Open House (Kingston Bros.) by Tamara Larson Page A

Lacey valiantly ignored her slip. Hopefully, they would too.
    "Lacey, I would be happy to drive you. Please stay. I insist." And help me with my rubbing, he thought to himself with a grin. Obviously, he wasn't the only one having dirty thoughts here.
    "I seriously have to go," Serena said, walking toward the door. "Lacey, are you coming? I'd be glad to call ahead and see if Klaus can squeeze you in with his partner, Clay. I mean, it seems like you have some tension of your own to work out. So, a massage might be just the thing. Jay will let us know what's happening with 'The Plan,' won't you, Jay?"
    Jack was trying block the image of any other man rubbing Lacey's smooth olive skin with scented oils. Just the thought made his vision cloud with a red mist. He felt his fists clench of their own accord. There was no way he was going to allow some soft-handed pretty boy to touch her, while he sat here by himself, polishing his wood.
    "You know what? Serena is dangerous behind the wheel on any given day, but when she's in a hurry, she's downright frightening. You should really let her go, and stay here, with me. I'd really like to spend some time with you." There, he'd said it. He felt like a complete weenie, but he was a man, and men said what they wanted. Consequences be damned.
    "If you're sure?"
    "Yes, I'm completely sure."
    "Okay then. I'd like to spend some time with you too. And talk about the cottage. Go ahead, Serena. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have fun with Klaus. And maybe I'll set up something with Clay for another time."
    Like hell you will, Jack thought to himself, but grinned like an idiot as they followed Serena out to the porch and watched her walk to her car.
    "Jay, if I don't hear from you tomorrow, I will be calling your mother, so get on this thing right away, okay?" Serena called, sliding behind the steering wheel.
    "Yeah, yeah. Quit badgering me or I will develop selective amnesia on this subject, I swear to God."
    "Okay. Have fun, you two. Don't get any splinters." Putting on her sunglasses, Serena smiled wickedly as she flipped the car into gear, and rocketed down the driveway. All in all, she felt like she'd accomplished a lot today. Both her match-making and her real estate plans were coming together, perfectly. If only her own personal life was so easy to control.

    Chapter Five
    "My car is parked at the Daily Grind on Third Ave," Lacey said, darting a glance at Jack. His strong profile was barely illuminated by the truck's dashboard lights, and she couldn't tell if he was smiling or frowning. She really hoped he was smiling. It became brighter in the cab as they approached the city limits, but his expression seemed neutral to her.
    They had spent an hour at the cottage, simply wandering around as Jack pointed out features that she'd missed on their whirlwind tour with Serena earlier. Then, they had spent another twenty minutes sanding the door Jack had been working on when they had arrived. He had simply handed her a sheet of sandpaper and demonstrated the proper technique as they stood companionably, side by side.
    Lacey had half expected him to jump her bones the second Serena's car was out of sight, but he hadn't even touched her. She was totally disappointed. There had been something so intent about the way he had been watching her upto this point. She had felt a little like a particularly juicy rabbit being stalked by a famished wolf. And yet he had been a perfect gentleman, damn him and his mixed signals.
    What did she have to do to get a little action from this guy? Maybe, like Barry, he thought she was boring. Well, she wasn't. She was a wild woman. She just needed to figure out how to go about being the aggressor without looking too desperate or slutty. Desperation was not sexy. Neither was clumsiness. And she was terribly afraid she was going to mess this up. Why couldn't he just lean over and kiss her? That would be so much easier.
    "Do you mind if we take a little detour?" Jack asked,