Just this once, for one tempting moment, she dared to think about how it would feel to kiss Nick.To slide his shirt over his head and loosen his belt buckle.To cup him there, where he was stiff and ready for her.He would kiss her then.It would be a hard kiss, a demanding kiss.And she’d give him everything.
Just this once, she’d allow herself a short fantasy, then she’d get him out of her system.
Lost in her seductive daydream, Claire turned on the vibrator and sank into the mattress.
Chapter Seven
On Monday morning, Claire woke up with the sun.After showering, dressing and wolfing down a mug of coffee, she headed over to Haven.She managed to get there before seven.Although accustomed to starting her days early, for the most part, today she just wanted to get there before Nick did.
This was the day he was supposed to take over her office space to work on her soggy walls.Considering that the crew would have to put up some new drywall, she knew she wouldn’t have her office sanctum for long and wanted to bask in peace and quiet before everything got covered in drywall dust.Although she had cleared out the office over the weekend, she still had a few items to retrieve.
She still wasn’t sure where she would do her administrative work.All the other rooms had been commandeered, and she didn’t really want to work from the house.She preferred being onsite.She had an open house to plan and there was so much to do in preparation—everything from cleaning to social media.
Breathe.It’s okay.You’ll figure something out.
She’d been having moments of bad nerves ever since Mia had mentioned theHandymenappearance.Even though the crew had been nothing but courteous and professional for the past week, Claire still bristled every so often.Especially when Lacey reminded her she was on camera.
It was all positive, but she’d never found it easy dealing with change.She had definite comfort zones, and rarely ventured out of them these days.After Arthur had died, she’d sought refuge in her routines.
Lately, all her routines had been tossed out of the window.
Suddenly, three hunky brothers and their colleagues had forced her to create new practices.Although she was mostly grateful for the help, she couldn’t help resenting the upheaval just a teensy bit.
TheHandymenteam had been so good, showing her blueprints and explaining each step in the renovations.She appreciated the time they took with her, especially because she’d always liked having a plan.From the time she was a little girl, she’d liked having all her ducks in a row.Or cats, in this case.
Unfortunately, Claire sometimes had difficulty believing her plans would succeed.After all, most of them had been whipped out from under her.Strange worries kept her up at night.What if the Zorns did a crappy job?She’d heard of reality TV renovation disasters.However, everything she’d seen so far had shown her the Zorn brothers were the real deal.
Over the past few years, she’d grown accustomed to expecting disaster.She hated that about herself.Curveballs made her nervous, and no matter how often she reminded herself she’d already been hit with the hardest curveball ever, it didn’t erase the nerves.
You’re a survivor, and you’ll survive a few renovations.
If only she could figure out what Nick was doing in her back yard.True to his word, he’d hung a tarp over her window before heading out to her place on Friday, and now her view was of paint-stained fabric.
Relax.Nick’s just trying to do something nice for you, while keeping it a surprise.
Nick.
He’d been full of surprises already.
He’d be here soon, with his windswept tawny hair and hot body, ready to annex her office.
She hadn’t been able to get him off her mind all weekend.He’d given her his contact details, as had Michael, Eli and Lacey.Claire had had half a mind to text Nick, fabricating some sort of drywall-related question.
Of course, she hadn’t.That would have been sad.
She just couldn’t shake the image of him working away on her dresser, taking such care.Acting as if it wasn’t odd at all that she would have left that pile of planks sitting there on her bedroom floor for three years.
What happened to me?
“It doesn’t matter,” she said aloud.“What matters is what you do from here on in.”
“Great advice.”
Claire jumped and turned around.Nick stood at her office entrance, leaning on the doorjamb.His lips curled up on his right side, in a sexy half smile.Wearing another pair of perfectly fitting jeans, work boots and a faded gray Henley that had seen better days, he looked like the very best in contractor porn.“Nick.Hi.You’re early.”
“Big day today.Office reno.Figured I should get an early start.”He turned around and retrieved something from the table in the hallway.He joined her inside the office, carrying two large coffees on a takeout tray.“I hope you don’t mind.I know you like coffee.It’s black, but there’s cream and sugar in the bag.It should still be hot.I got it at the place down the road.”
“Thanks.”She didn’t bother to mention that she’d already had one.Frankly, the extra caffeine was a godsend, and it was sweet of him to remember.
