Free Building the Perfect Daddy by Brenda Harlen Page A

immediately folded her arms over her chest. The action succeeded in covering up her puckered nipples but also pushed up her breasts, enhancing the cleavage displayed by the low neckline of her tank.
    â€œThis isn’t my underwear,” she denied hotly.
    â€œThen what is it?” he asked.
    â€œMy pajamas.”
    â€œSemantics,” her sister said, handing her a robe. “And irrelevant when the curve of your butt cheeks is visible for the workmen and all of your neighbors to see.”
    Lauryn shoved her arms into the sleeves of the garment and yanked the belt around her waist, glaring at Ryder the whole time. “This is your fault.”
    He lifted a brow. “How is it my fault?”
    â€œYou were making so much noise on the roof I didn’t stop to think about what I was wearing.”
    â€œOr not wearing,” her sister interjected.
    Ryder fought against the smile that wanted to curve his lips in response to the words that perfectly echoed his own thoughts. Of course, Tristyn could afford to tease Lauryn because she was wearing actual clothes.
    The color in Lauryn’s cheeks deepened in response to the teasing. “You remember my sister, Tristyn?”
    He nodded. “I apologize for the wake-up call.”
    â€œPlease don’t,” she said, her eyes sparkling with humor. “I’m happy to tell everyone I know that I was awakened by America’s Hottest Handyman.”
    He winced. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
    â€œWhile you two conduct your meeting of the Ryder Wallace Fan Club, I’m going to go drown myself in the shower,” Lauryn told them.
    â€œThere’s coffee on in the kitchen,” Tristyn said.
    Lauryn nodded as she headed back toward the house.
    â€œCoffee?” Ryder echoed hopefully.
    â€œCome on in,” she invited.
    He followed her through the front door, down the short, wide hallway to the kitchen, where the scent of the fresh brew teased his nostrils.
    Tristyn, obviously at home in her sister’s kitchen, took down two mugs from the cupboard and filled them from the carafe. “Cream or sugar?” she asked him.
    â€œSugar, please.”
    She retrieved the bowl and a spoon and set them on the counter. She drank her own black—and watched him so intently he began to feel as if he was in his pajamas.
    â€œIs something wrong?” he finally asked.
    â€œNot at all,” she assured him. “The dim lighting in the bar didn’t really do you justice, and I was just appreciating the fact that you’re even better looking in person than on TV.”
    â€œThank you,” he said cautiously.
    â€œDon’t worry—I’m not hitting on you. Not that I wouldn’t be tempted, under other circumstances,” she admitted. “But even a little foggy from the tequila last night, I could see the sparks between you and Lauryn. Which is why I was so puzzled when you left with the clingy blonde in the clingier red dress.”
    â€œI think the tequila had more of an effect than you realized,” he told her, ignoring her comment about the blonde.
    â€œAre you denying that there’s a certain...chemistry...between you and my sister?”
    â€œI think you’re misinterpreting friction as attraction,” he told her. “She’s not at all looking forward to her home being invaded by me and my crew.”
    â€œI know,” she admitted.
    â€œBut you didn’t anticipate that when you forged her name on an application?”
    â€œI suspected that she might have some objections,” Tristyn acknowledged. “But when we sent in the application, we didn’t really think it would be chosen. Not out of the hundreds you must have received.”
    â€œActually, we got close to a thousand,” he told her.
    â€œAnd somehow, out of all of those, you selected Lauryn’s application,” she mused.
    â€œYou mean your application.”
    She chose to