Let Me Show You

by Becca Seymour

  I stepped into the kitchen where he stood in front of a high-tech coffee machine. My heavy boots scuffed the floor, and he swung his head in my direction. There went that Adam’s apple again, dipping and bobbing as he swallowed. It was as if he were feasting on me, or so went my sordid imagination.

  “So, um, you want one?” Nervousness caught his voice as he gave a delayed dip of his head toward the machine. I frowned, not liking the sound in his voice. I considered my appearance next to his. While I was only a little taller, it was almost like I was his opposite in every way—including appearance. Not having shaved in a week, more out of a lack of care than a fashion statement, I knew I looked a little rough around the edges. My steel-gray eyes could come across as hard and intimidating, or so said one of my exes. Yeah, he was an ex for a reason.

  While I knew Carter was trim, with the body of an athlete, I was more toned from hard labor. I didn’t work out, and I also liked a beer or sometimes five along with greasy food, so while I didn’t look like one of the hot guys I’d sometimes hand fuck over, without my clothes, I was pretty confident most men liked what they saw.

  I found my voice. “Sure. Black, thanks.”

  He nodded, his gaze moving away. Surprise flittered through me when I released a deep breath, not realizing I was so affected by his scrutiny.

  I looked around and headed to the stool in front of a countertop that had seen better days. “So, how long have you been here?”

  He turned, carrying one mug, and limped over. I made to stand, offering to help but he dismissed me with a small smile and a shake of his head.

  “Six months.”

  Damn. He’d been living in this shithole for half a year? I was surprised he only had a limp and wasn’t battered and bruised by the potential death traps in this place. “Wow.” I nodded and cleared my throat. Not one to hold back, I continued, “How’d you come about this place?”

  After placing my drink in front of me, he turned, hobbled over to get his own mug, and then finally sat beside me. I turned to angle myself toward him, acutely aware my legs were now in his space and a few inches from grazing his thighs.

  He took a sip of his frothy coffee and licked the foam off his top lip. I clenched my jaw, willing myself to stop being a horny prick. “It was my grandfather’s place.” He angled toward me and shrugged one shoulder. “He sort of let the place get away from him. I’ve felt pretty crappy about the whole thing. I knew it was bad when I was a kid, but I was so busy in school and then work that I rarely came by to check on him. It didn’t help that he was a mean old man, but hey, family, right?” His blush came back as his eyes widened. Oversharing could be a bitch sometimes, often falling free without intending it. I got it. Never did it myself, but understood it happened.

  I nodded in understanding and took a gulp of my cooling coffee. It was surprisingly good considering it came from a machine designed to impress rather than produce a good cup of caffeine.

  He continued, “Anyway, the old fool left me this wreck in his will.” His eyes widened in bewilderment. “Still have no real idea why. Perhaps he wanted to annoy me because he knew how screwed the place was.” His laugh held a trace of humor.

  “Where’d you move from?” I struggled to place his accent.

  “Seattle.”

  “Man, you’re a long way from home.” He nodded. “So you looking at fixing up and getting out?” I tensed, waiting for his answer. A rush of feeling filled my gut at the thought of him leaving before I had the chance of knowing him. This was not the fucking plan at all. It was probably a good thing if he said yes. No hope or expectations.

  He shrugged and winced when he shifted his leg, his ankle no doubt giving him pain. “I managed to get a transfer to a veterinary practice in town. My old job said there’d always be a place there for me, but I don’t know. This town is sort of growing on me, you know?”

  Releasing a small laugh, I nodded. “Yeah. I moved in about three months ago. I kinda like the quiet life of Kirkby. It’s different. God, crazy different at times, but it suits me for now.” I had no idea why I’d tagged on “for now.” Maybe it was that I liked the illusion of choice, but I’d made a commitment to my family and would always be there for them.

  His eyes were fixed on mine the whole time I spoke, seemingly interested in every word I said. Uncomfortable under his scrutiny, I steamed ahead, disliking feeling out of my depth. “So, the house, when you said it needed a lot of work, you weren’t kidding.”

  He sighed. “Yes, I know.” Taking a gulp of his drink, he glanced around the space before looking back at me. “It needs doing. There’s no getting out of it.”

  I nodded before handing him my notes, giving him a few moments to look over them. “There’s also the attic that needs work. The insulation has sagged and ripped in parts. The roof looks fine, but what do I know?” he added with a laugh. “The hatch has one of those pull-down ladders if you want to pop your head up? The opening is in the back bedroom.”

  I stood, giving him a smile. “I’ll take a look now.” Once up the stairs, I found the opening, pulled down the steps and poked my head up. Removing the small flashlight from my belt, I looked around the open space. The roof did look fine, plus there was no damp from what I could see. But all the insulation would need tearing down and replacing. The poor guy would need a lot of dough to be able to fit out this place to spec. Shaking my head, I made my way downstairs, hoping he wouldn’t be too horrified when he received my quote.

  His eyes were on me as soon as I entered the kitchen. “Uh-oh! By that grim expression, I’m assuming it’s not a simple patch-up?”

  I offered him a light smile. “Sorry, man. It’s not actually a hard job, just messy and expensive to replace the whole insulation for the area.”

  “Figures,” he mumbled.

  I stood awkwardly at the door, wishing there was something I could do to help him out. He seemed like a nice guy, obviously as hot as sin, and it was clear he hadn’t signed up for this mammoth task. “Have you thought about just selling it?” I offered.

  With a small shrug, he answered, “I did have that passing thought, especially when I first came, but not so much anymore.”

  I nodded in understanding. “I can get a quote to you in a few days. There are just some materials I need to price up first.” I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “You know the materials alone are going to cost you, right?” I tried to keep my face blank but was sure my regret was transparent.

  A smile lit up his face, and I grinned back, finding it impossible not to. “It’s all good. Just give me a fair quote, and we’ll be good.”

  “Okay, well, I best be going.” I hesitated. “Thanks for the coffee.” He made to stand. “Please, I can find my way out. Just keep off your ankle.” I grimaced internally as the desire to protect him surged through me. I needed to get on the road before I offered to piggyback him where he needed to go, or something as equally stupid.

  “Thanks.” He grinned. “We’ll chat soon, yeah?”

  I nodded dumbly, wanting nothing more than to chat about the prospect of a date, but knowing it was completely inappropriate. He threw me a weak smile just before I turned and left, my heart beating ridiculously fast while my dick remained unwilling to play hard to get. “Yeah, see ya,” I called over my shoulder as I hightailed it out of there.

  Chapter Five

  TANNER

  For three days, I’d been bartering prices from local merchants to get Carter the best price going. I’d finally pulled enough favors to get him a good deal. Even though the quote seemed crazy high and would have most men balking at the cost, I knew it was low. My prices alone for labor would be barely enough to keep me afloat, but my property out East was finally under contract, plus, what was a man to do when his dick was leading him?

  After finalizing the quote, it would be an easy task to email it to him. It seemed, though, I was a glutton for punishment. Instead, I pulled up to his house. It was past seven o’clock in the evening, but like a nee
dy fucker, I wanted to make sure I could hand it to him personally rather than leaving it in his mailbox.

  I looked down at my grubby work clothes, and reached for the spare shirt I kept in my truck. I tugged on the clean T-shirt then pulled out my body spray and doused myself, not wanting to offend the guy, and then grabbed his quote. I hesitated at his door, remembering our first and last encounter. It wasn’t every day I had the chance to see a fine cock on display within the first five seconds of meeting someone. I’d got an eyeful though with Carter, certainly a good enough view that it had fed my imagination the last few days.

  Sighing deeply to calm my increased heart rate, I composed myself enough to knock on the door. This time there were no screams or cries for help. Instead, I heard soft padding feet make their way to the door before it opened. A barefooted Carter stood before me, wearing jeans and a chest-hugging tee. He looked every bit as sexy as I remembered.

  “Hey, Tanner.” A bright smile lit up his face. “Come in.” He backed away from the door and headed to the kitchen. I noticed he was no longer limping, which was good. “Close it behind you, please. I have food on the stove.”

  I swallowed as I watched him walk away, my gaze going straight to his ass. The denim cupped it perfectly, and I immediately flashed back to what it looked like in the flesh. Shaking my head, I pushed the door shut and followed him. When I stepped into the kitchen, two pans were on the stove. Steam filled the room, and I couldn’t not think how fucking hot he looked being domestic.

  I cleared my throat. “Sorry to interrupt. I have your quote.”

  “Oh, fabulous, thank you.” He looked over his shoulder at me while he stirred one of the pots.

  “I can just leave it here if you want.” I indicated toward the table and then clarified, “On the table.” I shifted awkwardly, not wanting to rush out but knowing it was for the best. I needed this job. “I’ll get out of your hair. Just give me a call if you want me to go over anything with you.” I placed the envelope on the table and tapped my pointer finger on it before taking a step back. “Okay….” I was a blundering idiot and would soon be hitting the realms of destroying my ego and any chance of suave I had going for me, or hell, any chance of getting the job if I wasn’t careful.

  I ground my teeth together, all levels of pissed off at myself. This was not me. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been in the same vicinity of a gorgeous man before. Regardless, he affected me.

  “Oh.” He turned toward me, pan in hand as he removed it from the heat. He chewed at the corner of his lip before continuing, “Err, I don’t suppose you want to stay for dinner and then you can explain it all to me?” A light blush spread across his cheeks, something he’d done a lot since we’d met. “All this house stuff, materials and tools, is so out of my comfort zone.” He gave a short laugh. “It would really help me get my head around everything.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I have plenty. I always make more than I should.” His blush turned a brighter shade of red as his mouth ran away with him.

  I nodded and took a step back to the table. “Sure, I can do that.” I held back the smile desperate to break free, knowing if it escaped, I’d look like an idiot with a big-ass grin.

  It didn’t stop Carter from smiling broadly though, his pearly whites on full display. “Perfect. It’s just spaghetti bolognese. I hope that’s okay?”

  “Sounds great, thanks.” I couldn’t remember the last time anyone other than Davis had cooked for me. “I just need to shoot off a text, then do you need me to do anything?” I asked, feeling like an idiot as I stood staring at him.

  Still stirring the pot he held in his hand, he nodded and indicated the fridge. “There’s beer and white wine in the fridge. Red’s just on the counter. Help yourself.” He then turned and set about finishing the food.

  Exhaling, I cracked my neck, trying to relieve some of the tension that sat on my shoulders. “Beer’s good, thanks. What are you having?”

  “Red, please. The glasses are just to the right of my head.”

  After shooting off a quick text to Davis letting him know I wouldn’t be over to help with Libby at bath time, I held back the groan when he immediately texted me back offering me his words of wisdom.

  Davis: Behave and if you can’t keep it in your pants, make sure you give the best head ever. Stop being a fucking pussy!

  It may not have been my smartest move to tell him about Carter and how fucking hot he was. Davis hadn’t let up since then. He’d been actively encouraging me to screw my no-fraternizing rule, which he’d said was “the biggest pile-of-crap excuse” he’d ever heard. I knew he was onto something, but there was no way I’d tell him that.

  After turning my phone to silent and shoving it in my pocket, I ventured over to where Carter stood, stepped around him, and reached up, my chest brushing against his back. I swallowed hard when his intake of breath hit my ears. Retreat, retreat, sounded in my head, even though it was the last thing my cock wanted. Clenching my jaw as I stopped myself from reaching out and doing something stupid, I quickly swiped a glass from the shelf, grabbed the bottle of wine, and headed straight for the fridge. The distance helped—a little.

  After I’d sorted our drinks, I went to the table and sat down, watching Carter flitter around the kitchen, organizing the dinnerware, straining the pasta, and then finally dishing up. I took the opportunity to get myself under control and put my game face on. Mixing business with pleasure was never a good idea. While it could be all sorts of fun, Carter’s job would take months to complete. If it had been a quick one, I was sure I would have already pounced on him by the time he’d put the plate in front of me. But it wasn’t. Any sort of play would have been an asshole move. Relationships could so quickly get screwed, which would make working for him a nightmare. I had to be smarter than that.

  “So, dig in,” Carter said, offering me a smile as he picked up his utensils.

  “Thanks.” I drank a mouthful of beer before doing exactly that.

  I didn’t hold back and happily accepted a second helping. Carter could cook, like seriously cook. As I scooped up the last bit of sauce on my spoon, I became embarrassingly aware that the room seemed very still. I lifted my gaze to find Carter openly staring at me. He held his wine in one hand, his chin resting on the other. I placed the spoon in my mouth quickly, not aiming for sexy, simply not wanting to spill the sauce on my tee.

  His gaze flicked to my mouth, and it took everything in me to chew the food and not choke on it. While his attention wasn’t unwanted, I felt on display, a position I was not used to. Swallowing, I placed my spoon down and picked up the napkin off my lap, inwardly smiling that he’d offered me one in the first place. I didn’t know anyone who used a napkin at home, let alone fabric ones.

  “That was great. Thanks.”

  Offering me a wide smile, he sat up and took a sip of his wine. “My pleasure. It was nice to have company.”

  I nodded, feeling the same way. Admittedly I had Davis and Libby, but still, Carter’s company was a welcome treat. “So,” I began, feeling the need to steer the conversation, “veterinarian, huh, was that what you always wanted to do?”

  Carter nodded. “Yeah. Always loved animals as a kid. I did well at school and had a head for science.” He shrugged. “I also had a habit of searching for injured wildlife and trying to get them back to health.” He laughed. “My parents never knew what to expect when they’d get home from work.”

  I grinned, imagining a young Carter sneaking in creatures and hiding them in his bedroom. “Pretty cool.” I looked around the room. “No pets?”

  He shook his head. “One day maybe. I’d love a dog and have a huge yard out back, plus the practice I work at is pretty great and actually allows dogs to come to work, as there’s a good-sized run outside, but I have all of this to contend with first.” He indicated the room.

  “That makes sense. Holes in floorboards and dog paws probably aren’t the best match.” I threw him a wink, unable to stop myself. I watched in fascination as p
ink swept across his cheeks.

  He cleared his throat. “What about you? Are you an animal lover?”

  “I always had a dog as a kid,” I answered, “and would love a dog now. I’m finally feeling settled in town so am actually on the lookout.”

  “What breed?”

  I shrugged before taking a pull of my beer. “Not quite sure. I like big dogs, ones you can get on the floor and wrestle with, you know?” He laughed. The genuine joy in the sound pulled a grin to my own mouth. “I have my name down on a few rescue lists for larger dogs. Just waiting for the call.”

  Taking a sip of wine, Carter kept his gaze on mine. He pulled the glass from his mouth and swiped the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip. “That’s great, especially that it’ll be a rescue.”

  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.