I struggled to pull my gaze from his mouth. “Yeah.” I gave an internal shake of my head, trying to drag my mind out of the gutter. Watching the small movement of his tongue chasing the drip of wine from his lips had been innocently erotic, and fuck if that didn’t get my head chasing fantasies it had no place to travel.
Turning the conversation back on track and to safer topics, I asked, “So, were there any other questions you had about the renovations?” We’d spent a good portion of the meal talking through his plans and the property’s needs, while I gave him an overview of cost and timeline. He’d focused intently the whole time and willingly listened to ideas I had for the kitchen and additional storage in his study and under the stairs. I’d worried halfway through that I was boring him to death, but he appeared to take it all in, asking questions along the way.
Carter was easy to talk to. I was concerned dinner would have been awkward, especially considering my dick had found it difficult to behave a couple of times, but it was far from it.
“Everything really seems perfect, Tanner. Seriously.” He paused a moment, his eyes lighting up in eagerness as he said, “I would love you to take it on. When do you think you can start?”
His smile was infectious, and I quickly found myself grinning back. I knew it had been a competitive price. Damn, with the discount I’d offered him, he’d have been crazy not to accept it, but still, it felt good to be caught up in his excitement. “I should be able to start full-time in a month.” His face dropped. Rushing out to reassure him, hating the look on his face, I added, “I just have other jobs to finish off, but what I can do is stop by a few days a week to begin the demo.” His smile was back, along with his brows lifted in surprise.
“I can’t expect you to—”
“Honestly, I want to. It’s all good. I can make a good start while materials are on order. It will mean you’ll need to limit room usage. I’ll start in the attic and work my way down. Eventually, you’ll be living out of three rooms. One of the bathrooms, your bedroom, and the kitchen. But we’ll figure it all out.” I wasn’t quite sure how we’d figure it out, but we’d cross that bridge when we came to it in a few months.
“Well, three days a week, I finish work early at two, so maybe those days I could help you out? That way I can be here to move things out of your way.” He laughed. “I could be your laborer.”
I raised my brow at his suggestion. Never, in all my years in the trade, had I ever allowed a client to assist. Clients could be pains in the ass and often got in the way. Not only that, but they were potentially a huge insurance headache waiting to happen.
Carter took a gulp of his wine, looking especially pleased with himself. “I have a tool belt and tools I’ve been wanting to break in.” He paused, his gaze landing on mine. “Erm, if that’s okay. I promise not to get under your feet. I’ll be where you need me to be and do exactly what you tell me to.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug and offered me a small smile.
I inwardly groaned. With an offer like that, there was no way I could refuse. Plus his enthusiasm was sexy as fuck. I cleared my throat before speaking, pushing the thought of Carter bending to my will aside. “Sure. I could do with your help. More hands, less work and all that.” I paused. “But no power tools and no falling through any floorboards.”
He raised his glass toward me and I clinked my bottle against it. “Cheers, Tanner. I think this is all going to be perfect.”
I smiled and hoped I wouldn’t regret bending the rules.
Chapter Six
CARTER
The last threeweeks had been torture, and it seemed I was an eager fool. Every minute I wasn’t with Tanner, I spent thinking about him. The thoughts left me desperate and needy. If that wasn’t bad enough, I’d had hard-ons at the most awkward of times when I should have been focusing on an animal’s balls rather than my own.
On top of that, the three nights a week and Saturdays that I’d managed to get time with him left me so frustrated, I was sure I would die from blue balls. All I’d discovered about Tanner made me lust after him even more. He was patient to a T, putting up with my incessant questions and my getting in the way. We’d quickly discovered that I was ridiculously clumsy. I was convinced this was to do with my blood rushing to all manner of areas when I was around him, considering I usually had a steady hand and nerves—pretty much needed when operating on an animal. It seemed that I also wasn’t much use at ripping stuff out. It was crazy. How hard was it to tear down a ceiling or a wall? Apparently, not so easy, well, not for me anyway. The last time I tried, I ended up tearing through some wiring.
So, after a few rounds of realizing my help could be more of a hindrance, I was tasked with cleanup and garbage removal duty, which my aching muscles could attest to. Plus, I was chief coffee maker and chef. Admittedly, I had every intention of ensuring I fed Tanner a good meal at the end of every evening he came by. I’d expected more of a fight from him when I insisted on cooking for him, sure he’d have to rush off home, but after our first after-work meal of steak and trimmings, he’d readily agreed.
Those meals had become the best parts of my week. While I loved watching him work and get all sweaty and dirty, it was the ease of our conversation over food that kept me going, and of course tortured me.
“Are you about wrapped up? Dinner will be in fifteen.” I stood at the bottom of the ladder looking up at Tanner and not so discreetly staring at his perfect butt. His jeans molded his ass, leaving little to my overactive imagination. The fact that it was framed with a tool belt made him even more levels of hot.
My gaze lifted to his face when he spoke and angled to look at me. His raised brow indicated he’d seen me checking him out. I clamped my jaw shut, willing my embarrassment to not travel to my cheeks. “Sure. I’m all done,” he said. “I just need to move the boards to the dumpster.”
“I can do that.” I smiled and then looked at the stack of broken boards to my right.
“They’re pretty heavy. We can do them together.” I nodded and watched as he climbed down the ladder, my hands on the sides keeping it steady for him. His feet touched the ground while I remained in position, his back a mere inch from my chest.
Flip!His closeness, his scent, both washed over me. I released a shaky breath and realized I needed to release the ladder and take a step back. Instead, I remained frozen until Tanner cleared his throat. I let go of the ladder and backed up, banging into materials piled behind me. In slow motion, I flailed, my eyes on Tanner as he turned. His eyes widened in horror.
I was tumbling and knew there was no soft landing around me. A moment before I hit the ground, strong hands grabbed me, one on the front of my shirt, the other on my arm. I jerked to a stop as Tanner tugged, helping me find my balance. In the process, buttons flew and material tore as my shirt was ripped open. I clasped his arms as I steadied myself, my heart pounding erratically.
“You okay?” Tanner was out of breath, still wide-eyed and closer than I’d realized.
I raised my head to look better into his eyes and nodded. “Yes.” My voice was barely a whisper as I willed my heart to calm, an impossible task considering I was in the arms of the man I’d been dreaming of since the day I met him. “Thank you.”
A smile lifted his mouth, finally washing away the panic from his eyes. He released my arm, his hand moving to my face as he swept at my cheek. I stopped breathing. Honest to God, forgot to inhale and take air into my lungs at the contact. The moment was over all too quickly. His eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn’t quite figure out before he stepped away from me. “Umm, you had dust on your cheek.” He then cleared his throat, his eyes landing on my chest. “Erm, sorry about that.” A slow color crept up his neck, dusting his jaw and cheeks.
I glanced down at my exposed chest and ruined shirt before looking back at Tanner. “It’s all good. I’d much prefer a ripped shirt to a banged-up head.” He nodded, looking away from me. For the first time, awkwardness settled over us. I hated it. With feigned lightness, I said, “Let me just throw on a shirt, and we’ll get on with clearing that up, yeah?”
Despite his shoulders remaining rigid, he returned his gaze to mine and offered me a small grin. “Sounds like a plan.”
