Tempted

“I told you to get the international plan but you didn’t want to spring for the temporary cost. That’s on you.”

“I didn’t think I was going to get a check-up call from my little brother,” he returned drily. “What’s up?”

“Just wondering how the trip is going. You know, seeing if my money was well spent.”

“Next time you want to blow money, just give me the cash.”

“That good, huh?”

“It’s not bad, just not really my scene.”

“Teagan, you’ve been out of the scene so long I doubt you’d remember what your scene looks like,” J.T. joked. Teagan had to admit his little brother was right, but he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of admitting it out loud. “Look, you’re being a good sport about it, so have some fun. Be a tourist. Buy funny hats and drink too many margaritas. Make some memories you can regret later. Every old man needs some questionable life choices to reminisce about in the old folks home, so get to it.”

“I can always borrow a few of yours,” Teagan reminded his brother. “I think you made enough bad choices to last us both a lifetime.”

“Hey, not all bad choices turn out to be bad in the end. We’re getting a new plane and revitalizing our business from my last bad decision and I happen to sleep next to the most beautiful woman in the world because of it. So, in the end, my choice wasn’t bad at all.”

“You’re burning dollars with your philosophical bullshit,” Teagan said, rolling his eyes. “Was there anything else you needed to tell me? Any news on the plane delivery?”

“Yeah, been pushed back a few weeks. So really there’s nothing stopping you from letting your hair down and going crazy. I got things here.”

Teagan grunted an answer and said his goodbye. Then he turned his phone off. He didn’t want any more calls from his little brother.

Knowing J.T., the little shit was probably purposefully calling him just to jack up the phone bill. Brothers were funny that way.

Teagan knew he could trust J.T. to hold down the fort, but it wasn’t exactly in his nature to hand over the keys to the castle while he rode off into the sunset for a while.

That’d always been J.T.’s MO.

But maybe J.T. had a small point.

Hell, the money was spent already.

Maybe he ought to go buck wild and just whoop it up.

Maybe he ought to make it his mission to catch the lovely Harper Riley.

An instant smile threatened even as he thought of her.

Yeah, that could make the trip bearable.

Teagan spent his adult life making sure that J.T. stayed out of trouble. Maybe it was his turn to do something reckless.

Harper was playing it cool.

Guess it was time to turn up the heat.

Oh, Harper, you’re about to experience a little Carmichael charm.

He gave the mirror a cheesy grin and wagged his eyebrows.

Okay, so he was a little rusty.

Let’s start with the basics.

Teagan wrapped the towel around his midsection and flexed, popping out the muscles in his abs and pecs.

Respectable, he noted with pride.

Damn respectable.

He flexed a little more, some poses nonchalant, others obvious.

Then, because all men were essentially kids at heart, he whipped off his towel and swiveled his hips so that his cock started to sway.

Ding dong, baby.

He did that a few times until it started to become painful.

Okay, that’s enough, his inner adult chastised and he returned the towel to his hips.

He knew Harper was attracted to him physically, but she resisted him anyway. So it had to be a mental game.

He had to interest Harper on a different level if he wanted her guard to come down.

So it was time to figure out just what made Harper tick.

Time for a little recon.

7 (#u09b05772-6b88-5bd3-a31e-7c25db34b4c1)

HARPER SMOOTHED HER hair and pulled it off to the side so the dark curls draped over her shoulder, then placed her wide-brimmed hat on her head. A final look in the mirror confirmed she looked casually well put together, yet refined at the same time. Stuart wasn’t going to be wowed by a woman who seemed classless. If Harper wanted a ring on her finger, she had to play things right.

Exiting her room, she accidentally bit her tongue as Teagan’s door opened and there he was in all his muscled, hot-bodied glory.

Of all the terrible timing.

And wearing a shirt that molded to his biceps as if it was painted on. Like anyone needed to see that!

Well, she didn’t.

She had no interest whatsoever in running her tongue down that ridged stomach to find what lay at the end of his happy trail.

Nope. Not at all.

Sure you don’t.

So she certainly didn’t want a quick reminder of how Teagan had unwittingly helped her to “relax” in the shower.