Yet this woman…
I nearly missed the turn to the construction site and swerved just in time to make it.
See? See how women already fuck up your life so quickly?
“How’d it go? Did you get the order in?” Thane asked as soon as I stepped out of my truck.
“Yep. Should be in by the end of the week.”
“Great. I need your help with some of this framework. You good to jump in?”
“You got it boss.” Framework was a walk in the park to me. Hell, I built my cabin from the bottom up, every beam, every slat, every window and door put in by me, while camping out in a trailer at night.
I grabbed my tool belt from my truck and slid it on. Hopefully the rest of the day passes without another thought of the gorgeous woman.
As the workdayswent by in a flurry of nails and wood and framing, I came up with every excuse under the sun to stop by the garden center. We needed more nails? Sure, I’d go. More wood? The daily pick up? A new drill?
I came up with anything for a chance to see her. Ask her a question. Watch her like a damn puppy dog. I came in so much I was afraid they’d kick me out for being a weirdo.
And every time, I became more and more intrigued by the gorgeous green-eyed beauty.Smitten. Captivated. A complete and utter goner.
I hadn’t felt this way about a woman in a long time, and I never wanted to. But something about her kept me coming back for more. Until I could no longer hold back.
It wasn’t hard to find her, always near the garden area, watering or tending to plants and helping customers. I sauntered over to her, a grin stretching across my face. “Hey, how’s your day going?”
“Oh, hey, Cullen. Back for more nails?” Journey smirked, a light playfulness in her tone. I wanted to toss her over my shoulder, spank her ass, and carry her to my bed.
“Yep. When you’re building a house, you kind of need a lot.”
“I can imagine. Do you need help finding them?” She teased, a warmness to her tone, one that had me ready to fall to my knees and give her the damn world.
“Nah, I think I can remember. But I do have one more question?”
“Shoot.” Journey plucked a leaf off of a plant before spritzing it with water.
“Will you have dinner with me?”
Her body froze, noticeable by the way she stiffened, no longer spritzing the plant with water, but the ground. “What?” She choked out.
I held back my laugh. I couldn’t help it with how adorable she was.
“You know, the meal most people have later in the day, will you have it with me?”
Journey stepped back and placed the spray bottle on the cart next to her, the one she wheeled around with all of her supplies. She crossed her arms over her chest, and I tried to ignore her ample cleavage on full display. “Listen, Cullen, you’re a nice guyand everything, but I work here, my family owns the place, and it’s not a good idea to mix business and pleasure. Been there, done that.” Her voice softened on the last few words.
The thought of her being with someone else lit a fire somewhere deep inside me. And not a good one, either. I needed to quit before I found myself too invested. But my mouth said words my mind didn’t think. “It’s just dinner. One time, that’s it. I promise to behave.”Behave as in keep my hands to myself during dinner, but after that, all bets are off.
“What’s the point of one dinner? Why bother?”
Smart and sassy. I liked it. A woman with a backbone was my type of woman.
“Maybe to get to know each other?” I tried to throw her off, but she was as quick as the snap of a whip.
Journey smiled and placed her hands on the cart handle. “Have a good day, Cullen.”
She moved forward and I reached out, my hand landing on her arm in attempt to stop her. “Wait, please let me take you out. As friends. No funny business.”
“So out of the blue, you ask me to dinner, and I’m supposed to think there’s no underlying intentions?”
