“I just have one more fixture I want to hang.” She let her hands run over his chest and the heat of her touch made him more determined to get her home as soon as possible.
Wriggling to escape his grasp, she shimmied out from between him and the ladder, bending to pick up a box containing a light fixture on the way out the door. He’d have bet money she did it on purpose simply to show him her ass.
“I’ll finish faster if you help me,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder at him.
He had every intention of helping her, now and when he got her home and naked in his bed. He tucked the ladder under his arm and gave her ass a smack before following her out the door and into the other bedroom.
Setting the ladder up in the center of the room under the rough-in for the fixture, he held it steady while Claire climbed to the top. She threw her leg over the top of the ladder and he watched her uncoil the wire from the box she’d mounted in the ceiling. Using her pliers, she stripped the ends of the wire and waited for him to give her the fixture. As soon as he was sure she was safe at the top, he handed her the aged bronze and glass light and watched as she made the connections.
While she was twisting small wire nuts over the exposed wires, he glanced around at the drywall the crew he’d hired to fix the vandalism had hung. It was obvious from the discolored patches on the floor that the floor refinisher hadn’t had a chance to finished sanding before Claire kicked him out.
He watched her smiling to herself as she tightened the screws holding the fixture to the ceiling and wondered what the fuck had changed. Yesterday she’d been willing to end things between them because he hired some guys to fix the damage the vandals caused. Today she was working with Jackson without a problem.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he said, pretty sure he was going to regret asking but needing to know anyway. “But yesterday you couldn’t get over having my crews here to fix things.” He motioned to the floor and saw her stiffen. “Today you’re not only cooperating with my security team, you’re doing it with a smile. Why is today different?”
She tightened the last screw before swinging her leg over the top of the ladder, pausing halfway down to look at him. Any hint of playfulness had vanished from her face and he regretted his question. She’d been worn so thin since Pete’s death and the police. The last thing he wanted to do was make things more difficult for her. He opened his mouth to tell her to forget it, but she beat him to it.
“I’m still frustrated with the way you took over and don’t think we’re done talking about it.” She warned. “I guess I just decided to accept that you did what you did to try to help. And when I went to see Maria this afternoon and found out what you’d offered to do for her…well, you didn’t have to do that. You have a good heart, Masters.”
He should have known she’d find out about the money he’d set aside for Pete’s widow. His lawyers were going to be fucking pissed about that one. It didn’t matter; it had to be done. It had more to do with his sense of justice and wanting to please Claire than his heart. Most people who knew him didn’t think he even had a heart.
