A Whole New Man. Roxann Delaney

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СКАЧАТЬ 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.

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