by Kali Hart
Duke
Ryan Brothers Renovations Book 1
Kali Hart
Duke is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Kali Hart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
1
SADIE
Some women get a new haircut after a breakup.
Me? Apparently, I redecorate. Loose translation: I angry paint with wine.
“I can fix this,” I say to my best friend Kate, ignoring the doubtful raised eyebrow she sends me via the phone screen. I can fix this. Those famous last words will no doubt be the epitaph on my tombstone one day.
“Is it really that bad?” Kate’s been on the opposite side of the country for almost four months now, and I’m really tired of talking to her from a distance. But I remind myself, for the third time today, that she’ll be home in eight months and three days. And twelve hours. But who’s counting? At least I can see her smiling face—or as is the case in this moment her concerned face—on my screen.
“Let’s just say whoever let me buy a paint brush should be charged for selling me a deadly weapon. I can stun a person blind in here.”
“Have you put the wine away?”
“Both bottles. Two nights ago.” There’s not a drop left in this small house, and the hangover I suffered yesterday isn’t worth buying more. In fact, I may never drink again.
“He’s not worth all this, you know.”
Wish someone had been able to drive that point home before I decided to paint my walls dark red. “Yeah, I get that now.” I have a way of picking the worst men. The ones who are charming and sweet until they get in your pants. Then their true colors come out. My latest mistake thought he could control my diet. Bastard. But his most serious offense was when he tried to eliminate ice cream from my life.
“Show me the damage,” Kate insists.
I flip the camera on my phone and take her on the tour of my dad’s guest home, hoping the light will hide the worst of it. Living here is a temporary arrangement while I save up a down payment for my own house. Though I was given permission to decorate as I saw fit, I doubt this is what he meant. “So?” I ask at the conclusion of the tour.
“It looks like you set a kindergartener with a paint sprayer loose in there. Sadie, what were you thinking?”
“I’m thinking it’s a good thing I didn’t have access to a paint sprayer under the influence of merlot.”
“Has your dad seen it?”
“Not to my knowledge.” Considering the guest house is in Dad’s backyard, he sometimes pops by unannounced. It’s anyone’s guess if he’s witnessed the horror himself. “I plan to fix this disaster before he gets the chance.” If it’s not too late.
“Maybe you should hire someone.”
If I ever hope to move out of this place, hiring a professional is off the table. The cost is too steep. “I’m sober. I’m capable. I just need a neutral paint color.”
“And about four heavy coats to cover up that gawdy color. Seriously, what were you thinking?” Kate presses. “Did you want to become a vampire or something?”
Or something.
“Four coats?” I whimper, already kissing my free evenings goodbye this week.
“If you’re lucky. That’s a dark color.”
“Suppose I better get some paint.”
“Anything but red,” Kate teases.
“Right.”
“And Sadie?”
“Yeah?”
“He was a loser. You deserve someone who treats you right in every way.” Kate wriggles her eyebrows at me suggestively. I laugh long and hard for the first time since I kicked said loser to the curb. “Don’t settle. You’re better than that.”
“Love you, Kate.” Saying goodbye hurts my heart a little. I miss her so much. We’ve been best friends since the third grade. We even went to the same college. This is the first time we’ve ever been apart this long.
Kate blows me a kiss before the call ends. The absence of her cheerful face forces me to confront the disaster that happened all over my guest cottage walls. I really hope my dad hasn’t seen the deep red walls. If the tacky color wasn’t enough, the strokes are uneven in many places. I hit the baseboard and window trim in dozens of places. “What a nightmare.”
“At least my toes look good,” I mutter to myself, happy that I made one good decision this weekend. Never in my life has a pedicure been a bad thing.
I snatch my purse off the floor near the front door—luckily I moved most of the furniture into a spare room before I painted—and slip on a pair of flip-flops. With one more remorseful look at the hideous tragedy that has befallen my living room, I reach for the doorknob and step outside. Right into a brick wall.
A very yummy smelling brick wall that’s not a brick wall at all. But a man.
DUKE
“Whoa there,” I say to the young woman who’s just walked straight into my chest. Wavy caramel hair cascades around her shoulders, hiding her face for the first few moments. I place a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to steady her.
A sizzle of electricity travels up my hand on a clear path to my chest. Shit, that’s not good.
“Sorry about that,” the woman says to me, brushing away the wavy locks. Revealing crystal blue eyes that nearly stop my heart.
“Are you Sadie?” I ask, finding any other words impossible right now. Swallowing down a lump, I wait for that one key answer. If this curvy beauty is Sadie Michaels, I’m in a whole helluva lot of trouble. I wonder if I can convince her to stay a hotel for a few days while I repaint her home. Having her within reach could be a serious problem.
“Yes.” Her narrowed, cautious eyes sweep over my body. No doubt noting the paint splattered overalls and work boots. “Who are you?”
“I’m Duke Ryan. From Ryan Brothers Renovations.” My words rush together, and I’m not even sure she caught my name until she repeats it.
“Duke.”
“That’s right,” I say, forcing some calm back into my shaky voice. Fuck me, I’m in so much trouble. Sadie Michaels is the daughter of our company’s highest paying client. I’ve been hired for a side job, but Ben was very clear about one thing: keep my hands off his daughter.
“From a renovation company?”
I rub my hand hard into the back of my neck as the pieces fall together. She doesn’t know. “Your dad hired me. To repaint your living room.”
Sadie’s cute cheeks flash a deep shade of red that I dare say makes her even sexier than she already is. I’m drawn to her in an unexplainable way. I’d like to think it’s because she’s off limits to me. But it’s more than that. I’ve literally just met this woman, and yet I swear I’m seeing flashes of a future together. That I can blame on the serious lack of sleep these past couple of weeks.
“I’m handling that,” she says, closing the door behind her and stepping around me. “I don’t need your help. Sorry for the confusion, but you can go. I’m not
paying you to paint my house.”
Her dad warned me she might act this way. “Your dad’s paying. He gave me a key.”
Sadie groans, then spins around. “He did what now?”
“I’m under strict orders to do the job.” When Ben first asked me to take on a side job, I was thrilled for the chance to earn a little cash on the side. I’ve been saving up to buy my own fishing boat, taking on extra work when I can. I’ve been spread a thin recently trying to make that happen. But I wasn’t about to turn down the extra cash from our best client.
“No.” Sadie folds her arms across her chest. She has to be completely unaware of how that one gesture lifts her bountiful tits. What I wouldn’t give to suckle those nipples … Get it together, Duke. She’s off limits.
I fish out my phone —any excuse to look away from that entrancing sight—and search for Ben’s number.
“What are you doing?” she asks as I put the phone to my ear. She doesn’t know I haven’t pushed the call button yet.
“I was told to call your dad if you refused to let me in.” It’s a bluff. He warned me she might fight me on this, and said if that happened, he would talk to her. But now that I’m here, I can’t stand the thought of leaving her presence. The yearning is so powerful I can’t begin to untangle any of it.
Sadie lets out a heavy, defeated sigh. “Fine. Come in. Let me show you the damage.” Hand on the doorknob, she looks over her shoulder. “If you have a heart attack, that’s on you.”
I think she’s joking. Until I step across the threshold. I’m assaulted by the deep, bold red color. The uneven brush strokes. The splatters of paint on every piece of trim I can spot. “What happened here?”
“Merlot.”
“That explains some of it.” This is worse than I anticipated. What I thought would be a two-day job tops is looking like a minimum of three. I’m fortunate my brothers can spare most of my help on our main project this week.
“I was on my way to get paint,” she says.
“No wine?”
Sadie’s tense expression softens into the most beautiful smile as she lets out a tiny laugh. “No wine. Ever again.”
“Let’s go get some paint.”
2
SADIE
I’m furious with my dad for hiring a professional painter. Not because I couldn’t use the help—a blind man could see that I can use the help—but because he didn’t tell me. I stab out a text to him, then shove my phone into my purse as we ride in Duke’s truck to the hardware store.
“You said you and your brothers flip houses?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He keeps his eyes on the road, casually switching hands on the wheel. My eyes are drawn to those strong fingers. A fantasy flashes through my mind of those same fingers raking their way over my naked body.
I might be annoyed at my dad for the way this all came about. But I’m not one bit sad at the man he sent over. Duke is hot. Hotter than hot. He could melt the North Pole in the dead of winter. In other words, the perfect distraction.
“We started the company about five years ago, after my parents passed away,” Duke adds after making a left turn through a busy intersection.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I say sincerely. I lost my mom about the same time. I know how much that totally sucks. But I can’t imagine losing both parents at once. I wonder if the tragedy brought his brothers together or they’d always been close. The detail shouldn’t matter to me. After he repaints my living room, it’s doubtful I’ll ever see him again.
He glances my way. I meet his hazel eyes, unsettled by the intensity I see lingering there. I swear the man can see inside me, right to the spot I keep all my secrets and deepest desires hidden. “Thanks.”
We pull into the parking lot of the hardware store, shattering the moment we shared with reality. He’s been hired by my dad to do a job. That’s why we’re really here.
“Any ideas on the paint color you really want?” Duke asks. “Because I’m not allowed to keep the blood red you picked out.”
“Not white,” I say as we enter the store. “That’s why I painted in the first place.”
I follow Duke to the paint section and wait as he scans the cards. He pulls three different ones from the slots and hands them to me. The graze of our fingers makes my nipples tighten. I can’t decide if having him around for a short while will be a good thing or bad thing.
“What do you think about these?” He leans closer, our shoulders touching, as he points to the specific colors on the cards. It’s nearly impossible to concentrate with that manly scent swarming around me. “They’re neutral—as per my instructions—yet they still allow a certain … freedom.”
“Freedom?”
“Yeah.” He flashes me a smile that sends jolts of electricity right to my center. “White feels so confining, don’t you think?”
“Like a padded room?” I offer.
Duke’s succulent lips curve into a dangerous smile. “Yeah, just like that.”
I force my gaze back to the sample cards. One of the gray shades is labeled moonshine. Why didn’t I find that one two days ago? I might’ve bought it just for the name, and my walls would’ve turned out a whole lot less scary than they are. Now, the simple name makes my stomach twist. I’m never drinking again.
“Any colors you like?” Duke asks.
“This silver marlin is pretty.”
“I love working with gray pallets. I know it seems boring, but it can really tie a room together.”
“Are you the designer?” I ask, too curious to leave the more personal question alone. But dammit, I want to know more about him. “For your company?”
“Painting is my specialty. I had my own operation going before we formed our business,” he explains as he takes the sample to the paint counter. “But, I also help make design decisions for the house we do. Paint colors, flooring, trim, backsplash. That sort of thing.”
I find all this incredibly sexy … and surprisingly interesting. Duke Ryan fascinates me in a very dangerous way. As he orders the paint, I let my gaze wander over his perfectly muscular body. I’ve never considered a man in coveralls sexy, but Duke has changed my mind. All I can think about is getting him out of those coveralls to see what he’s hiding beneath them.
I’ve learned my lesson about men. I’m no good at picking the right ones to date. It’s even more doubtful that he would be interested in me in that way anyway. He could have any woman he wants. But maybe no strings … “How long do you think the paint job will take?”
“Three days.”
Three whole days.
Surely I can seduce the man before he’s finished.
DUKE
Despite my protests that she shouldn’t be helping me unload the truck, Sadie struts off with two cans of paint in either hand. I should be ashamed, watching her curvy ass sway back and forth. I’ve never had a problem being professional with clients before, but Sadie is giving me a run for my money.
I grab the primer and a bucket full of supplies then follow her inside. I’m still trying to figure her out, which is dangerous. What I should be doing is leaving well enough alone. Ben Michaels was crystal clear when he told me to keep my hands off his daughter.
“Where do we start?” Sadie asks once everything is unloaded on a tarp on the living room floor. I spot a few paint splotches on the laminate that’ll need to be cleaned up, too.
“We?” I repeat.
“My dad may have hired you to paint, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help. This is my mess.”
I don’t think Ben would approve. In fact, I know he wouldn’t. “I can handle this, Sadie.” Saying her name was a mistake. It feels too good rolling off my tongue, and the quick darkening of her eyes warns me she wasn’t unaffected either.
“Look,” she says, stepping in front of me with hands planted on her hips. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not really the kind of girl to sit around and watch other people work. Yes, I made a complete mess of my last wine-induced attempt.
It’s obvious I had no idea what I was doing. But teach me.”
My dick twitches beneath my coveralls. I’d never met Ben’s daughter before today, but I’ll admit I had some preconceived ideas about her. He has a ridiculous amount of money, and I fully expected to find a spoiled rich girl living in this guest house. One who wouldn’t want to get near a paint brush, much less demand it. Boy was I wrong.
“I’m going to stand in your way until you tell me what to do first.” Sadie bends down and fishes a paint roller out of my bucket. Giving me a clear view down her shirt. Fuck me, I want to feel those tits in my hands. I have half a mind to slide my dick between them.
I clear my throat and force myself to look away. “Not the paint roller.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re not painting until later,” I say, finally giving in. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to tell Ben, but I hope he understands. It’s fucking hot as hell that Sadie wants to get her hands dirty. That she wants to learn how to do this the right way. I force myself to focus on being a teacher, nothing more.
Well, I’m going to try.
“What’s first then?” Sadie pulls her loose blouse over her head without warning. A tight blue tank top hugs those tits in the most unfair ways. If that’s not enough, she scoops her hair into a ponytail. Her bountiful breasts lift out in my direction, begging to be touched. She’s trying to kill me, I swear.
“We need to put filler in all the holes.”
“Guess I didn’t do that the other day.” It’s silly, but I don’t like the frown that forms on those beautiful lips. I feel the need to return that captivating smile she wears so well.
“Most people don’t think about the holes,” I say in a gentle way. “Roll up your sleeves, sweetheart. You’re about to get your first lesson in properly repainting a room.” I swear her eyes darkened again. Shit, I probably shouldn’t have called her sweetheart. The word fell out of my mouth before I could rein it back.
