Jack wasn’t too worried about being prosecuted, but he guessed Wes could hand his report over to the town council, who’d be less than thrilled to have their newest employee in trouble with the law. But after that kiss with Skyler, feeling the heat they generated, seeing the resolve in her eyes made him realize he had no intention of giving up on her. This little pissing contest between him and Wes wouldn’t discourage him.
Their relationship couldn’t last, he supposed. He’d be off to Atlanta soon, maybe even before she realized he wasn’t good enough for her.
But he had no intention of revealing any of that to Wes. He opened the door. “Keep your report. I’d rather have Skyler.”
“WHY IS MY LUCK so rotten, Monica?”
Checking the fit of her black satin bustier, panties, garter belt, stockings and four-inch, rhinestone-studded shoes in the wall of mirrors, the statuesque redhead sighed. “Skyler, honey, having to spend endless hours planning the Fourth of July celebration with Jack Tesson is good luck, not bad.”
“Humph. The last time I was with him I got punched in the eye, and he got arrested. What does everyone see in him anyway?” Skyler asked as if she hadn’t spent endless hours fantasizing about the luscious firefighter herself.
He’d caught her when she’d fainted, stood up to an entire bar of hostile people, he’d stood up to her brother. All to his detriment. No doubt Wes hadn’t listened to her request that he butt out of her relationship with Jack and had conspired with the mayor to give him the Fourth of July duty as punishment.
The whole mess had Skyler aroused, irritable and guilt-laden. The only positive thing that had happened over the past few days was the swelling around her eye had finally gone down, and she’d reaffirmed her resolve that interest in Jack was completely counterproductive. He was a firefighter. Dangerous and heroic. And leaving. Even Wes—who could be extremely hardheaded—recognized the mismatch. She, Ms. Paranoid Over Her Brothers’ Risky Professions, hot for a firefighter? Absurd. Ridiculous. Out of the question.
“He’s gorgeous, sexy and charming,” Monica said. “And that accent…whew.”
Okay, so maybe the entire female population of Baxter, plus Roland, had excellent taste, but Skyler fully intended to pretend otherwise. “Don’t let Wes hear you say that. He and Jack nearly came to blows the other night.” Wes and Monica had been dating for weeks—a record for her brother—and Skyler had hopes she’d finally have another woman in their testosterone-in-surplus family.
“They nearly came to blows over you. Isn’t that terrific?”
Skyler tugged the lace trim into place, then rose. “No.”
“I’d love to have two men fighting over me.”
“One of them was my brother,” Skyler reminded her friend, though she wouldn’t want two men fighting over her under any circumstance.
“Yeah, well, your brother certainly isn’t that passionate about defending me.”
“Of course he is. He’s crazy about you.”
“I’m not so sure.” Monica stepped onto the raised platform positioned in the center of the large dressing room. The track lighting enhanced her curvy figure and pale skin. She cocked her hip and smiled. “But this will help.”
Skyler walked around Monica, eyeing the fit of the racy lingerie with a critical eye. In the pink-and-gold decorated back room—her bold nod to whorehouse-chic—they had complete privacy to conduct the risqué business of the shop. Fiona had the day off, and Skyler had installed the new warning bell so she wouldn’t have to lock the door in the middle of the day.
“It’s not too tight around the bust?” Skyler asked.
“No, it’s perfect.”
Finally, Skyler smiled. “It certainly is. Wes is going to flip when he sees you in that.”
“I hope so,” Monica said, but she didn’t sound too certain.
“Chaud, chère,” a familiar male voice called from behind them.
Gasping, Skyler whirled.
“Hot, hot, hot,” Jack Tesson said, strolling boldly into the room.
Skyler blinked, hardly able to believe her eyes. The man had the worst timing of anyone on the planet. And why hadn’t her door alarm gone off?
Some inner protective instinct finally asserted itself. Move! it yelled. Cover this up quick, or the town council will know your dirty little secret by noon, and you’ll be out on your backside—leather, lace and all.
She grabbed Monica by the arm. “Let me handle this,” she muttered.
“Can I watch?” Monica asked, then laughed.
Skyler didn’t see anything to laugh about. She tugged her friend to a dressing stall, shoving the pink velvet curtain closed.
“Out,” she said, pointing at Jack as he hovered in the doorway.
He leaned one exceptional shoulder against the frame. “Oh, I like the view from here.”
From behind the curtain, Monica giggled.
Skyler seethed.
Jack held up his hand. “I’m leaving.” He backed from the room, pulling the door, though before the latch clicked shut, he stuck his head back inside. “I’m just dyin’ to find out about this special order, ’tite ange.” The door shut.
“Ooohhh.” Skyler stamped her foot. “That man! My life was perfectly normal until he got here.”
Monica shoved the curtain aside. “Your life wasn’t normal, babe, it was boring. There’s a difference.”
Staring at the door, Skyler bit her lip. What did he think? What would he say? Was there any possibility of bluffing her way out of this disaster?
“Well, go on,” Monica said as she pulled her clothes on over the merry widow. “I’ll go out the back while you handle him.” She grinned. “And I know just which parts of him I’d handle.”
“I need a plan, not sex.”
Monica just blinked.
“Even if I did want, think about, or ever consider sex with a man like him”—whose idea of work is battling through fire-engulfed houses, combating floods and contagious diseases and probably leaping over tall buildings in a single bound— “I’d have to sneak around my brothers to do it.”
Monica danced on one foot as she slipped off one four-inch stiletto heel. “So? You sneak around them anyway with the lingerie.” Shoving the shoes in her purse, she slid her feet into sandals—with only a three-inch heel. “Besides, I’m hoping to have one brother completely occupied—at least the moment he gets back from the law enforcement convention.”
Skyler started for the door. “That just leaves two.”
In the hall, leaning against the wall, lounged Jack Tesson,
