“I told you, I got it.”
“You don’t have to—”
“It’s all right. Honest. I’m here to help.” He gave her a smile that hooked her insides and gave them a slow tug.
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
She headed toward the benches, forcing herself to walk slowly.
Rushing is for children, and you’re not a child.
Her ex’s voice echoing in her mind nearly made her trip over nothing.
He needed to stop invading her thoughts. Now.
Chris wasn’t here. She never had to put up with him again.
She felt off-balance, caught between her excitement over landscaping supplies, the lingering sting of her ex’s attempts to tear her down, and the warm distraction of the hunky, helpful companion walking beside her.
When she reached the bench, she ran her hand along the sleek wood to ground herself. “This is beautiful.” She shot a look at Crew’s face. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful?”
He didn’t shift his stare to the bench. It stayed fixed on her face when he rumbled, “Yeah, I do.”
Her stomach dipped and kept plunging lower, lower…between her thighs.
She sucked in a breath and tried to focus.
Gardening supplies. Benches. For the vets.
Yeah, the vets.
Not a cowboy who looked like he just walked off a calendar photoshoot.
Oh god, was Crew’s beard that thick when he picked her up?
What was she thinking about again?
A bench. She came here for rocks. Pavers. Features for the community garden.
Circling the bench twice, her enthusiasm returned. “The teak is the perfect color with the pavers and stone. It’s rot-resistant and can withstand the elements. The downside? It’s expensive.” She was rambling to herself as she studied the bench’s size. “Large enough for big, muscled veterans.”
A noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort came from Crew.
She compressed her lips to keep from babbling and plopped down on the bench. “Ooh, the seat and back are ergonomic.” She wiggled her backside into the seat.
Crew made another noise that sounded like he was choking.
She looked up and patted the seat beside her. “Try it out.”
She saw his chest expand before he lowered himself beside her. The warmth of his thigh scorched along the length of hers, and she forgot all about gardening again.
He rested his hand on the bench between them, so close that she swore she felt his fingertip sweep along her leg.
Her ex always told her she was losing her mind. Maybe she was proving him right.
She leaped up and took off toward a section of birdhouses to escape her disturbing thoughts. But when she studied the birdhouses, it was impossible not to grow excited by the bright colors and even one shaped like a fat ladybug.
She opened her mouth to squeal at the cuteness of it, caught Crew watching her, and snapped it shut.
