Page 38 of Unbound Boxset

CHAPTER TWO

Julianna ducked behind the thicket of wild pink roses and froze. Who was he? Definitely not a tourist. He surveyed the lush grounds of the Cliff House with an assessing air rather than the awe of an onlooker. A Realtor? No, she still had time to get the money. She used her father’s life insurance policy to pay most of the debt that strangled like a drowning swimmer. This man was no businessman.

This man was a modern day sex god.

He wore a basic white T-shirt. Probably Hanes. Faded worn jeans clung to muscled thighs. Battered work boots on his feet. Definitely working class. Definitely not from around here.

As if he sensed her presence, his gaze focused on the spot where she hid. The dying sun cast shadows over her crouched figure. Julianna cursed under her breath as he determinedly walked up the path, veered around the thick hedges, and stopped behind her. She pretended to finger the roses as if checking on their status, then tilted her chin upward.

His ocean-blue gaze seized hers and held. He towered over her, his tawny, blond-streaked hair falling over his forehead in disarray, his carved lips pursed in half amusement, half irritation as he stared down at her. Sexy stubble clung to his jaw. He held himself with an almost regal, haughty manner, completely at odds with his sweat-sheen tan skin, and work clothes.

“Am I interrupting?”

His voice cut smooth and creamy, like hot caramel poured slowly over melting ice cream. A delicious English accent rounded his words.

Annoyed at her immediate physical attraction, she brushed some leaves from her jeans and stood up. “No.” She refused to explain her presence around her own house, even though it was obvious she’d been spying on him. “What can I do for you?”

He hitched his thumbs in the loop of his belt buckle and made a lazy assessment of her face. Then dropped his gaze to take in the thrust of her breasts in her thin black tank; the worn cut of her jeans, her bare feet peeking among the weedy grass. “Looks like you need some help,” he drawled. “Shame to neglect something so pretty.”

Her brows snapped into a frown. “Excuse me?”

“Your garden.” Pale blue lights sparked in the depths of his eyes and twinkled. “I’m looking for some odd jobs in town and your neighbor suggested I stop by. Said your father passed quite recently and the property’s been neglected. Sorry for your loss.”

Julianna blinked in suspicion but he seemed sincere. Her nosy neighbor probably despised the way she’d let the landscaping run wild. After all, Mrs. Cutter lived for tourists at the famous Cliff Walk and proudly invited them in for afternoon tea and to show off her own perfectly manicured estate. The Cliff House had become an eyesore during her father’s illness, and Julianna was the first to admit it.

“I’ve been preoccupied,” she said. He didn’t respond, just nodded and waited for her to continue. “How long are you in town?”

He shrugged massive shoulders. “Till I’m ready to move on. I’m staying down at the marina on my boat. I can clean up the yard and shrubs and fix that back wall.” He pointed to the elaborate stone pathway and wall that circled around the pond and held a variety of fish and flowers. Chipped rocks and wood littered the back from the last storm. “A few people in town can vouch for me.”

Julianna hesitated. Money was a bit tight. As if sensing her thought, he grinned. Deep laugh lines carved the corners of his mouth. “I can give you a great price.”

“How long will it take?”

“A week. I can get the supplies in town and rent the equipment.”

“And if I’m not satisfied with the work?” She bit her tongue the moment the words left her mouth. She’d wanted to disguise her sudden unease with this man’s presence. The corner of his lip twitched slightly and he took a step forward. The scents of fresh grass, sweat, and musk drifted on the late morning breeze. “You don’t pay unless you’re satisfied.” His hot stare paused on her mouth. “I guarantee I’ve never left a client hanging.”

Raw, sexual heat flooded her face then moved downward. The air hung heavy and still as if ripe for something more…something completely primal. Shocked at her own reaction to this stranger, she fought for control and gave a jerky nod. “Fine. You’re hired.”

“I can start this afternoon. I’ll go take a look around. By the way, name’s Jack.”

“Jack what?”

He hesitated. “Wolfe. Jack Wolfe at your service.”

“Fine,” she said again. Her fingers clenched, and she prayed he wouldn’t extend his hand for a formal introduction. Touching this man was out of the question. “Julianna Elizabeth Waters. Umm, I’m going into town for a bit but I’ll return later. See you then.”

She turned her back and marched into the house. The cool air hit her skin in welcome relief as she slumped against her door and wondered what the hell she had just done.

Maybe she was sexually inexperienced and deprived, but that was no reason to lust after her temporary gardener. The sheer cliché overwhelmed her enough to help shake off her ridiculous thoughts and get ready to go into town.

* * *

Jack watched Julianna peel out of her driveway like Baby Driver on a heist. He chuckled freely as he made his way down the path and into town, enjoying the picture of the lady of the manor getting flustered by a working stiff. Mrs. Cutter had given him an earful, and peaked his interest. Julianna had inherited the Cliff House when her father passed on. Supposedly, she had no other family, and had fallen onto some hard financial times. Her neighbor gleefully pointed out the neglected property, then launched into her assessment of Julianna’s personal life. No men in the picture. Mrs. Cutter had first thought the young lady was a lesbian but found she had dated a few men in town and turned them down after a few dates. Julianna was dubbed snobby, arrogant, and distant. She never got involved with the neighbors or the historical foundation or the efforts to increase tourism in Newport.

Jack kept quiet while he drank iced tea, let the woman ogle him, and took in all the town gossip. He’d decided early on that Newport, Rhode Island, was a perfect town for him to settle in for a week or so. The “city by the sea” boasted a perfect marina to dock his schooner, and odd jobs to take advantage of. Right now, he wanted to meet some local women and sail. In order to keep up his ruse, he’d hired himself out as a handyman and gardener, and knowing how fast gossip spread, planned to treat himself to a few intimate encounters this week to go fishing—literally—for possible mates.

Unfortunately, Julianna Waters intrigued him.