Czytaj książkę: «A Whole New Man»

Chapter One

“Henry Davis?”

Hank looked up from the magazine he was thumbing through, and his breath lodged in his chest. Contacting this image-consulting place was one of the best ideas he’d ever had, considering the woman standing in front of him.

“I’m Hank.” Disengaging himself from the chair, he rose to his feet.

Her smile was blinding. “Mr. Davis, I’m Elizabeth Edwards. Welcome to Kansas City and Images, Inc.”

When he took the woman’s outstretched hand in his, an unaccustomed warmth climbed up his arm, and he met her gaze head-on. Wide, blue eyes, the color of Navajo turquoise, stared into his. Smooth skin the color of ripe peaches and fresh cream framed a lush, strawberry mouth.

When he continued to stare, she pulled away with her breath-stealing smile intact. “Let’s get comfortable in my office and discuss what it is specifically that I plan to do for you.” She turned to her receptionist, robbing him of his view of her smile. “Perhaps Mr. Davis would like something to drink before we get started, Janine.”

“I’m fine,” Hank managed to say, even though he wasn’t. He could’ve used a stiff drink as he studied her profile. When he’d seen the fancy ad in the Kansas City magazine back in New Mexico, he hadn’t imagined he would encounter someone who looked like her. Not that he minded. He didn’t know how long he would stay with his new foreman’s job at Crown Construction, but he couldn’t deny himself a few simple pleasures. That’s as far as it would go, though. He had never been much of a ladies’ man, and he knew better than to get tangled up with a woman. Most wanted to make things permanent and be a family—something he didn’t know much about.

“We have a lot of things to accomplish, Mr. Davis,” his new consultant said and motioned for him to follow her.

Hank had always believed a man had the right to take advantage of and enjoy things whenever the opportunity presented itself. Walking behind her down a hallway, that opportunity was a tantalizing view of a pair of curvy, swaying hips that hinted at what lay beneath the snug white skirt encasing them and a pair of long, shapely legs that stretched his imagination.

Shifting his gaze to rein in his fantasy, he barely noticed the pricey but tasteful decor of Images, Inc. as she led him to her office. Instead the alabaster column of her neck, revealed beneath a knot of gorgeous auburn hair, had snared his attention. Copper wisps escaped the bun and teased the collar of the virginal white suit she wore. His fingers itched to touch them and feel their silky softness. Too bad he would never get the chance to do it.

Before his imagination led him further than it should, they reached her office. She motioned toward a long sofa along one wall. While he took a seat, she picked up a file folder from her desk, then settled at the opposite end of the sofa. It didn’t escape him that her skirt inched higher, revealing even more of her long legs, and he tried his best to ignore it so he could concentrate on the reason he was there.

After shuffling the papers in her hands, she looked up to give him another dazzling smile. “Tell me what convinced you to come to Images, Inc., Mr. Davis.”

“Call me Hank.” He crossed one work-booted foot over his knee and fingered a worn seam in the leather. The truth was, his thirtieth birthday three months ago had brought home the hard fact that he had never made much of himself. Then he had received the letter from Crown Construction offering him a position with the well-respected company. When he saw the ad for Images, Inc., he called on a whim, thinking he might as well give it a try and fill in the time during the next two weeks until he started his new job.

“I suppose you could say I thought I could use a little spiffing up,” he said, giving away as little about himself as he could. “I could use a little polish, anyway. I’ve been on the road all my life, so I haven’t picked up the social graces most people come by naturally.”

She glanced at a paper, the bridge of her nose wrinkling in concentration. “You start a new job with Crown Construction in two weeks. You’ve been hired for a foreman position?”

He nodded. “I’ve been working construction for a couple of years with the same company. With several other companies before that, too. Crown contacted me about the job. I’m not sure where they got my name, but I decided I might as well move up the ladder, since it was offered.”

Her gaze met his, but she looked away quickly. “Let’s go over your employment history, so I can get an idea of your experience.”

He bit back a laugh. It had taken three extra typed pages to fill out his application for Crown. Thirteen jobs in as many years gave him more experience than most people, but he doubted this woman was interested in the details. “I worked the oil fields in Alaska, Oklahoma, and a short stint in Kuwait. I’ve been a ranch hand in Wyoming and Montana, a dockworker in San Diego, had a little rodeo here and there, worked on a salmon boat for a while out of—”

“I get the picture,” she said and ducked her head to check the paper.

But not before he’d seen a flicker of something in her eyes. It passed too quickly to identify, so he chalked it up to nothing.

“Since you’re so well-traveled,” she said, meeting his gaze once again, “why did you choose Kansas City?”

Hank shrugged and focused on her question instead of her blue eyes. “Other than the fact that my mother was from here, Crown has a good reputation.”

She picked up a pen and jotted something on the paper. “So you have relatives in the area?”

“Not that I know of.”

“You don’t know?”

“It’s unlikely. My mother lost her folks when she was young. To be honest, I never heard her talk of any other family. I don’t recall my dad talking about any family, either.” Family wasn’t all that important to Hank. He had been on his own, without any, for over ten years. Marriage and a family of his own weren’t an option. Not for him. He had never had a permanent address other than a post office box and he didn’t intend to change that. Not for long, anyway. Besides, he’d seen what a life of moving from one place to another had done to his mom. He wouldn’t risk doing that to a woman he loved, and he wasn’t going to change.

“Is your mother in New Mexico?” she asked, bringing his attention back to her.

“She died when I was ten.”

Compassion shone in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Wanting to ease her mind and curious to know about her, he turned the conversation around. “Do you have family here?”

She hesitated for a moment, then she nodded. “All but my dad.”

This time he didn’t miss the look in her eyes, and wondered at the sadness he saw there. The one thing he remembered about his mother was her telling him that the eyes were the windows to a person’s soul. But it wasn’t this woman’s soul that he was interested in. Her looks had caught his attention, that was all.

“Well,” she said, then cleared her throat. “Janine has the contract drawn up. We agreed on two weeks, right?”

“Right.”

“We’ll get started right away. Usually we work with a client for a minimum of a month. In your case, we’ll have to be quick but thorough, with intense focus on the basics. Instead of a few hours a day, we’ll work together most of the day, and occasionally into the evening. I hope you can block out the time, just for this.”

“It’s not a problem,” he replied. Especially since he had nothing else to do until his job started.

Pulling a paper out of the folder, she placed it on top of the others and skimmed a long slender finger down it. “Our first order of business is to make sure you’re living at an address that will reflect that you’re a stable person. As they say in the real estate business, location is everything.”

Her infectious grin caught him by surprise, and he wondered what lay beneath her cool exterior. “I have a room at the Regency out near the airport.”

She shook her head, and he imagined that tight knot of hair at the back of her neck loose and flowing like a liquid flame. The thought made him want to reach out and start pulling out whatever held it in place, but he stopped the fantasy as soon as it started.

She offered a gentle smile. “In this case, since you’ll be living here for some time, I think it’s best to find something that could become more permanent.”

“I don’t know the area, but I’ll trust your judgment,” he said, thinking he might as well go along with her.

Flipping through a notebook, she stopped and made a note. “I know of an apartment that can be subleased. Even better, you can give it a try for a month before you make a decision.”

Hank didn’t plan to be in town long enough to need a permanent place to live and hoped he wouldn’t get in over his head. He had the money, but getting out of a sublease could be tricky. Or at least that’s what he’d heard. His usual trappings were more temporary.

Before he could voice his concern, the intercom buzzer sounded. “Excuse me,” she said and walked to her desk where she leaned over to pick up the phone. “What is it, Janine?” She paused, listening. “I’ll return her call later…Who? Did you get his number? Any idea—All right. Do what you can.”

Replacing the receiver, she turned back to Hank. “I hate to rush you, but we might as well get started. If you’ll stop at Janine’s desk, she has the contract. Read it, make any changes you think are needed, then sign it. Do you have a car?”

He shook his head. “I left my pickup back in New Mexico. As soon as I landed, I dropped my things at the hotel and came straight here.”

“No need to be in a hurry to get one. I can pick you up at your hotel in—” She glanced at her watch, frowning. “Two hours. That will give me time to make some arrangements on the apartment, and then we can decide where to go from there.”

For some reason, she intrigued him. He wouldn’t mind spending a little time with her. A little fun wouldn’t hurt, either. There was no danger in that. But anything more was out of the question.

Standing, he took the hand she offered and held it. “Your friends call you Lizzie?”

She shook her head, but didn’t pull away. “Professionally, I prefer Elizabeth.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’ll stick with Lizzie.”

“Well, I suppose—”

“Good. And I’m Hank.”

Still holding her hand, he unconsciously rubbed his thumb over hers. He heard her sharp intake of breath and let go. “I’ll see you in two hours,” he said, and noticed his voice was huskier than he’d expected.

He also noticed she didn’t move from the spot when he left the room. As he walked down the hall, he shook his head. He couldn’t deny being attracted to her. But he’d been attracted to women before, and, except for the few times before he knew better, the relationship hadn’t become serious. There wasn’t any reason to think he couldn’t handle it this time. No reason at all.

Lizzie watched Hank Davis leave her office, then took a step back, grabbed the edge of her desk for support and bit back the groan that threatened to give her away. Her legs had turned to rubber the first moment she had laid eyes on him in the reception area of Images, Inc. Hunk? The word made her want to laugh out loud. What an understatement! And she had to work with this man? Every day? Possibly evenings? This time, the groan was impossible to keep inside.

With an unsteady step, she walked to the door and quietly closed it, fighting the urge to follow him down the hall for another look at him. Leaning her forehead against the smooth, cool wood, she was tempted to start banging it. She would never be able to keep her wits about her for the next two weeks if she didn’t pound some sense into her foggy mind.

His voice, low and lazy, like a river slowly moving along a grassy bank on a summer day, had sent warm currents flowing through her body. But it was his dimples that had done her in. Those twin valleys bracketing a sexy mouth had made that smile a true kneeweakener. And Lizzie’s knees felt like warm jelly again, just thinking about them.

She quickly scolded herself for her weakness. She didn’t have time for men, no matter how good-looking. Her life was full enough with Images, Inc., and with Amanda, her daughter.

On her way to her desk, she grabbed the folder she had left on the sofa, hoping to get her mind back on business. But it was impossible. The moment he had looked up from the magazine in his hand, she knew she was in for a difficult time. Professionalism had flown out the window. Clear brown eyes had stared into hers, and she had detected a decided twinkle in them.

Determined to get herself under control, she pressed the intercom button and asked Janine to step into her office. She had a lot to do before she picked up Hank at his hotel.

Janine opened the door and poked her head into the office. “Mercy, that is some man you’re going to be working with.”

Lizzie smiled at her best friend and employee and prayed Janine wouldn’t see how much Hank Davis had rattled her. “You gave him the folder with the schedule, didn’t you?”

“Of course.” Stepping into the room, Janine perched on the arm of the sofa and propped her chin in one hand, her hazel eyes dancing. “Once you’re done with him, there won’t be a woman within a hundred miles of Kansas City that won’t be falling at his feet.”

Lizzie kept her thoughts to herself. No need feeding into Janine’s daydreams.

“It doesn’t take much of a stretch of the imagination to see him all spiffed up in a custom-made tux and starched shirt, charming the Kansas City social set,” Janine continued.

“Clothes can sometimes make the man,” Lizzie said without thinking. And that’s what worried her. Good-looking men in tuxedos had always been her weakness. Amanda’s father had been the first proof of that.

But even in something as mundane as a blue chambray shirt and jeans, Henry Wallace Davis was a sight to behold. He didn’t look like the type who would be comfortable in a business suit. He was too rugged, too rough around the edges. And it was now her job to smooth out those edges.

“Mr. Davis seems pretty well made to me,” Janine said with another sigh. “But you’ll know how to handle him.”

Just the thought of “handling” Hank Davis sent a shiver through Lizzie. She shoved the thought from her mind and returned to the business at hand. “Would you call Bailey and tell him to have the car here in about an hour? I need to return Mrs. Adams’s call at the convalescent center about my mom.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Better. The nurses think the doctor will let her come home soon. That will be a big relief.”

“And more work for you,” Janine pointed out.

“I’ll deal with it.” She placed a finger on her temple, massaging the headache threatening her clear thinking. “I have to. Even with the fee from Hank Davis, we need to bring in more clients. There’s no getting around that. We both know business has been slow this spring. Do you have any idea who called earlier?”

Janine shook her head. “He asked for you and I told him you were with a client. Before I could ask for a name, he’d hung up.”

“Maybe he’ll call back.” Lizzie didn’t want to lose a chance at new business. “If he does—if you recognize his voice—put him right through.”

While Janine went to make arrangements for transportation, Lizzie dialed the phone, then waited for one of the nurses to check her mother’s chart. Mentally clicking off her list of things to do, she almost wished she could do without Hank Davis and his fee. But she couldn’t back out because of a foolish attraction to a client. This one was too important. His deposit alone was the last step toward making the final payment on her small-business loan. Once it was paid, Images, Inc., would be free and clear. With the bank, anyway. Her mother’s care and the worry over the medical bills would be a thing of the past. If they could bring in more clients, she could afford to hire more consultants, and then she would have more time to spend with Amanda.

Maybe someday she would realize her dream of making her firm the most sought after in Kansas City. If she could do that, she might prove to her family that she wasn’t the wild child she once was.

One step at a time, she reminded herself.

In her heart, her daughter and family came first. She wouldn’t let a man change that, and since she reluctantly admitted she was attracted to Hank, she needed to focus on his roaming life. That should keep her hormones in line. She knew his type. The moment Amanda’s father had heard the word “baby,” he’d hit the road and never looked back. He wasn’t the only one who had left her, either. She knew, firsthand, that some men weren’t the type to settle down, and she wasn’t going to let herself get caught up with someone like that again. In fact, she had proven she didn’t need any man, so even if Hank was stable, she still had no business letting her weak knees and her racing heart get the better of her. She had a dream and something to prove.

“What’s this?” Hank asked when he stepped out of the hotel. It was obvious that the limousine parked at the curb and the uniformed driver waiting at the open door were for him.

“It’s something special we do for our clients.” Lizzie gave the driver a warm smile as she got into the car and motioned for Hank to follow.

He climbed in after her and settled onto the wide seat across from her. “But a limo? Isn’t that kind of extravagant? I’m taking the foreman’s job, not the company president’s.”

“It all has to do with self-image,” she explained, her face intent. “If a person believes he’s worthy of something, he’ll live up to it eventually. A limo is something that, in most people’s minds, represents a certain social and economic level. Being chauffeured in a limousine gives a person a special feeling and, in time, it begins to show in the way that person thinks of himself and acts.”

“Not to mention being seen in one, right?”

She leveled her gaze on him and shot him a perfect smile. “Right.”

He held her gaze, lost in the blue of her eyes until she finally looked away to give the driver instructions. Turning back to Hank when she was finished, she smiled. “Bailey will be your driver for the next two weeks. And if you need anything, let him know.”

The driver smoothly pulled the limo out of the parking lot and into the steady stream of traffic. “Call me any time, Mr. Davis.”

“Thanks.” Stretching out his legs in the roomy interior, Hank accidentally nudged Lizzie’s foot, only to see her shift away from him. “And the name’s Hank.”

“Yessir.”

Hank glanced at the woman across from him as the glass went up, cutting them off from Bailey. With nothing else to do, he’d spent the two hours since he’d left her office doing little more than thinking about her. Dressed in the same creamy-white suit, with her deep red hair still neatly bundled up on the back of her head, she looked glossy and crisp, exactly like the ad for her company. Professional. Untouchable. But Hank had an idea that she used her own psychology on herself. Things were not always what they seemed. Just like the limo.

Shifting in his seat, he caught her attention. “While I was reading through the contract, I had a question.”

“What’s that?” she asked and leaned forward.

The scent of her perfume, sweet yet musky, drifted in Hank’s direction, taking his concentration to continue. “You mentioned that you usually work at least a month with the people who hire you. Since I only have two weeks, maybe I should just be paying for a half course.”

Her eyes widened, and the pulse beating at the base of her throat picked up speed. “We’ll just double our efforts,” she said, her voice slightly unsteady.

Her answer narrowed down the possibilities that had run through his mind while he had waited for her to arrive. She needed the money. Luckily he didn’t. He’d made good money at every job he’d ever worked, and there had been no expenses but his own day-to-day living. The foreman’s job would pay better than he’d been getting on his old crew, so he didn’t have to worry. But he wondered why, with a fancy business, money was an issue for her.

“Where’s our first stop?” he asked.

She cleared her throat and tugged at the hem of her skirt. “The apartment won’t be ready until tomorrow, so I thought we’d start with some shopping at The Plaza today.”

“Shopping?”

“Clothes shopping.”

He wasn’t surprised. She obviously believed the outside was the place to start. “Clothes make the man, huh?” he asked with a grin.

She lifted her head and stared at him. “How did you—” A blush painted her cheekbones and she pressed her lips together.

“How did I know? Well, the limo is as much for show as for the self-image,” he explained, enchanted by her high color. “Clothes would be the same.”

“You’re much more perceptive than I’d imagined. Do you have it all figured out?”

Her smile was sincere, and he knew she’d just paid him a compliment. “Not all of it. Is this what you do for fun?”

“Fun?” She shook her head. “I don’t have much time for fun. Running a business takes a lot of time.”

“But everybody should take the time to cut loose and have some fun once in a while.”

“I agree, but it depends on your definition of the word,” she pointed out.

Hank thought about it. For most of his life, he had done what he wanted, when he wanted. Life had been hard at times, but he had never failed to enjoy it. So why had he signed up to have his “image” changed?

Because he’d been bored. Because the ad in the magazine had caught his attention, and he thought it might be fun. And it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression. He’d still be Hank, when all was said and done. New clothes wouldn’t change that.

He shot her his best grin. “I think working with you is going to be fun. What do you think?”

She opened her mouth to answer, then shut it again. “I think it’ll be interesting.”

For the time being, her answer was good enough for him, but it definitely raised his curiosity.