Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Sandy James

know anything about her. Sure, they’d had sex. But the rest of her life remained a complete mystery. To agree to work with her was foolhardy at best, a devastating mistake at worst.
    The woman had fled his bed as if what they’d shared was tawdry. His ego would have been flattened if she hadn’t been so vocal about her pleasure in what they’d shared. Something else had set her running; perhaps she’d sensed the depth of his feelings. But wasn’t it usually the guy who tried to escape something before it grew too serious?
    He was supposed to be launching his own enterprise, had spent the better part of a month moving and then fixing up his own house and office to get ready for the launch of Wilson Realty. Even though it was late June, the renovation was still in the nightmare stage. Now that he was entrenched and starting to search for listings, it was time to find a good contractor and make the place something more than merely functional.
    This house should’ve been his first listing in Cloverleaf, one that would lead to another and another until he found himself challenging Max Schumm as the number one Realtor in this town and the surrounding counties.
    The Ryans’ place was money in the bank, a vintage home with enough restorations to make it marketable. Some staging and it would sell quickly. One short phone conversation with George had led to an appointment that seemed like a sure thing. Connor’s traveling office—his laptop and portable printer—came along with him so he could produce the contracts for the couple to sign just as soon as he got their approval to list the home.
    George was an old-fashioned kind of guy who clearly wanted to work with a man. Connor had figured that out from the phone conversation alone. What came as a shock was that Juliana had seen the way the wind was blowing so quickly. Not only that, but she came up with a brilliant idea to save at least some of the pie for herself, even it cost him part of his potential commission.
    He’d never known another Realtor as fast on her feet.
    Except me.
    One of the reasons he’d made so much money back in Indianapolis was because he figured things out swiftly and adapted easily. The competition was plentiful but a bit dismal in talent. His own innate ability to read people and tailor what he offered them to fit their needs had helped him earn top sales awards year after year.
    Until…
    A deep breath brought his thoughts back from the brink. He wasn’t going to wallow in regrets and recriminations. The past was the past and needed to stay that way. Cloverleaf was a new beginning.
    It appeared as if he was going to be creating that new beginning with Juliana Kelley as his partner. But would that be for only this one listing? Or did she want more?
    Do I?
    Maybe having her close would bring him luck, his own personal four-leaf clover. The one night they’d shared had been nothing short of paradise. What would it be like working with her every day?
    Connor took a leap of faith, figuring it would all shake out in the end. “I’ll have the contracts ready for you as soon as I can print them, George.”

Chapter Nine
    Connor followed her to her car, a rather ancient Accord. “You’re gonna need an SUV now.” He waited for her to open the passenger door and toss her enormous purse inside.
    “Why? This car is fine. It’s paid for. That’s all that really matters to me.”
    “Then lease one. Trust me on this, you’re gonna be driving clients around and want them comfortable and thinking you’re successful. Plus you’ll want a mini-office with you all the time.”
    “A mini-office? In my car?”
    “In your
SUV
. Things happen so damned fast in this business you’ve got to be able to respond to e-mails, look up information, and respond in only a few minutes. Not to mention scanning, printing, and sending back contracts. I even have a wireless hot-spot card.” He nodded at his black Escalade. “It’s not that much if you lease. I