“I am sure I could find the time to squeeze you in.”
“Great,” she replied, her voice pitched higher in nervous excitement. God, she was pathetic. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, great.” That was better.
He grinned at her, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
Lila linked her arm with her son’s. “Rachel was the first designer I hired when we bought this house.”
Mark looked at his mother, his brow knit in confusion. “First designer? How many did you hire?”
“Oh, Mark, darling,” his mother chided. “You know I have very particular tastes. It took a great deal of trial and error to find a designer who truly understood my vision.”
“Right.” He chuckled and, turning his attention to Rachel, he gave her a lopsided grin. “I guess you didn’t get the vision.”
“Nope. I got the boot,” Rachel replied.
Mark laughed. “That sounds about right.”
“Oh, honestly, Rachel.” Lila gasped. “You didn’t get the boot. I told you that I thought you just needed a bit more culture and experience before you were ready for something like our home.”
Rachel gritted her teeth, remembering how humiliating it had been to be fired by one of her ex-husband’s friends. Catching the look Jan sent her, she smiled. “Of course, my mistake.”
She took a breath, trying to garner her self-control. Her emotions were everywhere this afternoon. She had to get it together; she was forty years old. There was no way someone like Mark would be interested in her. She needed to snap out of it before she made a complete ass out of herself.
Rachel turned her attention back to Mark and bit back a gasp at the intensity of his stare. She resisted the desire to melt into a puddle at his feet. God, the man was gorgeous.
Rachel shook herself out of the sensual fog surrounding Mark. “Right, so, when do you think you would be able to come by and take a look at my yard to give me an estimate?” she asked, pleased at how together she sounded.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “Why don’t you look at your schedule and give me a call, and we can set something up?” His blue eyes gleamed with enjoyment at her obvious discomfort. Clearly, she wasn’t as together as she hoped. Damn it! He must think she was some pathetic cougar.
“Shoot, Rach,” Jan said, smacking her forehead. “I forgot I have book club this afternoon, and it’s my turn for wine. I don’t imagine you want to stay.”
Rachel laughed. “Um, no.”
Lila shook her head, disgusted. “It wouldn’t kill you to stay, Rachel.”
“It might,” she replied, batting her eyelashes sweetly.
Mark coughed to cover his laugh.
Jan turned to Mark. “Any chance you have some free time this afternoon? Maybe you could run Rachel home for me since we came together. That way I can run out for wine and be back in time for book club, and you can take a look at her place,” she suggested, her face the picture of innocence.
Mark glanced at his watch then back at Rachel. She wanted to sink into the ground at Jan’s obvious ploys. God, just kill me now. She could only imagine how desperate she must seem. Ugh.
Get your copy now
About the Author
Lauren has always been a dreamer, weaving stories to keep herself entertained. Through her stories she can travel anywhere in the world and money is not an object. Now who wouldn’t want that?
Unfortunately, the demands of the real world pushed her dreams to the side for a while. After talking to her children about going after what they wanted and not letting fear stand in their way, she realised she needed to lead by example and chase her own dreams. She enjoys going hiking, camping and kayaking with her husband and two daughters.
Email: [email protected]
Lauren loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com .
Also by
“Great,” she replied, her voice pitched higher in nervous excitement. God, she was pathetic. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, great.” That was better.
He grinned at her, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
Lila linked her arm with her son’s. “Rachel was the first designer I hired when we bought this house.”
Mark looked at his mother, his brow knit in confusion. “First designer? How many did you hire?”
“Oh, Mark, darling,” his mother chided. “You know I have very particular tastes. It took a great deal of trial and error to find a designer who truly understood my vision.”
“Right.” He chuckled and, turning his attention to Rachel, he gave her a lopsided grin. “I guess you didn’t get the vision.”
“Nope. I got the boot,” Rachel replied.
Mark laughed. “That sounds about right.”
“Oh, honestly, Rachel.” Lila gasped. “You didn’t get the boot. I told you that I thought you just needed a bit more culture and experience before you were ready for something like our home.”
Rachel gritted her teeth, remembering how humiliating it had been to be fired by one of her ex-husband’s friends. Catching the look Jan sent her, she smiled. “Of course, my mistake.”
She took a breath, trying to garner her self-control. Her emotions were everywhere this afternoon. She had to get it together; she was forty years old. There was no way someone like Mark would be interested in her. She needed to snap out of it before she made a complete ass out of herself.
Rachel turned her attention back to Mark and bit back a gasp at the intensity of his stare. She resisted the desire to melt into a puddle at his feet. God, the man was gorgeous.
Rachel shook herself out of the sensual fog surrounding Mark. “Right, so, when do you think you would be able to come by and take a look at my yard to give me an estimate?” she asked, pleased at how together she sounded.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “Why don’t you look at your schedule and give me a call, and we can set something up?” His blue eyes gleamed with enjoyment at her obvious discomfort. Clearly, she wasn’t as together as she hoped. Damn it! He must think she was some pathetic cougar.
“Shoot, Rach,” Jan said, smacking her forehead. “I forgot I have book club this afternoon, and it’s my turn for wine. I don’t imagine you want to stay.”
Rachel laughed. “Um, no.”
Lila shook her head, disgusted. “It wouldn’t kill you to stay, Rachel.”
“It might,” she replied, batting her eyelashes sweetly.
Mark coughed to cover his laugh.
Jan turned to Mark. “Any chance you have some free time this afternoon? Maybe you could run Rachel home for me since we came together. That way I can run out for wine and be back in time for book club, and you can take a look at her place,” she suggested, her face the picture of innocence.
Mark glanced at his watch then back at Rachel. She wanted to sink into the ground at Jan’s obvious ploys. God, just kill me now. She could only imagine how desperate she must seem. Ugh.
Get your copy now
About the Author
Lauren has always been a dreamer, weaving stories to keep herself entertained. Through her stories she can travel anywhere in the world and money is not an object. Now who wouldn’t want that?
Unfortunately, the demands of the real world pushed her dreams to the side for a while. After talking to her children about going after what they wanted and not letting fear stand in their way, she realised she needed to lead by example and chase her own dreams. She enjoys going hiking, camping and kayaking with her husband and two daughters.
Email: [email protected]
Lauren loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com .
Also by
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