knees and lick you clean while you pull my hair.]
[J.J.: YOU MADE ME COME AND NOW I HAVE A MESS TO CLEAN UP.]
She chuckled. [Now we’re even.]
Her cell phone rang and her heart jumped in her chest. Kat fumbled for the phone, looked at the readout, pushed the talk button and held it to her ear. “Do you do that often?” she asked
“No, but I think I’ll start. You’re a pro. I can’t wait to see you so I can do those things with you.”
“It’s one thing to do that over the phone, but…”
“How many times do you need to hear me tell you? I want you.” A sigh vibrated through the phone. “I dream of you.”
Kat pulled on her robe. “Until recently you had a girlfriend.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, “and I called out your name the last time I was with her.”
An odd mix of triumph and anger filled her. “What? You didn’t. That’s horrible.” She sat. “I don’t know how to feel about this.”
“Sally and I had a simple relationship.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It was just sex,” he said.
Shock and disbelief hit Kat in the chest. “Did Sally know that?”
“Yes, but she always wanted more.” He paused. “You probably think I’m an asshole.”
“That’s something Gary would do.”
“Don’t compare me with that dick. I’d never do what he did to you, or anyone else. I was always up front with Sally. Maybe I could’ve done things differently.” Air whooshed through the cell. “I admit I fucked up the last time we were together, but I never led her on. I never told her I loved her.”
“But how could you have sex with someone you didn’t have feelings for?”
“I never said I didn’t have feelings for her.”
Jealousy hit Kat in her core. “Then you did love her.”
“No. She was my friend.”
Her blood froze at his tone. “Do you have sex with all your friends?”
“Come on, Kat. Are you telling me you’ve always loved the people you had sex with?”
She stood, her stomach aching and indignation stiffening her spine. “Yes. I guess it was different when I was your age.”
“Don’t pull that bullshit on me. You’re not that much older than I am.”
“I have ten years on you.”
“I don’t want to fight with you. Please, I know I was a jerk with Sally and I’m sorry. I’ve had a thing for you since the first time I saw you.”
She almost dropped the phone and had to remind herself to breathe. “That was over a year ago.”
“I know. Imagine my dismay, not only were you a client, but you were married.”
“Is that why you do my yard work?”
“Yes,” he said. “I wanted an excuse to see you, and if I was lucky, I would find a reason to talk to you.”
The resignation in his voice made the sick part of her jump with joy. “I think I said this to you last night. You make me feel things I thought were long dead inside me.”
“Kat, you awaken things in me.” His raspy breath whooshed through the receiver. “How did the painting go today? Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked.
The change of subject gave her time to think about what J.J. had just said. “Ron had all his guys here today and we finished.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, it is. Joe said he could start tomorrow on the floors.”
“You must be special for Joe and his men to start on a Sunday.
She wanted to ask why he sounded upset, but a yell came from upstairs. “Crap! Sam’s calling me, I have to go.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
* * * * *
Kat barely heard the doorbell ring amidst the racket. Joe and his crew smashed, scraped, jackhammered and sucked up the old tile. She stepped over tools and debris and opened the door. A wash of color blinded her. The deliveryman held out the biggest bunch of wildflowers she had ever seen. Excitement filled her. “What’s this?”
“Delivery for Kat Henderson.” The man handed her the bouquet.
She sagged with the weight. “Thank you.” Kat turned and rested the arrangement on a table. “Hold on,
[J.J.: YOU MADE ME COME AND NOW I HAVE A MESS TO CLEAN UP.]
She chuckled. [Now we’re even.]
Her cell phone rang and her heart jumped in her chest. Kat fumbled for the phone, looked at the readout, pushed the talk button and held it to her ear. “Do you do that often?” she asked
“No, but I think I’ll start. You’re a pro. I can’t wait to see you so I can do those things with you.”
“It’s one thing to do that over the phone, but…”
“How many times do you need to hear me tell you? I want you.” A sigh vibrated through the phone. “I dream of you.”
Kat pulled on her robe. “Until recently you had a girlfriend.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, “and I called out your name the last time I was with her.”
An odd mix of triumph and anger filled her. “What? You didn’t. That’s horrible.” She sat. “I don’t know how to feel about this.”
“Sally and I had a simple relationship.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It was just sex,” he said.
Shock and disbelief hit Kat in the chest. “Did Sally know that?”
“Yes, but she always wanted more.” He paused. “You probably think I’m an asshole.”
“That’s something Gary would do.”
“Don’t compare me with that dick. I’d never do what he did to you, or anyone else. I was always up front with Sally. Maybe I could’ve done things differently.” Air whooshed through the cell. “I admit I fucked up the last time we were together, but I never led her on. I never told her I loved her.”
“But how could you have sex with someone you didn’t have feelings for?”
“I never said I didn’t have feelings for her.”
Jealousy hit Kat in her core. “Then you did love her.”
“No. She was my friend.”
Her blood froze at his tone. “Do you have sex with all your friends?”
“Come on, Kat. Are you telling me you’ve always loved the people you had sex with?”
She stood, her stomach aching and indignation stiffening her spine. “Yes. I guess it was different when I was your age.”
“Don’t pull that bullshit on me. You’re not that much older than I am.”
“I have ten years on you.”
“I don’t want to fight with you. Please, I know I was a jerk with Sally and I’m sorry. I’ve had a thing for you since the first time I saw you.”
She almost dropped the phone and had to remind herself to breathe. “That was over a year ago.”
“I know. Imagine my dismay, not only were you a client, but you were married.”
“Is that why you do my yard work?”
“Yes,” he said. “I wanted an excuse to see you, and if I was lucky, I would find a reason to talk to you.”
The resignation in his voice made the sick part of her jump with joy. “I think I said this to you last night. You make me feel things I thought were long dead inside me.”
“Kat, you awaken things in me.” His raspy breath whooshed through the receiver. “How did the painting go today? Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked.
The change of subject gave her time to think about what J.J. had just said. “Ron had all his guys here today and we finished.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, it is. Joe said he could start tomorrow on the floors.”
“You must be special for Joe and his men to start on a Sunday.
She wanted to ask why he sounded upset, but a yell came from upstairs. “Crap! Sam’s calling me, I have to go.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
* * * * *
Kat barely heard the doorbell ring amidst the racket. Joe and his crew smashed, scraped, jackhammered and sucked up the old tile. She stepped over tools and debris and opened the door. A wash of color blinded her. The deliveryman held out the biggest bunch of wildflowers she had ever seen. Excitement filled her. “What’s this?”
“Delivery for Kat Henderson.” The man handed her the bouquet.
She sagged with the weight. “Thank you.” Kat turned and rested the arrangement on a table. “Hold on,
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