Geri Guillaume - Kiss Me Twice

“You don’t want me to touch you, just tell me. I just want to see you. Just let me look at you.” He released the straps of her dress, letting them dangle down her back, yet the dress remained in place, hugging tightly to her curves. Bastien didn’t lower the dress, but waited for Phaedra to show him the boundaries of where he could go.

Phaedra reached for Bastien’s linen shirt and tugged upward. He shrugged out of it, draping it over the shower wall, and she splayed her hands across his chest, feeling the heat emanating from his skin. Bastien’s unique scent wafted to her—smelling like all the best things of summer.

Phaedra couldn’t resist. She had to know if Bastien tasted as good as he smelled, as delicious as he looked. She stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck for leverage, and touched the tip of her tongue to his bottom lip. As she rose on her toes, the dress fell away, pooling at her feet.

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is the pseudonym for Krystal Williams Livingston. Mrs. Livingston was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1965. She received her undergraduate degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she double-majored in English and legal studies. She is currently a full-time project manager for a documentation, training and marketing communications firm, as well as the mother of two wonderful children. Between her project management duties, volunteer work at church, her family and creative writing, Mrs. Livingston still holds firmly to her motto, “Too many words; not enough paper. Thank God there’s e-mail!” This rallying cry has helped her publish several contemporary romance novels, a play for her alma mater and a family reunion planning guide. Mrs. Livingston currently makes her home in Houston, Texas.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

It’s been several years since I put the story of Jacie and Chas from A Perfect Pair and their experiences in the grain-inspection world to paper. Jacie began that story in dire straits—jobless, close to eviction, not knowing where her next dollar would come from. For Kiss Me Twice, I wanted to take a different approach. I wanted to pay homage to all of the hardworking women out there, all the women that I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing personally or casually meeting, who’ve kept it together and were totally confident in their abilities. All of the women who’d ever mentored me, either directly or indirectly, became the model for my new heroine Phaedra.

Not to say that Phaedra’s perfect. She has her own set of issues. But I’m hoping that you can take away a piece of her spirit—that spirit of uncompromising excellence, commitment to her chosen career, a heart for showing charity to others and a heart for her man. I hope you enjoy reading about Phaedra and Bastien’s story as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Until next time, dear reader!

Geri

Thank you, my precious family, for giving me the time—and the freedom—to continue my craft.

This novel is dedicated to my wonderful, supportive family. For my husband Robert, who provides the technical expertise for his ever-changing inspection industry. For my daughter RáVen, who has given me the great privilege of watching her blossom with confidence as she juggles church, career and her continuing education. And for my son William, whose quick wit and dry humor keeps me laughing even in the most stressful situations.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

T he company van rolled by him. Yet Bastien Thibeadaux hardly recognized it. When his cousin Remy took it out of the garage yesterday, it looked nothing like it was looking now.

Remy, what in the world have you done now?

All Remy had to do was take the van out for a simple detailing job to prep it for a magazine ad photo shoot they’d scheduled. Wash and wax. Vacuum out the inside. Maybe touch up the plain white paint and the black stenciled letters bearing the company name and logo—CT Inspectorate. A simple job. Two hours tops. Now, nearly a day later, Remy was just getting back to the office. Just in time for quitting time. Typical Remy.

For maximum effect, Remy coasted by as if to make certain all eyes were on him. Bastien couldn’t actually see his cousin behind the smoky, reflective tinted windows, but he could imagine Remy’s I’m all that expression. Bastien caught his own scowling reflection in the window as Remy passed by him. He felt the vibrating thrum of the van’s radio cranked high through the thick soles of his work boots as he stood out in the parking lot along with some of his employees. He simmered as Remy tried to maneuver the van into its parking spot. Hard to make those tight turns, Bastien observed, now that Remy had replaced the standard rims and tires with custom chrome rims and high-profile tires.

“Are those twenty-twos?” Alonzo Benavidez, Bastien’s first shift crew chief, slid his sunglasses down onto the tip of his nose and peered over the edge in admiration of Remy’s new chrome hubcaps. “Dang! That boy’s rolling large.”

“Those aren’t twenty-twos. Those are thirty-inch rims…Giovannas,” Jayden Jeffers, Bastien’s summer hire corrected.

“How would you know that?” Bastien asked. He knew the boy was all about cars. His locker was jam-packed with trade magazines.

“I saw my brother searching on a rims Web site. My brother’s been saving up for three months for a set to put on his Hummer H2.”

“Here, let me get that for you.” Melvin Weldon, the oldest employee on Bastien’s crew, peeled his sweat-drenched bandanna off his head and made a motion as if to wipe the drool from Jayden’s mouth.

Jayden jerked his head back, distracted from Remy’s grand entrance by the sour smell of Melvin’s sweat band. “Man, get that funky rag out of my face.” He turned back when Remy revved the van’s engine and stomped on the brakes to make the van surge forward several times.

“Look at this fool here,” Bastien muttered.

He immediately regretted that he’d said that out loud. He should have kept his mouth shut. Remy wasn’t only his cousin. Like it or not, he was also his boss. And it just wasn’t cool to talk about your boss in front of the other employees.

Alonzo, Melvin and Jayden had all gathered in the parking lot to firm up plans for hooking up later. Once a month Bastien took his team away so they could talk openly, honestly—sometimes brutally honest—about what was going on around CT Inspectorate. Just as Remy pulled up, they’d decided to meet up at Solly’s Fast Lanz bowling alley and come up with solutions to their problems over a couple games and appetizers.