She wiggled her gloved fingers. “Hand me the goggles, please, and the wire fitting brush.”
He delivered them. This time, his hands shook.
“Thanks.” She finished cutting the pipe then used the brush to clean out the exposed ends on the one she was using for the repair. “Yeah, I know Patrick.”
Jake hoped for the best. “He’s a cousin?”
“Nope. My older brother.”
Chapter Two
Jake’s features went slack. He gripped the ladder so hard his fingers must ache.
A response Krista expected from the moment he’d shown interest: staring, being playful, and grinning at her as she kept doing to him.
God, he was luscious. Good enough to eat.
Even though he’d combed his hair, the sticky breeze pushed several locks over his forehead, those strands pure black, the same as his eyebrows. His eyes were dark blue, skin bronze, features hotter than guys in Armani fragrance ads. Definitely a male in his prime, early thirties she guessed, plus several inches past six feet. Even though she was five nine, he towered over her.
The last of the water dripped down.
She forced herself to work.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop sneaking peeks at him. His muscles might as well have been carved from stone, they were that chiseled, his tat virile to the extreme. Solid black swirls resembling flames graced his left pec and biceps.
She suppressed a shiver and wished he hadn’t combed his hair, though she appreciated the gesture. His wayward locks, along with his beard-shadowed cheeks, low-slung jeans, and the dark hair trickling beneath his navel to below his waistband made living worthwhile and drove her fucking nuts.
Doggedly, she focused on the job at hand, but her concentration kept wavering and drifting back to him.
No surprise.
Even if he hadn’t known she existed before today, she’d lusted after him for months, ever since she’d arrived at the station one afternoon to drop off a police procedural she’d borrowed from Patrick. Not wanting to tangle with him over her carefree ways, she’d tossed the book in his car he never locked. He was too badass for anyone to mess with his stuff.
The moment she closed his car door, Jake left the building accompanied by a Hispanic officer. Possibly Manny.
The world had stopped then, blood rushing in her ears.
Jake had smiled easily at whatever he and the other officer discussed, his grin carving a dimple in his right cheek. It drew her in like metal to a magnet.
She’d resisted, knowing how cops operated. Their mission was to protect and serve strangers, not provide longevity to their romances or loyalty to the women they dated. She wasn’t looking to score forever after, but she didn’t want to be used for a one-night stand, either. So she avoided officers.
Until now.
Jake gazed at her again, taking in her mouth and eyes like he’d never seen any before.
God help her, she enjoyed his attention, big-time. Her cheeks heated, another blush. Didn’t matter. She wasn’t one to hide her feelings. If she liked a guy, she went for the gold. Another matter Patrick loved to lecture her on.
Jake shifted his weight. His woodsy fragrance wafted near, clean and masculine.
She leaned closer.
The ladder shifted.
Alarm touched his eyes, then dread.
No one had to tell her he recalled what she’d said about Patrick. Unless a cop was suicidal, he didn’t provoke her brother by nailing her for a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. Patrick could be a mean mother, making his subordinate’s life hell.
Time to lighten the mood. “Do you have any portable fans?”
Jake’s color returned. “Yeah. Sorry, I should have offered them before now. It’s really stuffy in here.”
His voice was mega-deep, creaming her pussy.
He backed away from the ladder. “I’ll turn on a couple to cool you off.” Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Would you like a beer, too? Or ice water?”
She warned herself not to react to his sweet gesture and how unglued he got around her. Another plus in his favor. He wasn’t the usual swaggering alpha male, thinking he knew every-damn-thing even when he didn’t and spouting unwanted opinions left and right. However, the sin in his eyes told her he’d be legendary in bed.
“Actually, you use the fans to dry out the water in here. You don’t want it damaging anything or inviting mold.”
His face flamed. “Right.”
Hell. She hadn’t meant to embarrass him. “I would like some ice water, though. Thanks.”
“You got it.” He rushed into the house.
She worked slower than she ever had, not wanting to leave. Never in her wildest fantasies—and she’d had some doozies about him—had she ever believed she’d be tending his pipe. At least the one in his garage rather than the prize in his jeans.
She snickered at her X-rated thought then succumbed to nervous laughter.
His footfalls pounded from inside, nearing her.
She sobered before he saw or heard her.
He padded to the ladder and offered a glass. “There’s more ice than water.”
“Perfect.” She took the glass, their fingers touching. Her breath caught. Every nerve ending she owned fired.
Passion blazed in his eyes.
A horn blared. Another followed. The two drivers shouted obscenities at each other then roared down the street in opposite directions.
Krista pressed the cold glass against her throat but still couldn’t cool down or catch her breath.
Jake swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bouncing. “I’ll get the fans.”
“Thanks.”
The circulating air did little to cool her even though he positioned the flow to hit her legs and butt, not the garage. Once he finished, he returned to the ladder and gripped it harder than he had earlier.
Possibly a good sign for them to eventually hook up, considering he could have hidden in the house until she finished. Afraid to come on too strong, she guzzled the water and handed him the glass.
He held onto it and her fingers longer than he had to.
Dizziness hit her so hard, she had to lock her knees to steady herself.
He glanced at her hair then her mouth. “You want more?”
Her heart refused to slow. “Huh?”
He lifted the glass.
“Oh—no. Thanks. I’m going to slip the repair sleeve over the pipe now.” She showed him the thing. “After that I’ll solder the ends. You should step away from me.”
His mouth turned down. “If you insist.”
He had to be kidding. She wanted him on top of and inside her for days on end. “You don’t want to get burned.”
His gaze shot to the fire extinguisher she’d had him bring in from her truck as a precautionary measure. “When you start to solder, I’ll stand to the side. How’s that?”
Perfect. “I’ll be careful.”
“Do whatever you have to. I trust your judgment.” Honesty and wonder registered on his face.
Her spirits soared, and her nipples peaked.
She fitted the repair sleeve on the original pipe, her effort minimal. Even so, perspiration coated her neck and ran down her back. Once she’d taken a calming breath, she slipped on her goggles.
Jake’s smile said he liked them.
Damn, he was something.
Showing off, she soldered one end in record time without fucking up. Score one for her. “This should hold for years, unless you do something bad again.”
He laughed and rested his arms on the protruding shelf at his side, forgetting her advice to keep his distance. “I told you I didn’t shoot the poor thing.”
“Bet you used drain cleaner, though.”
“Maybe.” Guilt filled his face. “But only for clogs. Isn’t that what those chemicals are for?”
“When they’re not also eating away pipes.” She gestured to the ruined part. “The manufacturers don’t tell you that. Hard water does the sa
me thing. Minerals like magnesium and calcium do a number on metal. Even water softeners will screw them up after a while.”
“Damn, I had no idea.” He wore a sheepish look. “When it comes to fixing stuff here, I’m still at the home-repair-for-dummies stage.”
She chuckled. “You’ll learn.”
“Not this.” He inclined his head toward the pipe. “I’d rather call you back here to fix whatever else gets messed up.”
Even though she shouldn’t have, she wanted more than an occasional conversation with him as she worked on his plumbing. Since first seeing him at the department, her fantasies about him tearing off her clothes, spanking her for being a bad girl, then mounting her for hours on end had proved entertaining, but they wouldn’t be enough any longer. Nothing would sate her craving except his big body imprisoning her and his rigid cock inside every opening she had.
She trembled.
He glanced at the fans. “Want me to turn them off?”
“Pointing them at the floor, rather than me, might be your best choice.”
“Naw.” He stayed where he was. “You come first.”
She laughed self-consciously, no different from a middle school girl who had a crush on the football captain. At any other time, she might have chided herself for behaving foolishly. Jake offered a comfort level few men did, appreciating her skill and knowledge, while also hungering for her as a woman. Even better, he hadn’t questioned her every move and intelligence or tried to mansplain anything. For that alone, she liked him. “Thanks.”
Pleasure shone on his face but didn’t last. He cleared his throat and gestured to her tools. “What do you need next? I’ll hand it to you. We can pretend you’re a doctor and I’m your able assistant.”
“Just like Grey’s Anatomy, huh?”
He rubbed his neck. “I was thinking more Code Black. That trauma room kicks ass.”
“Code Black it is. I’ll play Rob Lowe’s part.”
“The hell you will. You’re too young and…” He regarded her as he had earlier, as lost in her gaze as she was in his.
His color deepened. “What were we talking about?”
“Me being Rob Lowe.”
“Right.” He regarded her mouth, then her eyes. “You don’t look the part.”
Her already healthy confidence shot up a thousand percent. Although she worked as a plumber and was a feminist, she still liked men noticing her as a woman, proving she could be feminine and capable. An unknown concept to the jerks she worked with.
Like a dedicated nurse in an operating room, Jake took the materials she no longer needed and handed her the next stuff she required. More often than not, their fingers touched.
He didn’t pull away.
She couldn’t force herself to do so. Yearning hit so hard, she savored the small intimacies for as long as she could. His heat and subdued strength crowded out everything else, leaving her breathless and weak. Somehow, she didn’t mind or want to resist.
If he noticed her working at a snail’s pace, he didn’t say, nor did he appear to mind. She smiled enough to make her cheeks hurt and told him about her looniest clients.
He laughed so hard he bent over, struggling to catch his breath. “You did not pull wedding photos from a garbage disposal. You’re making that up.”
“Am not. The estranged wife told me she actually wanted to shred something on her husband, but the prick wouldn’t cooperate. Her words, not mine.”
Jake threw back his head and laughed.
No guy should be this fun. His easygoing nature and the respect he showed her made her long for him. Unfortunately, time wasn’t on her side. “I’m about through here.”
“So soon?” He glanced at the pipe then around the garage. “Isn’t there something else you have to do?”
His reluctance to see this end excited her. “Other than checking the other pipes out here, the only thing left is turning on the water heater and restoring the flow to the rest of your house, unless you want to do it.”
“I’ll help.” He shoved back his hair. “You’re sure that’s it?”
“I could look at the inside plumbing to see if there are any problems there.”
Apprehension tightened his features.
Her stomach sank. He couldn’t have a naked girlfriend still sleeping in his bed…except he might, given his great looks and personality. Hell, Krista would have done him in front of his neighbors if he’d allowed her. She held up her hands. “Only a suggestion. No way would I barge into your—”
“I haven’t had a chance to clean up.” Embarrassment flooded his face. “I’m not a slob, but I wasn’t expecting you, and I… The place is kind of a mess.”
“No biggie. You’re a guy.”
He gave her a wounded look. “Ouch.”
She smiled, though it didn’t last. No way could she delay leaving any longer. She longed to say something but didn’t know what. Being open about wanting to go out with him, which could turn out badly and risk Patrick’s wrath—then Jake’s career—wasn’t the sanest way to begin the conversation. Stumped on how to proceed, she left the ladder and hunkered down by her toolbox.
Jake joined her. “What do you need? I’ll be Rob Lowe this time.”
Even when Rob was Jake’s age, he couldn’t have competed with him. “Sounds like a plan. Hand me the tubing cutter so I can put it away.”
Jake moved far slower than she did as she packed her stuff. During her inspection of the other pipes, he asked countless plumbing questions, delaying her departure further. Birds traipsed in and out of the garage, the puddled water drawing them. Insects buzzed close then flitted away. She held back a sigh.
“Looks like that’s it.” She gave him the paperwork and bill. “Be good.”
His manner changed from quiet to intense. “Sure you want that?”
Her heart skipped several beats then raced. “Not always.”
Understanding showed on his face. Lust, too.
Before she wrestled him to the damp floor and crawled all over him, she stepped back.
He followed. “I’ll take your stuff to the truck.”
For some reason, she wanted to test his interest in her. “No need.”
“I want to. Let me help.”
“Okay.” She stood in his way so he couldn’t move past with her things. “Take me out tonight.” Patrick would never know. The only places he ever patronized were diners, bowling alleys, or Chuck E. Cheese’s for his kids. Jake wasn’t the type to frequent those spots. Plus, she was a big girl and could take care of herself. They’d have fun. She’d expect nothing more. “Show me a good time.”
A muscle in his pec ticked, and his breathing accelerated.
Not one to mince words, she said what needed saying. “Unless you already have a date.”
He shook his head.
His immediate response thrilled her. “I can meet you wherever you want.”
“Uh-uh.”
Her heart fell. “No?”
“That’s right.” He hefted her tool kit as easily as if feathers filled it rather than her gear and gave her a slow, sexy smile filled with promise. “I’ll pick you up at nine, your place.”
Chapter Three
Jake was no saint, but some lines he never crossed. Taking Krista out for a good time should have been the first item on his list.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.
Oddly enough, it felt right. No, fucking necessary, despite her being his sarge’s baby sister. That alone should have brought on dry heaves. Yet he didn’t care what happened after this evening ended. He would…eventually. Right now, being with her was more important than any coming doom.
He got her address, then walked her to her truck, telling her they’d be going out for drinks, dinner, and dancing.
She looked like she wanted to kiss him.
He wouldn’t have minded. Once she left, he cleaned his house better than he ever had, and not because she was going to stroll through it inspecting his pipes.
He took extra care in his bedroom, spraying enough Febreze to make breathing difficult. With only an hour left until nine, he groomed until he had to leave and didn’t want to explore why he was being so meticulous.
At 8:55 p.m. he stood at Krista’s front door and knocked, ready for trouble.
Footfalls sounded inside.
His heart pounded.
The front door swung inward.
He forgot to breathe. Holy fucking Christ.
She’d let her hair down, the reddish-blond waves caressing her shoulders, one curl lying provocatively near her breast. Her top glittered like a zillion diamonds and hung down one arm, baring that shoulder.
His ears buzzed.
Her black pants were tight as skin and had more sparkly stuff on the sides.
He loved her high heels but couldn’t figure out how she was able to walk in something so high, or keep them on. There were only two thin straps holding them to her feet. Bright-red polish decorated her toenails.
An insane urge to kiss them rose so swiftly, he had to keep from sinking to his knees. “Wow.”
Desire burned in her eyes. “I clean up good, huh?”
She should always sound as breathy. It was an amazing turn-on. “I’ll say. You look like a girl.”
“Really.” She stroked his pec and pressed her thigh against his.
His teeth tingled.
“As I recall, you couldn’t take your eyes off my legs or tat when I was at your place.”
“Yeah?” He slipped his arm around her waist, mesmerized by how small and delicate she was. Her flowery scent surrounded them, reducing his brain to mush. Beneath the fragrance he smelled pure woman. “I was a bad boy?”
“You were.” She fingered his buttons.
Even that small intimacy made his balls and cock go nuts. “Did you mind me being bad?”
“Not at all. Made fixing your pipe fun. Are you wearing your weapon?”
“Which one?”
Her laughter tinkled at his goofy joke, thickening his blood. She pressed her face against his shoulder, muffling the sound, making him crazy.
He wanted to strip her on the porch and mount her until sunrise. Completely doable since he was on vacation and she wasn’t back on the clock until late afternoon tomorrow. More than enough time for them to play.
Men In Uniform Anthology Page 2
