Face Value (6 page)

“Just like
that?” she asked, throwing her arms out. “You’re gonna toss me out
just like that?”

“I’ve said all
I have to say. So have you apparently,” he said between clenched
teeth. “I have an early morning, and I’d appreciate it if you leave
now.”

“Fine, but
you’ll be sorry when you ask her out, and she laughs in your face.
Then you’ll come crawling back to me, but it’ll be too late ‘cause
I’ll have found someone ten times better!”

“More power to
you,” he muttered, waiting for her to slam the door before he
backed out of the driveway.

Tucker turned
the radio to a country music station and let the songs bring him
back to a state of calm. At least that was over, and Tonya was out
of his life. He glanced at the business card on his dash. Lauren’s
cell number stared back at him, taunting him. He wondered if she’d
left Jimmy’s yet. Had she made it home safely? He saw her drinking,
but he couldn’t imagine her father letting her leave if she’d
over-indulged. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure.

He punched in
the number and waited for his hands-free to connect the call. His
house was a fair distance, and he wouldn’t mind eating up the miles
listening to her sweet voice.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Lauren.”
Silence. “It’s… uh… Tucker.” He began to regret his decision to
call. What if she thought he was crossing some professional
boundaries?

“Oh, hi,
Tucker. What’s up?”

“You still at
Jimmy’s?” He knew she wasn’t. It was too quiet.

“No, I just
left. I’m heading home. How about you?”

“Heading home
too. I just dropped Tonya off.”

“Oh.”

Tucker felt
uncomfortable. He wanted to say so much, but he was afraid Tonya
was right. Lauren would only laugh at his pitiful attempts to
impress her. “You weren’t drinking tonight, were you?” He knew he
had no right to ask or reason to care, but he did.

“Just one glass
of wine, and I had a coffee with my dad before I left.” She sounded
amused by his question, as though she didn’t know whether to laugh
or chastise him for thinking she would be reckless enough to drink
and drive.

He could only
imagine what J.T. had said to her. He’d probably warned her. Not
that he could blame the guy. He would have done the same thing if
his daughter ever got involved with a man with his track record.
“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Why did you
call, Tucker?”

He sighed. Why
had he called? “I just wanted to make sure you got home all right.”
It was the truth, but that simple statement had “possessive
boyfriend” written all over it. Of course, if she was his woman and
she’d been at Jimmy’s with her friends, he probably would have been
there to keep an eye on her and drive her home.

“That’s so
sweet.”

Tucker could
almost hear her smile, and it made him relax. Maybe calling to
check in wasn’t a bad idea. “So did you have fun tonight?”

“I did. How
about you?”

“I might have…
with different company.” They were back to flirting, but he had no
doubt she would tell him to back off if she wasn’t into him. If she
did, he could at least put his infatuation to rest. He’d just met
the woman, and she was already getting under his skin.

“Really? You
didn’t have fun with Tonya?”

“Not really.
She’s a little too high maintenance for my liking.” He cursed his
stupidity. Lauren screamed high maintenance from her manicured
nails to her designer shoes and platinum blond hair.

“Then why are
you seeing her?”

“I’m not
anymore.”

“Really?” She
paused as though she was considering asking him to explain. “Why’s
that?”

He grinned. She
wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t care. They were getting
somewhere. “She was too young for me.”

Lauren laughed
and pretended to mask it with a cough. “You think?”

Tucker smirked.
He liked that she didn’t mind calling him out. “Maybe just a
little. How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

Tucker wondered
if that meant she was looking for a man ready to settle down. If
so, he was out of the running. “Where are you right now?”

“Turning into
my parking lot.”

“Good.”

“Why do you say
that?”

“I didn’t want
to let you go until I knew you’d gotten home safely.” Tucker was
protective when he cared about someone, but he didn’t know how
Lauren had eased into that select group so quickly. Her welfare
wasn’t his concern, but he found himself wanting to make sure she
was safe.

“You’re such a
gentleman.”

He laughed. No
one had ever accused him of being a gentleman before. He wasn’t
nearly refined enough to claim a spot in that camp. “I’ll let you
keep thinking that, sweetheart.” He hadn’t intended to call her
that. He wondered if his slip-up bothered her.

“I guess I
should let you go. I need to get a few hours sleep before we meet
again.”

Tucker knew he
would count the minutes on the digital clock by his bed. “Sleep
well.”

“Thanks, you
too, Tucker.” He was just about to disconnect the call with a smile
when she said, “Hey, hold on.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you always
drink that sludge?”

He laughed. “I
admit, I can’t make coffee worth a damn, and my assistant told me
when I hired her not to even bother asking.”

“In that case,
you’re in for a treat tomorrow. I’ll bring coffee and
breakfast.”

“You will,
huh?”

“It’s the least
I can do. I know you’re squeezing me in as a favor.”

Tucker felt as
though spending time with her was more of a privilege, but he
wasn’t stupid enough to admit as much… yet. “I look forward to
it.”

“Me too.”

Lauren was waiting in
the kitchen with two steaming cups of brew and a bag of chocolate
croissants from her favorite coffee shop when she heard Tucker’s
truck pull up. She tried to tamp down the butterflies in her
stomach. She had never been excited about seeing one of her
contractors. Of course, she’d never worked with someone who looked
like a fitness model.

Tucker knocked
on the front door before opening it and calling out, “Hello.”

That raspy
voice instantly made her think of lazy mornings and pillow talk.
Easy, girl.
He’s here to quote your job, not seduce
you.

“In the
kitchen,” she said, trying to sound casual. She picked up her phone
and scanned her messages even though she’d just checked them. She
didn’t want him to think she’d been sneaking peeks through the
window, waiting for a glimpse of his truck.

“Hey there,” he
said, treating her to one of those grins that nearly stopped her
heart. He looked at the large take-out cups on the old center
island. “My angel.”

The way he said
that had her pulse pounding in her throat. She made a valiant
effort to remember her father’s warning, but it wasn’t easy.
Tucker’s allure was almost magnetic.

Smiling, she
handed him the cup. “Strong and black.” She gestured to the packets
of sugar. “If you need sugar-”

“No, I’m good,
thanks.”

Tucker was
better than good. Hot and sexy were the first words that came to
mind. “Did you sleep well?” She opened the bag of pastries to offer
him one.

He shook his
head to decline her offer, and she set the bag on the counter.

“Not really.”
He peeled back the lid before bringing the cup to his lips. He took
a long, appreciative sip and closed his eyes. “Ah, now that’s
coffee.” He turned the cup to look at the logo. “Too bad it’s so
far from my office.”

“If you agree
to take this job, I’d be willing to keep you in coffee for the next
five weeks.”

He lifted a
dark eyebrow as his mouth twitched. “Does that include personal
deliveries to my office?”

She would do
almost anything to get him to agree to the project. She hated being
at a disadvantage, but she wasn’t too proud to beg for help when
her professional reputation was on the line. She’d promised her
buyers the house would be ready on time, and she intended to
deliver, even if she had to buy a pair of overalls and pick up a
paint roller to get the job done.

“Whatever it
takes.” She blushed when she realized how that statement might
sound. Of course she didn’t mean she would do
anything
. She
wouldn’t cross some lines, even in the name of business.

“You’re so cute
when you blush like that.”

Cute? Did he
just call her cute? She didn’t know if she should be flattered or
offended. Beautiful, okay. But cute? Really? That’s the best he
could do? “I hate it,” she said, dipping her head. “When I was a
kid and the teacher called on me, I’d always turn bright red and
the other kids would laugh.” Those were some of her least favorite
memories, and she often wished she could conceal her embarrassment
better.

“Kids can be
cruel,” he agreed, leaning his broad shoulder against the
doorframe.

She wondered
what kind of challenges he faced with his own children. Despite his
gruff demeanor, imagining him as a loving father was easy. Lauren
couldn’t help but wonder whether she would ever see that side of
him.

Lauren glanced
longingly at the chocolate croissants in the paper bag, making
Tucker laugh.

“Don’t let me
stop you. Have at it.”

She bit her
lip. She didn’t hit the gym yesterday. She really shouldn’t, but
they were her favorite. “Only if you’ll join me.”

He laughed.
“Will that lessen the guilt?”

“Yes.” She
handed him the bag. “Please, don’t deny me.”

His eyes locked
with hers before he reached into the bag. “Darlin’, I don’t think I
could deny you anything.”

Sexual
undercurrents had been surging ever since he walked into the house,
and those words sent thrill bumps up her arms. Deciding to
acknowledge the pink elephant in the room, Lauren said, “You’re
such a flirt.”

Tucker smiled
before sinking his teeth into the sweet confection. He closed his
eyes on a low moan that had Lauren licking her lips and silently
begging for mercy.

He took his
time finishing the bite before smiling. “I love women, I can’t deny
that.”

Lauren wondered
how many women had been treated to his brand of loving. Not that it
was any of her business. What he did on his own time and who he did
it with had no bearing on the job. “I’m sure you do,” she muttered.
She wished she could hit rewind when he chuckled.

“Come on now,
don’t be a hater.”

“I’m not!” She
took a bite of her pastry before she could say anything else to
give him the impression she was interested in his personal
life.

He smiled at
her in between bites of the croissant. The amusement in his dark
eyes said it all. He knew she was attracted to him, and the feeling
was mutual.

“It was nice of
you to call and check on me last night.” It was the first time in
forever a man had cared enough to make sure she got home safely.
Lauren had been too busy building her business to waste time with
relationships, and the requisite call when she returned home was
definitely boyfriend territory. That was why she’d been so
surprised and secretly thrilled by his random act of concern.

“I was thinking
about you.” He leaned in to reach for a napkin.

His shoulder
grazed her arm, and she was grateful she was wearing long sleeves
so he couldn’t see her goose bumps. Even the slightest touch
elicited a physical reaction. If he ever put his hands on her with
the intent to seduce, she would dissolve into a hot mess at his
feet.

“I just wanted
to make sure you got home safely. I’ve seen too many people leave
bars after a few drinks and get behind the wheel.” He wiped his
mouth and hands before tossing the napkin into the empty bag and
reclaiming his coffee cup. “Not that I think J.T. would let you do
that. He seems protective.”

Lauren popped
the last bite of pastry into her mouth before responding. “My
father can be a little over the top sometimes, but his heart’s in
the right place. He’s just looking out for me.” Even if she did
long to tell him to back off every other day.

“You can’t
fault a guy for loving his daughter.”

She melted a
little. Any man who adored his children as much as Tucker clearly
did couldn’t be the menace everyone claimed he was.
Could
he?
“I’ve seen pictures of your kids. Amanda has them hanging
behind her work station. They’re adorable.” Gorgeous was a more
accurate description. Those kids were definitely blessed with good
genes.

“Thanks.” He
grinned. “I’m lucky. They’re pretty cool kids. I’m just grateful
they don’t seem to mind hanging out with their old man. A lot of
kids their age would rather do anything else.”

Lauren had so
many questions about his kids and his personal life. What happened
to end his marriage? How did he end up in jail? Was it true what
people said about his temper? But those questions had no place at a
business meeting. She knew he had to get to work, so she asked,
“Would you like to take a tour of the house now?”

“Lead the
way.”

He stepped out
of the doorway to allow her to pass through. When he fell into step
behind her, she practically felt his hot breath tickling her neck.
Would it be too obvious if she freed her hair from the ponytail
holder?

“This is the
great room,” she said, leading the way to a casual sitting area off
the foyer. “I fell in love with the natural fireplace and
built-ins. The buyers felt the same way.”

He walked
further into the room, bending to inspect the tall baseboard
molding and looking up to view the wood crown molding. He ran his
hand over the built-in cabinets running the length of one wall.
“Jesus, there’s a lot of wood in this house.”