The Expert's Guide to Driving a Man Wild by Jessica Clare Page A

That going to be a problem for you?”
    “No, ma’am. I don’t have family here. It’s just me, and I don’t mind long hours. I just need work. It’s hard to find a job in a small town when you look like I do.”
    “Well, it’s a good thing you’re qualified, right?”
    He said nothing.
    “I’m afraid we don’t pay much starting out. We’re a newer business and still getting our feet off the ground. In addition to training exercises, we’re opening up a paintball course on a section of the land and you’ll be responsible for helping Pop run that.”
    “Pop?”
    “Pop is Colt’s dad. Colt’s one of the other guys who works here. Pop’s kind of our handyman and fix-it guy. Which reminds me.” She tapped her pencil on the corner of her mouth and leaned over to look at Elise. “Could you do me a favor?”
    Elise sat straighter, clutching the blanket to her pajamas. But she managed a brief nod.
    “Super. Could you go flush a tampon down the toilet?”
    “Um,” Elise said quietly, a bit confused.
    “Pardon me,” Rome said politely. “But I think that will clog the toilet.”
    “I know. That’s my point. I figure we’ll give it an hour and then we’ll call Pop in to take a look at it.”
    Rome stared at Brenna.
    She reached out and patted one of his tattooed hands. “We like for Pop to feel needed. Now, let me tell you about the job salary. Like I said, we’re a startup so don’t think we’ll be showering you with crazy money. We do, however, have cabins on site that all employees live in, so room and board is considered to be part of the salary. It’s a nice perk.”
    As Brenna continued to chatter on, Elise slowly got up and crossed the room, moving down the hall to the bathroom. It was an odd request, but she’d been asked, so she’d do it. She felt a prickle on the back of her neck, as if she were being watched, and wondered if Rome was looking at her. God, she was in her frumpy flannel pajamas and she was sure her hair was a mess.
    Sure enough, when she got to the bathroom, she stifled a gasp of horror at the sight of drool tracks at the corner of her mouth and the rings under her eyes. She hurriedly washed her face and then began to brush her hair quickly, trying to look as presentable as possible. Dear Lord. It was so unfair that such a good-looking man had seen her looking her worst. After she looked decent enough, Elise dug through the boxes under the counter until she found a package of tampons, took one out of its plastic applicator, and flushed it, wincing the entire time at the thought of the damage it’d create.
    Calming herself, she smoothed a hand down the front of her modest flannel pajamas and headed back out to the main room of the lodge.
    Brenna and Rome stood by the door, and she was shaking his hand. He was smiling down at Brenna, and Elise felt another pang of jealousy. She wished he’d looked at her like he did Brenna, that pleased expression on his face, gaze slightly flirty.
    “I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” Brenna said cheerfully. “You can meet the guys then, and we’ll figure out rooming arrangements.”
    “Thank you,” he said. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity. You won’t be disappointed.”
    “I know,” Brenna said. “Plus, you’re a total stud with all that inkwork. You’ll look amazing in Elise’s photo shoot.”
    His brow wrinkled a little, the piercing there bobbing. “Photo shoot?”
    “Oh! Yes.” Brenna caught sight of Elise and crossed the room quickly, moving toward her and looping an arm over Elise’s shoulders as if to show her off. “Elise here is in town for the next few weeks and is going to be doing a pictorial spread of our instructors for a women’s magazine. We’re going to doll up the instructors and make them look hot and it should bring in some serious business. Isn’t that right, Elise?”
    That blue-eyed, dark-lashed gaze focused back on Elise again, and she panicked, her heart thumping.
    Behind him, Brenna