time to mow the
lawn, front and back.
He was an amazing man, and she could not deny that she liked
him more with every moment they spent together. They had not, however, had
another moment alone since that breath-stealing moment he had nearly seduced
her on the living room floor.
Carlotta wished very much that Hunter and his friends had
come just a bit later.
Across the kitchen, Caleb had removed his shirt and opened
the windows. The dusk was surprisingly warm. Sweat sheened across his body as
he lifted the cabinets across the new floor and set them in their place,
rearranging them until they fit in the space.
“You okay, Lottie?” he asked.
Now that they were finally alone again, she wondered what
might happen.
“Fine. I wish I did not have to go back to work tomorrow.”
He snorted. “You’ll get more sleep at home than you’ve been
getting with Mari and her two kids.”
As much as Carlotta loved her older daughter and her family,
she couldn’t deny that truth. She nodded. “Before I go, I would like to pick
out the light fixtures so you can hang them. Oh, and the curtain rods.”
He picked up a hammer from the floor and tossed it back in
his toolbox. She gawked at every ripple of his body as he moved. So strong and
male and… She sighed.
Caleb turned to her with a very knowing, very sexy grin.
“Something on your mind?”
She hesitated. As much as she wanted to talk about what had
nearly happened—or if she was honest, find out what the real deal would feel
like—she merely smiled. No way would she let Caleb near her before she had
showered. She smelled like paint and sweat and dirt. Not sexy.
“Dinner?”
With a nod, he stretched, reaching his big arms over his
head. Carlotta nearly swallowed her tongue. She really did not want to go back
to East Texas alone, without knowing what Caleb felt like against her, deep
inside her. But ladies never brought up sex. She bit her lip.
He just grinned at her. “Why don’t you shower here? You
brought a change of clothes, right?” When she nodded, he smoothed a hand over
her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. “Good. Get ready. I’ll finish the
prep here and shower. We’ll grab some dinner and light fixtures, then come back
and…talk.”
Did he genuinely want to merely discuss things or was that
code for sex? She had not dated in so long, and Caleb kept her tied up in so
many knots, she was uncertain what to think.
But she merely nodded and got herself beneath a hot spray of
water. An hour later, she walked out of the master bathroom all put together
again with some minimal makeup and her clean hair flowing free. She had
splurged on a bit of perfume and hoped that it made him want to be near her.
He stepped out of the bathroom down the hall, and a cloud of
steam followed him. He looked beyond fine in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt,
some boots, and a sly grin.
“You look good enough to eat,” he said in that low voice
that seduced her.
Carlotta felt heat climbing up her cheeks. “You do, too.”
“Hmm, how fast can we find dinner and shop? I can think of
something else I’d rather turn on besides light fixtures.”
The blood rushed up her face faster, but she edged closer to
him. “Very quickly, I hope.”
He tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. “I’ve tried to go
slow and give you space and time to think. I need you to tell me if you’re
feeling afraid or worried.”
“I am,” she admitted. “But not enough to stay away from
you.”
Caleb wrapped strong, hot hands around her face and looked
like he wanted to take possession of her lips. Then he gritted his teeth and
stepped back. “Nope. If I kiss you now, we’ll never make it out the door. We
both need food.” He took her hand. “Let’s go.”
She directed him to a small Italian place she had always
loved. The wait was about an hour, so they put their name in and drove to the
lighting store across the street. Keeping the tight budget in mind, she picked
out new
lawn, front and back.
He was an amazing man, and she could not deny that she liked
him more with every moment they spent together. They had not, however, had
another moment alone since that breath-stealing moment he had nearly seduced
her on the living room floor.
Carlotta wished very much that Hunter and his friends had
come just a bit later.
Across the kitchen, Caleb had removed his shirt and opened
the windows. The dusk was surprisingly warm. Sweat sheened across his body as
he lifted the cabinets across the new floor and set them in their place,
rearranging them until they fit in the space.
“You okay, Lottie?” he asked.
Now that they were finally alone again, she wondered what
might happen.
“Fine. I wish I did not have to go back to work tomorrow.”
He snorted. “You’ll get more sleep at home than you’ve been
getting with Mari and her two kids.”
As much as Carlotta loved her older daughter and her family,
she couldn’t deny that truth. She nodded. “Before I go, I would like to pick
out the light fixtures so you can hang them. Oh, and the curtain rods.”
He picked up a hammer from the floor and tossed it back in
his toolbox. She gawked at every ripple of his body as he moved. So strong and
male and… She sighed.
Caleb turned to her with a very knowing, very sexy grin.
“Something on your mind?”
She hesitated. As much as she wanted to talk about what had
nearly happened—or if she was honest, find out what the real deal would feel
like—she merely smiled. No way would she let Caleb near her before she had
showered. She smelled like paint and sweat and dirt. Not sexy.
“Dinner?”
With a nod, he stretched, reaching his big arms over his
head. Carlotta nearly swallowed her tongue. She really did not want to go back
to East Texas alone, without knowing what Caleb felt like against her, deep
inside her. But ladies never brought up sex. She bit her lip.
He just grinned at her. “Why don’t you shower here? You
brought a change of clothes, right?” When she nodded, he smoothed a hand over
her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. “Good. Get ready. I’ll finish the
prep here and shower. We’ll grab some dinner and light fixtures, then come back
and…talk.”
Did he genuinely want to merely discuss things or was that
code for sex? She had not dated in so long, and Caleb kept her tied up in so
many knots, she was uncertain what to think.
But she merely nodded and got herself beneath a hot spray of
water. An hour later, she walked out of the master bathroom all put together
again with some minimal makeup and her clean hair flowing free. She had
splurged on a bit of perfume and hoped that it made him want to be near her.
He stepped out of the bathroom down the hall, and a cloud of
steam followed him. He looked beyond fine in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt,
some boots, and a sly grin.
“You look good enough to eat,” he said in that low voice
that seduced her.
Carlotta felt heat climbing up her cheeks. “You do, too.”
“Hmm, how fast can we find dinner and shop? I can think of
something else I’d rather turn on besides light fixtures.”
The blood rushed up her face faster, but she edged closer to
him. “Very quickly, I hope.”
He tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. “I’ve tried to go
slow and give you space and time to think. I need you to tell me if you’re
feeling afraid or worried.”
“I am,” she admitted. “But not enough to stay away from
you.”
Caleb wrapped strong, hot hands around her face and looked
like he wanted to take possession of her lips. Then he gritted his teeth and
stepped back. “Nope. If I kiss you now, we’ll never make it out the door. We
both need food.” He took her hand. “Let’s go.”
She directed him to a small Italian place she had always
loved. The wait was about an hour, so they put their name in and drove to the
lighting store across the street. Keeping the tight budget in mind, she picked
out new
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