An Offer He Cant Refuse - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,107

he'd agree.

He wanted to get up close and personal with the Carusos after all, and here was his chance. Not to mention the fact that he was a gambler by trade. Surely he would see that, in this game, everybody won.

Tea had turned into Boss-zilla, Rachele thought, watching the other woman supervise the placement of an Eames leather lounge chair and ottoman in Johnny Magee's new home office. Though it was amazing what a little intimidation could do. In the past nine days she'd gotten out of the workers twice the hours and four times the labor. The only part of the property that wouldn't look its best by party night was the murky lagoon with its crumbling retaining wall. Tea said she didn't like the water feature anyway, and had ordered some temporary trellises to obscure it from view.

Maybe her astonishing results had something to do with way she looked. Gone were the dull and drab suits, and though rumor was that she'd been evening gown-shopping with Eve, her day wardrobe had gone in the other direction. Each morning she arrived on the job in a T-shirt and overalls and within minutes was elbows-deep in whatever project needed an extra pair of hands. Right now, a red streak slashed across her forehead like war paint and her usually perfect hair was a wiggly mass she'd tied back with a yellow twisty from a bread-bag.

"Rachele!"

Rachele jumped and hurried over to Boss-zilla's side. "You roared?" The good thing about this manic Tea was that her mood kept Rachele too busy to get into her own over her father. She was still in a suite at the spa, and though Tea's mom, Bianca, had told her dad where Rachele was living for the time being, she'd yet to make any long-term plans for herself.

The fact that her father had so readily accepted her absence made it pretty clear he didn't love her. Now she figured he'd never loved anyone.

"Rachele, go get Johnny," Tea said, tilting her head to look at the chair from another angle. "It's time we settled the issue of that mirrored ceiling in the bedroom." Then she glanced over at Rachele and grimaced. "Please."

Sighing, Rachele turned and marched off. Being in the same space with Johnny and the boss was bound to give her more than something to think about. It was going to be a headache, because the tension between the two of them was as thick as cheesecake. Though not nearly as sweet.

Two weeks ago they'd clearly been lovers. Now it seemed as if they were enemies.

It made her wonder if her father wasn't right about lo -

No! She didn't know what had happened to sour her father on the emotion, or if she ever would know, but she wasn't going to let his attitude ruin hers.

Entering Cal's cozy bungalow only made her more determined to remain upbeat. He smiled at her from behind the gaggle of monitors on his desk. She smiled back, then jabbed her thumb in the direction of Johnny, who was stretched out on a recliner and reading from a stack of papers piled on his chest.

Though the bruises on his face had faded to a barfy yellowish-green, he still looked model handsome. No wonder Tea was in a nasty mood.

"The Steelers in four," Rachele called out.

He didn't look up. "Steelers aren't playing this weekend."

"The Diamondbacks then. I'm getting a vision that they're going all the way to the championship."

"Not in football," Johnny replied. "They're a baseball team and this year's World Series is over. Now boogie, kid. We're busy. You can flirt with Cal later."

Since she already had out her cell and was phone flirting with him that very instant - hi qt - she ignored the dig. "I'm here for you, old man. Tea requests your presence in your house."

He grunted. "My house? It hasn't been my house in days.

That woman has completely taken over thanks to the damn birthday party."

Which she'd somehow leveraged Johnny into hosting. Rachele didn't know how or why, but it must be juicy if their attitude toward each other was any judge. "She's talking about getting rid of the mirrored ceiling in the bedroom again."

The recliner went erect in one mighty thwump, scattering newspapers to the floor. "I'm going to end this discussion once and for all," Johnny declared. "I have very fond feelings for that ceiling and she's not gonna talk me into removing those mirrors. This time, the victor of the battle will be