Page 10 of The Haunting Plot

“I… that’s not what I meant. I’m not kink-shaming anyone.” There’s a smirk on her face that tells me she’s hiding something, and I’m suddenly dying to know what it is. “I bet you’re the type of guy who thinks you’re God’s gift to women, when in reality every partner you’ve ever had was faking it.”

“You want to test that theory?”

“Oh, I bet you’d love that.”

“Absofuckinglutely.” I make a show of giving her body a slow perusal. The little huffs coming out of her mouth are fucking adorable, as it’s clear she wasn’t expecting my brutal honesty. “Black cat got your tongue? I think the only thing I like more than your barbs is your shocked silence.”

She cocks a hand on her hip, and her brows pinch in frustration. “I don’t have time to deal with this. As you can see, there’s a lot I need done. Some of it’s more pressing than others so I can make this a safe space for Jonah. Do you think you can handle that? Can you get your horniness under control long enough to help my autistic kid?”

I wince at her words. I’m a fucking asshole, and she’s proving just how inept I am at dealing with the opposite sex. “Yeah, I think I can manage.”

“Great, now follow me, and we can go through everything else I’d like done.”

I follow her through the rest of the house, stealing glances at her as she talks through her ideas. This woman intrigues me more than anyone has in a long time. I like that she knows what she wants and gives me shit. It makes me curious if she’s bossy in the bedroom too.

CHAPTER 4

RAVEN

Sir Slutty ’Stache is a moron. I repeat the mantra in my head as I walk him down to the basement. The man is huge. Tall and imposing, barely able to fit through the doorframes of this old house. Every time he cracks a joke, his eyes twinkle. It’s not normal. Maybe he has a condition. Maybe it’s pink eye?

What is happening to me? These aren’t the normal thoughts of a well-adjusted nearly forty-year-old woman. This is how teenage boys think when they can’t control their libidos. I’m a grown woman. I’m in control of my thoughts and actions, and I will not let Sir Slutty ’Stache get under my skin or in my pants. Ugh. Stop thinking about him anywhere near your pants.

“You okay over there? You’re making a lot of huffing sounds. Are you having an asthma attack?”

“I’m fine. Just not a big fan of the musty air,” I lie.

“It’s kinda dark down here.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“You gonna just insult me, or are you gonna turn on a light?”

I reach up, feeling around for the little string. When I connect with it, a strong hand covers mine. A rush of electricity prickles my skin, and I rear back, my elbow connecting with a solid object.

Sawyer grunts, and I spin to face him, taking a step back. “What are you doing?”

“Was trying to help you,” he wheezes, rubbing his stomach.

“I don’t like being touched. Especially by surprise,” I spit, unsure why I’m making this confession. I certainly don’t owe him anything.

“Noted.”

Footsteps clatter down the stairs as Jonah peeks around the corner, McKenna close behind him.

She peers up at Sawyer, as recognition lights up her face. “You’re Jane’s dad. Is Jane coming over?”

“I am. And no, she’s at her mom’s this weekend.”

McKenna rushes over to me. “Jane’s dad came to our school this week and talked to us about fire safety. I didn’t know who he was at the fire.”

Fucking small towns. Of course this man is my kid’s friend’s father. “What a small world.” I try to sound sincere, but based on the look on Sawyer’s face, there was probably a little too much sarcasm in that comment.

I look over at Jonah as he quietly observes Sawyer.

“We’ll have to arrange a playdate,” Sawyer offers.

Ugh. I’m trying to spend less time with this man. The renovation is already going to take up a lot of my time. I don’t want to see him during my leisure time as well.