“Indecency.”
“Yes,” he breathes. “Donotthrow it away.”
I nod, standing up while finishing my coffee, and crumpling the paper in my palms.
“See you after work, Boss.”
I toss it in the trash, turn around, and walk out, feeling his eyes on my ass as I go.
Leona is fucking hilarious—her dry sense of humor, the way she teases the men who hassle her. She just has a way about her. She has her hard hat on, her blonde hair in a low ponytail. She’s wearing the typical attire I usually see her in: jeans, a fitted T-shirt, and work boots. Nothing inappropriate at all, but somehow she always catches everyone’s eye. It’s just her personality, I think. It’s fun, charming.
“Hey, boys, these joist hangers need the proper nails, not screws,” she says and then waggles her eyebrows at me. “Few men know this.”
I let out a laugh, and she grins at me.
“All right, let me see…” She takes her clipboard out. “Everything looks good. You can close those walls up now, and I’ll sign those permits. Get electrical in here. You know those assholes move slow.”
“Yeah, I know.” I lift the bottom of my shirt and wipe my face, the humidity killing me today. The thunderstorm last night was brief, but it left lingering water in the air so thick I’m having trouble drawing a full breath.
Leona is scribbling something on a piece of paper as Arbor approaches, his stride clipped and purposeful.
“Everything going okay?” he asks, his eyes flicking from Leona to me.
“Yep,” I say, and Leona winks at me.
“This big lug always knows what he’s doing. Never lets the boys slack off.”
She rips a piece of paper off and hands it to Arbor.
“Well done. Now I have to run to another job after this, but you want to grab a drink sometime?” She directs her question to me, one she’s asked me several times before. I know it’s nothing more than friendly, but Arbor stiffens.
“Yeah, that would be nice. Text me.”
She throws a fake punch to my chest and then waves, “All right. See ya!”
As she walks off, I watch her go, trying like hell not to meet Arbor’s assessing eyes.
“Fraternizing with the city workers,” he murmurs, and I roll my lips between my teeth before turning to face him.
“She’s fun.”
His brows lower, and his face pales slightly. Then he spins on his heels and walks stiffly to the trailer, the door slamming behind him.
“What’s up his ass?” Fisher asks, a nail gun in his hand. He sniffs, smelling the scent of our boss lingering in the air, and he scrunches his nose. The scent is mild, but it’s there.
“He’s just stressed. Plus, it’s hot as fuck.”
“Yeah, it is. I can’t fucking breathe.”
I nudge him. “Well, let’s get this done so we can go home. The faster we move, the faster it’s over.”
“Fucking Plato, this guy!” Fisher shouts, and my men laugh loudly. I flip them off and get back to work, stopping only for lunch.
When the men have left for the day, I pull my shirt off and douse my chest in water. It’s only a slight relief from the stifling heat. In the distance, I hear the agitated howls of those roaming the woods. My gaze moves to the thick trees surrounding us.
I see nothing. Just the haze in the air.This heat is only going to make everything worse, I think, as I step inside the trailer.
Arbor’s eyes flick up to me, and his lips part.
