Tailored for Trouble (Happy Pants #1) - Mimi Jean Pamfiloff Page 0,27
call her father on the way to the airport to tell him to check in on her brother later.
When the doorbell rang, she expected to find a chauffeur waiting to take her to the airport. Instead, she found Bennett—unshaven, thick bare arms crossed over his broad chest, hip thrown to one side, and dark shades covering his baby blues. He wore a wrinkled navy blue T-shirt and faded jeans and looked like he’d stayed up all night misbehaving. Probably with a few wild women, which would explain the hair. It was exactly the style he’d have if she’d been in bed with—
Tay. Really? This is how you’re going to start out the two weeks?
“Rough night?” she asked.
He made a little grunt. “You ready?”
Taylor peeked out the doorway. There was a bright red Jeep—no top—parked on the street right out front. “Uh. Where’s your driver?”
“I’ll be traveling, so I decided to give him a few weeks off. That your bag?” His voice was low and deep, and a little rough, probably from lack of sleep.
Boy, aren’t we in a good mood. She nodded, and he reached around to help her with it. “Let’s go.”
“Okay.” She retrieved her purse from the chair right inside, closed the door, and followed Bennett. He threw her XXL rolling suitcase into the back with one arm and then opened the door for her.
Um. Wow. Without his usual suit covering his arms, she couldn’t help notice his stacked biceps. And dammit if those soft, worn jeans didn’t make his ass and thighs look like he was modeling for some rugged man kind of magazine. “So’s…this is your car?”
“Doesn’t meet your approval, Ms. Reed?” He looked her over before extending his hand to help her into the Jeep.
She’d worn a plain little black skirt, light pink sweater, and black heels. They were supposed to be working, so she thought it made sense to present the right image—business casual. After all, she needed to sell him a pile of horse dung today.
“What? My clothes don’t meet your approval, Bennett?”
“Didn’t say that.” He inched his extended hand a bit closer, calling attention to the fact that he was waiting for her.
She hesitated for a moment, but took his chivalrous offer and climbed in. Touching him wasn’t what she expected. Not cold or foreboding, but warm and tingle-provoking.
So what? I get the same feeling with my vibrator. She didn’t really, but today was a good day for lying.
She settled into her seat and strapped in. He shut her door and made his way around to the driver’s side where he grumbled something to himself and then mashed his full lips together in a line. The man was in one hell of a foul mood, and frankly, it made her feel uneasy.
Bennett started the engine. “Is there a particular reason you’re staring at me, Ms. Reed?”
Oh, was she staring? Okay, she totally was. But the guy looked like he was about to bubble over. Then there was the fact he’d showed up himself to drive her to the airport, looking like this hot, rough-around-the-edges playboy who’d spent the night living the life of a bachelor without a care in the world. A complete contrast to the man she’d seen last night—in a tux, in control, in desperate need of an ego ass thumping.
“Sorry. I…” She looked away, but then decided she needed to get over feeling intimidated. “I’m wondering what the hell happened to you?”
“Nothing.”
“If you say so Mr. Wade,” she said.
“Bennett,” he growled. “I told you to call me ‘Bennett.’ ”
She shrugged. “I like calling you Mr. Wade.”
His head whipped in her direction. “Can we not do this right now?”
“I don’t know what you’re…” That’s when Taylor noticed a bit of purple bleeding out from underneath his glasses.
She leaned in closer to inspect and then reached for his shades. He didn’t attempt to push her hand away when she slid them off. Underneath was a shiner—black, purple, blue, and red. “Christ, Bennett. Are you okay?”
“It’s a black eye, Ms. Reed. And before you ask any more questions, I’ll request that you don’t—I’m not in the mood to talk.”
The guy looked like he’d had one hell of a night—probably someone forgot to call him “your holiness” or “Mr. Wade, your awesomeness.”
She nodded. “As you like, Mr. Wade.”
He snatched his glasses from her hand, placed them back on his face, and threw the Jeep into first, screeching out into the street.
The cool morning air gusted through her hair as they hit the freeway on-ramp.