“This is my friend Rosie. Rosie, this is Noah, my neighbor. And?” She looked at Josh, who was looking at Rosie.
“Josh. Josh Langston.” He extended his hand to Rosie, who was staring equally as hard at him. His surfer hair and vibe were a contrast to the tan-skinned woman with black hair, sharp cheekbones, and bright red lips. She was easily six feet tall, making Grace look petite among the three of them.
The air nearly crackled between the two of them, which made it less likely that anyone would notice that Noah couldn’t help looking at Grace, who bit her lip. She arched her brows, her lips twitching. At least he wasn’t imagining things.
Noah clapped his assistant on the shoulder, ending the staring contest. “Did you say you were leaving?”
Josh turned his head long enough to glare at Noah. “No. I thought we were making a list of what you needed.”
Noah didn’t even try to hide his grin. “Right. I forgot. Come on in, ladies. Josh just stocked me up on groceries. Can I get you some coffee? Juice? Soda?” There. He might have stumbled making new friends but he knew how to host. He was a damn good host.
“No, thank you. I wondered if we could borrow the ladder Kyle left in your backyard. Also, Rosie knew you owed me a tour. If you don’t have time now, it’s okay, but if you do, then she wanted to see your place, too.”
There was an odd feeling pressing against his rib cage. He couldn’t explain it. Sharp but not entirely unpleasant. “I have time for a tour. Are you a designer, too, Rosie?”
“I am. I’d say I’m the best in the class but I’m tied with my best friend here,” Rosie said, nudging Grace’s hip.
When Noah glanced at Josh, he saw that his assistant was still in a state of … lust? Awe? What the hell was the goofy look on that guy’s face? He’d only ever seen it on Chris’s face before. Uh-oh. Watch out, buddy.
“She’s just saying that so I’ll take it easy on her in the design contest.”
“Interior design, I presume?” Josh asked, finding his voice.
Noah gave him a thumbs-up on his speaking efforts, earning him another glare. “What contest?”
Grace looked at Josh. “Yes.” Then at Noah. “Our teacher pulled some strings to offer one to two students an internship at a prestigious LA-based firm. We have an extracurricular design opportunity if we want to compete for it.”
He might not know her well but he knew that Grace would be all over a competition.
“That’s really great. You’re in school?” Josh asked, leaning one shoulder against the wall, looking far too cozy for a guy who claimed to have things to do.
Rosie stepped closer as she answered him. “We’re finishing up. I cannot wait to be done and start my real life.” Rosie turned in a slow circle, glancing up where the stairs curved to the second level. When she lowered her chin, she met Noah’s gaze and he felt the assessment. Clearly, Grace had mentioned him.
“Tour?” Josh said a little too loudly. Noah lifted his brows at him.
“Is that okay?” Grace asked.
“Sure.” Noah gestured toward the living area. He wondered if she and her friend would have any preliminary thoughts. He could take them under advisement, but the firms he worked with on design back in New York had more than a few years under their collective belts. They definitely weren’t newbies not even done with their degrees yet.
“The ladder?” Grace asked as they followed Noah into the open space.
“Right. What are you doing?”
She eyed him curiously. “Does it matter?”
He grinned, feeling that push-pull feeling again. “Is it a secret?”
“Gutters.”
Josh and Rosie moved farther into the mostly empty room, but Noah stopped in front of Grace. He heard them chatting like reunited best friends behind him.
“Problem?” Grace crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth turning down on one side.
He ran a hand through his hair. “No. Not a problem, per se. Just wondered if you have your gutter-cleaning license as well.”
Grace’s gaze went a few degrees cooler. “Why? You want to hire me to do yours?”
He sputtered out a breath. Jesus. She twisted everything he said. “No. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to lend you a ladder I don’t own. If you get hurt doing your gutters, I could be liable.”
“I don’t think you would be, technically,” Josh said from beside them.
If Grace were a cartoon character, she’d have plumes of smoke coming out of her ears. He lifted his hands in retreat. “Sorry. Forget I asked. Just be careful.”
“Sure thing, Dad.” Her smile was not friendly.
Josh snickered. “As you can see, this is the living area. Noah had that wall removed. It’s opened the place up considerably.”
Noah turned, shoved his hands in his pockets. “I take it you’re giving the tour?”
Josh mimed zipping his lips, making Noah laugh.
“What he said. That wall really made it feel smaller. I like open spaces.”
Grace let out a sigh that made his blood run hot. She and Rosie walked side by side, surveying the open kitchen, talking in some sort of hushed code. When they came back near the guys, Grace’s expression lit up.
“I love the bay window. It’s gorgeous. It would make a perfect seating area; put in a bench, built-in shelves, you’d have a reading nook. You read, right? The financial section or something?”
Josh’s laughter cut through any tension that might have existed. “Don’t paint him into a box. He also likes to surf.”
He was oddly pleased to see that gentle flush spread over Grace’s cheeks.
“The rest of the tour?” she asked.
Pulling himself together, he showed her the four bedrooms, including the master that had a kick-ass tub.
Rosie let out an exaggerated sigh, putting one hand to her head. “I’d marry this tub.”
Josh snickered. “I think he’s partial to it.”
Noah cleared his throat. “I never said I took baths.” His brothers would have a field day if they knew that.
“Nothing wrong with loving them,” Grace said, eyeing him with amusement.
“No one said love.” His tone came out far more clipped than he intended.
“This place kicks ass,” Rosie said. They made their way through the house, and Noah was surprised that Grace didn’t offer more commentary on her thoughts. He didn’t want to ask. He wouldn’t ask. She was a student. Not even a professional.
“I’m surprised you don’t have more furniture,” Grace said when they went back to the kitchen.
“I’m interviewing designers. I have the essentials,” he said, nodding toward the big-screen TV and couch.
“Interviewing interior designers?” Rosie’s voice rose an octave.
Shit. Way to put that out there. Not awkward at all. Josh was trying to send some sort of weird-ass signals with his eyes and eyebrows.
Rosie looked back and forth between Grace and Noah, her chin moving up and down in a gentle nod. “Right. Okay. Well, I should go.” She looked at Josh.
Josh’s gaze locked on Rosie’s. “Me too.”
“What?” Grace looked at her friend. “You said you were helping me paint.”
Rosie looked flustered for all of two seconds. “Rain check? It’s not going anywhere.”
“Cold, Rosie. Cold.”
Her friend winked, and she and Josh left like their asses were on fire. Noah stared after them, a little dumbfounded.
“What the f—”
“My thoughts exactly.” Grace’s tone was the kind of irritated he’d heard directed only at him. It was kind of nice not to be the reason.
They looked at each other and laughed at the same time. “You think they’ll hook up immediately or just exchange numbers?” Grace started for the door.
“I honestly don’t want to know. You’re leaving?”
“Gutters, remember.”
He didn’t like the thought of her up on the ladder but he
didn’t like the thought of him up on a ladder either. He especially didn’t like the thought of either of them breaking their necks falling off said ladder.
“You should wait until…” He trailed off.
She turned at the door. “Until? Some big, strong man can do it? Until I can hire someone?”
“At least until you have someone holding the ladder.” He wondered if she was too stubborn to ask. The strain of silence stretched between them.
He broke first. “I’ll hold the ladder.”
The grin she gave him made him feel like he’d won a prize he didn’t even want. “That’s very neighborly of you.”
Frowning, irritated to be helping her, at the fact that he wanted to help her, he just shook his head. “Don’t get used to it.”
10
Grace wanted to shove the debris she yanked out of the gutters in Noah’s face. If she weren’t on a schedule of chores that needed doing, she might have told him to shove his offer of help. But beggars fell off ladders when they climbed them without a spotter. Not exactly the saying but whatever. Damn, her mood had taken a serious dive. Seven texts from Tammy, Rosie ditching her for her own hot surfer guy, and Noah’s attitude created a ball of irritation she wanted to take a sledgehammer to.
The gutters actually weren’t that bad, but it was something she wanted done before she borrowed Morty’s pressure washer. Less mess overall was her way of thinking.
“You’re leaning too far to the left. You’re going to fall,” Noah shouted up.
“You are stomping all over my nerves,” she muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Just a little more. She still couldn’t believe the chemistry between Rosie and Josh. Had there been kindling close by, a fire would have ignited. You don’t want that. She wasn’t looking for an I-want-to-tear-your-clothes-off relationship. Though, maybe if she let herself have one, she wouldn’t feel like she was going to poke Noah with a rake. You could tear his clothes off. Argh. No. No thank you. There was sexual tension, then there was supreme irritation brought on by my Neighbor Know-It-All.
“Seriously, Grace. Don’t lean so far over.”
She looked down, tossed the tool she was using to clean the gutters. The thump on the grass made Noah jump, shaking the ladder.
“If I fall, it’ll be because you can’t even hold a ladder.” She started climbing down, not realizing he’d stayed in his spot until she felt his presence at her back.
“Got down safely, didn’t you?”
She turned on the ladder, glaring at him. “Yay. You have ladder-holding skills. Too bad I don’t have any stickers left from the birthday party.” She winced. Why did he make her lose her temper when that really wasn’t her style?
“Ouch.” He stepped back.
“Why did you offer to help if you were just going to complain?” Grace asked, pulling the gloves off and tossing them on the ground.
“Because you would have done it anyway.” His voice rose and Grace glanced around, grateful no one was out on their own lawns. The beach was pretty packed today, but their yards were removed enough from the crowds.
“News flash, Mr. Money, people can and do do things alone. Some people, myself included, are very capable of getting chores done without hiring people to do it. You might be shocked to hear this but,” she said, leaning in closer. Which she’d realize was a mistake. “I have a full fridge of food that I bought all by myself.”
He stepped forward so their toes and noses nearly touched. “Stop being crabby because I didn’t want you to fall.”
“This isn’t about falling,” she spat back, her breathing going heavy and shallow at the same time. Or maybe her heart got heavy. Something weird was happening in her chest.
“You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”
“Awesome. You’re the most irritating man I’ve ever met. And I lived with Morty.”
When he reared back slightly, she expected a scathing remark. Instead, he laughed.
Grace’s lips quirked. Talking to Noah Jansen was like being on a Tilt-A-Whirl. What would kissing him be like? Nope. Hard stop sign on that one. What was she thinking?
“I’m getting compared to a grumpy old man; I asked my assistant if he wanted to grab a beer sometime only to have him think I was hitting on him. I used to be the charmer in the family. Maybe California isn’t so good for me,” he said, all of the fight going out of his stance.
Her heart did that funny thing where it took pity on him. Like last night with the fence.
“You’re just adjusting. Clearly, you’re used to bossing people around.”
“Ha. Yeah. I’m good at that part.” An unpleasant expression came over his face, making her wonder what he was thinking.
“I should go. I need to get the den ready to paint.”
His jaw dropped open. “You just finished the gutters.”
She laughed. “Yes. I did. Now I have to paint or I won’t be able to until next weekend. Kind of got a lot going on right now.”
He looked down at the ground, then up through enviable thick lashes. “You want help?”
It was her turn to laugh. “No thanks.” She looked over at the fence, which had actually dried nicely, but she couldn’t help but remember how flustered he’d been when she showed up.
“Because you think I’ll mess it up?” His shoulders stiffened again.
“Because I think you’ll slow me down.” She grinned.
“I could probably do it faster than you.” His brows rose in challenge.
Why the hell did that piss her off and intrigue her at the same time? Maybe something was wrong with her libido. It’s called not-getting-any-atitis. It’s making your vision skewed. No. Nothing wrong with your vision. No one could say this man isn’t gorgeous. She was only human.
“Wanna bet?”
His grin widened. A kick straight in the stomach. That smile. It erased all the fatigue and frustration she’d carried all day.
“Unless you’re scared to lose?”
Grace stepped forward. “To you? No.”
He eyed her in a way she hadn’t seen before. A way that made her skin heat. A way she liked way too much.
“What’s going through that brain of yours, Grace?” he asked, his voice low. Had she really met this man only just over a week ago? The way he said her name felt like a caress.
“Wondering what I should ask for when I win the bet,” she lied.
He chuckled. “If you win.”
“Sure. Sure. That’s what I meant.”
She continued to watch him, pretending she wasn’t dying to know what he was thinking.
“I say we do the neighborly thing and help each other out while still making it a challenge.” He folded his arms across his chest, leaned a shoulder against the wall. She did her best not to stare at how it made his toned biceps appear bigger. She really needed to get a grip on her libido. Or his biceps, which would solve both problems.
“I’m listening.”
“We do one house at a time. Yours then mine. We each take a wall, see who can get it done quicker. Bets out of the way. Then we help each other finish.”
Wow. Her brain had totally gone somewhere else with that. Which made her stomach do a swirly thing. She should lean against the wall, too. All nonchalant and totally not impacted by the way his gaze was locked on her own.
Slowly, deliberately, she folded her arms across her chest, right under her boobs, tucking her hands in the crooks of her arms. Then she, oh so slowly, hopefully sexily, let her body relax against the wall. The effect would have been so much better if she’d made sure there was actually a wall to lean on. When she fell into the empty space, she nearly toppled over her own feet.
Noah’s bark of laughter was quickly replaced by concern as she righted herself. Her arms unfolded on reflex to break an impending fall. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was that she didn’t actually fall flat on her face or her ass.
“You okay there
, neighbor?” He stepped forward as she rolled her shoulders, wishing she could have an instant do-over. His hands came to her shoulders, squeezing gently.
“Fine.” Shake it off. “Totally fine. Guess I thought there was a wall there.”
His lips twitched. Damn him. “If only you’d pulled the same move a few days ago.”
She refused to give in to the urge to duck her head. “The bet.” Redirection was the best distraction from her own clumsiness.
Noah dropped his hands. Grace kept her hands at her sides, standing tall. No leaning whatsoever.
“Okay. We measure the walls, make sure they’re the same size. One coat each, though we’ll probably have to do seconds. Winner gets to name their prize.”
Her gaze narrowed. “No way. Clearly defined boundaries. I win, you stop trying to buy my house. You win, you can keep asking but I’ll still say no.”
“You need to work on your negotiating, Gracie.” His eyes heated when he said her name, which confused the hell out of her. She almost started to correct him, despite liking the delicious swirl in her belly that resulted from his tone, when he held up a hand. “Sorry. Grace.”
“You win, I’ll stop asking. I win, you help me choose some office furniture.”
“Why would you want my help?” That almost seemed like a double reward for her, win or lose.
He shrugged. “It’s not an important room. I’ll answer emails and read contracts in my office.”
Did he know he had a knack for turning a good thing into an irritating one? Whatever. You still win either way.
“Fine. Deal.” She held out her hand.
“Deal.”
Several clichés popped into Grace’s head on the way back to her place to change and get ready. The most prevalent one was about keeping her enemies close. That’s all she was doing.
11
There was no reason to be nervous about some guy coming over to help her paint a room. Maybe if it was a guy she could see herself with, a guy who didn’t have more moods than she had fabric swatches, she’d understand her less than steady hands. Smoothing out the tarp to protect the floor, she looked around for her phone. How could she misplace something that she used so often? She spotted it on the coffee table.
How to Love Your Neighbor Page 7
