“Um, right,” I say stupidly, unsure how to respond to Taylor’s bold statement about…coming?
Jesus.
I think part of me knew he felt whatever the fuck passed between us that night, which is why I got the hell out of that bar as soon as I could. Unfortunately, he seems unwilling to let it go, even though it’s nothing more than a lonely old man’s reaction to misplaced interest.
My fragile ego can’t handle being the entertainment to such a confident, vivacious young man, and I need to make thatmuchclearer today than I did during our last encounter.
Taylor just stands there smirking as I shift my weight uncomfortably.
“Right, well, we’re gonna get to work,” I announce, throwing a thumb over my shoulder as I back off the porch. “Nice to, um, meet you.” I drop my gaze and head for my truck to grab everything I need to start the demolition of the back porch.
“I think someone has a crush.” Javi chuckles behind me as we make our way to the back of the large white-stone house. It’s a beautiful place for a big family with an even bigger bank account.
“The fuck are you talking about?” I snap harshly.
I didn’t get much sleep last night. My traitorous mind insisted on replaying the brief moment I had Taylor pressed against me on a loop that was dangerously close to driving me insane…again.
I’m not homophobic. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, two of my best friends are with guys. But that’s different than being attracted to guys myself.
Which I’m not.
And the last fucking thing I need right now is a goddamn identity crisis on top of my near-clinical depression and abandonment issues.
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I silently curse Karen once again before cursing myself for allowing the pain to still have such a hold over me.
“Sorry, Javi,” I say with a sigh.
Javi just laughs and holds up his hands. “Him,boss. I meanthim. That guy started giving you the googly eyes the second he opened the door.”
Phil doesn’t talk much, but he chooses now to join in the fun. “I have to agree, boss. He was definitely looking at you like you’re a snack.”
I turn slowly, my brow arched as I pin Phil with a stare. “Asnack?What are we, middle school girls?” The guys give me shit all the time. This isn’t anything new, but I’m not in the mood today. “Never mind. Just get back to work.”
I love my job. There are so many different aspects to building and construction that I never get bored. With twenty-four years of contract work under my belt, I have licenses for plumbing, masonry, and electrical work on top of my general contractor’s license. I love getting lost in the process, and before you know it, you’ve created something beautiful.
But it’s hard to find my groove when I’m distracted, hot, and constantly aware of Taylor’s proximity, even if I can’t see him. Despite not wanting something else to happen between us, something alreadyhas,and my body seems hellbent on reminding me of that.
It doesn’t take long before the sun is hanging high in the sky, beating down on the guys and me relentlessly. We stripped the roof first, so we’ve lost all our shade.
Hours later, we have the original, pathetic excuse for a porch almost torn down to the bones. We’re basically starting from scratch because this shitty two-by-four deck had no business being attached to this beautiful home in the first place. Up next is tearing up the deck flooring because we’re replacing it with stone.
“Before we start on the floor, I need a break,” I tell Phil and Javi. The high today is ninety-four, and we’ve barely stopped for a sip of water in the last several hours of hard physical labor.
“Sounds good to us,” Javi says, moving to stand in the shade provided by the house.
When I remove the lid from my water bottle, I barely get a mouthful before I realize it’s hot and about as refreshing as a mouthful of ash.
Shit.
Unable to put it off, I head inside the Landry’s house for a refill and a quick bathroom break. After knocking once out of politeness—and as a warning of my presence—I make a beeline for the kitchen sink, keeping my eyes on the tile floor in front of me. The house is quiet with no sounds of Taylor moving around. He’s so light, I probably wouldn’t hear him even if he were doing cartwheels somewhere.
Once my bottle is full, I turn toward the restroom, but quickly jump back, my empty hand gripping the counter behind me.
“Fucking hell, you scared me.” My tone is angrier than necessary because everything has me on edge today.
Taylor just shrugs in a graceful, fluid motion.
Forget being light on his feet, the guy’s a fucking ghost.
