The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie Read Free Book Online

graceful line of her throat and into the gaping neckline of her ridiculous yellow dress and saw full, creamy curves. He jerked his startled eyes up to meet hers. She had a body. He’d missed that in all the clothes and the scowling, but she wasn’t scowling now. She was smiling at him dreamily, the killer smile that had laid Guthrie low, her lips parted and soft. A wave of lust rolled over him.
She’s nuts and she’s messy and she irritates the hell out of you,
he told himself, but all he could see were those curves and that wide, lush smile.
    “I can’t wait,” she repeated, and Linc said, “Stop that,” and she laughed.
    Linc stood up just to get away from her. “Come on, Magnolia. I have to get back to school.”
    When they were outside, Daisy rolled her eyes at the car again, but she behaved herself until they were halfway home, which gave him some time to recover. Then she put her hand on his arm and pointed. “Can we stop up there for a minute? Just a minute?”
    He looked ahead to where she was pointing, at a craft boutique. It didn’t seem like much to ask, and it would get her out of the car for a few minutes while he got his mind back where it belonged. “Sure.” He checked the rearview mirror and pulled over. “Don’t take too long. I have to teach in forty-five minutes.”
    Daisy nodded, took a deep breath, got out of the car, and walked into the store.
    Linc watched her through the big plate glass window and relaxed. When her mouth wasn’t open and irritating him, and her dress wasn’t gaping and inflaming him, Daisy Flattery was cute. He watched her trek up to the counter, her ridiculous long skirt making her look like a kid playing dress-up. She asked for something, and the guy behind the counter leaned on the register, bored, and shook his head. Daisy said something else, and he shook his head again. Linc glanced at his watch and looked back at the guy. He was sneering. What was it with her? First Derek, now this guy.
This woman has an absolute affinity for jerks,
he thought, and got out of the car.
     
    “Look, Howard.” Daisy faced the store owner and tried to be tough. And mature. Mature was important. “You sold the last of my jewelry two weeks ago.”
    “I told you.” Howard pressed his lips together with exaggerated patience. “Checks at the end of the month.”
    “But you didn’t give me a check at the end of last month,” Daisy pointed out. “And some of my pieces were sold by then.”
    “Checks at the end of the month.” Howard looked up and beamed, and Daisy turned to see who had come in.
    It was Linc, looking prosperous in his expensive suit. Linc, looking sort of big and dangerous, like a hit man.
    Only protective, which was nice. A big, dangerous, protective hit man.
    Howard’s voice oiled out from behind the register. “Can I help you, sir?”
    The heck with mature. She’d never been any good at mature anyway. “You’re in trouble, Howard,” she told him, hooking her thumb over her shoulder at Linc. “This is my brother from New Jersey.”
    ----
THREE

     
    Linc and Howard looked at her, stunned.
    Daisy nodded solemnly at Howard. “He doesn’t like me much, but he believes fair is fair, and he’s against people who cheat innocent, hardworking women. I told him you wouldn’t pay me even though you’d sold my stuff. I’m sorry, Howard, but a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do.”
    “Daisy.” Linc’s voice was cold with warning.
    “Don’t break his fingers, Linc,” Daisy pleaded, not taking her eyes off Howard. “He’s not a bad guy. He’ll give me the money.”
    “Who are you trying to kid?” Howard sneered at her again.
    “Wait a minute.”
    Daisy shot a glance at Linc. He’d turned his icy stare to Howard.
Oh, good
.
    “There’s no need to insult her,” Linc told him. “If you owe her the money, pay her, but whatever you do, treat her like a lady.”
    Daisy felt warm all over. She’d never had a brother before. It was