Wanted: Fairy Godmother by Laurie LeClair Read Free Book Online

something?” Marvin moved beside her, clearly anxious for her reply.
    She released a puff of air, and then roped in their blatant attempts by saying, “Each situation deserves a different approach. It depends on the person involved. In my case, if you’ve forgotten, I just met Jake today. On top of that, I’m working for him. It wouldn’t be to my advantage to… to…”
    “Come on to him,” Stan inserted helpfully, glancing sideways at her.
    She chuckled. “Right. So let’s take it one step at a time. I don’t even know if he likes me—”
    “Oh boy, does he ever,” Lance said under his breath.
    Her heart skipped a beat. Swallowing hard, she asked, “How do you figure that?”
    “Haven’t you seen the way he looks at you?” Marvin asked incredulously. “It’s like the way Dad used to look at Mom when she didn’t know it. Well, sometimes she did, but you know what I mean.”
    Stinging heat flooded her cheeks. A tingle sizzled through her veins. Could it be true? She quickly dismissed the ridiculous assumption as the guys’ wishful thinking. According to them, Jake had his pick of available women. So why would he choose her?
    Clearing her throat, Callie said, “Let’s forget about that tonight and have some fun. I just decided if I can’t wangle an invitation to play cards, I’ll invite myself.” She wished for some kind of diversion to keep her mind off the things she’d learned.
    And why had she not been more adamant with the boys that marriage was not on the agenda? To pacify them? Or fool herself?
    A few minutes later, Callie rapped on the bunkhouse door. The short, distinct knock silenced the muffled voices inside. The sound of a chair scraping along the wooden floor rent the air, setting her teeth on edge. Heavy footsteps had an invisible hand squeezing her chest. What would their reception be like?
    The door swung open abruptly. Light spilled out, illuminating the center of the porch. Callie pinned a smile on her frozen lips when Jake’s dark, foreboding features faced her. A waft of his musky scent drifted to her, making her slightly dizzy. She fought the weak-kneed feeling as he locked gazes with her.
    Jake searched her pale face, frowning at this unwelcome sight. His body hummed with desire, echoing the need he’d tried to fight off for hours. He clamped down on the disconcerting emotions tumbling inside him. “What are you doing here?” The gruff, harsh words brought a slight grimace to her features.
    “Nice to see you, too, Jake. We come bearing gifts.” Her voice sounded husky, sexy even. She darted out her pink tongue, licking her full bottom lip.
    Dragging his thoughts out of the slop trough, he replayed her answer. We? he asked himself, and then spotted his cousins lurking in the dim edges of the light.
    “Let ’em in, Jake. We can stand the new company,” Gus called out.
    Les approached, slapping Jake on the shoulder. Jake winced inwardly at the sharp pain shooting through his bones. He moved to the side and watched his friend work his charm on Callie.
    “Lookee here. Aren’t you the prettiest thing I’ve seen in ages? Come on in and join the party. There’s always room for a sweet little lady like yourself.” Lester crooked his arm, extending his elbow to her. He twisted the toothpick, smiling broadly around it.
    “Well, my new pals and I don’t mind if we do.” She smiled brightly, and then slid her arm through his and walked inside.
    Jealousy bolted through Jake’s chest. Gritting his teeth, he stomped down on the unfamiliar feeling, fighting his natural instinct to rip his friend’s arm out of its socket.
    Making up his mind, Jake decided to find a willing woman and douse this burning need, quench his desire, and then carry on without thinking about this fairy godmother in any way but a businesslike fashion. The problem was he couldn’t think of even one woman’s name at the moment, couldn’t even dredge up a face. “Yes, please do come in.” His tone