What was I supposed to say to that?
“Nan, leave him alone,” Marissa hollered from the roof. Nan grinned, and I could see where Marissa got her smile from. And while their eyes were different—Nan’s were blue, not green like Marissa’s—they held the same shape and combination of kindness and mischief.
“If you are getting on the roof, I'm going to need a different chair.” Nan turned and waddled back into the house.
I grinned as I went back to Marissa. I could already tell I was going to like Nan.
I made sure the ladder was braced against the house and made my way up the ladder. Marissa looked at me over her shoulder, her hair blowing in the soft breeze that teased it. “Alright Suits, let’s see if we can get done before Nan embarrasses me some more.”
Marissa grabbed a few nails from the box and as she leaned down, her feet slipped. She braced herself on hands and knees, and I hurried to plant my feet behind her shoes so she couldn’t slide further.This woman was going to kill me.My palms were sweaty, and my heart raced.
My hand shot toward her, and she took hold of it, steading herself before she stood and turned to face me.
“Whoops.” Marissa’s voice was breathy.
Her cheeks were pink, and she was close enough I felt her breath on my face. Her fingers were soft in mine, and they trembled in my grasp. I wanted to kiss her. The thought somewhat surprised me, but it held true. Her green eyes staring up at me, the full pout of her lips, and her hand still resting in mine made my heartbeat erratic. Nothing wrong with enjoying time together for a bit. It could be fun and temporary. Plus, she was gorgeous, and I couldn’t help the way my hands always itched to touch her, or the way my body was drawn to be near her. Her eyes flicked to my lips, and I wondered if she felt the same. I reached up and brushed her silky hair back from her face, electricity shooting through my hand as my finger grazed her skin. When her eyes found mine again, they held a combination of excitement and fear.
She stepped away and cleared her throat. “Thanks.” She looked down at her feet.
What was I thinking? I was her boss. Being anything more than friends would be dangerous and unethical. I took a few steps away until my body could remember this was a dangerous idea.
“Alright, let’s fix this roof, so I stop thinking of you falling off.” I smiled, trying to ease the tension. She looked at my lips and I had to remind myself not to pull her into my arms.
“Deal.” She grabbed the nails and picked up the hammer. I helped but stayed between her and the edge of the roof. Just in case.
The next thirty minutes went faster than I hoped. We were agood team, but now that the project was done, there was no reason to stay around.
I came down the ladder first to hold it for Marissa. She grinned and humored me.
I rested the ladder on the ground, trying to miss the scattered soft apples. “Where to with the ladder?”
Marissa was standing next to Nan, who was in a camping chair, wrapped in a blanket, eating popcorn.
“I’ve got it.” Marissa stepped towards me.
“I’m happy to help.”
“In that case . . .” Nan chimed in. “There are plenty of projects around the house that we would love help with. Bert tries, but he isn’t much better on a ladder than me. What I wouldn’t do for joints like yours.” She whistled.
“Nan! Stop!” Marissa pleaded. “What would Bert say about you gawking at Scott?”
“He would join me. Did you see how fast he climbed up that ladder?” Nan waved Marissa off. “I’ll make you dinner . . .”
A home cooked meal and more time with Nan and Marissa?“Sold.”
Marissa rolled her eyes and walked next to me. “Really, we’re fine. She can bulldog anyone into getting her way. Don’t feel like you need to do any of this.” Her cheeks were flushed, and I clenched my hand into a fist to keep my finger from running along the color.
I picked up the ladder and walked beside Marissa to the shed.
“She’s hilarious.”
“She thinks so. Thanks again for your help. That went way faster than I thought it would. You’re better at home-improvement stuff than I expected for a suit.” She smiled, letting me know she was joking.
“Of course.” I leaned against the wooden wall of the shed. “Like Red Green says, if the women don’t find you handsome, they better find youhandy.”
“And what happens when they find you both?”
Whoa.
