Hunks Too Hot To Touch

by Marie Rochelle

  When Nash smiled at her earlier his teeth were strikingly white against his tanned skin. His features were so strong that they held a certain sensuality to them that most women would undoubtedly fall for including herself.

  Nevertheless, Nash was here to fix her roof not do her. She would try to stay out of his way as much as possible to keep her fascination with him at a minimum. She wasn’t on the lookout for a man. Especially not one as commanding as Nash Wentworth because she got the distinct feeling he could be the man, the one who saw past the perfect image she presented to everyone else including her two best friends.

  Taking a deep breath, Shauntie ran her sweaty palms down the front of her jeans hoping to calm the last of her nerves. She could do this.

  Nash was just a man like every other man she had been around. Spinning on her heel, she strode towards the door hoping she would be able to keep her composure when she got outside.

  Chapter Five

  Grabbing the black rope cords at the side of his truck, Nash worked on getting the ladder tied down securely. He didn’t need it coming off the back of his truck like it did accidentally a couple of weeks ago.

  Luckily, he was working out at a farm house rebuilding the roof on a barn and the incident hadn’t caused anyone to get hurt. Since the mistake occurred Nash made sure he spent more than enough time making sure all of his work equipment was properly secured.

  The sound of a door closing pulled Nash’s attention away from the ladder. He glanced over his shoulder back at Shauntie’s house and spotted her coming towards him. His cock instantly leaped to full attention at the sight of how the gray sleeveless ribbed t-shirt molded against Shauntie’s perky breasts.

  Her well-worn jeans with a medium sized hole in the knee hugged her shapely thighs. Nash’s arousal grew even more when he wondered how Shauntie’s legs would feel wrapped around his waist as he thrust in and out of her warm welcoming heat.

  His eyes drank Shauntie up until he finally was able to move from her tempting body and then he noticed Shauntie’s thick ebony hair. The ends didn’t quite reach her shoulders, but it was still long enough for a man to run his fingers through while he made love to that delectable body of hers.

  Shauntie owned an air of efficiency about her that called to him. She was by no means blind to his attraction to her, but he wasn’t going to move too fast. At least in his mind, Nash hoped that he didn’t; but sometimes it was hard for him to move slowly when he got his sights set on something he wanted. After his initial inspection, he determined that her roof needed a lot of work, so that would give him the time he needed to win Shauntie over. Nash wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers a second time.

  “Did you figure out what’s wrong with my roof?” Shauntie asked walking up to him, a worried expression etched across her pretty face.

  Resting his body against the driver’s side of his truck, he crossed his arms over his chest. Nash wondered how much Shauntie knew about roof inspections. He doubted she knew everything that went into fixing a roof especially one with the extent of work hers needed done. “How long have you lived in this house?” he asked.

  “Close to ten years,” Shauntie answered. “Why? Does that make any difference when it comes to my roof?”

  “Yes, it does make a huge difference. How many times have you gotten your roof inspected?” Nash knew he wasn’t going to get the answer he wanted to hear. Most homeowners never thought about having a roofing inspection done like they were supposed to.

  “I got it inspected when I first purchased this place, but I haven’t since then. Is that a problem?”

  Nash thought as much. He was going to have a lot of work on his hands with this project.

  “Shauntie, most roof leaks can be avoided with two annual inspections. All roofs age after a while and as much as a home owner might hate it, all roofs will need eventual replacement.”

  He watched as Shauntie kept her features deceptively composed. However, he could still tell she was trying to stay calm as it began to dawn on her what he was telling her.

  “Are you saying I need a new roof?” Shauntie shouted then lowered her voice.

  “I went over your roof twice to make sure it wasn’t something minor, and it wasn’t. You have a lot of damage from the sun. Truthfully, you got lucky it lasted for ten years.”

  Shauntie’s pretty face changed from anger to disbelief right before his eyes and he felt bad for her. She really didn’t have a clue about having her roof checked again after she purchased the house.

  “Are you trying to tell me the sun actually caused my roofing problem?” she asked and skepticism filled her voice. “I find that very difficult to believe.”

  Moving away from the truck, Nash positioned his body in front of Shauntie so he could be closer to her. He wasn’t upset that she doubted what he was telling her. He wouldn’t expect anything less; however, understanding the way weather can wear down a roof was sometimes hard for homeowners to comprehend.

  Yet, he would try his best to make Shauntie see he was telling her the truth. How could he ever get Shauntie to agree to a simple date with him if she didn’t believe he was an honest guy?

  “Several things can make a roof a problem; however, the sun a majority of the time softens the tar that binds shingles together. After that occurs warping and cracking happen and even rainwater can ease its way in and a leak can form. If you don’t believe me, I can recommend another roofer to come and look at it, but he’ll tell you the same thing.”

  “I can’t believe this.” Shauntie sighed looking up at her roof and then back at him. “How much will it cost to fix this?”

  Quoting a price wasn’t something he liked doing on his first dry run on a roof. Nash always gave it a second look before he estimated a certain price.

  “I’m not quite sure,” he replied. “I want to come back tomorrow with some equipment to check it out one more time before we talk money. How does that sound to you?” Any excuse he could come up with was better than nothing when it came to finding a way to see Shauntie again.

  “How long do you think it will take? I don’t want to miss another day off work. I have another doctor working on my cases for me today and I can’t have it continue for the rest of the week.”

  Hiding his grin from Shauntie, Nash wondered how he could use this bit of newly learned information to his advantage. Since Shauntie was against missing another day of work, she should be more open-minded to meeting him for lunch or maybe a late dinner to discuss the conditions of her house.

  “I can check the roof without you being at home,” Nash told her. “I have your phone number, so if it’s easier on you we can meet somewhere in town over lunch to discuss what you want after my last finding. I would even be willing to meet you for dinner. Whichever works for you.”

  Having lunch with Shauntie would be his first step at getting a chance to know her better. She might try to fight him, but he wasn’t a quitter. He had waited far too long for this moment. He wouldn’t allow her to push him away for any reason.

  Minutes ticked by as Shauntie regarded him with somber curiosity. She seemed to be having an inner battle with herself over his suggestion. Why was she making an easy answer so hard on him?

  While Nash waited for her reply, he thought about the last time he’d been this nervous about a woman accepting a lunch date from him and he couldn’t. Shauntie was the first woman to make him feel like this.

  On those rare occasions when Nash had gotten approached by rich women at nightclubs, shopping or even the grocery store he would make a speedy exit because he didn’t want to be involved with them. Yet, this time he wasn’t interested in finding the nearest exit sign or a way out because he wanted to be here with Shauntie.

  “Alright, I think I can pencil you in on my calendar for tomorrow since my office is usually closed for lunch,” Shauntie finally answered. “It shouldn’t be a problem for me at all. I just hope my roof is in good hands.”

  Easing closer into Shaunti
e’s personal space, Nash stood in front of her, not so close that they were actually touching, but near her enough that she could feel his body heat. He left her enough room to leave if she wanted.

  “I promise if you give me anything of yours I’ll treat it with respect because that’s the kind of man I am.”

  Shauntie’s big brown eyes grew wider. “Are we both talking about the same thing, Mr. Wentworth?”

  Nash took a step back from Shauntie, so she wouldn’t feel too crowded by him. He wanted to give her time to allow what he told her to sink in. She seemed like the type of female to put up a brave front, but on the inside she was nervous as hell of him and he couldn’t let that happen.

  “I better go,” he said, thinking it was time for him to leave. “I have to check in at another house where my crew is working across town. After our meeting at lunch tomorrow, I’ll have a better idea of everything that is wrong and we can move on from there.” Walking back to his truck, Nash got inside slamming the door closed behind him. He rolled down the window.

  “I’m not promising you that I’ll hire you as my roofer after you give me your estimate. I’m not going to pay an arm and leg to have something fixed that might only need to be patched up,” Shauntie told him as he pulled out of her driveway.

  “It’s good that I have all the faith in the world you’ll trust my judgment and skills as a top notch roofer,” he tossed back before driving off, leaving a shocked Shauntie in her driveway staring after him.

  Oh yeah, Nash thought as he looked back at Shauntie through his rearview mirror. He really was going to enjoy working with her. She had enough sweetness and sass to keep him going for a while.

  Chapter Six

  Sitting back in the chair, Nash tapped the work order for Shauntie Kane’s house against the arm. Her roof was a damn disaster and usually he sent another worker to take over this kind of assignment, but he was going to keep this one for himself.

  His crew only consisted of eight men and they were busy working on other jobs around town. He couldn’t pull them off another job to start on this one. Besides he didn’t want any of them checking out Shauntie. She was for his eyes only.

  Earlier today when he’d been standing outside her house with her practically pressed against the side of his truck, it took all of his willpower not to kiss her right then and there. Shauntie came across like she was full of vinegar and spice, but Nash knew if his fingers stroked her in all of the right places then she would be purring in his hands like a well-fed kitten.

  All during their conversation Shauntie tried to pretend there wasn’t an element of awareness between them, but it was there as clear as day. Why was she trying to make things so complicated when it could be so easy for the two of them?

  Yes, they’d only met today in her mind. But his feelings for her weren’t new at all. If he had found out where she went into hiding after the cruel way J.T. tore her to pieces, he would have shown her how a good man would treat his woman. After the break-up with J.T., Shauntie stopped walking past the construction site and within a couple of weeks the foreman moved them on to a different job.

  Nash loved when everything around him was totally simple and effortless. Shauntie stirred all of his senses from the second she came within touching distance of his body. Instead of pretending she didn’t feel it too, she should be going with the flow.

  Shauntie didn’t know that speaking his mind was a huge part of his personality and sometimes that side of him seemed to get him into trouble.

  Yes, he and Shauntie were practically strangers; however, why should that keep them from exploring future possibilities with each other? Most couples started out as strangers and worked their way into something more meaningful in the end. For him, everything boiled down to it not being as simple as black and white. There could be some shades of gray in there as well.

  The pull between him and Shauntie was there making him want to jump on it as fast as he could before she got away from him again. But if Shauntie was a little leery and needed him to move more at her pace then he would do it.

  Working at her house every day would allow him more than enough time for Shauntie to see things his way and maybe loosen up a little more.

  Nash was quite determined when it came to getting things he wanted and Shauntie was at the top of his list. She was under the impression she would be able to push him away, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He was here to stay as long as it took him to make her see the situation the same way he did. Shauntie was unlike any other woman he had ever met before and he was going to keep pursuing her.

  The only thing that could ruin this for him was if Shauntie found out about his connection to J.T. before he was able to tell her himself. But that wasn’t likely to happen since only one other person knew about his feelings for her while she had been involved with J.T., and Brian would never betray his trust by telling anyone anything about it...not even their buddy Chance.

  Chapter Seven

  Later on that night as Shauntie got ready for bed she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering back to this morning and her meeting with the amazingly sexy Nash. He looked almost too handsome to be a roofer. How was she supposed to be around him every day and not stare at his body? Everything about him was what she was looking for in a boyfriend...well maybe everything but his job.

  Yes, Sapphire and Emerald thought it would be so exciting to date a blue collar man, but she had grown beyond that in her life.

  She’d made a conscious decision never to get involved with those types of men again. She was working way too hard to get herself chained down to a struggling man. She had to after everything that happened to her. She wasn’t working all those long hours to support a man who didn’t even know where his next paycheck might be coming from.

  Shauntie’d made a promise to herself. She wasn’t going to allow Sapphire or Emerald to draw her into any of their nonsense. They might be looking for a sense of adventure at their ages, but she was all adventured out for the moment. Maybe her reluctant behavior honestly came from being thirty years old while both Sapphire and Emerald were still in their late twenties.

  She was no longer seeking out a hot man to warm her bed at night. Nowadays, Shauntie thought it was more important to find one who could be on the same credit report as her. It was surely more important than bulging muscles, a washboard stomach and a killer ‘let me drop my panties’ smile Nash liked tossing at her today.

  Emerald was constantly on her case, teasing her about how she only wanted a boring man who would essentially fall asleep during sex instead of after. But she wasn’t going to give her friend’s crazy assessment any acknowledgment, because as much as she loved Emerald with her heart and soul, she wasn’t the best judge of character in the world when it came to men.

  So what...if she might end up with a horrible lover as a husband, Shauntie thought. At least she wouldn’t be the only one offering to treat them to an expensive meal. Nash probably thought a cold beer and a plate lunch at a bar off the highway was something fancy.

  If Sapphire knew she was thinking like this, she would jump on her case about how she shouldn’t judge a man by his job and then end it by calling her a snob. But she wasn’t a snob in the least; she didn’t look down her nose at anyone. All she wanted to do was find someone this time who was her equal.

  Was that too much to ask?

  Shauntie knew passion was the reasoning behind her involvement with J.T. All it got her in the end was a broken heart and a stack of his bills to pay off. She was going to make damn sure the past didn’t repeat itself. Not after all of the hard work she had done to get where she was today.

  Of course, only one of her two best friends knew about the dumb mistake she’d made with J.T. when she was first starting her career as an optometrist. Sapphire already lived in DaVita, Illinois, so it was her shoulder Shauntie cried on after she found out about the betrayal of her no-good money hungry ex-boyfriend.

  Emerald hadn’t known anything about her relationship
with J.T. because she moved to town a year and a half after everything was over. Shauntie became friends with Emerald after Sapphire introduced them at her house. Sapphire’s friendship with Emerald grew from her being a new patient in her dental office.

  From the first moment Shauntie noticed J.T. everything about him had drawn her. For weeks, she’d walked past the construction site just to check out how good he looked when he stripped out of his shirt.

  His thick, black wavy hair begged her to run her fingers through it to test out and see if it felt as good as it looked. Tight dark jeans molded his thighs drawing her eyes to J.T.’s well-defined ass and the look was only enhanced by his tool belt and his dirty work boots. He was the type of man she constantly fell for back then before she realized her mistake.

  When J.T. finally approached her after two weeks of her walking back and forth to her job, she thought she was the luckiest woman in the world. Shauntie couldn’t wait until her work day had ended so she would get to spend her personal time with J.T.

  Shauntie never questioned the times he wasn’t able to attend events with her. She knew she had J.T.’s love and that was the only thing that mattered to her. If she had only known what was really going on, the truth might have saved her a lot of heartbreak and tears.

  Sadly, she thought the feelings she was experiencing were mutual because J.T. made her believe he was in love with her. He was such a pro at his game of deceit that he even conned her into buying him expensive gifts, especially when he happened to be short on cash which happened a lot.

  Why hadn’t she seen J.T. for what he was?

  Not once did it cross Shauntie’s mind her ‘picture perfect’ boyfriend didn’t have any money because he was spending it on his girlfriend, the mother of their three year old son. Why hadn’t she seen the signs before that day? Everything was right there in front of her face, but she was too blinded by lust or maybe love to even notice it.