hole in it, roughly the size of Alex Kelly and Josh Hudson’s egos combined. So...
She grabbed a crowbar and started yanking.
And damn if shredding a wall didn’t prove to be the perfect outlet for her anxiety and pissy disposition.
The lower half of the sheetrock remaining, she hooked the curved end of the bar around a chalky edge and gave a jerk that sent her fumbling promptly backwards when she met little resistance.
One of her earbuds popped out during the fall and snagged around her earring. But of bigger concern was that she’d somehow managed to land smack dab on top of the crowbar. Her tailbone screamed in protest.
“Ah, now that’s gonna hurt like a mother in the morning.”
Carissa started at the sound of the deeply masculine voice in the kitchen. Which, in turn, sent shocks of pain jolting down both of her legs. She bit her lips together to contain her whimper.
With an amused smirk stretched across his stubble shadowed face, Josh strolled into view, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’d offer to rub it for you, but you’d probably slap me again.”
“Ha, you’re funny.” Ever so carefully, she pushed to her feet, muttering four-letter vulgarities of every sort as she did. Yep, this was definitely gonna hurt in the morning and probably the entire next week. “You think you could’ve knocked? It’s not nice to sneak up on people. Especially a woman with a crowbar.” With a grimace, she bent down to retrieve the tool.
“Yeah, well, I’ve seen enough to not be worried.” He rocked back on the heels of his boots and made an open appraisal of the house. “I’ve always liked this place. Lots of potential.”
Carissa eyed him warily. “I’d like to think so.”
“It’ll need a hell of a lot of work to get it there though.” He took a couple steps to the left, then a few back to the right. Bounced a little on the balls of his feet. “The floor needs re-bracing. You’ve got slope and way too much give.”
“Well, it’s not like I plan on having two-hundred and some pound Marines jumping around in my living room.”
“Maybe not, but whoever eventually buys it might.” He waggled his dark eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes and rubbed her butt. “Why exactly are you here again?”
“Was in the neighborhood.”
“Checking up on me, are you?”
He grinned. “If I answer that honestly, are you going to assault me again?”
“Are you going to assault me again?” She arched an eyebrow.
His eyes drifted over down her body, slowing up a little at her chest and then her legs. He took a deep breath, sounded almost regretful, then shook his head. “It’s been a rough week. It won’t happen again.”
She continued to stare, gauging him. Fleetingly curious as to why was she felt slighted, disappointed even, with his explanation. “So?” she prodded him. “To what honor do I owe your intrusive presence?”
He didn’t answer right away, just made his way around the room, poking at the fireplace, then at the windows. “I hear you need a contractor.”
Oh, hell no.
“I happen to know a guy,” he continued on and Carissa held her breath. This conversation was starting to sound eerily familiar. And they so were not going there again.
“If you’re here because you feel guilty about what happened with Alex, then let me ease your conscience, okay? I might have taken it out on you yesterday, but letting him go was inevitable. You inadvertently saved me a lot of time and money.”
Josh inclined his chin. “Probably true, but that doesn’t solve your problem.”
“No, it doesn’t.” She sighed, trying to fight off the urge to be open with him. He was the last person she should be talking to, yet... “I tried I don’t even know how many contractors today, but haven’t had a single bite.”
“You didn’t call me.”
“Nope, I didn’t,” she said, popping her lips.
“Why not?” His narrowed-eyed expression was more challenging than his spiteful
She grabbed a crowbar and started yanking.
And damn if shredding a wall didn’t prove to be the perfect outlet for her anxiety and pissy disposition.
The lower half of the sheetrock remaining, she hooked the curved end of the bar around a chalky edge and gave a jerk that sent her fumbling promptly backwards when she met little resistance.
One of her earbuds popped out during the fall and snagged around her earring. But of bigger concern was that she’d somehow managed to land smack dab on top of the crowbar. Her tailbone screamed in protest.
“Ah, now that’s gonna hurt like a mother in the morning.”
Carissa started at the sound of the deeply masculine voice in the kitchen. Which, in turn, sent shocks of pain jolting down both of her legs. She bit her lips together to contain her whimper.
With an amused smirk stretched across his stubble shadowed face, Josh strolled into view, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’d offer to rub it for you, but you’d probably slap me again.”
“Ha, you’re funny.” Ever so carefully, she pushed to her feet, muttering four-letter vulgarities of every sort as she did. Yep, this was definitely gonna hurt in the morning and probably the entire next week. “You think you could’ve knocked? It’s not nice to sneak up on people. Especially a woman with a crowbar.” With a grimace, she bent down to retrieve the tool.
“Yeah, well, I’ve seen enough to not be worried.” He rocked back on the heels of his boots and made an open appraisal of the house. “I’ve always liked this place. Lots of potential.”
Carissa eyed him warily. “I’d like to think so.”
“It’ll need a hell of a lot of work to get it there though.” He took a couple steps to the left, then a few back to the right. Bounced a little on the balls of his feet. “The floor needs re-bracing. You’ve got slope and way too much give.”
“Well, it’s not like I plan on having two-hundred and some pound Marines jumping around in my living room.”
“Maybe not, but whoever eventually buys it might.” He waggled his dark eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes and rubbed her butt. “Why exactly are you here again?”
“Was in the neighborhood.”
“Checking up on me, are you?”
He grinned. “If I answer that honestly, are you going to assault me again?”
“Are you going to assault me again?” She arched an eyebrow.
His eyes drifted over down her body, slowing up a little at her chest and then her legs. He took a deep breath, sounded almost regretful, then shook his head. “It’s been a rough week. It won’t happen again.”
She continued to stare, gauging him. Fleetingly curious as to why was she felt slighted, disappointed even, with his explanation. “So?” she prodded him. “To what honor do I owe your intrusive presence?”
He didn’t answer right away, just made his way around the room, poking at the fireplace, then at the windows. “I hear you need a contractor.”
Oh, hell no.
“I happen to know a guy,” he continued on and Carissa held her breath. This conversation was starting to sound eerily familiar. And they so were not going there again.
“If you’re here because you feel guilty about what happened with Alex, then let me ease your conscience, okay? I might have taken it out on you yesterday, but letting him go was inevitable. You inadvertently saved me a lot of time and money.”
Josh inclined his chin. “Probably true, but that doesn’t solve your problem.”
“No, it doesn’t.” She sighed, trying to fight off the urge to be open with him. He was the last person she should be talking to, yet... “I tried I don’t even know how many contractors today, but haven’t had a single bite.”
“You didn’t call me.”
“Nope, I didn’t,” she said, popping her lips.
“Why not?” His narrowed-eyed expression was more challenging than his spiteful
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