Southern Exposure (Southern Desires Series Book 2) by Jeannette Winters Page B

to listen to his gut. And his gut was saying something was not right.
    “Don, just text me if you hear anything at all.”
    “So you’re expecting me to stay up all night? Is there anything else you want to tell me about this lovely vacation?”
    Mark turned to leave Don alone but shot over his shoulder, “Yeah, the coffee here is like water.”

Chapter Four

    H annah woke early to hear loud banging echoing through the house. She reached for her cell phone. Really? Six a.m.
    The noise was only half the issue. She’d been having the most amazing dream of Mark before being so rudely awoken. Closing her eyes, she still pictured him clearly. He’d been outside chopping wood as she watched him from the porch. The heat of the day was getting to him. Slowly he ripped off his shirt, exposing beautiful ripples of muscles. Bending down to pick up the water hose, he raised it overhead and doused himself. As the water flowed over his body, she wished it was her hands and her mouth.
    Hannah could feel the desire still aching for attention. Horny and wet for a man I can’t have. This is going to be a long day.
    She was about to pull the sheets over her head and try going back to sleep when she heard a power saw cutting something in the room right above hers. Just because he doesn’t like to sleep, doesn’t mean the rest of the world shouldn’t.
    She threw the sheet off to one side, dragged herself from the bed, and stomped across the floor. Normally she was lighter on her feet as she liked things quiet, but this morning no amount of noise she made would compare to the racket going on upstairs.
    She grabbed her thin cotton robe hanging on the back of her door. It didn’t cover much more than the tiny pajama set she was wearing, but she was too angry to think about modesty at the moment. She didn’t even bother combing her hair. There was no way she’d allow Mark to wake her tenant at that godawful hour. The last thing she needed was him to complain and move out due to the noise. She hadn’t let him know about the construction yet. Bad on me, but who would’ve thought they’d start at pre-dawn?
    Leaving her apartment, she climbed the stairs to the vacant apartment. Hannah was thankful her tenant wasn’t directly below the construction like she was, but she was sure it was echoing throughout the house. Each step brought her closer, and she couldn’t wait to give Mark a piece of her mind. No matter how sexy you are to look at, nothing is going to stop me from saying what’s on my mind.
    When she arrived, she found the apartment wide open. She marched right in, but after a few steps she stopped dead in her tracks. Mark was standing with his back to her, his arms above his head holding what looked like a wooden beam of some sort. Hannah wasn’t too interested in what he was holding. He was shirtless, and every muscle in his arms and back was calling out to her. If that wasn’t bad enough, his tool belt was tugging on his jeans, bringing them even lower over that fine-looking ass of his. Even sweeter than my dream .
    She could stand there forever and look at him. Her eyes burned the memory of him in her mind. It took everything within her not to reach out and touch him. Any anger she’d felt on her way upstairs was quickly replaced with raw, uncontrollable need. Her feet were defying what her head knew she should do—turn and go back downstairs and pretend she never saw all that sexiness. But her brain wasn’t in control. One step, then two. Closer and closer to what she yearned for.
    “Hurry the fuck up, Don. This thing isn’t holding itself up over here.”
    Oh, God. He knows someone is here. How does he do that? She took a step backward. At least, he doesn’t know it’s me.
    Hannah blushed and couldn’t even believe what she’d been about to do. Did she really think she’d walk over and touch him without him noticing? Who am I kidding? There is no way I’m going to be able to stop with one touch. Maybe after a