Paris or Bust!

sundress. Lou held up a piece of mail and looked guilty and since the dress gave Kylie hives, she addressed her grandma first. “What have you done now?”

Lou smiled a bit guiltily. “Uh…maybe you’re too busy to go over this.”

“Spill.”

“You’re being audited.”

“Because?”

“Because your number was up? I don’t know.”

Kylie closed her eyes, but her mother shook her, then shoved the dress in her hands. “Get this on. We’ll deal with the audit after the photo shoot.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lou said. “Wade said he’d take care of it.”

“Wade?” Kylie asked.

“Turns out he’s got an ex-girlfriend who works high up in the IRS. In fact, he’s probably talking to her right now.”

Why did that make her more grumpy? With a sigh, she started to strip. “Come near me with that thing,” she warned her mother as she hefted a curling iron, “and I’ll have to get mean.”

Daisy just shook her head, then came after her anyway.

Lou unzipped her makeup case, which was the size of a bowling ball bag.

“Oh, no,” Kylie said with a laugh, backing up. “No way.”

“Yes, way. You look like death warmed over. At least use blush.” Lou pulled out a bright red blush powder with a brush the size of Kylie’s head.

“Mom,” Kylie said, panicked.

Daisy sighed again. “Oh, leave the girl alone,” and then it was Lou’s turn to sigh.

“Fine. But don’t complain to me when you look horrid in the photos.” She proceeded to put two big red circles on her own cheeks. Then she pulled out a siren-red lipstick, carefully and thoroughly lining her lips before kissing the air and smiling proudly. “See? I look great. You should really let me help you.”

“No, thanks.”

Lou sniffed.

Kylie could deal with Lou’s attitude, and she’d deal with Daisy’s, too. She could deal with shoving herself into a long, thin, spaghetti-strapped sundress, and even with applying a little mascara. She could deal with being overworked and underpaid, and she could deal with an audit.

But when she was all done dolling herself up, when she’d walked out of her office, when Wade had turned toward her, dropping his jaw and the file he held, she realized the one thing she couldn’t deal with.

The way he looked at her as though she was pretty. As though she was hot.

Her knees wobbled, infuriating her. Yep, she could deal with just about anything…except him.

CHAPTER SIX

WADE STOOD in the lobby, stunned into silence by the vision heading toward him. She wore a long, flowery sundress that hugged her curves and a tough-girl grimace on her lips. Attitude screamed with every swing of her hips. Her eyes blared irritation and impatience, and when they landed on him, uncertainty was added to the mix. Her lips shined with some light glossy color he wanted to eat right off, her hair lay gently around her face, framing the bite-me expression he’d come to count on.

And that body…he’d never really realized how mouthwatering it was.

He wanted to devour her.

An equally made-up Daisy followed Kylie toward where the magazine photographers had set up at the far end of the lobby. Being a slow business day, with no scheduled incoming flights, every employee in the place stood around, ogling their boss.

Wade understood, because he stood there, too, his own news completely forgotten, watching the photographer try to coax a natural smile out of Kylie. She was as stiff as a board, and though he doubted anyone else saw past her orneriness, he did. She felt uncomfortable in the limelight, and probably would have given her last penny to get out of it.

Feeling an unexpected surge of sympathy, he moved in close. “Excuse me,” he said, pushing his way through. “Got a message for Kylie. Excuse me.”

She visibly braced herself, most likely waiting for a comment on her looks, but she was going to be disappointed. He didn’t need the makeup and fancy clothes to see that she was the sexiest, most hauntingly beautiful, most amazing woman he’d ever met. Undoubtedly, he could see the real Kylie far better in her everyday clothes, but this was a nice change. Real nice. “I have something that just might put a genuine smile on your face,” he said in her ear.

“Today nothing could put a real smile on my face.”

He let his lips brush the sensitive skin beneath her ear, his entire body tightening when she shivered. “Really?” he wondered. “How about the audit is indefinitely postponed?”

Pulling back, she narrowed her eyes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Where’s my smile?”

“You probably agreed to sleep with her.”

He lifted a brow. “Would that bother you?”

“Not in the least.”

He just looked at her, and she let out a snort. “Okay, yes, it’d bother me. Happy?”

“Oh yeah.” He stroked her jaw. “But it was just a phone call, Kylie.” He stepped back just as she let out the genuine smile he’d wanted to see, and the photographer snapped the shutter.

Wade leaned in one more time. “And all you have to do for me in return? Smile like that. At me.”

Then he wisely vanished before she could smack him.

TWO NIGHTS LATER Kylie was alone, once again buried in engine work on a customer’s plane. She stood on a ladder, stretched out, trying to reach a particularly unreachable bolt.

Behind her, the radio was turned up as high as it could go so she couldn’t think for a change.

Normally this would fulfill her, as she loved nothing more than a late night by herself buried in an airplane.

But normal no longer applied to her life. She’d had to charge the fuel for their tanks this morning, because she hadn’t had enough money in the accounts to cover the purchase. The new client had never materialized, and though she had a lead on two more, if they didn’t call soon, it might be too late.

It was entirely possible she was going to have to sell the airport. That burned. But she finally had to admit her love for the place wasn’t enough. It needed more than she could give.

Wade could give it. She’d read his proposal, she knew what he planned. With his marketing savvy and fancy connections, he’d have this place hopping in no time.

Damn him.

She didn’t begrudge him his success, she just wanted it for herself, too. Did that make her a bad person? Probably.

He hadn’t kissed her again.

Her fault. She didn’t want more kisses. Hell, she could hardly concentrate now with the power of the last one still messing with her head.

Damn it, she couldn’t reach the bolt. Wriggling just to the point of no return on the ladder, she realized she had the wrong size wrench. Of course she did.

Suddenly the right size appeared at her hip, extended to her by no other than the tall, dark, enigmatic man she’d been thinking about.

“Hey.” He shot her a crooked grin that destroyed her from the inside out. “Need any help?”

Oh, boy. Loaded question. Yes, she needed help easing the tension strung tight inside her. Yes, he could ease that tension with just a touch, a kiss. And no, she wouldn’t let him. “I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh.”