something about watching a man involved in a task with his hands that could absorb a woman's attention. Perhaps it was the female subconscious connection to the earth, to creation and fertility. Those long fingers, taking things of the earth, carrots and snow peas, potatoes and onions, and transforming them with care into sustenance. His eyes, intent on his task as he sliced the potatoes into smaller pieces. A quick, careless brush of his arm against his forehead where a lock of hair caused an itch. The movement drew her eye to the ripple of muscle over his ribs, the soft hair beneath his arm. He shifted his hips, transferring his weight to his other foot, which was bare. He had removed his sneakers when they came in and tossed them carelessly by the door, like they were all home.
The two men seemed not the least bit uncomfortable to be cooking in Lisette's house, caring for her friend and entertaining one another with casual conversation.
"What does a caretaker of the homes of five famous artists and writers do, Josh?" she asked at last, taking a sip of her wine.
He glanced up, the corner of his mouth tugging in a half smile. "Just about everything. Repairs, home maintenance, water plants. They want the house to look lived in when they come. I also do things like this sometimes. If Mrs. Von Haugwitz doesn't want to cook herself dinner because she's at a crucial point in her latest sculpture, she can give me a ring. I'll let myself in and cook up dinner. I've given massages to Mr. Grimes because his back bothers him when he works with the scroll saw too long. That type of thing."
"So you cook, you're a masseuse, a tree climber, a carpenter and an HVAC man."
"And many, many other things. He has so many talents, our Josh."
Josh shot Marcus an obvious warning look. The undercurrent of tension felt flammable, so Lauren held her questions. For now. She took another swallow of wine and pretended not to notice their by-play.
Josh was certain the woman had no idea how she looked sitting there, her fingers toying with her wineglass. The pale pink silk of the robe outlined every feature of her body, from the point of her right breast to the long line of her thigh. The neckline parted to show him the graceful curve of the left breast as she stroked that glass stem with her slender fingers.
He turned away and took a bracing swallow of his own wine. Needles of sensation prickled along his back as Marcus passed him, sliding casual fingers along his spine, a little too close to his waist.
Josh shot him a narrow look that Marcus returned with a guileless expression. He snagged one of Lisette's imports from the refrigerator.
"She's about to drift off over there," Marcus murmured, giving Lauren a nod. Josh glanced over, saw the woman was in fact nodding a bit, her head turned toward the sliding glass doors, her body framed by the view of dark silhouetted tree tops and the ocean beyond, glittering with a rising moon.
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He didn't realize he was just staring at the picture she made, until Marcus chuckled.
"More candles would be appropriate, I think. And cards."
Josh snapped back. "Marcus—"
His friend was already headed toward the back bedrooms. Josh stifled a curse.
Lauren roused herself with a smile as Marcus passed behind her and patted her head. "When do we eat?" she wanted to know.
"Now." Josh brought in a tray and began to lay out the feast on the glass table.
"Do you live here all year?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and straightening in the chair.
"Yes. Here, stay there. I've got a tray to put over your lap so you can keep that foot elevated."
He put the plate of food on the tile tray and bent to set it over her lap. She raised her arms to keep them from getting in his way and drew his eye to her breasts again. Josh concentrated on arranging the tray and tried not to think how much he'd like to spread open the robe and watch her eat
The two men seemed not the least bit uncomfortable to be cooking in Lisette's house, caring for her friend and entertaining one another with casual conversation.
"What does a caretaker of the homes of five famous artists and writers do, Josh?" she asked at last, taking a sip of her wine.
He glanced up, the corner of his mouth tugging in a half smile. "Just about everything. Repairs, home maintenance, water plants. They want the house to look lived in when they come. I also do things like this sometimes. If Mrs. Von Haugwitz doesn't want to cook herself dinner because she's at a crucial point in her latest sculpture, she can give me a ring. I'll let myself in and cook up dinner. I've given massages to Mr. Grimes because his back bothers him when he works with the scroll saw too long. That type of thing."
"So you cook, you're a masseuse, a tree climber, a carpenter and an HVAC man."
"And many, many other things. He has so many talents, our Josh."
Josh shot Marcus an obvious warning look. The undercurrent of tension felt flammable, so Lauren held her questions. For now. She took another swallow of wine and pretended not to notice their by-play.
Josh was certain the woman had no idea how she looked sitting there, her fingers toying with her wineglass. The pale pink silk of the robe outlined every feature of her body, from the point of her right breast to the long line of her thigh. The neckline parted to show him the graceful curve of the left breast as she stroked that glass stem with her slender fingers.
He turned away and took a bracing swallow of his own wine. Needles of sensation prickled along his back as Marcus passed him, sliding casual fingers along his spine, a little too close to his waist.
Josh shot him a narrow look that Marcus returned with a guileless expression. He snagged one of Lisette's imports from the refrigerator.
"She's about to drift off over there," Marcus murmured, giving Lauren a nod. Josh glanced over, saw the woman was in fact nodding a bit, her head turned toward the sliding glass doors, her body framed by the view of dark silhouetted tree tops and the ocean beyond, glittering with a rising moon.
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He didn't realize he was just staring at the picture she made, until Marcus chuckled.
"More candles would be appropriate, I think. And cards."
Josh snapped back. "Marcus—"
His friend was already headed toward the back bedrooms. Josh stifled a curse.
Lauren roused herself with a smile as Marcus passed behind her and patted her head. "When do we eat?" she wanted to know.
"Now." Josh brought in a tray and began to lay out the feast on the glass table.
"Do you live here all year?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and straightening in the chair.
"Yes. Here, stay there. I've got a tray to put over your lap so you can keep that foot elevated."
He put the plate of food on the tile tray and bent to set it over her lap. She raised her arms to keep them from getting in his way and drew his eye to her breasts again. Josh concentrated on arranging the tray and tried not to think how much he'd like to spread open the robe and watch her eat
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