Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3) Read Online Free

paper. It has building plans drawn on it. I’m going to be looking at them day in, day out. Is this your idea of a bad joke?”
    He shrugged. “Feel free to provide another solution like putting some curtains up.”
    “How about you take down the building and go erect it someplace else?”
    “Seriously?” He tore off another piece of tape, his dark eyes dancing around her face as if by looking at her he could measure her level of mental competency. 
    “It’s an eyesore. It doesn’t even match the style of the street.”
    The edges of his eyes crinkled. “That sort of attitude smacks of discrimination.”
    Lexie snorted. “I call it good taste.”
    “Let me guess, you’re an Art Deco snob.” He finished taping the makeshift privacy screen and stepped back.
    “Of all the vacant blocks of land around why did you have to pick this one?”
    He drew in a breath and pushed it out slowly, the way she usually did when she tried to call for calm.
    “If I’d had the benefit of hindsight, rest assured I would’ve found some place else—”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” She watched him unroll another piece of paper and press it against the next windowpane, his fingers moving with easy dexterity.
    “It means that if I’d known how much trouble you were going to be, I would have sold the land for a profit and spared myself a month’s worth of headaches.”
    And then she would not have met him. Her exchanges with Jack Riley came close to being the longest interaction she’d had with another living, breathing, human being—a man—in over twelve months. Lexie knew that had to have come from her inner Lulu. She interacted with men every day, albeit from a distance.
    “Restless sleeper?” he asked.
    She threw him a puzzled look. In answer to it, he looked over his shoulder at her rumpled bed.
    “I had a huffing and puffing with frustration type of night,” she admitted giving him a pointed look. In truth, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him all night. Not even in her sleep. She’d had no idea what to make of him.
    Devil or saint?
    The night before, she’d only switched off the light after he’d suggested it, while any other guy might have continued enjoying the view. Then again, he could have told her straight away she needn’t worry about someone breaking in because he was the one in the building. But he hadn’t.
    “You might try drinking chamomile tea before bed. I hear it’s very good for frustrated sleepers.” He picked up the roll of paper and strode into the sitting room to start covering the windows there. “Is this a one bedroom apartment?”
    “Yes.”
    “Interesting. Hold this end.”
    “What’s interesting?”
    He shrugged. “It’s easy to identify gay men, but with women—”
    “Whoa. What are you suggesting?”
    “Last night you mentioned Lulu, and you just said this is a one bedroom apartment, and so I thought… Never mind.”
     
    * * *
     
    Jack tried to pick up the pace and finish covering her windows, but for the life of him, he couldn’t move any faster. She smelled good and she looked attractive, in a mussed, just out of bed, sexy as hell sort of way.
    “Well, I’m not,” she said, sounding and looking annoyed.
    Her eyebrows puckered and her lips firmed, not that it made any difference as they still looked plump and inviting.
    “You’re not what?”
    “Whatever you’re suggesting.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
    “My mistake. You mentioned her last night and now you said this is a one bedroom apartment…”
    “Lulu is... Lulu’s a friend and she... She sleeps on the couch.” She nudged her head toward a two-seater couch only big enough to accommodate a pint-sized Lulu.
    “Okay.”
    She uncrossed her arms, and then crossed them again. “I have a hot date tonight. With a man. Actually, we both do.”
    His gut clenched. Definitely a sign he needed to get out and fast. “In that case, I’ll reinforce the tape. Heat tends to loosen it and we