He slid out from under the car and sat up, resting his arms on his knees. “My wood tools?”
“Yeah, for the tables and furniture. I kind of expected big machines.”
He tilted his head, and his lips twitched as if he were holding back a laugh. “I do all that in my workshop next door.”
“Oh. Maybe when you get done, you can show me?”
Or maybe not.The loss of humor was evident as he stared back at her. He stood and grabbed a rag, wiping off his hands. “It’s nothing special.”
That’s not what I heard.After the dinner at T’s place, Roxanne had interrogated Kenzie about Jonah wanting to know everything she knew. The conversation ultimately led to his workshop and the table he was making for them.
“According to Kenzie, it’s awesome. She said you had a few finished pieces that were amazing.”
He snorted. “She’s easily impressed.”
Roxanne sensed he was downplaying it. But she’d partake at the expense of her brother to keep the mood light.
“Well, yeah, she has to be to date Bogs.”
Jonah laughed, shaking his head. “Never miss an opportunity to take a shot at your brothers, huh?”
“Not Bogs.”
Jonah’s smile wasn’t something she’d seen often. It was too bad. Roxanne liked him like this, with his guard down. He seemed so private and mysterious. All she wanted was to know more. And see more, of course.
But he made it clear the other night.
I can’t.
Roxanne would play off that statement.
“So, are there rules for non-dates?” She was teasing him and getting a reaction. His back straightened, and he slowly craned his neck, scowling.
She raised her hands, palms open, in front of her. “I’m just making sure I don’t cross the line or anything.”
He turned to face her and folded his arms. She envisioned him doing this with his brothers when he was trying to get them in line.
It was a bold, sexy move.
She raised her eyebrows and tucked her hands behind her back. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.” She winked.
His gaze drew a dark, almost fiery stare. Clearly, the attraction was mutual and why he insisted on fighting it was beyond her. That wasn’t exactly true. He’d been honest. He had a business relationship with Ethan. But she knew there was more to it. Watching him with her brothers at T’s proved Jonah had a friendship and respect for them. As a rule, she never dated her brothers’ friends. However, they were both adults. She moved her hands to the stool, gripping the sides, smiling. Having him standing in front of her, she could see the muscles in his neck tense, along with his chest, which slowly expanded.
He tossed his rag onto the floor while staring at her. His temple pulsed, and his lids lowered. God, the sexual tension floating through the room was enough to make her combust. Words weren’t an option at this point. She purposely licked herlips and watched his gaze shift to her mouth. His jaw clenched and her heart raced, wondering if he’d reached his breaking point.
She drew in a deep breath and contemplated where she wanted him to take her. The work bench? The hood of her car? Against the wall?Yes. Yes. And hell yeah!
He was taking too long. She stood, inching closer. His shoulders pulled back, but he didn’t step away. She had no problem making the first move.
“I’m back.”
Roxanne whipped her head toward the door to see Holden walking in. Her shoulders sagged, and the built-up sexual tension deflated like a popped balloon. She forced a smile and reached for her beer on the bench. She drew the bottle to her lips, turning her back on Jonah. It gave her a second to recover and regroup. She scanned the wall of tools, then swiped her hand against the work bench and almost chuckled. She would’ve been plucking splinters out of her ass for days if he’d taken her on this.Would’ve been worth it, I’m sure.
“Get me the socket set.” Jonah’s voice was raw and demanding. He was definitely affected by whatcould havehappened before Holden came back. She gave herself a minute before looking at him.
Jonah and Holden were heavily into the work when she moved to her stool and sat down again. Aside from Holden asking a million questions, which was highly amusing, her connection to Jonah had abruptly ended.
Every so often, he’d glance at her. His eyes no longer flamed, but there was residual heat. She liked that.A lot.
