His to Keep (Beauty and the Brit) by Terri Austin Read Free Book Online

necessary. Usually a facilitator is only required in a group setting.”
    “Too bad. It’s what I require.”
    “Well, maybe a real trainer will be available over the next few days.” She stood and began backing away. “I’ll have Cassandra call and let you know.”
    Iain stood too and began stalking her. He wasn’t in a hurry about it either. He casually approached her until Brynn’s back was plastered against the door.
    When he flattened his hand on the wood, his wrist rested against Brynn’s shoulder. She caught another waft of his delicious cologne as Iain lowered his head, his lips hovering just above hers. “I don’t want another trainer. I want you, Brynn.”
    His words, the rich timbre of his voice—it made Brynn’s panties the tiniest bit damp. Licking her lips, she stared at his mouth. All she had to do was angle her head upward, just a couple of inches, and they’d be kissing.
    Her gaze slowly moved over his face. Iain’s skin held a fading tan, as if he’d spent some time outdoors but not recently. His nose was a little pointed at the end and skewed a bit to the left. To Brynn, it made him even more attractive. Finally, she looked him in the eye. He stilled, waiting to see what she’d do. He could keep on waiting. If it were up to Brynn, she’d be halfway to the Strip by now, a streak of smoke trailing from her tires as she sped away as fast as possible.
    “I told you,” she said, her voice hushed. “I’m not an educator.”
    “You are now. I won’t accept anyone else.” When he pushed off the door and walked back a pace, Brynn had her chance to run. But oddly, her feet remained firmly in place, as if Iain held her there by some spell. “I’ll expect you tomorrow morning. In fact, I’m very much looking forward to it, Brynn Campbell.”
    * * *
    The next morning, Brynn stood outside Blue Moon Corp., debating with herself. She didn’t want to go in. But she couldn’t turn back. Iain Chapman must have been paying Cass an ass load of money, because her boss was adamant that Brynn, and only Brynn, was the right person for this job.
    Yesterday, after getting back to her office, Brynn had tried, in her ineffectual way, to persuade Cassandra to let her off the hook. Brynn had recounted all of the work she had piled up, the clients who were waiting on their curricula, and the newsletter that was due in three days, but Cass refused to budge.
    “There’s no one else available, Brynn, and I’m not going to lose this client.”
    “Iain Chapman is very resistant. A more experienced educator—”
    “Sorry, kid, but you’re going to have to do this whether you like it or not.”
    Not.
    Cass took her by the shoulders. “This is like that time in college when I ran my car into a stop sign in order to get out of my biology final. The doctor refused to sign a waiver saying I had a concussion, and I had to take the test anyway. I may have failed Biology 101, but I learned a valuable life lesson.”
    What the hell was she talking about? “I don’t understand the correlation, Cass.”
    “I learned that sometimes in life, you have to face your fear. This is your fear, Brynn, and this is your time to shine. Go shine, girlfriend.”
    Brynn closed her eyes for a moment. “I don’t want to shine. I just want to do my job.”
    “Maybe shining is your job, did you ever think of that?” Cass dropped her hands and stepped back. “Now, I have to take Nef to the vet. I probably won’t be back today. Hold down the fort, okay?”
    Brynn shuffled out the door, feeling like an utter failure. Why couldn’t she just stand up for herself? Because you want people to like you, jellyfish. A conflict resolution specialist who avoided conflict at all costs. Oh, the irony.
    So now, here Brynn stood this morning, staring at the half-moon logo, telling herself to open the door. She hadn’t gotten more than two hours of sleep last night, and when she had dozed off, she’d dreamed of Iain. She’d awakened in a