Beauty and the Wolf by Lois Faye Dyer Page A

scanning the ground between the steps and her car before walking beside her. “You’re not wearing the right kind of boots for this weather. I’ll get you a pair of rubber mud boots to keep in your car.”
    Frankie felt inordinately pleased that he seemed to expect her to visit again. “That would be nice,” she murmured.
    They reached her BMW, and he pulled open the door.
    â€œHow long do you think you’ll have to stay at the cocktail party tonight?” he asked, leaning on the open door to look down at her as she turned the ignition key.
    â€œNot too long, I hope,” she told him. “I’m planning to slip out as soon as possible and head home. It’s been a long week—I think I’ll curl up in front of the TV and watch something mindless.”
    He chuckled. “Sounds like a good plan. Drive carefully.” He stood back, closing the door with a quiet thunk.
    As Frankie negotiated the bumps and puddles of thelot and turned onto the smoothly paved street, she could see Eli in the rearview mirror. He stood, hands thrust in jeans pockets, the sun glinting off his black hair, watching her drive away.
    She’d been looking forward to seeing him this evening, and having to cancel their dinner date made the prospect of the boring cocktail party seem even more dull.
    She turned a corner and could no longer see Eli nor the construction site.
    No doubt about it, she thought with a sigh. She was much more interested in spending an evening with Eli than schmoozing at a cocktail party with her boss and coworkers.
    Apparently, she wasn’t immune to the lure of a tall, dark and handsome man. Especially not when the man was Eli.
    Â 
    Eli watched Frankie’s car disappear into traffic before he turned and reentered the work trailer.
    â€œPretty woman, Eli. Where’d you meet her?” Connor asked.
    â€œDoes she have a sister?” Matt asked, grinning when Eli shot him a quick glare as he crossed to the kitchenette and poured a mug of coffee.
    â€œYes, she has sisters, and no, I’m not going to introduce you,” Eli said as Matt’s eyes lit with interest. “And I’ve known her since she was just a kid.”
    â€œYeah?” Ethan frowned at him. “I don’t remember a girl named Frankie.”
    â€œFrancesca Fairchild—she’s Justin’s cousin.”
    â€œI still don’t remember her,” Connor said.
    â€œShe must be Cornelia Fairchild’s daughter,” Jack said with a decisive nod. “Cornelia’s the widow of Harry Hunt’s original partner—I heard the families stayed close after Cornelia’s husband died, and the girls consider Harry their uncle and his boys their cousins.”
    â€œThat’s right.” Eli carried his mug to the drafting table and set it on the ledge above the blueprints. “Frankie’s closer to Justin than any of his brothers. I met her through Justin when she was still in grade school.”
    â€œWas she gorgeous in grade school, too?” Matt asked.
    â€œShe’s always been pretty,” Eli answered shortly. He leveled a lethal glare at Matt. “And she’s off-limits.”
    â€œWhoa.” Matt took a step back, lifting his hands in mock defense, palms out. “Sorry, big brother. Didn’t know you’d already staked a claim.”
    Ethan laughed, Jack’s chuckle joining him.
    â€œYou must be blind, Matt,” Connor said. “Nobody could have missed that whole she’s-mine-touch-her-you-die thing Eli had going on a few minutes ago.”
    Matt’s deep laugh joined the other three, and Eli threw them a disgusted glare.
    â€œCan we move past this and get back to work?”
    â€œSure,” Matt said, his eyes twinkling as he clapped Eli on the shoulder. “It’s nice to see you getting irritated with us over a woman, Eli. Must mean you’re finally recovered from the accident and back to