Hands On by Debbi Rawlins Read Free Book Online Page B

home.”
    â€œYes, elegant but homey. Perfect for our clientele. Oh, and did I tell you there’s a large walk-in closet?” Mary Jane opened a narrow door and gestured inside. “It’s stocked with plenty of hangers, but let me know if you need more.”
    Cassie looked inside as she was expected to. “Has Mr. Blankenship been running this place long?”
    The other woman’s brows pulled together in a slight frown and she seemed to briefly assess Cassie. “I don’t know. I’ve only been with him for a few months. Your husband seems to be taking a long time.”
    Cassie waved a dismissive hand, privately wondering about Dalton himself. “He’s probably wiping down his new toy. His mother just bought him the Jag.” She sighed dramatically. “I’m a little nervous about being here.”
    Mary Jane’s expression softened. “Everyone is nervous at first.”
    â€œFrankly, even though I was the one who pushed Dalton into this, I don’t know anything about Mr. Blankenship. Like how long he’s been doing this…his success rate…or anything.”
    Understanding registered in Mary Jane’s eyes. If Cassie’s questions had made her suspicious, the crisis was over. “Don’t worry. Really.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t quote statistics, but I know that most couples leave here with renewed interest in each other. Of the repeats, four out of five marriages remain intact.”
    â€œRepeats?”
    â€œYou know, after a month or so, most couples come back for a refresher course.”
    Oh, brother. Cassie’s stomach flipped flopped. One week here was bad enough.
    Mary Jane started for the door. “Where is that husband of yours?”
    â€œHere I am.” Dalton appeared in the doorway suddenly. “You girls miss me?”
    â€œGirls?” Cassie gave him an arched look.
    â€œWhat? Is that politically incorrect?” He shrugged, directing a wink at Mary Jane as he set down their two suitcases.
    Cassie made a sound of exasperation. “See why I need a couch for him?”
    He gave her a private warning look. “Come on now, honey, you aren’t going to start that again.”
    Mary Jane smiled and then looked at her watch. “Oops! Cocktail hour has started. Freshen up, and then come on down and meet the group.” She closed the door on her way out.
    â€œThe closet is over there.” Cassie pointed and then headed for the bathroom.
    â€œExcuse me.”
    She glanced at him.
    â€œAre you expecting me to carry your bag to the closet? Wouldn’t that be politically incorrect?”
    She put a hand on her hip. “Did I ask you to carry it?”
    He smiled and picked up her bag along with his. “Don’t get huffy. It was only a question.”
    â€œDo you want the bathroom first?”
    â€œNo, you go ahead.” Ignoring her curt tone, he added, “See, we can be pretty civil when we put our minds to it.”
    He signaled something with his eyes she didn’t understand. But it would have to wait. Nature called insistently. She slipped into the bathroom and closed thedoor. After she’d taken care of the important business, she splashed her face with water that wasn’t nearly as cold as her feet.
    What was she so nervous about? Everything was going smoothly. Mary Jane was a bit of an airhead, which worked to their advantage. From all reports, Bask shunned violence. If anything went wrong, and he got suspicious, he’d be the first one to hit the road.
    So why was she so edgy? Even if they were discovered, Dalton was here. He had a lot of experience. He could easily handle any physical confrontation.
    Oh, God. Talk about being an airhead. Dalton was the problem. No more denying it.
    She gave her face another dousing before she dried off. How could she possibly find that aggravating man so sexy? Sure, he had great biceps. With the way his polo