Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1) (8 page)

“Feast
your eyes on these,” Bridget said, and proceeded to take her sister for a tour
around the shop.

“How about this?”
Jack called, bringing over a beautiful, dark brown wooden box with
intricate inlay. Bridget showed Carly.

“That’s
perfect!” she said. “Open it up.”

Jack did
as she asked and Carly said, “I’ll take it.” Then she asked, “Who are you?”

“Oh,
that’s my new boss, Jack.” Bridget flushed and held up the phone to introduce
them. “He’s Tanya’s boyfriend’s brother.” She made the other introductions.

“Nice
to meet you,” Jack said.

“Likewise.”

Bridget
turned the phone before they could start a conversation. Carly raised her
eyebrows and mouthed “We’ll talk later.”

Bridget
nodded.

By
the time she was finished, Carly had bought the jewelry box and a gorgeous
chaise lounge chair. Bridget didn’t know anything about antiques so the names
meant nothing to her. She handed her phone over to the shop assistant who knew
them both well by now and Carly arranged delivery of the chair and payment.

“I’ll
pick you up at ten,” she told her sister.

“Don’t
forget to bring my jewelry box.”

Bridget
hung up, taking the box from the shop assistant.

“I
take it this is a regular occurrence,” Jack said as they continued to the next
antique shop.

“Tanya
and I come out here a couple of times a year, but the assistant remembers us.”

“I
can see why.”

“That
lounge wasn’t cheap,” Hal commented.

“Carly’s
rich,” Tanya explained.
“Mega rich.”

Bridget
frowned. She didn’t like people talking about her sister’s wealth, because
Carly hated it. She always said it was just luck that her software had taken
off. She’d been in the right place at the right time. But she was selling
herself short. She’d put hundreds of hours into her product, but Bridget didn’t
make a fuss because it made Carly uncomfortable.

“Lucky
her,” Jack said. There was no envy in his tone.

Bridget
was pleased.

They
went into the next antiques store and browsed. There was nothing Carly wanted
but Bridget spotted a couple of mother-of-pearl hair clips that were gorgeous.
She stood at the display cabinet, looking at them. They weren’t too expensive,
but really, when would she use them? She tied her hair up at work and she
rarely went anywhere fancy. They were too pretty to be everyday wear.

“Found
something you like?” Jack asked, walking up and standing too close.

She
shifted a little away from him and shrugged. “Everything in here is lovely.”

He
glanced down at the cabinet and back to her. “Those clips would look pretty in
your hair.”

His
tone was admiring and Bridget ruthlessly ignored the way her body reacted to
it.

“I
usually wear my hair back. I’ve got no use for them.” She turned and walked
away.

When
they came out, Hal asked, “So do we get our wine tasting now?”

“Absolutely.
We could all do with a drink,” Tanya said. They piled into Hal’s car
and Tanya directed him to their favorite winery.

“That’s
a nice thing for you to do for your sister,” Jack said. “Why doesn’t she come
out herself?”

“Carly’s
always working. She doesn’t take time out for herself.”

“Must
run in the family,” Jack said.

Bridget
didn’t say anything. Her dedication to work was due to her need to make sure
everyone was safe. Carly’s dedication was on a whole different level. She
didn’t know what motivated her sister to work so hard, especially now she was
successful. They’d never discussed it.
Too busy most of the
time.

She’d
have to talk to Carly about it tomorrow.

* * *

They
arrived at the winery and Jack followed the others in, admiring the way
Bridget’s pants hugged her butt. Today was the first day he’d seen her
completely relaxed since he’d started work. She’d had fun showing her sister
the different antiques and her gaze had lingered on a couple of items, but her
practical side had won out. What would it take to make her forget all
practicality?

He
smiled as the tour guide poured them each a taste of the first white wine.

“This
one is quite tangy, and made from a blend of grapes. It goes well with chicken
or seafood,” the guide explained.

Jack
lifted the glass. He was never sure what to do. He’d seen people swirl it and
sniff it, but he just wanted to taste it. He copied the guide who swirled and
sniffed, commenting on the fragrance. It smelled like wine to him.

Finally
he tasted it. It was quite nice, fresh and tangy, but he was more of a beer
person.

The
guide took them through the different wines, three white and three red, plus a
sparkling wine. Jack stood back while Tanya and Bridget discussed which one
they wanted to buy. Bridget was animated, her cheeks flushed, and he suspected
she might already be on her way to tipsy.

“We
should get a case,” Bridget declared. “We deserve it.” She glanced at Jack and
giggled.

He
raised an eyebrow. He never would have picked Bridget as a giggler. Perhaps she
was more than a little tipsy.

When
they’d finally chosen and Hal had carried their wine to the car, they went to
the café to have lunch. Both Tanya and Bridget ordered a glass of wine and Jack
watched in fascination as Bridget became more and more relaxed.

“The
Texans play tonight,” Hal said.
“First home game of the
season.
You want to watch?”

He
hadn’t seen a game since he’d arrived back in Houston and he’d forgotten when
the season started. “Sure.”

Bridget
sat up straight. “Is that tonight? I lost track of dates.” She turned to Tanya.
“Pizza night?”

“Yeah.
You guys want to come?”

“You
follow the NFL?” Hal asked, his face a picture of disbelief.

Tanya
looked down her nose at him. “You got a problem with that?”

He
grinned.
“Not at all.
You’re seriously my perfect
woman.” He leaned over and kissed her.

Jack
turned to Bridget. “So how does a girl from El Salvador get caught up in
football? I would have thought soccer was more your thing.”

Bridget
gestured to Tanya. “Blame her. In high school we had to watch every game. We couldn’t
go out to parties until the game had finished. She got me hooked.”

Jack
grinned.
“You into any other sports?”

“Not
really. I’ll watch the occasional game of basketball if I have time, but generally
it’s the Texans or nothing.” She turned to him. “What about you?”

“If
it has a ball, I’ll watch it,” Jack admitted.

“Were
you an athlete at school?”

“I
dabbled in a few sports.”

“What
about college?”

“Never
went.” He took a sip of his beer, waiting for her reaction.

Her
eyes widened. “But you’re a manager. You must have qualifications.”

He
shook his head.
“Learned on the job mostly.
And took a few courses.”

She
frowned.

Jack
knew what she was thinking. He had no formal qualifications and yet he’d been
given the job over her. He waited for her judgment, for her to say he wasn’t
qualified to do the job.

“I
guess that’s the best way to learn,” she said finally. “A lot of the theory
doesn’t make sense until you see the practical use. It was a real shock going
to a plant straight out of college. We’d learned best practice in a best case
scenario, and the real world isn’t like that.”

He
sat back and blinked. She seemed to genuinely mean what she said.

“Theory’s
all well and good until you have to get the guys in the plant to do it,” he
said.

She
grinned, her eyes scrunching up and her mouth wide. “Amen to that. Some of the
guys don’t like to be told what to do.
Especially not by a
girl.”

“You
don’t seem to have any problems with them.”

“It
took me months to win them over,” she said. “I had to earn their trust, show
them I was listening to their concerns before they began to let me in. There’re
still a few who will do the opposite just to spite me. They think they know best
because they’ve worked on the plant for twenty years.”

That
kind of attitude was dangerous. He was about to say so when she said, “I’m
beginning to get through to them.”

He
wanted to ask more but didn’t want to spoil the day talking about work. He’d follow
it up next week. He’d ask the other managers what they thought the safety
culture was like on site. But that was a thought for Monday.

The
food was served and silence set in while they ate. His steak was cooked to
perfection and tasted delicious. They were sitting outside on the veranda
overlooking the vineyards. There was a children’s playground to one side where
children were playing while their parents enjoyed a quiet lunch.

Jack
took a deep breath in. Life had been full on since he’d arrived back in Texas.
He’d had very little time to get over his jet lag before starting work, and
every weekend had been taken up either reviewing work or looking for a house.

He
needed this, a relaxing getaway to forget about everything. Now his diving gear
had arrived he’d find some dive spots, and his father had been hassling him to
go out fishing. He’d have to make time.

“I
ate too much,” Bridget said, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes, her
hands on her stomach. “It was so good.”

“Not
up for dessert?” Jack asked.

Her
eyes flashed open. “Wash your mouth out with soap,” she said with a grin.
“There’s always room for dessert.”

He
met her gaze and her smile faded, desire darkening her eyes. Her tongue ran
over her lips and Jack had to suppress a groan. He knew it. Their attraction
was mutual. He just needed to figure out a way to get her to trust him, to take
the risk.

“We
should go for a walk,” Tanya declared. “They do tours. We can have dessert when
we get back.”

Bridget
turned her attention to her best friend. “Good idea.”

“I’ll
pay,” Hal said and left the table before anyone could protest.

“I’ll
be back in a minute,” Jack said and followed his brother inside. He wanted to
pay his share.

“I’ve
got this, Jack,” Hal said, handing over his credit card.

“I can’t
let you pay for me.” His brother didn’t earn as much and he was saving for his
travel with Tanya.

“Sure
you can.” He took the receipt from the cashier.

Jack
knew better than to argue with him. “I’ll pay for dessert.”

His
brother nodded. “Come
on,
let’s not leave the ladies
waiting.”

When
they went outside, Bridget and Tanya were nowhere to be seen. Jack frowned as
he scanned the area. Maybe they’d gone to the bathroom.

Then
he heard the squeals.

Turning
toward the playground he saw Tanya and Bridget on the swing set, competing for
which one could swing higher. He nudged Hal and pointed.

He
laughed. “She knows how to have fun.”

Jack
shook his head. Bridget kept surprising him today. He hadn’t seen any playful
side of her in the couple of weeks he’d known her. He liked it.

As he
walked over, her laughter filled the air. It struck something inside him, made
him yearn. He stood in front of the swing, but at a safe distance as she threw
her head back and laughed.

He
wanted her.

“Catch
me!” Tanya cried and flung herself off the swing and into Hal’s arms. Hal
stumbled back a couple of steps but managed to break her fall.

Jack
looked back at Bridget. Would she be as reckless?

He
held his arms wide daring her.

Her
grin was fast, mischievous, and before he could blink, she launched herself off
the seat toward him.

Chapter 8

Jack caught Bridget, her soft body hard against
his. He took a couple of steps back to cushion the blow, his heel catching on something,
and he fell flat on his back, Bridget on top of him, her head bumping into his.
Pain shot through him.

“Ow.”
She tried to get up but his arms automatically tightened around her. Her body
fitted perfectly against his; every curve pressed in to him and he didn’t want
to move. He ignored Tanya and Hal’s laughter and looked into her blue eyes.
They widened, and glanced at his lips. He lifted his head to kiss her, needing
to taste her, and she pushed away harder. Disappointed, he let her go. She climbed
to her feet and brushed herself off, her face flushed.

“Coordination’s
not your strong suit,” she said, looking everywhere but at him.

He
stood up. “I tripped.” He glanced around, picked up the rock he must have
tripped on, and moved it into the garden bed.

“Any
excuse,” Hal said, his arm around Tanya. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“I’ve
got to talk with my girl,” Tanya said, moving away from Hal. “You keep your
brother company.”

Jack
wanted to talk with Bridget but he knew when to take a step back. He followed
his brother, wishing he could hear the conversation behind him.

* * *

Tanya
tucked her arm into Bridget’s. “What was that about?”

She
shook her head. “I was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it. I got – caught up, is
all.”

“I’m
not talking about you jumping off the
swing,
I’m
talking about you not kissing that man.”

Bridget
scowled. She could still feel Jack’s warmth on her
skin,
his muscled body pressed against hers, and remembered their one night together.
It was
not
going to happen again. “He’s my boss.”

“So what?
He’s sexy and his interested. You’re allowed to have fun.”

“What
happens when it stops being fun?” Bridget demanded. “When he’s no longer
interested? I still have to work with him. I can’t keep it a secret at work.
I’m too transparent.” A work colleague had told her she could see her love for
Lionel in her eyes every time she spoke to him. At the time Bridget hadn’t
cared, she’d been too in love to think of the repercussions, but now she knew
better.

Not
that she loved Jack. She barely knew him.

“And
what if he’s the one?” Tanya asked. “You can’t push him away.”

“I
don’t believe in soul mates,” Bridget said. “There’s not just one person for
each of us.” At least she hoped not. She wanted to see her mother happy again.
To have someone she loved.

“Bridge,
it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The attraction’s obviously mutual. You
can explore it outside of work hours.”

She
shook her head. She couldn’t. She needed to be one hundred percent focused at
work and Jack was already too much of a distraction. She needed to keep him in
his work colleague pigeonhole. It would be easier for everyone that way. “Come
on. It’s time for dessert.”

* * *

Bridget
tried to keep at a distance from Jack for the remainder of the day, but it
wasn’t easy. Her knee kept brushing against his as they ate dessert, as if it
had a mind of its own. Then on the car trip home, it felt as though the back
seat had shrunk – she was practically sitting on top of him.

Why
did his presence need to be so strong?

When
they finally arrived home, she jumped out of the car, glad to be free of him.

“What
time does the game start?” Jack asked as he got out.

She
wanted to curse. She’d forgotten Tanya had invited them to stay for the
football game. Perhaps she could fake a headache and hide out in her room until
they were gone.

But
that would mean she’d miss the game. Jack wasn’t worth missing a game for.

“We’ve
got an hour or so,” Tanya replied.
“Time enough to order
pizza.”

Bridget
couldn’t eat another bite. The apple pie she’d had for dessert had taken up the
remaining space in her stomach. All she wanted to do was take a shower, climb
into her pajamas, and watch the game with Tanya. The pajama game night had been
a tradition for them for as long as she could remember.

But
it wasn’t going to happen tonight.

She
sighed as she dropped her purse off in her bedroom and then headed for the
kitchen to offer the guys a drink.

“I’m
going to take a shower and get into my jammies,” Tanya said. She beckoned to
Hal. “
Wanna
join me?”

Without
a word, but with a big grin, he followed Tanya.

Great.
Just great.
Tanya was able to wear her pajamas. It wasn’t
fair.
Besides Bridget didn’t want to be left alone with Jack.
He was too much of a temptation.

“Drink?”
she offered, holding up a bottle of beer.

“Sure.”
He took it from her.

She
stepped back quickly and looked in the fridge for something non-alcoholic.
She’d drunk enough today. Pulling out a bottle of orange juice, she poured
herself a glass.

Jack
was still standing there, watching her.

“Have
a seat,” she offered, indicating the sofa.

She
waited for him to sit,
then
she took a seat on the
other sofa. She sipped her drink, not sure what to say to him.

“It
was a fun day,” Jack said, his voice loud in the silence.

She nodded.
“Tanya has a knack for making things fun.”

“I
think it’s the pair of you,” he said mildly.

She
didn’t agree with him but she said nothing. Tanya had always drawn the fun out
of her. When they’d first moved to Houston she remembered how quiet their house
was. It had taken a year for her mother to come out of her grief shell enough
to start bringing the music and fun back. By that stage, she and Tanya were
firm friends and Tanya always led her into mischief.

She
cast her mind around for something to say. “So what was the last NFL game you
watched?”

“I
don’t remember. It was before I went to Australia.”

“So
what’s the football like over there?”

“No
padding, full contact, and you’re only allowed to run a certain distance before
you have to bounce the ball.”

“Sounds weird.”

“It
took some getting used to, but the crowds are huge.”

Silence
fell again and then she heard Tanya giggling in the bathroom. She did not want
to think about what they were doing in there.

Ugh.

She
reached for the television remote. “Let’s check if the pre-game show has
started.”

He
nodded. She could almost feel his dare to bring up the subject of their
attraction. But she didn’t do dares. She was happy to let things lie.

Finding
the right channel, she focused her attention on the television. When Hal and
Tanya finally came out of the bathroom, she was engrossed in the sports
commentary on the Texans’ chances this year.

“Have
you ordered the pizza yet?” Tanya asked.

“No.
We thought we’d wait for you,” she said.

After
a brief discussion about toppings, Tanya ordered a couple of pizzas. Then she
came over to the sofa. “Scoot over, Bridge. You sit next to Jack.”

Bridget
scowled at her friend but Tanya waved her hand. “Go on.”

Concealing
her sigh, she moved so Hal and Tanya could sit on the couch together. She
tucked her feet up next to her and leaned on the armrest. She couldn’t get any
further away from Jack, but his heat pulsed out toward her. This was
ridiculous.

Luckily
the game started, and it was on-the-edge-of-your-seat brilliant. The lead
swapped multiple times and came right down to the last seconds. The Texans had
possession and as the seconds ticked down they kicked a field goal.

Bridget
leapt to her feet as the ball sailed through the air toward the goal posts. She
held her breath and then shrieked when the ball made it over the crossbar.
“Yes.” She hugged Tanya next to her, gave a celebratory booty shake, and in her
excitement, turned and hugged Jack.

Bad idea.

His
arms swept around her, pulling her close and
before she could
think, his lips met hers
.
Instant heat.
Desire
shot straight through her as her body recognized his lips. She clung on to him,
pulling him closer, matching his passion with her own. To hell with what was
right. She wanted him. She slipped her tongue between his lips and he groaned.

“Get
a room, you two.”

The
voice spiked through her consciousness and reason flooded back to her. Holy
hell! She shoved him away, stepping back, breathing heavily. What had she done?

She
met Jack’s eyes. He was waiting for her reaction. What the hell was she
supposed to do now?

She
cleared her throat. “Good game.”

She
grabbed her glass from the coffee table and retreated to the kitchen. Behind
her Tanya said, “Hal! You shouldn’t have interrupted them.”

Bridget
was glad he had. Her attraction to Jack would lead nowhere.

She
placed her glass on the sink and turned. She flinched. Jack was right behind
her. She held up a hand. “Don’t.” She needed some space.

“Bridget
you can’t keep ignoring this thing between us.” He kept his voice low so the
others couldn’t hear him.

Wanna
bet? “Jack, we’re work colleagues. You’re my boss. What will HR say if they
find out we’re involved?” Her stomach twisted itself into knots just thinking
about it.

“It’s
none of their damn business.”

“Of
course it is. All it’ll take is one person saying I’m getting preferential
treatment because I’m sleeping with you and it will open up a whole can of
worms.”

She
hoped outlining the consequences would get through to him. Her rational side
was clinging on to control by its nails. All she wanted to do was throw
herself
back into his arms – to hell with the consequences.

“So
we don’t tell them. Don’t tell anyone. At work we continue as we have been, and
we see each other outside of work.”

Her
body went cold. She’d heard that before.

“No.”
Her tone was ice. She shook her head. “I won’t pretend.” She would not be
fooled again. She moved to walk past him but he put his hand out to stop her.

“Why not?”
His voice lowered. “What happened to you?” There was compassion in his voice.

She
could have ignored him if he’d been demanding. She sighed. Maybe if she told
him the whole story, if he knew about the Lionel affair, he’d stop pushing,
he’d understand.

Behind
Jack, Tanya took Hal’s hand and led him to her bedroom. She held up crossed
fingers.

Bridget
closed her eyes briefly. “Have a seat.”

He
sat next to her on the sofa, his knees brushing hers. She shifted further away.

Where
to begin?

She’d
never told another guy about what had happened, hadn’t had anyone remotely
serious since. She took a deep breath. “A couple of years ago, I was involved
with a guy called Lionel. We met at work – a different company from Dionysus –
and hit it off. He was my boss.”

Jack
was silent, waiting for her to continue.

“I
didn’t think much of it at first. All I knew was I liked him and he liked me,
but after our first date he said we needed to keep it between ourselves.
That people at work might talk.”
She huffed out a breath.
“It made the whole relationship much more exciting, almost illicit.”

“Was
he married?”

She
shook her head. “I would never date a married man.”

“I
thought that might be why he wanted to keep it secret.”

“No.
But he was watching out for himself.” She sighed. “We used to talk work all the
time. He’d ask me for my opinions and I’d give him all of my ideas. It never
bothered me that he took credit for them. He said they’d have a better chance
of getting the go-ahead if the suggestions came from him, and the safety of the
site was the most important thing.” She’d been so caught up in the adventure of
it.

“Sounds
like a schmuck. So what happened?”

Bridget
hesitated. This was the hardest part. “One of the projects I suggested was
approved. While I was waiting for Lionel one day, I flicked through the project
file and noticed he’d taken
a short-cut, used inferior
quality materials
to save some money. I asked him why and he made some
excuse about management reducing the funds. I didn’t question it.” Her gut had
been uneasy, but she’d trusted Lionel, she’d thought she was in love with him.

She
closed her eyes, her voice soft. “Then there was an incident. Three people
injured, one had third degree burns on ten percent of his body. They traced the
root cause back to the inferior quality materials.” She sighed. “I should have
said something. I should have insisted he replace the items.”