? I don’t even
like
you.”
“Back atcha, babe, but this could solve both of our problems.”
“You are my problem,” she grumbled.
“Just hear me out, okay?”
“I’ll listen until the guys with the straightjackets arrive, because you are certifiable.”
Jack loomed over her, his vibrant green eyes blazing. “Didn’t you just say you’d do
anything
to get me to oversee your project?”
“Yes. But—”
“Then shut up and listen.”
Damn man. Bossing her around.
You like it. You like that he doesn’t fall in line.
“Last week I was shut out of consideration for a huge restoration project because of my marital status…or lack thereof.”
Keely blinked at him. “Why would it matter whether or not you were married?”
“It just does,” he said testily.
“Is the remodel job in a nunnery or something?” Heaven knew Jack Donohue would tempt a nun into tasting the sins of the flesh. Repeatedly. With absolute gusto and zero repentance.
“No. But you’re thinking along the right lines. The committee choosing the overseeing company for this project is very conservative, very traditional and they have the money to be choosy.” He sighed.
“Might seem weird, but religious organizations often select their contractors based on their religious preference.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Say the Catholic church is adding on. They have the right to consider only Catholic contractors. This group set up parameters that might seem unusual, but I’ve dealt with far worse constraints, believe me.”
“Is it an issue of the consultant having to live in this conservative town for the duration of the project?
Is the committee afraid a hot single guy will pose a threat to the unattached ladies?”
Lorelei James
“Hot single guy?” he repeated, tacking on a bad-boy grin. “Careful, Keely, you might give me the wrong idea that you’re somewhat attracted to me.”
Instead of saying,
You are all that hotness and a bag of chips, baby,
Keely rolled her eyes.
“After I visited the site and met with the committee last week, I knew they were interested in my ideas. But when it came to my personal life…their enthusiasm waned.”
Her brain warned,
Don’t ask him if the committee thinks he’s gay,
but it was no use; her mouth ignored the directive. “Are they afraid you have a male lover hiding in the closet at home?”
With that snarky comment, she’d pushed Jack too far.
He crowded her against the wall. “You looking for a firsthand demonstration of my heterosexual prowess, cowgirl? Because I’m more than up for the challenge.”
Please. Your body is hot and hard and you smell so damn good and it’s been ages since I’ve had a
real man this sexy this close to me.
“Umm…”
“Jesus.” Jack leapt back and rubbed the squished section of skin between his dark eyebrows. “You can rile me up in no time flat.”
“Which is why this marriage idea would never work. We’ve come to verbal blows more than a few times.”
“True.”
“Plus we don’t even live in the same state.”
“Let me think.” He paced, muttering to himself. He stopped in front of her with a triumphant gleam.
“A wedding is out. How about if we announce we’re engaged?”
“Engaged in what? Battle? Not a newsflash, Jack.”
He scowled. “Smartass. I’m serious.”
“So am I. How is an engagement any better?”
“It’d explain why we’re living apart.”
Keely stared at him. “You are insane. How do you propose we explain the fact we can’t stand each other?”
“We’d have to change that. In public we’ll have to moon around in love or some such sappy shit.
Pretend we rock each other’s world.”
She swallowed her immediate response—
never fucking happening—
and said, “That’s impossible.”
Those piercing green eyes narrowed. “Why? Are you in a relationship?”
“No. What about you?”
“It’s been three years since I found my girlfriend fucking my business partner and I ended up getting fucked.”
Whoa. Some woman was stupid enough to cheat on Jack Donohue? Keely wanted the down and dirty details, but Jack stalked off. He jammed his hand through his hair as he stared out the dirt-caked window.
18
All Jacked Up
“Jack? What happened?”
“My personal and professional life went up in flames. None of that garbage matters now. But this job in Milford? It’s more than a job. It’s like I have a chance to get back what I lost.”
His embarrassment sparked a feeling scarily close to real sympathy. And empathy. Salvaging pride was something she understood. “Look, before I scream
no fucking way
and run, spell out exactly what I gain from this devil’s bargain, if I decide to do it.”
“I’ll personally oversee your restoration project. After I examine the renovation plans from your contractor, I’ll call the head of the Wyoming Historic Preservation Committee and officially sign on as your consultant. They’ll expect me to monitor compliance frequently since this will be a rush job.”
Her head buzzed with a mix of excitement and fear. Maybe her life wasn’t in the toilet. But she played it cool. “What would you expect from me?”
“I’ll need a minimum of one month commitment from you. During this engagement you’ll travel to Milford with me and convince the committee we’re madly in love.”
“Didn’t you tell me the committee is aware you’ve been single for a while?”
Jack paced again. “I didn’t share specifics on my personal life. I more or less sidestepped the question. But there has to be a way we can convince them we’ve secretly been together for the last few months…” He snapped his fingers. “Aha! I’ve got it.”
“Got what?”
“The reason we didn’t go public with our relationship—even with families—was because of our rocky past. I saw you as my best friend’s pesky little sister; you were dumped by my little brother. But we crossed paths again when you needed my help with this restoration project. It turned into something more than a working relationship. Each hour we spent together built on our past as a bridge to our future until
bam
—change of heart.”
Keely began to clap.
Jack gave her that devil-may-care grin and bestowed a deep bow.
“I have no doubt the story is plausible for the Milford crowd, but you’re forgetting one teensy tiny detail. We can’t be selective about who we tell. We have to tell everyone. Which means we have to convince my entire family that we’re a couple.”
A look of horror crossed his face.
“See what I mean? No one who knows us will
ever
believe we put our differences aside. Not for an hour, not for a day and certainly not forever. Neither one of us can act that well. So thanks for stopping by personally and ruining my life.” Keely ducked under his arm and started walking away.
“That’s it?”
“Yep. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. Literally. It might fall and crush you.”
His deep, sexy laugh unfurled an unwanted reaction low in her belly.
19
Lorelei James
“What’s so funny?”
“I thought you said you weren’t all talk. I never imagined wild child Keely McKay was afraid.”
Keely wheeled around. “Excuse me? What am I afraid of?”
“Me.”
“For Christsake! That’s ridiculous. Why would I be afraid of you?”
“Maybe you’re afraid I can make you fall in love with me for real.”
“
Make
me fall in love with you? Dude. The only thing you make me want to do is punch you in the face.”
“See? Sarcasm is a defense mechanism to mask your fear.” With each word he’d closed the distance between them. “So it’s easier to slink away.”
“Oh. My. God. I knew you had a big ego, but—”
Jack clamped his hands on her butt. Keely shrieked but he held tight, jerking her lower body to his.
“An ego isn’t the only thing that’s big about me, baby. Want to ride on the Jack-hammer? Guaranteed to rev you up all night long.”
Eww. Eww. Eww. “Let go!”
“There’s no shame in admitting you want me.” He nuzzled the skin in front of her ear and a shiver trilled down her neck.
“Is this greasy used car salesman act supposed to be turning me on? Because it ain’t working, bucko.”
He laughed softly. “Not trying to turn you on, just proving I can act. You really believed I’d morphed into a creepy scuzzball, huh?”
Yes, dammit. Jack won that round.
“We can do this, Keely. If you say yes, we’ll both get what we want: you’ll get the building remodel approval, I’ll have a chance at the Milford project and we’ll both have our pride. After it’s over we can go back to hating each other, same as always.”
Keely admitted there was a certain appeal in his off-the-wall proposal. She’d kept her family in the dark about the purchase of the building and her career plans. If she confessed the reason for her secretiveness was also due in part to her intimate relationship with her former nemesis, Jack Donohue…that would make perfect sense.
Jack whispered huskily, “I can tell you’re warming to the idea.”
“How?”
“You’re pressing yourself into me instead of away from me.”
She was? Holy crap! What was wrong with her? Keely put her hands on his firm chest and tried to shove him. The damn solid man didn’t budge. He squeezed her closer. “Now, is that any way to treat your intended?”
“I intend to scour myself with bleach when this is all over.”
20
All Jacked Up
“Fair enough. But for now…do we have a deal?”
Say no. Scream no. It’s not worth it.
“Yes. But—”
Jack held up his hand and dug out his cell phone. He dialed. Waited with a smug grin. “Henry? Jack Donohue. I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality last week. Milford is a great town and I appreciate the chance to talk with you and the committee about my ideas. Anyway, the reason I called… Did you perchance find a gold watch in your office? Oh. No, that’s fine. I’m just wondering how to explain the loss of it to my fiancée, since it was a gift from her.”
No going back now.
He locked his gaze to hers. “Really? I thought I’d told you about Keely. No? Well, we’ve kept it under wraps, but the cat is out of the bag now.” Jack’s teeth gleamed a victorious smile. “Of course I’d love to bring her to Milford. Sure. Call me after you talk to the committee and have a firm date.”
He hung up, punching the air with a loud “Yes!” the most juvenile gesture she’d witnessed from stick-up-his-ass Jack Donohue. “It’s on.”
“So I gathered. What now?”
Jack looked at his watch. “As much as I don’t want to drive back to Denver, I’ve got no choice. But I’ll be back tomorrow with my stuff.”
“Stuff? What stuff? Work stuff?”
“And personal stuff. I’ll be working out of the apartment for a while. There’s wireless Internet, right?”
“Whoa whoa whoa. Working out of the apartment? As in
my
apartment?”
“Remember who owns the building? Now it’s
our
apartment,” he corrected with an edge to his voice.
“Not only will I be working here, I’ll be living here.”
“What? No! Oh, hell no. You can’t just move in with me.”
Cue his wolfish grin. “Oh, cowgirl, I most certainly can.”
Holy shit. He could. She was so monumentally screwed.
“Have the building plans ready for me to look at day after tomorrow.”
“Don’t boss me around, Jack.”
“Get used to it, Keely.”
Did he honestly expect her to play the part of docile little wifey-to-be when they weren’t in the public eye?
Fuck that.
Before Keely voiced a protest, Jack tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his sure, yet teasing touch linger on the curve of her cheek. God. He had the most amazing hands.
“Why don’t you set up dinner with your parents? So we can tell them our good news. Hopefully that’ll pave the way to convincing your family we’re head over heels in love.”
21
Lorelei James
She wrinkled her nose. Right. If Cam leveled his nasty cop stare at her, she’d spill her guts. Carter would cajole and tease her into admitting it was a sham. Colt could pin her down and tickle the truth out of her. Colby would tie her to the corral until she confessed the hard facts. Cord would just send his wife AJ to nag her. Her best friend would never believe Keely was knocking loafers with Jack, let alone letting those loafers reside under her bed permanently.
This so wasn’t going to work.
Jack retreated and pointed at her. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Keely. You’d better get used to gazing at me with adoration, not disgust.”
“Yeah? Then you’d better bring me a big goddamn engagement ring as an incentive to pretend I love you.”
Late the following afternoon, Jack yelled, “Honey, I’m home.”
Keely gaped at him as he scaled the stairs. “Jesus, Jack, why don’t you scream that a little louder so AJ, India and Domini all come barreling up here?”
