The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion (Entangled Indulgence) Read Online Free PDF Page A

very uncomfortable sleepless nights when the desire to yield to her temptation warred with her good sense to stay strong.
    As they had every morning, her construction crews circled her, waiting for their orders. Bright leaves, golden and red and burgundy, swayed in the autumn breeze. Some had drifted to the ground, still fully hued, but beginning to take on sepia tones along their edges. The rustling in the branches lulled her. But Kennedy finished outlining the day’s work orders with a firm tone. “Caleb, here are the resort’s design plan modifications. After we finish our morning talking points, take five of my crew and finish stripping the old wallpaper. We’ll demo the rest of the wing tomorrow,” she said and hid a yawn behind her hand.
    “You okay?” Caleb asked.
    She let the early morning sunshine caress her cheeks. “Not sleeping well, but I’ll survive.”
    “Zach’s not being a dick, is he?” he asked.
    Kennedy smiled. Caleb had always been the first to check on her if she took a spill when she was a kid. Heck, he protected most of her friends, too, including Michael’s sister Hannah. And he’d grown up to become a man who protected her country. “No,” she assured him. “He’s being perfectly polite.” And perfectly delectable whenever she was alone with him. Which was far too often for her comfort.
    The lodge door creaked open. “Kennedy,” Zach said. “The designer coming today?”
    She snapped her gaze at him. Rays of sun reflected the tips of bronze weaving through his chestnut hair. Her mouth drained of saliva.
    “Yes,” she stammered.
    “The drywall up in the east wing?” he asked.
    Zach’s indigo V-neck shirt hugged his broad shoulders and taut chest muscles. Her heart hitched and she felt instantly hot. “Finishing today,” she said. “The solar panels are ordered and the hot springs demo is complete.”
    “Excellent.” He moved down the stairs, then turned to view the exterior. “It’s going to be ready in time for Michael’s fundraiser in December.”
    Zach’s jeans stretched across his muscular thighs and tight bottom. Dear lord, the man was yummy. Her sleep-deprived brain might be operating on half-octane, but every girl part she possessed was wide-awake. “We’ll paint next week,” she said. “Clear the rotting logs and undergrowth around the springs. Pour the foundation for the new spa.”
    He held himself with an ease that belied his innate ability to command and control. His years at Sweetbriar Springs as the hotel’s assistant manager had given him the tools he’d required to live up to the tough, no-holds barred corporate autocratic methods his father had expected of him. “You want to give the springs a trial run?” he asked after the crew broke away. “Just you, me and a bottle of champagne?”
    Her cheeks flashed hot. Persistence was Zach’s middle name. And all her naughty hormones voted to say yes to his offer. “No thanks,” she said in a detached, businesslike tone. “I’ll check them after we install the new gazebo.”
    “The gazebo’s a nice touch.” He closed the distance between them ever so slightly. “Too bad you’re wasting all that privacy to use it alone.”
    “Privacy is highly underrated.” She drew another figure on the board. “What are you up to today?”
    “Wrapping up a deal in Costa Rica for an all-inclusive resort renovation.” He paused, then drew his cell phone out of his back pocket. After pushing a few buttons, he held up the screen. “Paradise for lovers.”
    She could see the play of muscle in his strong arms. Her pulse fluttered and her skin prickled. “Indeed. Listen, I’ve got the swatches, and the designer you hired is going to Asheville to buy the accessories for the alcoves,” she replied with forced formality. “I’ll check the roof’s stability for the solar installation before she arrives.”
    “Good.” His mouth curved ever so slightly. “You want help picking the final color palette?