Reece adjusted hisparka and climbed the porch steps. At the door, he stopped with a sharp breath. Of course, he had no idea what to expect when it opened. Aria might tell him to get lost or welcome him with a huge thank you. He silently prayed for the latter then knocked.
The door opened on his second knock. Prisha stood there in pigtails and pink pj’s that resembled a workman’s overalls. “Reece!” she squealed and crashed into him, her head barely reaching his hips.
“Hey, Pri.”
“Why didn’t you come back,” she pouted after stepping back then beamed. “C’ mon, I want to show—”
“Pri, where’s your mommy?” Reece stopped the child as she tugged on his hand. He couldn’t barge into the house unannounced.
“She’s in—”
“Who’s at the door, Sweet...?” Aria entered the living room. Hands busy tying her hair into a ponytail stilled when her gaze met his. Her long-sleeve sleep shirt ended mid-thigh and gave him a generous view of her creamy thighs. His cock twitched in remembrance of their sexy smoothness curved around his hips as he drove into her. The baby-blue satin brought out a hint of sapphire in her cool gray eyes.
Reece swallowed hard to stop the heat rushing through his body. “Hi.”
A flicker of emotion crossed her face. She debated a response. “What are you doing here?” This time her words were a lot more civil.
“Thought I’d check out those leaking pipes you mentioned.”
She frowned, then her gaze dropped to the toolbox he held at his side. “I didn’t mention anything to you.”
Reece offered a sheepish grin. Prisha stood on the side, hands folded across her chest. Her gaze darted from one adult to the other and back with interest. “I know. Edith did.” He kissed the older woman when she’d sought him out in the yard to explain Aria’s predicament. Then she smoothly hinted Reece could garner some affection from Aria if he helped out with the leak.
Right now, though, affection was the least of his problems. Somewhere in Aria’s beautiful head lurked a bomb. He reckoned it would be a matter of minutes before said bomb detonated. Reece stifled his laughter with extreme effort. If he happened to diffuse it in time, then he’d count himself lucky, for the moment at least.
“The plumber’s coming out tomorrow,” her steely words sliced through his deliberations.
“C’ mon, Aria, there’s a storm brewing. The last thing you need is to be stuck with no water. And I know Paul ain’t around until Friday. Judging by the cold I’ve just walked through, I’d say that storm is close by.”
Her eyes widened for a second. “You walked here?”
Was that concern?He nodded. “Buck’s Chevy is as frozen as the old coot.” The cold temperature increased by the minute. Reece took considerable risk walking, but being in the same room with Aria was worth it, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“Fine,” she said at last then added, “If anything happens, then you’ll stay here while we occupy Buck’s cottage. Agreed?” Damn. What a sneaky woman. She assigned blame with such ease.
“Why can’t we all stay together, Mommy?”
“Not now, Sweetpea.” Aria darted the little girl a reprimanding no-nonsense look. With a sulk, the child turned and moved away to sit in front of the fire.
Reece grinned, loving the child’s timing. “Hopefully, nothing bad happens.”
He offered Aria a slick smile and followed her to her bedroom.Don’t count your chickens.He had no idea what he was getting himself into. Back home, Cody usually took care of the mechanical stuff. Although Reece hung around to watch his brother, the interest quickly waned. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure this sounded like a good plan, but one look at Aria’s face warned him to shut up and get on with it. Otherwise, she’d probably make him regret his decision to help. Something told him she’d enjoy an ‘I told you so’ a little too much.
In the bathroom, Aria pointed to the almost full bucket sitting under the sink with an irritated sigh. “I emptied it barely half an hour ago.”
Reece set the toolbox on the floor and looked at the leaking disaster. He raked a hand through his hair. Beads of water plopped from the pipe, stabbed the nearly full bucket in quick succession, and then splashed over the sides. The mess dampened the floor. Didn’t look too bad, but sometimes the most innocent of appearances were deadly. As the thought left his head, he shifted his gaze to Aria. The same could easily apply to this beautiful woman. She possessed a killer touch. He grinned then caught the sparkle of unshed tears. His chest tightened.
“It’s okay, babe. I’ll sort it out,” he said without thinking.
“Huh?” Her expression blank, she stared at him. The woman excelled at guarding her emotions. She gave nothing away. Then, her head bobbed in acknowledgment. “Thank you. I appreciate the help. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
Fifteen minutes later, Reece stood and flexed his frozen fingers. The pipe proved easy to fix once he got into the swing of things, and Buck’s full toolbox helped Reece out. He eyed the temporary job with a grin. It would hold out until Paul came through and gave the mend his expertise. A sudden shiver reminded him he had to lie under the sink to fix the pipe. Droplets first and then a spray when he’d broken a seal wet his T-shirt.
Shucking his clothes, he stepped into the shower to warm his body. Aria’s scent surrounded him and stirred more than just his senses. Afraid she might not be impressed with his intrusion into her personal space; he showered quickly. Five minutes later, he dried himself, knotted the towel around his waist, and left the bathroom.
“I could’ve called the plumb...” Aria walked in as Reece reached for his jeans. “What are you doing?”
