Crazy Love (22 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cupid’s Dating Tips for the Enlightened Male

Saying f*@k often doesn’t make a woman want to do it
.

“You said this was a make-over session for Flo, not a bridal shower.” Olivia stood on the threshold of Sierra’s bedroom, hands on hips, eyes glistening with suspicious moisture.

Belle and Flo yelled
surprise
as Sierra gave Olivia a gentle shove into the bedroom.

“It was their idea. I knew you didn’t want a fuss,” Sierra said, not taking responsibility for this event for altruistic reasons.

Her deal with Marc stipulated no planning the wedding. But could she help it if her pushy friends used her house for an impromptu bridal shower?

“Stop flapping your lips and come grab a glass of cider.” Flo thrust a champagne glass filled with nonalcoholic sparkling brew into Olivia’s hand and dragged her over to the mirror. “Sit.”

Olivia surreptitiously swiped at her eyes, her smile tremulous. “Remind me never to trust you three.”

“You can trust us. It’s what’s in those boxes you can’t trust.” Flo winked and nudged Olivia in the ribs. “Personally, I wanted to get you a rolling pin for a present but you know these young girls of today with their new fandangle electrical pleasure devices and balls you shouldn’t put places and—”

“Don’t ruin the surprise,” Belle said, pushing Flo down onto a stool next to Olivia.

Sierra laughed. “Ignore them. Your gifts are safe to open in public.”

“Good.” Olivia gestured at the dresser covered with make-up paraphernalia. “What’s all this?”

The twinkle in Flo’s eyes hadn’t diminished and Sierra wondered if teasing Olivia was a way of hiding her nerves at her pending makeover.

“We knew you wouldn’t go for a male stripper, even though I told these young girls I’d pay for one each. And we couldn’t go to a bar—”

Flo winced, Olivia nodded serenely. “Good point.”

“—So we thought Belle could do your bridal make-up trial while doing my makeover.” Flo squinted into the mirror, pulled back her grey bangs before making a face and sitting back. “Do we girls know how to have fun or what?”

“Sounds lovely. I’ve never done anything like this before…” The underlying sadness in Olivia’s voice had the rest of them darting frantic glances for anything to distract.

Belle clapped her hands. “First time for everything. Let’s get started or we’ll be here all night.”

Sierra nodded, relieved at the change of subject. Last thing she wanted was Olivia getting maudlin on what should be a fun night. “Good idea. Liv, you want to help me sort these outfits Flo brought while Belle works magic on her first?”

“Sure.” Olivia joined her at the bed and trailed a hand across some of the outfits, raising both eyebrows in the process, as Sierra stifled a laugh. Flo’s mismatched wardrobe was no match for the Beverly Hills elegance Liv favored.

Belle dabbed concealer under Flo’s eyes and smoothed it with a fingertip. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”

“Under control. Flowers are done, garden booked, minister set, reception finalized.” Olivia held up a floral silk muumuu that had seen better days and tossed it onto the discarded pile. “Personally, I’d rather talk about why our friend Flo needs a makeover.”

“So I fancy an old fossil? Big deal.” Flo winced as Belle sponged foundation over her face. “I’d rather talk about young Sierra and her culinary habits.”

Sierra stiffened and shot Flo a filthy look. “This isn’t the time.”

Discussing what had happened with Marc in her kitchen was bad enough, but in front of his mom? No way.

Olivia smiled, her sideways glance sly. “Don’t mind me, dear. This is a girls’ night in. Also happens to be my bridal shower so if there’s girly gossip, by all means…”

Flo guffawed. “From what I saw through that window Sierra’s got loads of gossip.”

“Better add peeping tom to your list of dubious qualities,” Sierra muttered, almost wishing Marc would take a few lessons from his landlady and take a peek through her windows. Might give her a better chance at seducing him because right now she was plain out of ideas.

She’d tried the honest approach; it had precipitated that scintillating kiss. She’d tried the friendly approach; it had got her just that, another friend. Which was fine if he was sticking around and she wanted to do the whole ‘let’s get to know each other as friends first’ routine before moving into a relationship. However, she didn’t have that luxury.

Marc would be gone at the weekend and that would be the end of it. Sure, she’d see him again at Hank’s wedding but the ‘one night stand for old time’s sake’ wasn’t her style either.

They had more going on than a physical attraction and she wanted to see where it could lead. The stupid thing was he’d admitted how much he liked her, how easily he could become addicted yet he’d pulled back anyway.

She understood his reluctance if it had anything to do with the distance thing. She’d never had a long distance relationship, deeming them unworkable after seeing her clients try and fail, but what if it was more than that?

“Close the blinds next time,” Flo said, flinching as Belle started dabbing blush on her cheeks. “Besides, wasn’t my fault. Hearing all that china breaking, I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Belle paused mid-stroke, eyebrows shooting heavenwards. “You didn’t tell me about breaking anything. Must’ve been some kiss.”

Sierra darted a glance at Olivia, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Oh, what the hell, nothing remained a secret long in this town and once Marc left and she lost ten pounds through stress-induced fasting, the whole place would know how heartbroken she was.

“On a scale of one to ten? A ginormous twenty.”

Sierra sighed, having replayed it many times. If she’d thought their other kisses had been toe curling, mind-blowing clashes, this one had been powerful enough to make her little pinkies stay bent forever. “Pity he doesn’t want a repeat.”

Flo shook her head as Belle aimed a sweep of a blush brush at her cheekbone, earning a poke in the eye. “Ow! Lordy, this beauty stuff hurts.”

Flo blinked several times, satisfied her eyes were in working order, and continued. “Don’t know what that young man is thinking. If you ask me, he’s too caught up in his work. Up ‘til all hours over the garage, poring over that darn computer of his, rifling through papers when he should be rifling your skirts.”

“Enough already.” Sierra groaned and avoided looking at Olivia as Belle laid down her brush long enough to applaud, laughing at Flo’s antics.

“It’s true.” Flo pointed at Belle’s beauty case. “Maybe you should get one of these makeover thingies too. Distract the man from business long enough to get him into the bedroom.”

Flo paused, picked up an eyelash curler, turning it over and grimacing as if it were an instrument of torture. “Or in your case, the kitchen.”

Sierra bit back a smile and shook her head. “Wish I hadn’t mentioned anything.”

Olivia touched her arm. “Flo has a point, dear.”

Great, now she was taking relationship advice from the mom of the guy-whose-pants-she-wanted-to-get-into. Could this get any weirder?

Flo pushed away Belle’s hand before nodding. “See? Even Liv agrees. Subtle isn’t working. You spend a lot of time together, why don’t you notch up the heat a little?”

Sierra gave up sorting clothes and sank onto the bed, resting her chin in her hands. “Seduce him?”

“Why not?” Flo grinned. “It’s not like he’s a virgin or anything.”

Olivia stifled a laugh behind her hand while Flo cackled along with Belle, their laughter petering out courtesy of Sierra’s scathing glare.

“Have you told him how you feel?” Belle tossed the sponge into the trash, took a step back and cast a critical eye over her handiwork. Personally, Sierra thought she’d worked a minor miracle on Flo’s skin, masking the majority of her wrinkles but maintaining a natural look at the same time.

“No.”

That wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, he’d probably jump in his Jag and speed all the way to LA if she did.

Satisfied with the foundation job, Belle picked up an eyeliner and started in on Flo again. “Maybe he has issues.” Grimacing, Belle added, “Sorry Liv. No disrespect intended.”

A flash of pain contorted Olivia’s features before she nodded. “You’re right. Marc has major issues regarding love. Look at his role models, a father who’s a jerk and a mother who put up and shut up for almost forty years. Little wonder he doesn’t have a clue.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Liv.” Flo leapt to her friend’s defense quickly, a fact not lost on Olivia as she teared up again.

Desperate to take the focus off Olivia and her past before the shower deteriorated into a waterworks session, Sierra said, “Who said anything about love?”

This wasn’t love it was…like? Lust? Lunacy?

Belle and Flo exchanged knowing looks. “Okay, ostrich-girl.” Flo jabbed a gnarled finger in her direction. “Stick your head in the sand but don’t come crying to us when he heads back to LA and you’re left behind looking for worms.”

Sierra chuckled. “I think you’ve mixed up your bird analogies.”

“And I think you’re plain mixed up,” Flo piped up, closing her eyes to allow Belle access to her eyelids. “You want the guy, have an action plan. It’s working for me.”

Olivia applauded. “I heard you quit smoking. Well done.”

“And I’m going through all this.” Flo eyed the incoming mascara wand with maniacal fear.

Funnily enough, Marc had said his butler had been extra chirpy yesterday and though William knew Marc was staying in the apartment over the garage, had still knocked on Flo’s door. More intriguing, he’d actually shared a cup of tea with her when Marc said William rarely did the same with him.

If by some miracle the unlikely couple did get together Sierra would know the town held the mystical, romantic power she often joked about with her clients. Pity it didn’t work for her. Maybe it would help if she stopped crossing her fingers behind her back and wearing those garlic garlands when anyone mentioned love in relation to her?

To her surprise, Olivia slid an arm around her waist and squeezed gently. “I know this seems odd, me giving relationship advice to you about my son, but trust me, I only want what’s best for both of you.”

Olivia paused, worrying her bottom lip as if she’d said too much.

Sierra semi-leaned into her. “It’s okay. I appreciate your input.”

Amazingly, Flo remained silent as Olivia continued. “Marc may be headstrong and stubborn and opinionated but he’s also warm and loyal and protective of those he loves. Give him a chance. I think you’re perfect for each other.”

Flo and Belle made smooching noises while Sierra knew it would take more than a minor miracle to get her and City Boy together, despite his mom’s glowing endorsement.

“Hey, Sierra, you out here—”

Marc stumbled over the garden hose as he rounded the house and caught sight of his luscious neighbor, her cute ass protruding from Ripley’s kennel.

A muffled “Be right there,” drifted out from inside the kennel and he bit back his first response, “take your time.”

It wasn’t polite to stare. But he did, propped against a garden chair, grinning when she wriggled backwards and he watched that mighty fine piece of anatomy temptingly swaying side to side.

“If you’re looking at my butt, you’ll be alongside Ripley in here tonight,” she said, backing out far enough to plop onto the lawn, ruining his view completely.

Unable to stop grinning, he dropped down beside her. “I don’t mind being in the doghouse if I wake up to that view in the morning.”

“Pervert.”

He held up his hands, pretended to back away. “Hey, I was just making a friendly neighborhood call. Wasn’t my fault you had that gorgeous booty on show.”

Her mouth twitched. “You think it’s gorgeous, huh?”

He leaned across an inch and whispered in her ear. “Hell yeah.”

To his delight, she blushed. The sassy redhead, who never backed down, rarely blushed and the sight of that faint pink staining her cheeks hit him hard: right in his rib cage, in the vicinity of that organ he determinedly ignored when it came to women.

Surreptitiously rubbing his heart, he gave her a playful bump. “What’s with the tool belt?”

She pointed to the kennel and frowned. “Some fool on eBay assured me this would last a decade and it’s falling apart after a year.”

“Guarantee?”

He smothered a laugh at her withering stare as she jerked a thumb towards the hammer, screwdriver and nails strewn across the lawn nearby.

“Does it look like I bought it with a guarantee?”

“I’ll take that as a no. Want a hand?”

“You know how to hold a hammer?” Her eyebrows shot up and he laughed, picked up the hammer and flipped it in the air before catching it.

“’Course. Who do you think hammered the nails in my bedroom wall to hold up my framed Madonna posters?”

Her teasing smile hit him front and centre again and he knew, in that instant, he was in way over his head with this one.

“You had a thing for Madonna?”

“Yeah, so?”

“That’s kind of cute. Eighties, but cute.”

“Hey, she’s around these days.”

Stretching out her arms, she leaned back and this time he didn’t stare despite his greedy gaze drawn to her breasts straining against her ribbed singlet.

“Do you still think she’s hot?”

His gaze dipped for a second, concentrating on her mouth and how much he wanted to kiss her. “I’ve moved on.”

The answering spark in her eyes had him dropping to his knees and scooping up a handful of nails. “Where do you want me to start?”

“The roof. I’ll tackle the side wall.”

“Okay.”

He’d barely driven home the first nail when he sensed her gaze on him and he glanced down to find her staring at him with a wide grin.

“What?”

Her grin widened. “Nothing sexier than a guy who knows how to use tools.”

Leaning against the kennel, he flipped and caught the hammer again. “Is that right?”

“Uh-huh.”