What a Woman Wants (A Manley Maids Novel) by Judi Fennell Read Free Book Online

your pretty-boy face yet.”
    “You weren’t exactly fighting me off.”
    “You weren’t exactly giving me the chance.”
    “Nice try, Princess, but your sigh and that tongue sliding into my mouth were pure come-on. Don’t go putting all of this on me. I would’ve stopped any time you put up a fuss.” And if he believed that, he’d have no doubts that he was going to end up with this place.
    “I could fire you, you know.”
    “Yes. You could. But then who’d show you around? Give you the keys? Clean out your barn?” Sean used bravado to cover up the very real fear she
would
fire him. What had he been thinking? Breaking the contract with Manley Maids was the last thing he wanted her to do.
    “Look, I’m sorry.” He blew out a breath and raked his hands through his hair. “It won’t happen again. I guess I just misinterpreted the interest.” Right. That might not have been the reason her nipples had been saluting him at first, but she’d been as into the moment as he had.
    But the project was what was important: getting her to fail. He’d do whatever it took to stay here.
    Including keeping away from one hot Livvy Carolla.
    M
ISINTERPRETED
the interest.
Oh, he hadn’t misinterpreted anything, but Livvy wasn’t about to admit it. What on earth had she been thinking, kissing him like that? The man was a perfect stranger.
    “Perfect” being the operative word.
    She certainly couldn’t disagree with him. She hadn’t put up a fuss because kissing him had seemed the right thing to do.
    Right thing to do—sheesh. Now she was thinking like her mother.
    Of course, if Mom hadn’t thought kissing
the worm
was the right thing to do, Livvy wouldn’t be standing here, staring at the most gorgeous guy she’d ever met.
    “Fine. Apology accepted. Let’s just not have a repeat, okay?” Thunder rumbled the panes of glass again as the rain picked up. Another flash of lightning made Rhett snort in the corner. Daisy started snorting and the goats jumped over each other, trying for higher ground. Reggie did what he always did during a storm—scrambled between her legs, coughing as if he had something stuck in his snout.
    And then she heard the screechy rendition of “Yellow Submarine” echoing through the foyer: Orwell at his most frightened.
    “Watch these guys,” she told Sean as she herded Reggie toward him by the bell collar. “I’ll be right back.”
    “Watch them?” Sean took the harness for a second, then dropped it as if it were on fire. “What do you mean,
watch them
?”
    “Let Reggie stand next to you and don’t let the others start nipping each other. Especially the alpacas. I need their fleece in good shape.” If Sean had felt any attraction to her before that moment, it had to be gone now; he was looking at her as though she had a few screws loose. But it couldn’t be helped. Orwell would only get louder and work himself into a state, and it’d take him days to calm down. A psycho parrot was not good company.
    She bolted through the doorway, wincing as Orwell started in on the chorus.
    Taking the steps two at a time, Livvy flew up them and into her room, swooping up the parrot’s cage and high-tailing it into the closet. The moment darkness enveloped him, Orwell calmed down. Traveling and being alone in a storm: his two worst nightmares.
    Livvy reined in her breathing and searched for the latch to the birdcage. He’d be fine once he was on her shoulder.
    Sure enough, he hopped onto her hand, then scrambled up her arm, making her wish she’d worn long sleeves. He leaned over and, with a loud smacking sound, gave her the non-biting version of a parrot’s kiss.
    “Good boy, Orwell,” he said.
    “Good boy, Orwell.” Livvy stroked his head, then opened the closet door.
    To find Sean standing in the doorway to her room.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked.
    “What was that?” Sean asked at the same moment as another crash of thunder drowned their words.
    Orwell stuck his head