“Back the fuck off, Niall. I’m trying to get this done before Carlos shows up.”
He tilted his head, his smile almost sympathetic. “Don’t get so upset. It’s just a joke, Shannon. You really need to lighten up.”
Shannon was so used to hearing his bullshit that a part of her almost believed he was joking.
“Haven’t you got somewhere else to be?” she asked.
He chuckled. “You know, Shannon, the last thing I want to do is make your life harder. But if you keep the attitude, it won’t be me who suffers.”
His words were calm, but his eyes drilled into her, daring her to challenge him.
She loved this yard. Meadow Dawn was her heart and soul––her home. The place that had shaped her, where she’d grown from a shy girl into a woman capable of any challenge.
Despite that, if she confronted Niall, she’d lose herjob and her home, too, so she continued to keep her mouth shut.
“See you around, Shannon.” His grin deepened, a menacing flash in his eyes. “Watch your back.”
10
Jamie
Knocked back again.
Fuck, how many times could a guy get turned down in one day?
He used the party invitation as a way in, and she turned that down, too.
It wasn’t a hard no, but it sure came out like one.
So tonight, he was flying solo, ready to move on. One flash of his smile, one sweep of his gaze across the room, and there’d be no shortage of options.
Moving into the penthouse suite, women eyed him from all corners. The guests weren’t the typical group of desperate social climbers, either. These people oozed power in their own right.
A predictable mix of business associates and their dates. A sea of well-dressed, influential faces.
However, he wasn’t on top of his game. Maybe it was the tequila spiking his system or the way his thoughts drifted back to one stubborn woman in particular.
Normally, Jamie could work a crowd and have anyone eating out of his hand. But tonight, his vibe was off.
Every laugh, every smile, lacked oomph.
The surrounding ladies didn’t seem to mind, though. They still leaned in a little closer, offering hopeful smiles, their bodies angled toward him like moths to a flame.
One woman, poured into a red minidress with a dirty laugh, caught his eye and held it while she dragged an ice-cube over her lips.
Another held his gaze and eyed him over the rim of her glass, smiling.
Jamie offered a confident grin in return, but the flutter of desire that followed didn’t land as hard.
“Jamie.”
Lana appeared out of nowhere, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into her.
Her sleek dress clung to her curves in all the right places, and the perfume she wore carried a hint of his brother’s signature cologne.
Without missing a beat, he spun her in a playful twirl. Over time, they’d grown comfortable with each other since Lana had become a permanent fixture in his brother’s life.
She had a magnetic presence and an undeniable ability to tie his big brother in knots.
