Page 37 of Falling for Keeps

He doesn’t react.

I set my sticky bun on one of the chairs grouped away from the drying walls and head toward him. “Carson?”

Nothing. Which is when I notice the earbuds he’s wearing—noise-canceling, presumably. He’s in the zone, his dark T-shirt stretching over his back while he reaches to measure aspects of the corner and write the numbers in a notebook.

I cross the room and press his arm lightly to get his attention.

“What the—” Carson turns, startled, and his measuring tape flies from his hand, narrowly missing me and slamming against the wall. Pale blue paint lines the tool where it lies on the floor, and there’s a mark on the wall now. He pulls the earbuds out and drops them in a pocket. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Or hear me. Do you have extra paint sitting out? I can fix that really fast.”

“Not in those clothes.” His gaze sweeps over my body in a flash that sends heat through me before his eyes snap back to my face. It’s so quick it borders on respectful, but the feeling he leaves me with is lasting.

My work shirt today is a button-down beneath a V-neck mustard sweater, which I put over a brown plaid skirt and tights. I’m a walking advertisement for autumn with my auburn hair and leaf-colored clothes, and I’m thinking for the first time ever that maybe I shouldn’t wear such tight things to work.

“I’ll swing by after work then.”

“It’s not your fault, Emma.” He laughs, retrieving a paint pan and clean roller. He fixes the mark and looks at me. “What’s up?”

“The donation jugs are almost ready, but I need a picture of you to put on the front. I’ll leave the photo off the jar for your dental office and just do a logo, though. People should already know who you are if they’re coming in here.”

He glances down, probably thinking his paint clothes aren’t ideal for a photo that’s meant to advertise his dental practice. “This is pretty casual.”

“Don’t most of the people around here know you already? I think they’ll like a laid-back Carson.” I smile, pulling out my phone. “If you’d rather send me your headshot, that works, too.”

Carson cringes, setting the roller in the paint pan and wiping his hands down his pants, which are already covered in pale blue marks. “That one is way too buttoned up. This is fine. Where should I stand?”

I put him in a spot with good lighting, a plain blue wall behind him, and frame him in my phone. “Smile.”

He gives me a soft smile, his eyes warm, and butterflies race through my stomach. I snap one because I want to bottle this look forever.

“Now show those teeth. That’s your best advertisement.”

Carson laughs once in surprise, which I manage to get a shot of, then gives me a nice, wide smile. He’s so handsome. It’s no surprise he dated both the cheer squad and the girls soccer team. It’s hard not to melt underneath his attention.

“Got it. Want to see them?” I ask.

He nods, sliding his hands into his pockets as he makes his way toward me. I pull up the photos and he stands close to look at them, his shoulder pressing into mine. “Not too bad.”

Psh. I’d say. The man looks like a freaking model. But I suppress this reaction and shrug, my arm pushing into his. “They’re alright.”

Carson’s eyes glitter with amusement as he looks down at me. “Keeping me humble.”

“That is my one goal in life.”

He looks like he might banter back, so I cut him off. This is dangerous ground, and I don’t like feeling like I’m skirting landmines. Time to steer him back to safer territory.

“Hey,” I say, my voice sounding much more breathless than it has any right to. “What is your new office called? Do you have a logo?”

“Price Dental. I can send over the logo if you want to give me your email address.”

“Great, thanks.” I push my hair behind my ear. “Oh, before I forget: we didn’t have the book Penny wanted. I requested the transfer, and it should be here in the next few weeks.”

“Bummer.”

“I found a few other books she might like and pulled them, so feel free to bring her by whenever and she can look through her options.”

His green eyes are shining down on me like moss in a clear stream, vibrant and deep. “That was thoughtful of you.”