Challenge Accepted - A Contemporary Romance (7 page)

She tugged at his belt, mindlessly seeking the relief of h
is possession, longing to encompass him.

Out of the darkness, something small and furry shot pa
st them, bounding off the balustrade like an acrobat. Startled, Hayley pulled back. A
second furry body followed the first as ear-splitting yowls filled the air.

Colt's arm came around to steady her as they both swiveled to look at the hissing, spit
ting felines. In the darkness, the cats circled, attacked, and tumbled on the veranda. Then in a streak of gray, one bolted past, chased by the other.

Dazed at being jerked out of the depths of passion, Hayley slid off the porch rail and reached a hand to steady herself against a nearby post. She tugged her shirt down.

Seeming to sense her withdrawal, Colt made no effort to touch her. He leaned against the rail, his gaze on the section of garden the cats had disappeared into.

"Should I apologize for getting carried away?" His voice sounded deep and rough.

Hayley turned her head to stare at him.

Apologize? He was sorry for getting "carried away?” It sounded so polite, not at all like the Colt she knew.

She cleared her throat, struggling still with the fire raging inside of her. It was best, she knew, that they’d been interrupted.

It would be far better for everyone concerned if they both ignored the hunger that roared between them.

“Are you okay?”

Hayley hesitated before answering. Why did men always ask that? Did he think she was so lost in lust for him that she’d shrivel up and die without his touch?

I’m fine.” She moved away, scuffing a toe against the porch floor.

“Well, it’s really late,” he mentioned awkwardly. “Guess I’d better check the work upstairs. That’s why I stopped by.”

There really wasn’t anything to say to that, so she kept silent.

“Anyway,” he continued, “you shouldn’t be here alone at night.  It’s not safe.”

Hayley drew in a long, indignant breath. “Excuse me? I would say perfectly safe--until you got here.”

She thought he flushed, but the darkness made it impossible to tell. Her accusation wasn’t completely fair, she knew. Their passionate encounter had been mutually desired. But if he wanted to “apologize” as if he’d somehow fallen down on the job, she’d let him.

It was perverse of her to be angry. She should be glad they hadn't continued. She didn't need Colt in her life, messing up her emotions and getting in the way of her goals.

*

She wanted the Palmer House project over and done with more than she had ever wanted anything.

If only she hadn't decided to take on the upstairs bathroom.
Should've left it to Colt,
she thought irritably. The ladder braced inside the tub swayed beneath her. She mentally cursed the fool who'd installed the fiberglass tub. An older model would have been higher off the floor, which would have made taking the measurements of the bathroom much easier.

Maybe if she leaned just right, poised on one leg, the other lifted for balance, she could hold the tape measure steady.

Hayley positioned herself, pinning the thin metal band of the tape measure with one outstretched finger.
Sixty-three inches,
she made a mental note, glancing the length of it to double check.

She must have made some small movement, shifting a lit
tle beyond her point of equilibrium. Beneath her, the ladder migrated. Hayley felt the sway, the precarious tilt, and floundered in mid-air to right herself.

"Aaiiiieeee
" A shriek escaped her as Hayley teetered.

The foot she'd lifted as she leaned came crashing down
when she fe1t the ladder skid to the left. There was a thud as her tennis shoe came in contact with the little sink, and then the awful sound of metal cracking.

Miraculously, the ladder righted itself as Hayley clung to the upper rungs. It took a few seconds for the sound of rushing water to break through her consciousness and a second more before she realized she was being show
ered from the knees down.

Looking down, she saw with dismay that her near-fall had totally dislodged the sink, knock
ing it to the side and disconnecting the water pipes. Water was rapidly rising.

Stumbling down the ladder, Hayley grasped the water turn-off knob near the wall. Water sprayed the bathroom, soaking through her jeans and splattering her face as she wrestled with the knob.

"What the-!" Colt stood in the doorway. "I heard you yell." He came into the small room, shouldering her aside to reach for the turn-off knob himself.

Hayley backed up and watched as he strug
gled to budge the corroded knob.

"Damn thing's stuck."

Water puddled on the floor, creeping toward the open door. Colt reached around the ladder and wrapped a powerful hand around the cracked pipe, managing to lessen the flow. "I'll hold this. Run and get me a wrench from the kitchen." Water sprayed out in fans between his fingers, the pressure increased by his grip.

Colt sank to the floor as Hayley spun on her heel and ran out of the bathroom.

When she had time, she planned to berate herself for causing this fiasco. Severe water damage to the lower rooms, and the wood floors ... she shuddered to think of the consequences if they didn't get the water off fast.

It seemed to take forever to find the wrenches amidst the jumble of tools in the kitchen. Hayley finally found the pipe wrench and tore through the hall, taking the stairs two at a time.

She reached the bathroom, gasping for her breath, and stopped in the doorway. There on the floor, wedged down under the ladder by the fiberglass tub, and stuck behind the tilted sink, sat a thoroughly wet Colt.

Water gleamed in his dark hair and spat
tered his face in droplets. His pants were drenched from sitting in a puddle and his cotton T-shirt was made nearly transparent by the damp. It clung to the muscled wall of his chest.

Laughter and lust warred inside her as Colt sat on the floor, gripping the pipe.

"Did you plan to actually let me use one of those?" he asked. "Or are they just for show?"

Hayley leaped forward, stifling the giggle that bubbled up. "Sorry. Should I hold that so you can turn the knob?"

"Yeah." He let go of the pipe just as she bent down.

Jerking back
, she still couldn't avoid the spray. She sputtered, dodging the water so she could see where to place her hands. "Don't you think we need to call the plumber?"

"You want to sit here and hold this pipe while I go out to the meter and cut off the water?" He bent over the turn-off knob, his muscles bunched as he tried to coax it closed.

"No." Tiny rivulets of water descended from her hair. Hayley scooted closer to the pipe to get a better hold, dodging the ladder and bumping Colt's knee in the process.

"Well, then I think I’d better handle this."

Colt tried another wrench.

"Give it a whack," she suggested.

"Famous last words as far as plumbing is concerned."

Hayley shrugged, ducking down to avoid the larger
spray of water escaping from between her fingers. The water pressure was beginning to sting her palm. "You're probably right."

Colt wrestled with the knob, grunting with the effort. He rapped once on the turn-off knob with the wrench and tried to turn it once more.

Immediately, she felt the water pressure decrease. "You've got it."

He grinned at her in shared triumph as the flow slowed to a drip. "Thank God you didn't break the other pipe."

"Isn't that the truth," agreed Hayley, sagging back against the wall.

Disentangling his legs from hers, Colt moved to sit on the edge of the tub. His eyes met hers for a long second, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Laughter hit them both at the same time.

Hayley pointed at him, wordlessly, giggles erupting from her. His deep chuckles echoed with hers in the little room.

"I bet," she said, gasping, "the crew can hear us from outside. They probably think we're nuts."

"We are." Colt turned to lean against the tiled wall.

Hysterics subsiding, the two of them surveyed the shambles.

"What a mess." Hayley felt like a total idiot.

The bathroom had been hideous before, but this gave a whole new meaning to the word.

"Well we were going to tear out the whole bathroom anyway," he offered in consolation.

"Not the floor," mourned Hayley, tracing the tiny tiles.

"They might still be okay." Colt took off his wet shirt and bent to mop up as much water as the sodden material would hold. Hayley's breath caught in her chest and she stared at him, unwillingly transfixed.

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

The memory of touching him as he kissed her on the porch last night had left her unable to sleep, and now she would be haunted with visual images, too.

He was gorgeous, his body firmly muscled without having the ridiculously pumped-up look of a gym devotee. His golden-tanned chest sported a sprinkling of hair she longed to stroke.

"If we mop the rest of this up quickly, we'll probably be able to save the floor." He straightened. "Got any rags?"

Hayley shot out of the bathroom, her pulse racing as if she'd just run a marathon. She collected some rags and climbed the staircase slowly, breathing deeply and preparing herself to project a pleasant face. Under no circumstances could she assault him on the bathroom floor.

He looked up as she returned. "Good. We'll get it dried out
and then see if the floor buckles. But I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem."

"That'll be a relief." She dropped to her knees and began mopping up a corner.

This was nuts. Why was she battling something she wanted?

Would a relationship be so bad? Couldn't she trust herself to keep it at a safe level? After all the man had never indicated that he wanted to marry her, for heaven's sake.

Together, they dried the tile, making sure the corners and edges weren't damp.

Colt sat back on his heels, tossing his rag onto the pile in the tub. "I've been wanting to talk with you about something for a couple of days."

"You have?" Hayley glanced up at his serious tone.

"Yeah." He hesitated. "Has it occurred to you that we work pretty well together? Despite the occasional power struggle?"

She searched his face, trying to guess where he was heading with this. "I, uh, I'm not sure what you mean."

"I think we complement each other. I have a solid construction repair background and you have the historical restoration stuff nailed. "

Still puzzled, she waited.

''I'd like you to consider becoming my partner.”

Hayley's heart stumbled over itself. "Partner?" she croaked.

Colt stared at a spot on the tile floor before looking up at her. "Business partners is what I'm suggesting. At this point."

"You want me to join Granger Construction?"

He shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm sort of envisioning a subsidiary restoration busi
ness. We'd call it Haslett-Granger Restoration. It could function as a joint venture. Granger Construction could then supply equipment and manpower when we needed it for a restoration job."

"And the contract for Victorian Oaks?"

"Would be ours." His dark eyes searched her face, clearly trying to gauge her reaction.

A myriad of emotions warred in Hayley. Pleasure that he thought her enough his equal to suggest a partnership, caution at giving up a piece of her independence, a tin
gling of excitement at having someone to share the work she loved.

"Would this be a fifty-fifty proposition?" She waited for his answer, her nerves jumping.

"Of course," he assured her. "I know that's the only way you'd consider it. What I'm offering would be a blending of our businesses. We'd be stronger as a unit."

"A minute ago you said you were talking about business partners 'at this point'."

"Yes." Sunlight streamed through the window above the tub, backlighting Colt and casting his face in shadow. "At some point in time we're going to have to deal with the feelings between us." His mouth quirked into a wry smile. "I've got a thing for you, Hayley Haslett. And it ain't going away."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Colt wanted her to be his business partner.

She'd never have believed it. Despite all her natural caution at giving up even a smidgen of her independence, Hayley was heartened by his apparent faith in her abilities.

She slammed on the brakes, pulling the Volvo to a halt a mere inch from the bumper in front of her. Hayley stared at the traffic light, unseeing.

The thought of joining with Colt scared her.

For two years now she had managed her own business and her own life. She liked the feeling. No one questioned how she used what little money she had. No one disagreed with her hiring practices. Being on her own, surviving through her own efforts, left her feeling stronger than she'd thought possible a few years ago.

It was only late at night, as she pored over books that didn't balance or when she discovered an exciting snippet of original wallpaper, that she felt alone. There was no one to share her fears with or to care when she triumphed. She only occasionally battled the urge to fling her independence to the winds and let herself reach out again.

Unquestionably, she was stronger now. Two years of working for herself, of being responsible for others' work had changed her. Maybe she could trust herself to be in a partnership without giving in and giving up everything she'd worked for.

Maybe she could take a chance on Colt. She certainly hoped so as she stopped the car in
front of Granger Construction.

Hayley took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her insides felt like the day she'd al
lowed herself to be talked into going off the highest slide at Water World. Giving Colt the go-ahead on a partnership was even more of a plunge.

A minute later, she pushed open the office door, her nerves quivering. Colt stood beside his secretary's desk, his dark hair rumpled and his face preoccupied as he shoveled pa
pers into a briefcase.

Just the sight of him sent the now-familiar shivers over her skin, the sensation of having walked in to an electro-magnetic field. Hayley felt herself melt inside.

"I left the quotes for the Sammons' job on the disk in my middle drawer," Colt told Jill. "As soon as you get it printed out, call them. They're waiting for the numbers-"

He broke off, turning at the sound of the door opening.

Hayley stepped inside, meeting his gaze with an unaccountable sensation of shyness. Ever since his declaration in the bathroom at Palmer House, she hadn't been able to dismiss the growing bond between them.

His gaze held hers, a sensuous smile tugging at his mouth. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she answered, suddenly breathless.
Oh, God. Was she doing the right thing?
Even the sight of him brought her mental processes to a halt. Could she really get involved with him while holding some part of herself back?

The phone on the desk rang, interrupting Jill's amused observation of their greeting.

"If that's the foreman, tell him I'm on my way," Colt instructed absently as he moved toward Hayley.

"Granger Construction," Jill murmured in the background.

Colt took hold of Hayley's arm, drawing her toward the door. "Did you come by for anything special? I'm just leaving for an appointment. Otherwise, I'd love to take you to lunch. "

Hayley studied his face, disturbed by the hint of trouble that lingered in the back of his eyes, as if he were grappling with some weighty problem despite his warm welcome.

He held open the door for her to walk out with him,

"I just came by to tell you..
." she gathered her courage to speak, ''I'm ready to consider the joint venture we talked about."

''I'm glad." His smile seemed to gather her close. "Very glad."

They stood on the pavement outside the door, exchanging a long look that sent heat curling through her and threatened to steal the last of Hayley's available breath.

Still, she found herself feeling strangely re
lieved now that she was committed.

''I'm late," he said, glancing at his watch, "but when I get back, I'll have Jill check with our lawyer about drawing up the partnership papers."

Hayley looked up just as he bent to capture her lips in a hard, swift kiss that left her wanting more.

"See you later." Colt strode to the Subur
ban.

*

Hayley carefully tugged at the thin piece of molding, slowly wedging her small pry bar behind it to keep the wood from snapping. She angled her screwdriver to push at the strip of wallpaper that had been imprisoned by the molding for almost a hundred years. Thank goodness the paper hangers through the years had done a shoddy job and not removed the molding when they tore off the old paper.

Around her the house was silent, the distant sound of the crew's voices fading as they left for the day. A soft, buttery light filtered through the dormer windows, filling the third floor with golden shadows. This was her favorite time in the old house, when the activity of the day diminished and she could almost hear the quiet.

Retrieving the tiny bit of wallpaper would enable her to have the original pattern duplicated, This was the part of restoration that excited her most.

Of course, she'd been excited all day, think
ing of Colt's laughing eyes as she'd teased him, the strength in his arms as he'd pulled her close. The delirious sensation of his kiss,

She had only agreed to a business partner
ship this morning, nothing more. But the images playing in her head were definitely not businesslike. She had to get a grip. So what if the man did have a physique that haunted her dreams and turbocharged her libido? She could control her urges-she hoped.

Outside, she heard the slam of a car door and men's
voices. Determinedly, Hayley refocused her attention. If she eased the molding back just one more fraction, she could use her tweezers to twitch the sliver of wallpaper loose.

Minutes later, her concentration was jarred again by the
revving snarl of Wolf's motorcycle. She frowned, as the sound changed with the pop of his clutch, Wolf normally drove his beloved Harley with care. He must have been in a hurry

Ahah! 
The wallpaper fragment came free with the last tug of her tweezers, Hayley straightened, rolling her neck free of the kinks it had developed when she was bending over the molding. She held up the inch-wide strip of paper to catch the light-jewel tones of purple mixed with a muddy olive-green in a stylized floral motif. Probably a William Morris pattern, but she couldn't be sure.

Hayley went to the window to study the strip, the dormer's eyebrow shape wide enough to let in the fading light.

Footsteps on the stairs broke into her concentration.

"Hayley." Colt crossed the landing to join her in the large open room that had once been used for a school room.

"Hi. I didn’t realize you were here."

"I just stopped by," he said shortly, an irri
tated frown clouding his face. "Listen, did you know that Wolf has been charging on your account at the lumber yard?"

"Wolf?" Hayley halted in her steps toward him, picking up on the anger and frustration emanating from Colt. His eyes were dark and opaque as he waited for her answer, aggrava
tion visible in the hard line of his mouth.

"Yes, Wolf. The guy at the yard said Wolf assured him he had your okay to charge. I just tried to talk to Wolf downstairs, but he said the two of you 'have an understanding.' Did you give him free rein with your charge account?"

"Well, we haven't really talked about it, but I'm sure he's only getting what he needs."

"Maybe you'd better take a look at this list. There are things on here that don't look right to me."

Hayley took the paper he held out to her, more concerned by his angry mood than by the possibility that Wolf had made unauthorized charges. She glanced over the paper.

Colt turned and paced to the dormer win
dow. "I've been concerned about this guy. What do you actually know about him? Does he have a criminal record?"

She glanced up at him, knowing her aston
ishment had to be visible. "You really think Wolf is robbing me?"

"Sweetheart," Colt said with sarcasm, "guys like him fleece trusting souls like you every day."

Hayley felt her anger stir, but still couldn't fathom the depth of Colt's wrath. What had happened since this morning? He'd been a little tense when he left the office, but nothing like the seething, volcanic emotion she sensed in him now.

She glanced back at the list. ''I'm sure he planned to pay me for anything that wasn't work-related. "

Colt bit out an angry curse. "What is it about this guy? Can't you see how he's taking advantage of you?"

Hayley opened her mouth to protest.

"Or don't you care?" There was an ugly inference in Colt's question. "Are you letting him use you in the hope that he'll decide he wants to stay in one place long enough to settle down with you?"

"What? You can't believe that!"

"There has to be a reason why you keep him around," Colt's anger shifted, his face suddenly filled with silence,

"There is," Hayley yelled. "He does good work,
and
he's a good friend."

Colt turned abruptly to stare out the win
dow, his body language no longer hostile.

"You've never liked him," she accused, keeping her voice level "Just give him a half a chance. He's a nice person."

Swinging back around to face her, Colt seemed suddenly tired, his face softer now. ''I'm not going to fight with you about Wolf."

Hayley swallowed, her throat suddenly feel
ing constricted. The velvety warmth was back in his eyes, a connection humming between them, invisible and powerful. He was hurting, she knew. For such an opinionated man, Colt normally kept a tight rein on his temper. Whatever sparked him today must have bit deeply.

Was he really jealous of Wolf? She'd won
dered before, but the thought seemed preposterous. Wolf was her friend, and certainly not the kind of man she would ever harbor romantic, erotic fantasies about. Could Colt possibly be that blind?

She took a shaking breath, powerful emo
tions churning in her chest. ''I'm sure it's a misunderstanding with Wolf. I'll talk to him in the morning."

Colt walked toward her, the dusky light shading his face. ''I'm just looking after your interests. I don't want you hurt."

Hayley reared back as if she'd been hit. "I don't need you to 'look after' me. I take care of myself." She struggled to speak calmly. "I can see that you're upset, but you have to trust my judgment."

"I do," he shot back.

She shook her head, fiercely blinking back tears. "No, you don't. If we're going to have a chance at working together ... or anything else," Hayley stumbled on, "you're going to have to let me fight my own battles."

"Look," said Colt with exasperation. "This is not about your competence as a person. It's just that I've had a little more experience in hiring and firing than you have."

"I have to do this, Colt," she insisted. "I have to handle things myself. You can't try to protect me. I've had too much of that. Too much of being looked after. It's left me doubting myself." She strained to find the right words. There was so much at stake here, more than a joint business venture, more than the contract for Victorian Oaks. She needed Colt to understand her battle. Needed him to be different from her father.

''I'm not trying to make you weak," he as
serted again.

"No? You trust my judgment? You won't try to save me from myself" Hayley searched his face. "What if I feel I need to go on the roof again? I didn't check it after the roofers left."

He went still. ''I'll check it."

She turned, taking the two steps up to the door that opened onto the tower. "'It's my job. My fear. I have to conquer my fears alone, and you have to let me or we can't be to
gether. "

"'Hayley....
" He raised a hand in protest as she stepped out into the tower.

Standing in its center, she turned around until she faced him. ''I'm deathly afraid of heights. I keep remembering what it felt like dangling from the edge of this roof, knowing I might die. But I can't live my life on the ground floor, Colt. I can't."

Colt stood in the doorway, his body tensed.

"You saved my life," she whispered. "But I can't let you put me in a playpen where I'll always be safe."

"'That's the last thing I want to do." His words cracked across the silence like a whip.

Around them, the air seemed frozen, the silent house seeming to hold its breath. Hayley knew without looking that the yard below was deserted. Once again, she and Colt were alone in the tower.
Only this time she wasn't afraid of crashing to the ground. A more terrible thing was happening. She was falling for him.

"You know, Hayley," Colt stepped into the tower, "you ar
en't really worried about my interfering in your work. I have no power to fire Wolf or do anything else with your business. When we become partners, you'll have equal say in decisions."