by Ann Carver
“Right. I can make cupboard handles out of them. And a towel hanger too. Those are great ideas. Yes, let’s get extra,” she said with such excitement that Joey felt bad for thinking he wanted to tie her to his bed.
“Okay,” he said a little more disappointed than he wanted to. “I’ll measure and cut it.”
Harper pulled out a piece of paper and pencil from her back pocket. After working away, she showed him the amount of rope she’d need for the bathroom. Joe nodded and started measuring. Just before he cut the rope, Harper stopped him and moved his hand, adding another yard to how much she wanted. Joe raised a questioning eyebrow to her.
With the most beautiful smile, she whispered, “for what you want to do with the rope.”
“You knew?” he asked in surprise.
She laughed. “Joey, I’ve known you forever. It’s not hard to figure out what you’re thinking most of the time.
Shit. Joe hoped not, because he thought about being inside her an awful lot.
After gathering more stuff from the hardware store, they drove out to the block house in the pouring rain. Gathering everything in one trip meant carrying an armful of bags, but it was better than making two trips.
Soaking wet, Joe took off his shirt and wrung it out in the sink. Then he hung it over the ladder to dry. Harper did the same, leaving her only in her tank top that showed her tight nipples. Joe groaned and reminded himself that he’d be all healed in a couple of more days…if he could last that long.
They started in the bathroom upstairs. While Joe painted it white, Harper began on the shower curtain and hooks. She sat right outside the bathroom, which Joe liked because he could sneak a lot of peeks at her. He could hear the thumping coming out of her earbuds, but he had no clue what it was. He heard bits and pieces. Something about sleeping to Brooklyn, it’s tricky, and push it. He shook his head thinking he’d never understand.
When Joe finished painting, Harper had disappeared from the hallway. He cleaned up and made his way downstairs to find her. Which he did, in the other bathroom. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
She was hanging up the shower curtain that looked like a barn. She decided she was going with a country theme. She had some wonderful ideas of taking hay and using polyurethane to sculpt them into a soap dispenser cover and many other neat ideas. Joe began to think she had more fun watching DIY videos than actually doing it.
“I still need to paint this room,” Joe said, startling her.
She caught herself from falling backwards. “Dammit, Joey, don’t sneak up on me,” she snipped at him.
He laughed to himself. “Just saying, I don’t want to get paint on your pretty shower curtain.”
She turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. She was pissy. “Then don’t,” she said in a pissy tone as her hands went to her hips.
He wondered if she was ever going to catch on that he liked pissing her off. He loved when her hands went to her hips. It made him think of his hands going to her hips and what would come after that.
“Okay,” he said as his smile widened.
She opened her mouth to say something. Probably to yell at him, but then realized he conceded to her. The hands fell off her hips and she gave a quick smile. “Really? I can keep it up?” she asked.
Joe shrugged a shoulder. “Sure, I can put a drop cloth over it.”
She closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him after whispering a thank you. Joe wrapped his arms around those hips he’d just been thinking about.
“You’re the best,” Harper whispered as they parted from their kiss.
“I do my best,” he replied with a chuckle. “I need to get the paint before I take you, right here in the bathroom.”
Harper shivered. “Mm, that sounds exciting,” she said as she pressed herself against him.
He groaned as he went hard. “This burn needs to heal…quickly!” Then he kissed her again and went to get the paint, cursing himself along the way.
Ideas of how Joey could take her in the bathroom filled her mind. On the sink, in the tub, up against the wall…the possibilities were promising. But he’d walked away and she completely understood. She couldn’t wait for his burn to heal either. Sure, it’d been absolutely fantastic the way he could make her come without being inside of her, but she wanted the real thing, for his sake. He was getting nothing in return and she’d felt guilty. She’d make it up to him when he was ready.
While Joey was painting the bathroom downstairs, she shoved in her earbuds, hit play on Sir Mix A Lot and began replacing the cupboard handles with the rope in the other bathroom. She couldn’t wait for the paint to dry so she could put stuff on the walls.
Harper had finished the cupboards and put the burlap shower curtain up. She liked how it was coming together. She cleaned up and decided to go check on Joey.
She leaned against the frame of the bathroom and smiled. He had just started on the last wall. He was on a step ladder and when he reached over, his jeans dipped a little lower. He was still shirtless and she liked what she saw.
He caught her watching him in the mirror. “Like what you see?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I do. When did you get so good looking?” she asked, teasing him. “You were such a scrawny kid.”
“Look who’s talking,” he teased right back.
They both had been awkward. She was the tall girl with fiery, red hair and he’d been the shy, lanky boy. As good looking as he was now, Harper always thought he was cute when they’d been younger.
“We were something, weren’t we?” she said as she thought back to the day he’d been so upset and she’d tried to make him feel better. She’d seduced him and she wanted to now. But she needed to let the poor guy heal.
Joey came down from the ladder after finishing. “Well, I need to call it a day. I have to work tonight. Sorry we couldn’t get to the roof today. I’ll check with Vinny to find out when we can get together next.”
“No worries,” Harper said as she took the brushes from him. “The carpet is coming tomorrow. Do you think it’ll be okay to put it in the room with a hole in the roof?”
Joey laughed. “Yeah, Vinny tarped it off, so unless we get hurricane conditions, it’ll be fine.” He put the top on the paint and folded up the step ladder.
“Good,” she said as she took the paintbrushes to the kitchen. “I can paint too.”
He raised a brow to her. “You can, but don’t you want me to help?” he asked.
She loved it when Joey helped her, but she was eager to get done before Halloween. If that meant doing it herself, she could manage. “It’s great working with you, but I just can’t sit around and wait for you to help. I need to stay busy.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t doubting you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I was just hoping you wanted my help,” he said with a big smile.
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t be anywhere near done if it weren’t for your help.”
He gave her a quick kiss and then they cleaned up for the day. When everything was put up and the house was locked, they drove to Joey’s apartment. Harper started an early dinner while Joey showered. She wasn’t in the mood to cook a big meal, so she settled on BLT’s. She’d really wanted waffles, but she’d make some later when Joey was gone to work. Though she loved waffles, she gotten the feeling they weren’t his favorite.
They ate as they watched television and then Harper took a shower. When she finished, she found Joey in the bedroom, stripping down to get in bed. She quickly pulled on a tank top and panties, because she hadn’t planned on going anywhere the rest of the night, and slipped out of the room so Joey could sleep.
She settled on the couch and watched some more television. She looked over her list from the block house and crossed off a few things and added some more. It was really coming along, which made her extremely happy. She didn’t need such a big house, but it was hers and she was going to cher
ish it.
When she’d set the list on the coffee table, Joey appeared in the living room. Naked. And, what a glorious naked body he had. His arms were tan and what would be a farmer’s tan was a slight pinkish color. He’d gotten some sun when he and Vinny had worked on the roof the other day. As awkward as his coloring looked, the muscles and lean body drew her eyes to all the delicious spots.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, bringing herself back to reality.
He sighed. “I can’t sleep,” he said.
She knew he was exhausted. She heard it in his voice. “Is the TV too loud?”
Joey shook his head. “No, it’s because you’re not with me.”
The corners of Harpers lips curled up. Joey needed her in bed with him to sleep. She really liked the idea that he needed her. Without saying a word, she stood and walked into the bedroom. She crawled into bed and waited for him.
Before Joey got into the bed, he looked at her and said, “You don’t have to, if you’re not tired.”
“Get in, Joey,” she said as she patted the bed next to her.
He smiled and did as she said. He turned away from her and she slid up next to him as she always did. She let her fingers linger over his belly while she inhaled his soapy scent. She would crawl inside of him if she could.
A few minutes later, when her fingers drifted lower, she noticed he was hard. She winced, knowing it had to be painful. She hadn’t meant to dip so low, but when she was with Joey, all she could think about was having him in her.
“Sorry,” she whispered and pulled her hand up.
Joey groaned and laid there as if he was almost asleep. But in point five seconds, flat, he’d turned over and pinned her to the bed. He pushed her tank top up and devoured her breasts, sucking and nipping, which produced some moans from her.
He continued taking his fill of her breasts when his hand slipped into her panties and found her wet, wanting part. He stroked her up and down and then in a circular motion. She writhed beneath him, never wanting him to stop.
“Joey, I want you inside me,” she barely got out in between gasps from what he was doing to her.
Without hesitation, he slipped two fingers inside her. She gasped. It wasn’t what she meant, but all thoughts left her as he slid his fingers in and out. He flicked her tight nipples with his tongue and continued to rub her with his thumb.
Harper couldn’t think about anything. She wasn’t sure she knew her own name and she didn’t care in the least. She came hard, calling out Joey’s name while he continued to stroke her and draw out the last of her release.
Time seemed to stand still for a long time before Harper finally found her voice. “I feel so bad, Joey,” she whispered in exhaustion with her eyes closed.
“Don’t,” he said before putting his mouth on her breast and sucking. After flicking her nipple again, he said, “Just be ready when I’m all healed up.”
She shuddered when his mouth surrounded her breast again. She loved when he did it. He certainly had a way with his mouth. “I can’t wait,” she said.
Joey surrounded her mouth with his and kissed her even more senseless before laying down and settling into a deep sleep. Harper clung to him like her life depended on it. It took her a long time to fall asleep, despite being exhausted, because her mind wouldn’t stop thinking about what Joey had just done to her.
Chapter Twenty
When Joe woke up that night to go to work, he frowned when Harper wasn’t in bed with him. He couldn’t blame her, she probably wasn’t tired when she’d come to bed so he could fall asleep.
He dressed in his uniform and found Harper in the kitchen…making waffles. “Don’t forget the buttery syrup,” he teased as he pulled it out of the cupboard for her.
She looked up and smiled at him. “Thanks. Did you sleep well?” she asked as she pulled the waffle off the griddle and placed it on a plate.
“I did, thanks to you,” he said as he pulled a bottle of water out from the fridge.
Harper put some butter on her waffle and then drowned it in buttery syrup. “Want one? I made one just in case,” she said with a smile.
“Sure, I could use a sugar rush before work.” He pulled out a fork and then put a lot less syrup on his than Harper had put on hers.
They sat at the table and ate. Harper devoured her waffle in half the time it took Joe. While he finished, Harper pulled out a bag from the fridge and put it on the table. He didn’t have to ask, she’d made him a lunch for the night. He could really get used to having her around. Unfortunately, she would be moving on as soon as the block house was done. That made him sad.
Joe stood, put his plate in the sink and turned toward Harper. “I’m sorry if you’re going to stay up all night because of me asking you to come to bed earlier,” he said concerned.
But she shook her head. “Don’t be. I only slept a little while and then I got up and started looking for jobs,” she said as she cleaned the counters that had waffle mix dripped on them.
“What kind of work are you looking for?” he asked, almost forgetting she needed a job to survive on.
“I don’t know,” she said as she stilled and frowned. “I’m only really good at waiting on tables…not even food, mostly drinks. I thought about asking Jax for a job, but I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, sounding defeated.
“Why?” Joe asked.
Harper looked at him and laughed. “Do you really think I could work with Cindy? Actually, do you think she could work with me?”
Joe laughed. He almost forgot about the two going at each other. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good. Was there anything that looked promising?”
She shook her head. “No, I might have to go down river to find something. I’d hate to drive it every day, but I may not have a choice. I was hoping to be in the house first, but the money is going quickly.”
His heart went out to her. “I can help out so you don’t have to find something right away,” he said wanting to help her. “That way you can wait until you’re in the house, first.”
She slid him a look. “Joey, you’re trying to fix me, again,” she said with a stern voice.
He put his hands up in a truce. “No, I’m not trying to fix anything, I’m only trying to help. If you got a job, down river, you wouldn’t have nearly the time you do now to get the house finished. Halloween is a few weeks away, just let me help out until then.”
But she was stubborn and shook her head. “It’ll be fine. You’ve already done so much for me. I’m not sure how I’m ever going to repay you.”
“You don’t have to,” he said meaning it sincerely. He did it because he wanted to. Because they were friends and now lovers.
Her hands went to her hips and she was filled with pissiness again. “Joey, I’m going to pay you back one way or another,” she said defiantly.
Almost choking, thinking about his grandpa, he cleared his throat and then hauled her into him. “I know how you can repay me,” he said before actually thinking about how she’d react to that.
To his surprise, she wrapped herself around him and held tightly. “Mm,” she hummed with her lips on his throat. “I like the way you think. Can I start now?”
He growled and wished like hell they could. “No, it still hurts like a bitch when hot, soapy water touches it,” he said, hating that he had to say it.
Instead of saying anything, she took his hand and pulled him into the bedroom. He asked what she was doing when she started undoing his pants, but she didn’t reply. He knew he should stop her from doing whatever it was she was doing, but for some unknown reason, he didn’t.
When she’d pulled his pants and underwear down, she nudged him to sit on the edge of the bed. Even as she filled the space between his legs, he knew he should stop her. If not for the reason he was still in pain, but for the reason that she didn’t need to repay him this way. Either way, he didn’t stop her. He was a bastard.
“I promise not to go all the way down,” she said before sh
e licked the tip of his erection.
He let out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He stiffened and gritted his teeth. The burn throbbed just from the stretching of his skin, he could only imagine how much it would hurt if she’d went over it.
She slid her tongue all around the tip and then closed her mouth around the top. He was pretty sure he growled her name, trying to let her know she didn’t have to do this, but there was no way in hell he could stop her now. Not when it felt so good, despite the burn.
Sliding a hand into her red hair with one hand, he gripped the sheets with the other. He clenched her hair in his fist as she slid up and down his throbbing erection. He was ready to come, instantly, but he wanted to hold off so he could enjoy every bit of it. Not being able to make love to Harper had been hard, but he took solace in knowing she’d been satisfied.
He began to shake. He knew he was going to come hard. Her warm, wet mouth did things to him that he couldn’t explain. She’d made sure not to go down too far, which he thought he wouldn’t like, but when her tongue slid along every other part of him, he didn’t much care.
She rocked his world in every way possible. Not because she’d just made him come so hard he thought there was no way he was going to be able to walk again…possibly ever, but because he knew he’d be devastated when she walked away from him. Like she did before.
Harper stayed up late, watching YouTube videos, after Joey left for work. She wasn’t tired since she’d fallen asleep with him for part of the evening. She found some good ideas for decorating. If she’d had endless money, she’d do a whole lot more. So, when that thought crossed her mind, she decided to look for work.
An hour later, she sighed and tossed her paper and pencil on the coffee table. There was exactly thee job postings in Harpers Ridge. Since she knew nothing about the legal system, a paralegal was out of the question. She also didn’t know anything about diesel vehicles, so the diesel mechanic was out, as well. She winced at the third job. A general laborer for delivery, set up, and cleaning of portable toilets.
