She hooked her other hand on his arm and turned in to him. He kissed her hair, wanting to drag this moment out. “I spent all day staining these boards. It would be a shame not to see them installed.” She hugged his arm to her body. “What do you think about getting them up for me?”
“The rooms need paint first.”
She melted a little more into him. “I can paint. I’m actually pretty good at it when I don’t have to throw my paintbrush at a crazy man who jumps out of the bushes.”
He shook his head. “I have a crew.”
“But your crew needs to work on the bathroom. That bathtub should be installed. Maybe I could soak in there.”
He lifted his head off the wall. “Are you trying to trick me into trying?”
She giggled. “I really think we can do this.”
He shook his head in wonder. “It would take a miracle.”
“Like the one that brought us back together?”
“Yeah—like that.” He chuckled. The weight he’d felt from the day began to eke away. If they only had ten days left, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. Bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed her palm. “I guess that makes us partners.”
She smiled, moving her open hand to cup his cheek. “We should seal the deal.”
The scent of wood stain mingled with her skin and the light vanilla that followed her around like pixie dust. He traced the outline of her lips with his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
Her hand slid into his hair. “Oh, I don’t know …”
He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer. “I have a couple ideas.” He leaned in, letting himself get lost in the softness of her.
“Show me,” she whispered.
His lips hovered over hers. Words he shouldn’t say to a woman who was going to leave him filled his head. He knew better than to put them out there to stand as walls and keep Maggie from kissing him. She wanted this, wanted him, in this way right now. If this was all she ever gave him, it would be enough.
A whimper escaped her lips, and she closed the distance between their mouths. Hot and slick, the kiss went from zero to a thousand in a blink. Suddenly, she was in his lap, her hands combing through his hair and his mouth all over her lips and neck. She tasted salty and sweet.
“Mags.” Her name tore out of him, all gravelly and needy at the same time.
“Hmm?” she hummed against his neck.
“I like working with you.”
“Good thing,” she answered. “Because we’re partners now.” She pulled back, her eyes mischievous and tempting. “I hope you don’t kiss all your partners like this.”
James came to mind, and he burst out laughing. “Not hardly.” He leaned his head back against the house and tucked her under his chin. With the laughter, the passion of a moment before eased enough that he could breathe.
Maggie snuggled into his chest.
“Is this official cuddling?”
“You know it.”
He didn’t. But he was a quick learner when it came to her. Even with the deadline hanging over him where he could lose it all, this moment was perfect.
He closed his eyes, wanting to memorize everything from the way Maggie fit against him to the sound of the owls calling to one another in the darkness. This—this feeling right here, the sense of belonging to Maggie and her belonging to him—was the best thing God had ever given him. If this was all he got out of the whole fake marriage thing, then it would be enough.
Chapter 21
Seven days later, Maggie groaned as she pushed up from kneeling on the hard wood floor. The old planks, hand planed by a master craftsman, were stunning, but sanding them down was brutal on her back. She’d used a rented sander for most of the work, but the corners and edges had to be done by hand.
Arching, she pressed her hands into her lower back. If she survived the three days of nonstop work ahead of them, she’d have muscles harder than the granite countertops. She moaned as the aches made themselves known.
