“Nope.” She cuts him off, wagging a teasing finger under his nose. “All the guys already said yes, so you have to come too.”
Instead of answering, he gestures toward her with an easy smile. “If you’re sticking around, you need to wear a hard hat. I don’t want anything happening to that pretty head.”
His voice is light. Teasing. Effortless. And more than I can fucking handle right now.
I retreat to my desk, away from the light that’s no longer mine.
An hour later, I’m flipping through a stack of color swatches and pattern books. I’m trying to look busy, unaffected, and useful, all of which are currently a stretch, considering a beautiful young woman is flirting with the man I love ten feet away.
“Got a second?”
I glance up to find Eddie standing in the doorway, hard hat tucked under his arm, a sheen of sweat across his forehead.
Damn it, but he looks so good that way.
Who am I kidding? He looks goodeveryway.
I force a grin, hoping it doesn’t border on maniacal as I set aside the swatches. “Of course. I always have time for you.”
“Right,” he scoffs as he crosses the room, his boots thudding against the floor.
I bite back a wince. Of course he doesn’t believe me. Why would he?
I run my hands along the edge of the table. “Thank you for setting this up for me.”
He shrugs as he unrolls a set of blueprints. “Not a big deal.”
But it is to me. Even if he won’t admit it.
He stands beside me as he smooths the plans across my makeshift desk. “Nolan confirmed the first several rooms. Living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer, guest bedroom, and a bath. We’re starting with demo across all of them, then tackling it one room at a time. It’s a ridiculous setup, but what the client wants, the client gets.”
I focus on the plans, even though I’m hyper-aware of how close he is and what it’s doing to my insides. “Okay. I’ll start pulling together sketches for those spaces.”
He taps the page. “I grabbed measurements for you. Everything you need should be here. Once we get the basics done—walls up, everything in place—you can start directing the guys on finishes and paint. But we’re nowhere near there yet.”
Seems this entire project is driving him nuts, and I’m not sure if it’s me being here, or Nolan Montague’s wild parameters.
I hesitate for half a second, then reach out and gingerly rest my hand against his arm. “I know he’s a lot,” I murmur, “but he thinks you’re brilliant.”
Eddie huffs out a breath, shooting a pointed glance at my hand. “Yeah. I don’t know about any of that.”
“Well, I do. He couldn’t stop talking about you at lunch.” I offer a small smile. “Look, I know he drives you crazy, so let me help with that. I’ve dealt with men like him before. I can be the go-between.”
Eddie jerks away, pulling his arm from my grip. “I’m perfectly capable of speaking to clients, Kiki. I might be younger than you, but I’m not an idiot.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “That’s not what I meant. At all. I’m just trying to help.”
“You help by doing the designs,” he snaps, stepping back. “That’s it.” He points at the plans on my desk. “I’ll leave those here. The guys are finishing up soon, then we’re heading to the bar. They’ve earned a beer after today.”
Maybe I’m tired. Maybe weeks of sleepless nights and crying fits have finally caught up with me. Maybe I’m getting my period. Who knows, but I’ve officially reached the end of my rope.
“Don’t forget about Romy,” I mutter. “She wants you to show her a good time, remember?”
He drops his hard hat onto the table and scrubs his face with both hands. Apparently, the man’s as worn out as I am. “So she claims.”
I nod and avert my eyes, fiddling with my swatches. “You should take her up on it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
