One thing he’d learned. On plumbing days, don’t eat beforehand.
If the owner weren’t on such a tight budget he’d contract the pipes out, as the whole place needed all of the pipes pulled and replaced.
“Hey, Dave,” Bobby called from the top of the stairs.
“Yo, down here.”
Heavy footsteps made their way down the creaky wooden stairs into the basement. The place was a Halloween dream. “I’ve got the new patio laid out in the back, but I can’t find the cement.”
Fuck, he forgot. Again. “Yeah, knew there was something I forgot to do. I’ll get it and you can start first thing Monday on the patio.”
The big guy braced his hands on an overhead beam. “No prob. We’ve got the kitchen ready to be painted. If you tell me which color she wants in that room, I’ll get started on it. Shouldn’t take but a couple of hours.”
Dave swore under his breath, cranked on the screwdriver, and jabbed himself in the palm of his hand. Yet another thing slipped by. “She hasn’t decided. She’s flip-flopping between Sunflower Yellow and Summertime Blues. Why don’t you finish sanding the bedrooms on the second floor? The third is done and I’ve got the first layer of varnish drying.” He wasn’t about to admit to his worker that he’d forgotten to order both the cement and the five gallons of Sunflower Yellow for the kitchen.
“Sure thing, boss.” Bobby loped up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.
Bobby and his brother had been with him and Jase a long time, so a few screwups wouldn’t send him scampering away to another company. Didn’t mean it would stop him from mentioning them to Jase, though. His partner had enough on his mind between the three jobs they had going on and the wedding. The last thing he needed was to worry about whether Dave could handle the B&B or not.
Dave put all the worries about work and his ADD away, vowing next week would be better. He’d ordered the cement and the paint, and both would be ready first thing Monday morning for him to pick up on his way to the site. Another coat of varnish on the third floor and he’d done all he could for the day. A quick stop at home for a shower, then another quick stop to pick up supplies for the night, and he found himself standing on Tawny’s doorway, staring at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Wow.” Swallowing a couple of times didn’t help clear the block in his throat and allow air to enter. “You look amazing.” Which was a complete understatement. The deep blue dress hugged her hips, skimmed across the tops of her breast to dip in the middle, inviting him to trace her curves.
She stood back, took an exaggerated look. Made him spin around with a finger gesture and let out a wolf whistle any guy on his crew could appreciate.
“You do clean up nicely, Mr. Farber.” Stepping outside, she turned to lock the door. “You didn’t say where we were going. I hope this is okay.”
“If I said no, would you let me come in and re-dress you?” His voice came out huskier than he’d expected, but what man wouldn’t have a hard time talking when a goddess stood before him?
“No.” She laughed as she took his proffered arm and they descended the short steps. “Where are we going? You know it’s customary for the person who asked to plan the date.”
He opened the truck door and helped her in. “You said you wanted drinks, dinner, and dancing. I think you’ll like where I have in mind.”
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“Nope. It’s a surprise.” He flashed her one of his famous heart-stopping smiles. She loved to be in charge of everything, so sitting back and letting him take the lead had to be killing her.
“We missed you at the Habitat project today. You know the ribbon cutting is in two weeks? I can’t wait to see the new owners’ faces when Kevin hands them the keys. Have I said thank you for getting me involved?” Her voice softened as she talked about the project while her smile grew. He knew that feeling, knew the sense of pride working on the Habitat for Humanity homes gave you. Seeing the joy on the faces of people who realized a dream, a dream that would never have come true if not for the organization. Priceless.
“You’re welcome. Make sure your calendar is clear that night. The crew will meet up after for drinks and celebration at Paddy’s Bar. I can pick you up at work or your place. Whichever is easier for you.”
“Kind of jumping ahead, aren’t you?”
Yeah, he loved a woman who knew how to take it easy in a relationship. Or he had, before Tawny entered his radar. From the moment she’d looked up at him with those serious brown eyes and flirty smile, he knew one thing. He had to get to know her, to know everything about her. He couldn’t explain it, nor did it make sense.
Instead of answering her question, he routed the discussion back to the building projects, filling her in on previous developments along with the upcoming schedule. Her eyes lit up as she talked. Now that she’d mastered the nail gun, look out circular saw. Give her a year. She’d be one of the best on his team. The woman did nothing halfway.
Turning off the main street in Charlestown, he made a series of turns, taking them closer to their destination for the night.
“Okay, I admit it. I’m lost. At first I thought we we’re heading to Newport, then you went the other direction, so I figured Westerly or one of the casinos in Connecticut. I can smell the ocean, but isn’t this all private residences out this way?”
Two more lefts and he turned down a long driveway edged with tall beach grass that created an illusion of privacy between the homes. Dave turned off the ignition, jumped out of the truck, and hustled around to open Tawny’s door for her. He held a hand out and helped her down before reaching behind the seat to pull out a picnic basket. “Wait until you see the view, darling.”
They took the wooden walkway around the house and up the stairs to the deck overlooking the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Gray clouds hung overhead, while the waves crashed against the sand. The last of the die-hards played in the shoreline, refusing to give up one minute of their summertime fun.
This far down from the public access point, the crowds were scarce. Mostly rental houseguests, and soon they’d be heading out to dinner or to their own private spaces.
“Does this work?” She hadn’t said a word since they’d pulled up, and for the first time, he doubted his plan.
“Depends. What’s in the basket?” Tawny leaned over the railing while he set up the table. “Could you imagine living here year-round? Getting to watch the season’s change at the water’s edge.”
“Sure, if I had a spare couple of million lying around. Would be pretty sweet to hit the waves first thing every morning during the summer, or take a Zodiac out and do some diving.” The water soothed him, called to him until he couldn’t resist watching the waves rush to ground and back out to sea. He sat the cell phone on the rail and hit play on the music app.
“David, this is lovely.” Tawny turned her back on the sea, eyes lighting up as he held the wine bottle up.
“Red work for you?”
“Absolutely.” She walked over to the table, snatched a piece of bread from the basket he’d set out. “Did you make all of this yourself? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. Cherry put it together for me.” He handed her the wine and shrugged. “Figured who would know your tastes better?”
She laughed. “I thought this looked like her chicken pasta, which is one of my favorites. Good call, and no complaints from me.”
“There would have been had I tried to do more than grill. Mom didn’t have a lot of time for cooking 101. Dad pretty much lives on take-out or frozen pizza.”
“My mom had me in the kitchen since . . . I think she started teaching me to cook in utero. Shocking, I know. In all fairness, she made sure all three of my brothers could cook too. She couldn’t keep George out of the kitchen. He’s a culinary genius. Not that I’ll ever admit it to him. Mateo and Dante can hold their own too.”
“Your family’s nice. A bit intense at times. I always wanted siblings. You know, a bro
ther I could blame things on. A sister I could torment.” He dumped a spoonful of interesting-looking pasta on his plate. Veggies. Huh. He wasn’t sure if the red things were tomatoes or peppers.
“They’re a pain in the rump.” She stalled, attention caught on a couple of kids building a sandcastle. He wondered if her brothers had helped her build one or if they played Godzilla and smashed hers to smithereens. Her gaze back on Dave, she grinned at him. “They’re my PITAs and I love them, even if growing up I wished I had less brothers and some sisters.”
He eyed a gull flying low overhead, ready to defend his meal. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d been dive-bombed by the sneaky bastards. “Let me guess. They tormented you by pulling your ponytails, hid frogs in your bed, and read all your secrets in your diary. Am I right?”
With a smile on her face, she shook her head. “Are you kidding? When I was little I used to build lakes and mud dams with Matty, catch the frogs, and do everything they did. Dante wasn’t too bad. George. My father’s clone would tell me girls aren’t supposed to get dirty. They aren’t supposed to catch frogs and lizards. They belonged in the kitchen or cleaning or taking care of the men. He’d order me around and tell me to clean up his mess. Later, when I started dating? You better be glad you didn’t come around me in school. You would have gotten the talk. I don’t know how many boyfriends he and Dante scared off.”
The gull circled overhead, closing in on them. Dave took a piece of bread, chucked it as far as he could toward the beach, and watched the gull dive. “Sounds like he had a case of hero worship, and if I had a sister who looked like you, I would have chased away all the boys too. Teen boys only think of one thing. Well, two, food and sex.”
“So what you’re saying is nothing has changed? Oh, and your friend is back, behind you.”
He spun around to eye the seagull stepping slowly toward the table and the breadbasket. Dave took another piece and threw it again. “He’s never going to leave us alone now.” He moved the bowl to the middle of the table and covered it and the pasta with napkins. Might slow the bird down. “I have a few other topics pop up on my radar every now and then. Right now, though, pretty much those two are it. How come you never talk about being on the reality show?”
She glanced up quickly, a surprised look on her face. “I don’t know, probably because it was almost two years ago and lasted for all of three seconds.”
“But people recognize you. Your new coworker, Felicity, did. Does it bother you when it happens?” He chucked another piece of bread to drive the pesky bird away.
A small half-smile turned up the corner of her mouth. “Honestly, it’s no big deal. A few people might recognize me or get that don’t-I-know-you look, but it had very little impact on my life for the most part. I was on and off so fast, only the die-hard fans remember, and sadly, that’s because they followed Cherry’s story. I’m linked more to the show through her than I am from actually being on it.”
“Would you do it again?” His gaze locked onto hers. The answer mattered, he didn’t know why. Didn’t care to think about it either.
“No.”
A rumble in the distance had them both glancing out to sea in time to witness a quick strike of lightning on the horizon. Families packed up their gear and headed into the nearby homes, leaving them their own private beach. Dave excused himself for a minute, pulled a key from his pocket, and unlocked the deck door. If they needed to make a mad getaway, he was ready.
“So, whose place is this?” Tawny, finished with her meal, had gone back to the railing, leaning against it as she stared off watching the storm play.
He joined her, and for a few minutes they stood silently watching together. He found Tawny’s company soothed him like the water. Sure, she riled him up, at the same time sending his libido into overdrive. Deep down under it all there was a calming sense of right when she was near. He didn’t know how to explain it, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure he wanted to look at the feeling too closely.
“Buddy of mine, met him diving a few years back, his parents left him the place when they moved to Florida for the year-round sunfest. He and his wife are in Europe for the next week. I’m sort of house-sitting. We could stay and watch the sunrise together.”
Tawny glanced to the house and then back out over the beach, seemingly caught up in the antics of a couple of gulls. He took her hand and ran his thumb over the back of hers.
“David, maybe we should talk about where we think this is going first? Set some ground rules. With our two best friends getting married, it’s not fair to them for us to screw up our friendship and make their lives miserable. I think it’s safe to say neither of us want to be the awkward ex ruining the holidays.”
He wasn’t sure why, but everything inside him skittered to a halt. Not sure if it was because he was afraid she’d ask for a commitment or afraid she wouldn’t. Her actions and words said she wasn’t looking for the bling and a promise, but she’d been raised to expect exactly that. “Sure. You start.”
“Okay. Contrary to what my mom believes, I’m not looking for the white picket fence dream. I’m not ready for 2.5 kids and a dog. If that’s what you want, and I highly doubt it, then tell me now and we can end the date and you can drive me home.”
A sharp pain shot up the back of his head, probably from how fast he’d whipped his head up to look her in the eye. He’d never heard a woman tell him if he wanted a relationship with her to pack sand. “Is this just a one-nighter, a fling, what?” His voice came out rougher than he liked.
“I’ve already learned it will take more than one night to get you out of my system. Let’s call it good friends having fun. You said I needed more fun in my life, right?”
Well hell. Talk about getting bit in the ass with your own words. “Fine, but while we’re having fun, we only have it with each other.”
“Works for me, and when the fun is gone, we call it quits. No harm, no foul, and we stay friends. No weird looks over dinners or cookouts. No quizzing our best friends on who the other is seeing now or any of that stalker crap. Right?” She ran her fingers down his chest, stopping to play with the pocket, buttons, anything except look him in the eyes.
Her words said one thing to him, but her actions spoke of a bundle of nerves as she tried to talk not only him into her game plan, but also herself. He could work with that. He backed her up into the corner of the deck. Placed a hand on each side, giving her nowhere to go.
“Darling, you’re a confirmed bachelor’s dream.” As the words left his mouth he realized the idea of no-strings-attached sex didn’t thrill him. For once he didn’t give a mental oorah or fist bump. What the hell was wrong with him? The question didn’t plague him for long. The wicked look on Tawny’s face took care of all rational thought.
Her eyes glinted with mischief. “Really? And does this confirmed playboy have any dreams of getting freaky in the sand with me?”
All the blood drained to his head. “Give me a moment.” He ran inside, ditched his shoes and socks, and grabbed the blanket out of the hall closet. He’d been accused of being stupid once or twice in his life, but never when a beautiful, sexy woman offered herself up to him.
Her shoes sat on the chair. Damn, he’d had fantasies about those heels, but he could work without them. He had plenty of material left and hello, a gorgeous lady with killer legs, soft curves, and a sweet ass. He needed to thank the makers of her dress for the way it hugged.
Leading her down the steps, he scanned the horizon, happy to note the storm was on its way out to sea instead of inland. The sky had turned a riot of colors, banking the area in shadows as the sun set. He picked a smooth spot on the far side of a little sand dune. It wasn’t much, but it would block any prying eyes from the house with the kids.
He flung the blanket out, letting it settle on its own. Now what? Never at a loss before, he stood, hands on hips, staring at the stupid blanket and wondering what his next move would be. She’d thrown him with her comments, pulled the rug and to
ssed it out the freaking door.
“Beautiful,” Tawny said with her voice filled with awe.
“Yes, you are.” David turned to find her staring out to sea where the sun had started its descent. With his arms wrapped around her, he bent his head and inhaled the scent of flowers and fruit.
“Clichéd much?” She leaned back into him, settling her head against his shoulder as they watched the last streaks of orange and red fade to black.
“Maybe. Doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” Nuzzling her neck, he let his hands wander down over those sweet curves until he touched silky, smooth skin. “We’re in the sand. What did you have in mind? Sand castles? Tunnels to China? Human burial?”
She turned in his arms, wrapped hers around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss that stole his breath away. If she kept that up, he’d die a happy man.
“Let’s go swimming.”
“I didn’t bring my shorts.”
“So? It’s almost dark, no one will be able to tell if you have on boxers or shorts.” The look on his face must have given something away because her eyes widened and she dropped her gaze down. “Tell me you’re not a tighty-whitey guy? Not that it’s a problem, I just always pictured you as a boxer-brief kind of guy.”
Right now he wished he were any of the above. “No, not into nut huggers.”
“Then what’s the problem? Are you shy?” she teased as her hands went to his belt, stopping as another thought hit her. Her hand slipped around to caress his ass. “Oh, mama mia. Commando?”
“Bright girl. Knew you’d figure it out.”
“It’s pretty dark. I don’t think anyone will see.” She tugged at the belt. “Come on, Dave, live a little.”
If he had to call Brody to bail him out, he’d never live it down. But man, would it be worth it. Tugging the zipper down on Tawny’s dress, he said a little prayer that the neighbors had gone out for the night. Give it a couple more weeks and no one would be on this strip of beach. He didn’t normally have a problem with skinny-dipping, so what was holding him back now, other than the thought of being mistaken for a worm on a hook? Nah, would never happen. He was more like an eel.
Boyfriend for Hire Page 19
