Nailing Studs

by Virna DePaul

  “He was attracted to you.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m attracted to you, too. You know it. I wanted to make sure he knew it.”

  “Why?” I felt breathless with him talking to me this way, with him making our silent feelings known and out in the open. “You want something from me while I’m here? Even though you know I’m not going to be staying in Fosterman, right?”

  “I want something from you, yes, if it’s what you want, too. And I think you do. And as for whether you’re going to be staying, well…who knows what’s going to happen, right?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I started telling you about an idea Taylor and I had, before Fancy Pants arrived.”

  I had to giggle. Fancy Pants! “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “We know you don’t have the money for the renovations, but we still want to do it. It’s an old Victorian, and we specialize in historic buildings. We’ve always wanted to fix up Tabitha’s place, and we’d hate to see some other Joe do it instead of us.” He turned in his seat now to face me and used his hands as he explained. Clearly, he was excited about this idea. “Why don’t you let us fix the place up, with no cost to you?”

  Stunned, I flailed for a response before managing to finally say, “What would you get out of this if I can’t pay you?”

  “A show home. We could use your house to show potential clients the work that we can do, how good we are, instead of showing them pics of our work. I’m talking about major historic renovations, not piddley stuff like fixing a sink. So there wouldn’t be a lot of clients coming over to check out the work—just a few who’d be interested in a historic renovation. What do you think?”

  Wow. This was big. And generous. Insane really. Given what they’d quoted me to fix up the house, they’d be donating not only their own time but the cost of materials, as well? To pick up more clients? Would most clients even come to another person’s home to see the work they’d done?

  “Dom,” I began, my voice full of skepticism.

  “Look, I know it sounds crazy, and you’re probably wondering what the catch is, but there’s no catch. Taylor and I work for ourselves. We don’t answer to anyone, and we have goals to expand our business big time. It would be great for all of us. Think about it. You could stay in the house you love so much.”

  Well sure, that would be amazing. And I could also give input during the renovation. Maybe even consider turning the house into a B&B, the way Taylor had suggested, if I could get over my concerns about privacy.

  I’d been looking for something to feel passionate about. My life had been okay, for the most part, which had been fine.

  But that was just it—was “fine” all I wanted?

  Suddenly a memory of Tabitha slipped into my mind. I’d been about eight, and Tabitha and I had been out in Tabitha’s gorgeous garden, one of her many lifetime passions, when a bee had stung her.

  “Fuck,” she’d sworn at the top of her lungs.

  “Ooo, you said a bad word,” I said.

  “What?” Tabitha had said in surprise. “What did I say?”

  “The f-word, Auntie.”

  She laughed.

  “Silly girl,” she grabbed my chin with her dirt-covered fingers, “fuck isn’t the f-word you should never say. It’s F-I-N-E.”

  I’d sounded it out in my head. “Fine?”

  “Shh,” Tabitha had hissed quickly before smiling and giving me a kiss on the forehead. I could remember knowing I’d heard something naughty, but profound.

  Tabitha was filled with passion, love of life, joy and a sense of adventure. And her house was a part of it. Maybe fixing it up with Taylor and Dom could be my passion? Maybe that’s why she gave it to me and not anyone else in the family which probably would have made more sense.

  All I knew was I wanted more than FINE. I wanted it all.

  I could see Dom studying me as I pondered all of this. “I don’t know what to say. It’s beyond generous of you guys to offer this, but I don’t think I’d feel right taking that much from you. Maybe if I could pay you fair compensation for even a fraction of what you’d be doing, I’d be okay with it but I just don’t see how that can happen. I mean, once I got a job, that would help, of course, but then there’s the taxes, living expenses…” I shrugged.

  “Kayla, we’re not hurting for money,” he said. “Taylor and I, we do fairly well. Business is booming here and in the nearby towns, and we always have work. But this could take our business up a notch, especially from the big dogs in Henderson, a few miles up the road. It could lead to a lot more business for us, doing what we love: historical renovation.”

  When I remained silent, he sighed. “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in, so why don’t you just think on it, and the three of us, you, Taylor, and I, can talk more tomorrow.”

  “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it some more,” I said, then bit my lip. “I just… I refuse to take advantage of you. I’m not rich, but I’m independent and I have my pride, Dom.”

  “Just keep an open mind. We can come over around noon, and we can go over everything again with Taylor there.”

  “Okay, I’d like that. And no matter what, thank you for even making the offer. It means so much to me.” It really did. Here Taylor and Dom were strangers, and while they probably were trying to make an arrangement that would benefit their business, some part of me knew they wouldn’t make the offer to just anyone. They liked and trusted me, and I definitely liked them. I trusted them, too, as much as I could trust virtual strangers. I just wasn’t sure if that made me a good judge of character or an idiot.

  When Dominic got out of the booth, he stretched his arms up in the air, and I caught sight of his bare stomach. His shirt rose a couple of inches, and some crazy part of me wanted to reach across the table and rake my nails over his skin. God, I had to see more of those perfect abs.

  I quickly averted my gaze when I found him looking down at me with a victorious grin on his face.

  The trickster—he’d made that move on purpose.

  We headed out to the truck, and the fresh air outside felt good. Not that the diner had been stuffy, but with Logan interrupting and then practically undressing me with his eyes, I was definitely feeling off kilter.

  I leaned against the truck door and briefly closed my eyes, the sun warm on my face, while I waited for Dom to unlock it. But when I didn’t hear the click of the lock, I opened my eyes and was surprised to find him standing right in front of me. He hadn’t reached for his keys in the front pocket of his jeans that were slung so deliciously around his hips. He hadn’t moved to the driver’s side of his truck. He hadn’t even glanced at it.

  His eyes were on me. And me alone.

  Dom seemed to be looking for something. He searched my eyes like some answer lay hidden just beneath my hazel irises, then he slid his gaze down, taking me all in. His head was slightly tilted to the side, like the curve of my waist was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. It wasn’t like how Logan had blatantly undressed me with his eyes, leaving me hot, hungry, and wet. Dom’s gaze was more...in-depth. Deep. Emotional.

  I squirmed beneath Dom’s attention and glanced at my dusty sneakers because the intensity of his gaze left me feeling vulnerable, open, exposed in a way far more intimate than a naked body.

  “Door’s still locked,” I said, pretending like that was the reason we were both still standing there.

  “I know.” And yet his hands did not move to unlock the truck.

  “Is there a reason we’re not getting into the truck?” I asked, tucking a hair behind my ear partially because the wind tugged at it and partially because I could not have been more nervous under his gaze.

  “Taylor thinks we should do this,” he said, ignoring my question. “He thinks it’s a good idea.”

  I frowned. “I’m assuming you mean this house proposal. Are you not convinced?”

  “I wasn’t. And then I was. And now….” He gnawed on his lip like he was
pondering some great, unknown question.

  Wait—did he mean he didn’t want to work on my house, or was he talking about something entirely different? “Look,” I said, still slightly confused, “if you don’t want to do the reno—”

  “I think it’s dangerous,” Dom interrupted, his voice dark and low. “I think it could be very, very dangerous.”

  His words made my stomach flip. The way the word “dangerous” slipped from his lips, oh, I wanted to hear it again and again and again. But I also wanted to understand what we were talking about here. Because this intensity could not be about replacing crown molding and rewiring a kitchen.

  “Someone could get hurt,” he continued, suddenly moving in closer to me.

  “Like falling off a ladder?” My voice was nothing but a whisper. I wasn’t even sure he heard it over the slight breeze.

  “Not exactly,” he said with a hint of a smile. He stepped forward and twisted his finger around the strand of hair I’d tucked behind my ear. He pressed one hand against the window and for a moment, I thought he would kiss me.

  “And you’re not sure if I—if my house is worth the risk?”

  He shook his head. “Not your house. You. We knew from the moment we laid eyes on you, you were worth the risk,” he whispered, his face inches from mine.

  Oh, we were most definitely not talking about the renovation job any more.

  I gasped when he leaned forward, invading my personal space, his scent permeating my senses. “We want to work on your house, Kayla. But more than that, we want to spend more time with you.” He pushed his key into the door’s lock, then, right as I thought he was about to kiss me, he winked and disappeared around to his side, leaving my lungs burning and my knees ready to give way.

  What was that? What the hell was that?

  I paused with my hand on the door handle before climbing inside when something struck me.

  Wait. Had Dom said… “we”?

  8

  Kayla

  As I slid into the seat, a million question marks fluttered through my mind. I was silent for the first few moments as Dom started the engine and then peeled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I knew he was shooting me looks, but I kept my focus on the road ahead. And on breathing.

  Finally, Dom’s voice broke the silence. “You look a little stunned, Kayla. You doing okay?”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer—fake it? Tell him the truth? But the memory of Tabitha getting stung by the bee came back to me and I knew I was done forever with answering Fine.

  I heaved a deep breath and plunged forward. “You said ‘we,’ when normally a guy tells you he wants to spend time with you. It seems a little weird, you speaking on Taylor’s behalf, almost as if you and he are…I don’t know…one unit?”

  He blew out a sharp breath. “Look, it’s clear that both Taylor and I are attracted to you. I saw you and Taylor locked in a moment when you were in your towel. Drove me nuts, because you had a moment with me, too.”

  I swallowed. Well, he was right there. When he’d looked at me back at the house, I couldn’t help the way my body had reacted, and he saw it right through my shirt.

  Dominic went on. “All I meant was that working on your house would give us both the chance to hang around you more, get to know you better. And we’re hoping that once you get to know us better, you might want more than just a professional relationship. With Taylor. With me. Maybe even with…both of us.”

  Wow. Talk about laying it all out there. In a few sentences, he’d acknowledged the physical attraction between me and him, and me and Taylor, and indicated they both wanted to…what?...date me while they renovated the house?

  Yeah, I’d go with that for now. They wanted to date me.

  “So you’re saying you wouldn't mind? If I dated you and Taylor at the same time?”

  “I’m saying we see what happens. Hell, maybe once you really get to know us, you won’t want to spend time with either of us,” he continued. “The thing is, no pressure. We want to make your house beautiful again. We do our thing, you do your thing, and we all get to be friends, no matter what happens. Is that cool with you?”

  Well, when he put it that way… I nodded, trying to figure out how I would handle having two men I liked hanging around all the time. On one hand, pure heaven. On the other…pure torture. What if I wanted them both?

  I gave myself a mental shake. There was no what if—I wanted them both, and I knew it. And not just to date at the same time, with the intention of eventually choosing one of them.

  I must have looked like my brain was going to explode because Dom reached out and covered my hand with his. “I know you have more questions, but let’s wait until tomorrow to talk? That way Taylor can share his thoughts, too.”

  “Yeah, sure,” I said. How, though? How do three people have a conversation about their mutual attraction without feeling conflicted?

  We arrived back at the house and Dom walked me up the porch steps. At the door, he leaned against the wall, looking mighty fine…and like a load had been lifted off his shoulders. Calmer. More at peace. Part of me wanted to invite him inside and start this getting-to-know-you thing right away, but my mind was reeling.

  “Thank you so much for lunch,” I said. “The food was great, and I loved the diner.”

  “My pleasure.” He tapped the wall and pointed at me. “Noon tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good.”

  He reached out and cupped my face in his hands. His fingers were rough and hot, and I closed my eyes to savor the feeling. I waited with bated breath, wondering if he was going to kiss me, hoping he was going to kiss me. Instead, he rested his forehead against mine. I 0pened my eyes and stared into his, and as seconds went by, neither one of us moving, I swear I could feel our hearts beating in time. Just as it had with him at the diner, time seemed to slow, and my knees went weak as I breathed in his scent.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and in that moment, I felt we shared an intimacy that transcended any physical experience I’d ever had with another man.

  “Dom,” I whispered.

  He moved his thumb, grazing my bottom lip, then pulling it down a little, encouraging me to flick out my tongue to taste him. He closed his eyes, ground his forehead gently against mine, then stepped back.

  “I already told you I want you, Kayla. Don’t ever think otherwise. But I’ve just thrown a lot at you. And tomorrow…well…you’re going to understand exactly how much I want you. And how much Taylor does, too. Before anything happens, before I take even your mouth, I want there to be total honesty between us. Because once I taste you, I’m not going to be able to stop. Do you understand?”

  I took a shaky breath and actually reached out to place a steadying hand on my front door. “I understand,” I whispered.

  “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  After he drove off, I stepped inside and closed the door, then collapsed against the front door, not stopping until I was sitting on the floor.

  What in the world was I getting myself into?

  That night, when I was finally able to move again, I put my clothes in drawers and settled a few of my items from the NYC apartment into Tabitha’s house. As I did so, my brain moved a million miles a minute. Dominic had said they both were attracted to me. They both wanted to spend time with me. That tomorrow I was going to find out just how much he and Taylor wanted me.

  He suggested I could date them both at once. But since then, I started to wonder if he meant I could have them both. To date. To fuck. Individually and maybe even together.

  And God, if that was what he meant, could I do it?

  It was one thing to fantasize about it but another to go through with it.

  Really, it just seemed way too good to be true.

  Which is why, on my second glass of wine, I began to wonder if the whole reason they were offering to fix up my house was so I’d feel obligated to fuck both of them. Did they think they could buy my body that way? But then
I really thought about it and almost burst out laughing. I was being ridiculous. Neither Taylor nor Dom had to buy any woman. Women probably threw themselves at them 24/7. And besides, the bid they’d given me to restore the house had been six figures. What men in their right minds would consider spending that kind of cash for the honor of having sex with me? None.

  The Tabitha side of my brain agreed, screaming, Oh, quit ninnying, Kayla. Taylor and Dom can want to date you and help you fix up the house at the same time. How many women you know get attention thrown at them from two very different hot guys? Go and enjoy yourself, silly.

  It was Tabitha’s voice in my head that finally settled me. We would talk about everything tomorrow, just as Dom had said. Until then, I would try to put aside my fear and trust what Dom and Taylor had shown me thus far. That they were good men. Attractive, charming, complex, good men who wanted to help me. And wanted me.

  Period.

  In the morning, I baked cinnamon coffee cake bars. I set coffee to brew and whipped up some heavy cream with a sprinkling of sugar to dollop over the cake bars. After that, I grew restless. First I sat in the sun room. Then I sat on the tea parlor floor, making a mental note to check out used furniture stores in town. Half the house was furnished and the other half Tabitha must have gotten rid of some of the older pieces. At least she’d left the beds. Beds that could easily be filled by two big men and, well…and me. If that’s what they ended up offering me, that is. And if I ended up having the nerve to accept.

  I grinned at my own naughty thoughts.

  Yeah, I sure couldn’t concentrate. Like, at all.

  After a nice long shower and putting away some of my clothes, I finally heard the truck outside. My heart in my throat, I ran downstairs to greet them. But my nerves got the best of me, and I paused behind the door, took a deep breath, and waited for them to knock.

  Maybe today they would look different. Maybe today, I’d realize they weren’t as hot as I remembered. Maybe today they wouldn’t exude kindness and sexiness and trustworthiness and—