“It’s fine,” Knox replies, taking the dolly from me and positioning it under the right board. His fingers slightly ghost over mine, making me forget we’re not alone. “He’s heard much worse. Trust me.”
I roll my eyes and cross my arms. “Oh, I don’t doubt that.”
He chuckles under his breath and then leans into the large piece of furniture, checking its balance before tilting it back onto the dolly. My eyes follow the way his biceps strain against his shirt, causing the lines of his tattoos to pull taut. I think my mouth actually waters, but thankfully, a tiny hand grabbing at the hem of my shorts pulls me out of my muscle-induced coma.
“Can I help?” he asks with an expectant glimmer in his eye.
My mouth quirks. “How about you go ahead and make sure the path is clear while I hold the door open?”
He gives me a quick nod and trots ahead as I instructed. “Ready?” I ask as Knox angles the armoire toward the door.
“Lead the way, Bambi.”
We maneuver through the rest of the shop without any issues. I’ve done a lot in here in the last few days. The more boxes I’ve sorted through, the smaller and more manageable it’s all become. I can feel the wild thrum of excitement beating down on me every time I clear a new corner or put up a new shelf. It is all coming together.
“All good, Milo?” I call ahead, making sure he feels as important as he looks with his eyes focused and his chest pointed forward.
“Ya!” he shouts, lighting up with another adorable smile.
By the time we reach the front, Milo already has the front door propped open, stealing my job right from underneath my nose. “He’s strong for a four-year-old,” I whisper, keeping my voice low for only Knox to hear.
“You’ve known the kid for five seconds, and he gets a compliment. What do I have to do to get that kind of praise, Bambi?”
“It’s simple. You just need to not annoy me for once,” I answer with an amused grin.
He shakes his head and continues to push forward. “I guess I’ll have to work on that.”
I feel a frown ghost over my lips. If I’m being honest, I like our back-and-forth. I was used to strait-laced guys that didn’t understand sarcasm or playful banter. It was refreshing to have someone who could keep up with me. Someone that I could be myself around. But that level of honesty feels too real for a fake relationship.
We step out into the sunlight, and Milo bolts into action as he darts ahead to the truck. He tries to reach the handle of the tailgate, but no matter how hard he tries, he isn’t tall enough. It makes me want to laugh, but I don’t want to embarrass the poor kid. Instead, I give him enough of a boost so he can reach.
“Thanks!” he replies as we let down the heavy tailgate together.
When I set Milo down and look up, Knox’s gaze is settled on me. I swallow hard at the way his eyes soften with less heat and more of something I can’t name. I’ve seen him look at me with lust, but this feels uncharted and dangerous in a way that sends shivers down my spine and tells me to run before it’s too late.
Before I get too invested, he blinks a few times coming out of his spell and pushes the dolly forward. “Well, Bambi. Are you going to keep standing around, or are you going to help me?”
Just like that, the moment is gone, and we sink back into the safety of shared teasing. I tell myself it’s nothing. That he is probably just making sure I’m being gentle with Milo. But that look continues to replay in my mind the whole ride to my client’s house. It consumes my thoughts so much that I almost forget to take the cash before we leave.
Lord help me if one look is all it takes to knock me flat on my ass.
“Do you mind if I drop Mi off before I take you home? My brother’s place is right on the way. I also want to show you something while we’re there.”
“Show me something?” I ask, peeling my head from the headrest. I look back at Milo to make sure he’s still snoozing before I continue. Poor guy was tuckered out from playing project supervisor all night, but he did a damn good job. I’d hire him in a heartbeat.
“I’ve already seen it before, Knox. No need to build up the suspense.”
“Are you suggesting you want to see it again? I guess that makes sense. You have been checking out my muscles all night.”
I throw him a flat stare. “Please. The only reason I was staring was because you were transporting a very important work of art.”
Knox’s mouth curves into an infuriating and almost contagious half-smile. “Sure thing, Bambi. Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
I huff out a breath of frustration and turn my body back toward the window. Golden fields and battered down road signs blur past. “You’re exhausting.”
I feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, but I keep my vision planted outside. “You don’t even know the half of it. I can be very exhausting, but I don’t usually get complaints afterward.”
A bright hot flash perches on the balls of my cheeks, but I keep my face pointed away from him. It’s not like I haven’t thought about that a million and one times today. Sure, I have self-control, but unfortunately, I also have 20/20 vision.
