Scandal and Sin (Men With Tools, Book One)

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An Excerpt From: SCANDAL AND SIN

Copyright ? LYNN LAFLEUR, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Still chuckling, Rye
watched his brother stroll to the door. Dax
turned the knob at the same time as a woman?s face appeared in the glass
pane. He opened the door and stepped back so she could enter. She looked
surprised, as if she hadn?t expected anyone to be on the other side.

?Excuse me,? she said in a soft, lilting voice.

?No problem. You can run into me any time.?

Rye
recognized the interest in Dax?s eyes from across
the office. Rye
didn?t interfere with his brother?s love life, except when it came to
business. He didn?t approve of Dax coming on to a
potential customer. ?Dax,? he said in his ?big
brother? voice.

?Yeah. Right.? He shrugged one shoulder and grinned
again at his brother. ?You can?t blame a guy for trying.? He waved at Rye. ?Later.?

Rye
slowly stood and stared at the woman who had entered his office. An oval
face, big brown eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips combined to make her
stunning. Wavy auburn hair fell past her shoulders to curl over full
breasts. She wore a plain brown T-shirt and jeans that gently hugged her
generous curves.

His heart thudded in his chest, blood rushed toward his
cock. It?d been a long time since he?d reacted so strongly to a woman.

You just reprimanded
Dax for coming on to a customer. Business and
pleasure don?t mix.

She gazed at Rye,
frowned, and looked back out the door?s window. He assumed she was looking
at Dax. People who met them for the first time
often thought they were seeing double. It was even more interesting when Griff was with them.

?My brother,? he said, adjusting his fly while her
attention was focused on Dax.

?Apparently.? She turned back to him. ?The resemblance
is amazing.?

?We?re two of triplets. Our other brother looks just like
us.?

Rye
doubted if she?d come in here to talk about him and his brothers. Finding
out what she needed would also help him get his mind off his burgeoning
hard-on and back to business. ?How can I help you, Ms.??

?May. Alaina May.? She
approached the desk and held out her hand for him to shake. ?I?m looking
for Mr. Coleman.?

Alaina. Not exactly a common
name. A vague memory flashed through his mind of a girl named Alaina, but he couldn?t associate a face with the name.

Rye
jerked himself back to the present. ?You found him.? He took her hand. It
was soft and warm, with medium-length fingernails painted a pale coral. He
had the strongest urge to raise her hand to his lips and kiss the back.
?Rye Coleman at your service.?

She blinked. ?You can?t be Mr. Coleman.?

Rye
raised his eyebrows. He almost laughed at the shock in her wide brown eyes.
?Why can?t I??

?You?re too young.?

?Should I be flattered or insulted??

She released his hand and curled her fingers into her
palm. She?d been as affected by their hands touching as he had. ?You own
Coleman Construction??

?Yes, along with my brothers.?

?I assumed you?d be older. Your reputation is
outstanding.?

Rye
tipped his head. ?Thank you.? He motioned toward the chair Dax had recently used. ?Please, sit down.?

She did, crossing her legs and tossing her hair over one
shoulder. He recognized the get-down-to-business look in her eyes. Rye returned to his
chair and waited for her to speak.

?I want to purchase a house here in Lanville.
I?d like to get your opinion on refurbishing it.?

?You?re moving to Lanville??

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ?I?m
going to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast.?

Rye
thought that was an excellent idea. The small town had two
bed-and-breakfasts, but a lot of tourists passed through their area in the
summer to visit the state park. The park was the largest in the area and
drew hundreds of people, especially in the summer. Tourists often had to go
to nearby towns to find a place to stay since the two B-and-Bs
filled up fast. It would be much better for Lanville?s
economy to keep those tourists?and their money?in town.

?I know I have to check on zoning and all that legal
stuff, but there?s no reason to do any of that if the house can?t be
repaired.?

?Where is the house??

?On County
Road 311.?

Rye
knew every road in the area because of his business. There was only one
house on that road that wasn?t occupied. ?You aren?t talking about Stevens
House, are you?? Rye
sat up straighter in his chair. That house was the last place in town he
wanted to refurbish. If it were up to him, it would?ve been demolished
years ago. ?Ms. May, you don?t want to buy that house.?

The excitement in her eyes dimmed, to be replaced by confusion.
?Why not??

?It hasn?t been lived in since?? He stopped and tried to
remember so he could tell her how long it?d been vacant. ?I?m not sure of
the exact year, but it?s been at least fifteen years. I don?t know why it
hasn?t fallen down.?

?It definitely hasn?t fallen down. I looked at it this
morning.? She uncrossed her legs, leaned forward and gripped the edge of Rye?s desk. ?I can see
so much potential there. It makes me think of the house in It?s A Wonderful Life. Did you ever
see that movie??

?Only about two dozen times. It?s one of my mom?s
favorite movies.?

Alaina smiled. ?Mine too. I?m
a sucker for a romance.?

Her smile suddenly faded. Straightening her shoulders,
she sat back in her chair, once again all business. ?Can it be refurbished,
Mr. Coleman??

?Rye,
please. Yes, it can probably be refurbished, but I?ll have to look at it to
be sure.?

?When can you do that??

?Ms. May, have you contacted the owner about purchasing
the house??

?If you?re Rye,
I?m Alaina. I haven?t talked to the owner yet. But
that won?t be a problem. I can be very persuasive.?

Rye
didn?t doubt that. Self-confidence practically oozed from the young woman.
However, he doubted if Alaina May had ever dealt with someone as unreasonable as the
person who owned Stevens House.

For now, he?d go along with her and check out the house
since it was so important to her. He looked at the large schedule on his
desk that listed all his employees? names and where they were to work each
day. He was supposed to have lunch with the sheriff at one o?clock, but
that was pleasure, not business. Instead, he could grab a quick bite and
meet Alaina at Stevens House in an hour.

He didn?t want to step through the front door, but
business came before his own bad feelings about that house. ?How about
one-thirty to look at the house??

?One-thirty will be perfect.? Her smile returned when
she stood. ?I?ll see you then.?

Rye
admired the gentle swing of her denim-covered ass as she walked toward the
door. Alaina May had a
very nice body?one he wouldn?t mind taking several hours to explore.

Some men liked a woman to be model thin. Rye preferred curves,
and lots of them. He?d much rather hold onto a plump bottom than be jabbed
with sharp bones when he made love with a woman. He especially loved large
breasts?caressing them, sucking the nipples, sliding his cock between them.

Alaina May?s body would give
him a lot of pleasure in bed. Or on his desk. Or up against the wall.

Something about her seemed so familiar. He knew he?d
never met her before today. He would?ve remembered that mane of auburn hair
and those big brown eyes.

Whether he knew her or not didn?t matter. Rye didn?t mix
business with pleasure. While he loved where he lived and couldn?t imagine
living anywhere else, there was a downside to a small town. Everyone knew
everyone and loved to talk. Dax had no problem
sleeping with the local women. Rye
preferred to travel to other towns to find lovers. It made things
less?messy.

The Coleman family had endured one scandal over
seventy-five years ago, plus his own personal
scandal three years ago. Rye wouldn?t do anything that might cause
embarrassment to his family for the third time.