Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Sandy James Page B

now. Okay?”
    “Connor, be careful. You’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself.”
    “I know. I know,” he insisted. “Tackle things one at a time and do my best. I remember. Call you later. Bye.”
    “Bye.”
    Connor clipped the cell back on his belt. “Sorry.”
    “Sure you are.” Juliana tossed him an inelegant snort. “This was a bad idea. I’m sorry I trapped you like that. It wasn’t fair. You obviously didn’t want a partner. After what you just told your girlfriend, I get it. I do.”
    Her voice held a barely restrained fury. While the jealousy might be flattering, he didn’t want her angry with him from the get-go, especially when she’d jumped to all the wrong conclusions. “That was just a friend.”
    She gave him a dismissive wave of her hand, but he could tell from her pinched expression she was hurting. “Whatever. This partnership thing isn’t a good idea anyway.”
    He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his ass against her Accord. After her bold suggestion, she was balking.
    But why?
    Because he’d been talking to another woman?
    Back inside the Ryans’ house, he’d seen the Juliana who’d ensnared him so completely that night in the bar. Confident. Daring. Downright brash. Those qualities were why he’d fallen for her immediately, more deeply than he could’ve imagined. She haunted his dreams and filled his thoughts, making him ache for her. No other woman had gotten to him in such an overwhelming way.
    Why was he trying to get into a partnership with her? Tracy was right. It was a stupid, stupid thing to do.
    First, he’d never be able to keep his hands off her. As it was, if she so much as winked at him, he’d be tossing her in his car, driving her to his desperately-in-need-of-repair home, and making love to her. How could he work with her and not lose his mind?
    Second, he was risking what little was left of his nest egg to give himself this new start. So far, he’d handled that stress well, most of that strength and confidence funneled to him by Tracy. He needed to find his own strength.
    And finally, if things didn’t go smoothly, he’d have to bear the guilt of ruining not only his own future but Juliana’s.
    All that was more than enough to drive a man to drink.
    But Connor wanted this partnership anyway. Despite the temptation of his redheaded Siren, he’d resist her call because she had what it took to be a good real estate agent. He’d listened to every word she’d said to the Ryans, and she’d spoken like a seasoned professional. Having trained other agents for his firm back in Indianapolis, he had a great eye for seeing potentials who “had it” and who didn’t.
    Juliana had it.
All
of it. She was the genuine article in an irresistible package. She’d have clients eating out of her hands. And to have two sets of eyes watching the books, keeping track of profit and outlay?
    Even better.
    “You suddenly think us working together is a bad idea?” he asked. “Why? What made you change your mind?” He tried to keep his voice calm and not let her know how panicked he was at losing this opportunity.
    Some niggling part of his mind told him this woman would be the best thing that ever happened to him. He wanted to see exactly where this path would lead.
    “I—I shouldn’t have done that,” she replied.
    “Done what?”
    “Painted you into a corner. It wasn’t fair and—”
    Connor wouldn’t let her back out now. “First of all, I’m a salesman, have been all my life. I know every single trick you can play in this game. If I didn’t want to do this, I would’ve put you in your place fast enough to make your head spin.”
    She arched an eyebrow, her green eyes easily showing her relief. “You’d do that in front of the Ryans?”
    “In a heartbeat.”
    * * *
    Juliana had to stop herself from letting out a whoosh of breath. Connor wasn’t angry. Judging from what he’d said, he was every bit as ready to make this partnership work as she