She held up both hands. “Nobody calls me that anymore.” She pivoted and marched out, not sure where she was going, but she couldn’t take that tiny space and giant man anymore. Everything vibrated—her head, her body, her heart, her memories.
He wasn’t like Doug—or was he?
She crossed the living room, heading to the other side of the house. She’d hide in the bedroom until her clothes were—
“Amanda.” He snagged the robe sleeve. “Please, let me talk to—”
She jerked her arm so hard she slipped right out of the sleeve, but he held on and the robe fell open, revealing her nakedness and pulling a soft shriek from her mouth.
The click of the front door reverberated, like a bullet shot underwater. In slow, shocked motion, they both turned, speechless as the door flew open and hit the wall.
“Housekeep—” Tori froze in the doorway, her eyes wide. “Well, would you look at that?”
Before Amanda could scramble back into the robe, a bald head appeared behind Tori and JT’s eyes damn near sprang out of his head, too. “Whoa, Amanda. That’s probably a little more customer service than we generally offer.”
Chapter Four
In one lightning-fast move, Zeke slipped Mandy back into her robe, getting close enough to feel her whole body trembling. What an idiot he was! He couldn’t keep his hands off her for five minutes? Now she was as white as that robe.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded of the morons who’d just barged in. “Can’t a guest expect privacy?”
The woman sauntered in, appraising him up and down like some kind of hungry hooker. “We’re with housekeeping doing a room check. You’re supposed to be at lunch.”
“Guess Amanda’s dessert.” The meathead behind her loped in and grinned. “Sorry for the inter—”
Zeke took two steps and had the guy’s collar before he could take his next breath. “What did you say?”
“Hey, hey, sorry, sir.” He held up his hands and shook his head, fear in his eyes. He should have been afraid for that comment. “We’re were told to check on this villa because Amanda isn’t exactly the best house—”
Zeke tightened his grip and lifted the guy a half inch off the ground.
“Zeke, please.” Mandy’s voice cracked with the plea.
Slowly, he let the guy drop but continued to slice him with a look that he knew communicated exactly how much pleasure he’d get from throwing him against the wall. “You can leave now.”
The other woman put her hands on her hips and shook her head at Mandy. “Honey, you know we gotta tell Lacey about this.”
“It’s not what it looks like,” Mandy said.
The woman gave a sharp laugh. “Well, it sure doesn’t look like cleaning to me.”
Zeke whipped around and glared at her, but she looked up and smiled. “Not that I can blame the girl.”
“Hey,” the other man said harshly. “Let’s go, T.”
“And leave her here?” She tsked. “I am certain there are legal ramifications and employee guidelines and every other manner of professional misbehavior being displayed. Amanda, dear, why don’t you find your clothes from wherever you dropped them, and we’ll ride you back to the management office?”
Zeke was in her face in one second. “Why don’t you shut your mouth and get your skinny ass out of this villa before I call the cops?”
She flinched a little, then shot a look at Mandy. “Got yourself a hothead, darlin’. I heard you like them with a little fire in the belly.”
Zeke inhaled so hard he felt his nostrils quiver, and the woman had the good sense to slink away.
“We’ll see you in Lacey’s office,” she said, backing out of the door just before Zeke slammed it in her face and flipped the deadbolt and guest lock. Only then did he turn to survey the damage.
But Mandy was gone.
He shot through the kitchen and stopped cold at the laundry room door at the sight of her back to him, naked but for pink underpants, as she tried to hook her bra.
“Go away,” she said.
He stepped into the kitchen to give her privacy. “I feel like shit,” he said.
“You got Tori to leave.”
Tori? “Tori Drake?” He knew she looked vaguely familiar.
“The one and only. And she’s made a career out of getting back at me for being on the homecoming court when she was the one servicing the football players.”
Damn, it was like a high school reunion around here. “I shouldn’t have...I shouldn’t have touched you.”
She didn’t answer, and he banged his head against the wall behind him, squeezing his eyes shut. Son of a bitch! “I don’t suppose I could make this up to you.”
“Five thousand would do the trick.”
His eyes popped open. “What?”
“Never mind, I’m making a joke in a very unfunny situation.” He heard a zipper slide and the rustle of more clothes. “I told you I was on the way out of this job anyway.”
He stepped into the doorway as she buttoned the top button. “That may or may not be true, but I’ll be damned if you are going to lose your job because I acted like an asshole.”
“You weren’t an asshole,” she said softly. “You’re just a man.”
Which was obviously one and the same to her. Damn it, he was such a moron. “Mandy.”
She looked up from the button, adding a punch to his gut when he saw the dampness of her eyes. “Sorry, I’m a little bitter. I left my sneakers in the bathroom. Excuse me.” She brushed by him and left him standing like a helpless, hopeless idiot.
He heard her in the living room and pushed off the wall, refusing to let her leave without saying goodbye. She was sitting on the sofa, tying her shoes, her blonde hair, dry now, hanging like corn silk in front of her face.
He took a slow step closer. “I told you I am honest, probably to a fault.”
She didn’t look up.
“So you should know that what I’m about to say is true and not some asshole guy spouting bullshit because he wants to get laid.”
She knotted the lace, silent.
“I had a crush on you in high school that pretty much crippled me at the sound of your name.”
Her hands stilled.
“I couldn’t...” He gave a dry laugh. “I couldn’t breathe when you were in the room.”
Very slowly, she lifted her face to him.