Beauty and the Wolf by Lois Faye Dyer

support.” She grimaced. “I’d rather spend an hour or two being tortured by cannibals, but I can’t get out of it.”
    â€œSounds pretty bad,” he said with sympathy. “Did you let your mom know we won’t be able to join her at Harry’s?”
    She nodded. “Mom said she’d apologize to Harry for me.” She looked up at him. “You should go, anyway—everyone has to eat, right? And maybe you could pin Harry down about the contract.”
    He shook his head. “No, thanks—I think I’ll pass.” He smiled, a slow curve of his lips that made her breath hitch. “Just wouldn’t be the same without you.”
    â€œI hate to interrupt you two,” Connor broke in. “But don’t you think you should introduce us to the lady, Eli?”
    Frankie had been so focused on Eli that she’d all but forgotten the presence of the other four men. Now she realized they were all watching her and Eli with interest and curiosity. Even the older man had a curious gleam in his eye.
    â€œSorry,” Eli said easily, clearly not the slightest bit concerned at Connor’s inference he’d been lacking in manners. “Frankie Fairchild, these are my brothers— Connor, Ethan and Matthew. And the gentleman in the chair there is our grandfather, Jack.” He bent to whisper in her ear, loud enough that the others could hear. “All of them are disreputable and untrustworthy, and they cheat at cards—so watch out if you ever get in a poker game with them.”
    â€œGood afternoon,” Frankie said, her amused gaze meeting each of theirs. Eli’s three brothers were as tall, brawny and as handsome—each in his own way—as Eli. They all had coal-black hair and blue eyes and an air of assured male strength. In fact, she thought dazedly, the amount of testosterone filling the air was palpable. She glanced at Jack and found him watching her shrewdly. She felt her cheeks warm under his knowing gaze.
    â€œThey’re kind of overwhelming, all in one room, aren’t they, missy?” he asked, his blue eyes warming. “Just like their grandpa, they have to beat women off with a stick.”
    â€œGeez, Granddad,” Matt groaned, giving Frankie an apologetic look. “Sorry, Frankie. We can dress him up but can’t take him out—not anywhere in polite company, at least.”
    â€œHmmph,” the older man snorted. “Who’d have guessed I’d run into polite company in a construction trailer? Usually it’s just you four, and you don’t qualify as polite.”
    Frankie laughed out loud. She could easily see the affection between the four brothers and their grandfather and was charmed. “I’d better get going.” Frankie looked up at Eli and found him watching her, his blue eyes half concealed by thick lashes as he looked down at her. “I’m keeping you from your work, and I have a class in—” she glanced at her wristwatch “—twenty-five minutes. I’ll leave and let you all get back to what you were doing.” She waved a hand at the drafting table with its unrolled stack of blueprints held flat by a large rock sitting on each corner.
    â€œYou’re not keeping us from work,” Eli told her.
    â€œNot at all,” Ethan added, his voice a slow, deep drawl.
    â€œWe were all tired of looking at these damn blueprints,” Connor added.
    â€œNevertheless, I’d better get back to campus.” Frankie turned, and Eli was there before her, opening the doorand holding it for her. “It was nice to meet you,” she told the four Wolf men.
    They echoed a chorus of goodbyes, and Frankie stepped outside, followed by Eli, who pulled the door shut.
    â€œWhere are you parked?” He frowned at the wet ground.
    â€œJust over there.” Frankie pointed at her car, just beyond the big dual-wheeled white pickup.
    Eli took her elbow,