flowers were pretty, but not nearly as attractive as Pandora.
“I didn’t mean to sound like I was complaining.” She sat on the hearth. “Just, well...thanks.” She’d removed her glasses, resting them atop her head. She had a simplicity he found intriguing. Never any makeup or high-maintenance hair—just a natural beauty he very much appreciated.
“You’re welcome.” He placed the manual on the coffee table, far more interested in studying the ten shades of green in her eyes. “Considering all you do for me and Quinn, I wanted to return the favor.”
Her smile warmed him through and through. Made him wonder why he’d ever doubted her being anything other than wholesome perfection. But then, even if he weren’t her boss, it wasn’t as if he had anything to offer. She deserved better than a guy genetically incapable of commitment—even if in Quinn’s case he’d been thrust into it.
“Whatever the reason, I appreciate it.”
“Sure.” Her sweet, simple smile left him tongue-tied. He usually knew just what to do and say around women, but around her he couldn’t even think. He met her gaze, which only made him more confused. Lord, he wanted to kiss her. Not the kind of boozy, dance-floor-make-out kiss he’d grown accustomed to, but more of a leisurely getting to know her in a way wholly inappropriate for a boss to know his employee.
Looking away for his own sanity, he found the perfect answer to his conversational dilemma in the sliver of her god-awful bedroom wall visible from his vantage. “Got anything going on this weekend?”
She shook her head.
“Want to paint your room?”
Nodding, voice barely audible, she said, “Sounds fun.” Her words were encouraging. Her expression read wistful. Lost. Was it possible she’d craved that kiss as much as him?
*
S ATURDAY MORNING AT Lowe’s, staring at hundreds of yellow paint samples, Pandora could hardly contain her excitement. Her heart felt composed of confetti and glitter. The only thing that would make the moment even better was the day she chose wall colors for her own home she’d share with Julia.
“What do you think?” she asked Quinn, who was too busy chewing a teething hippo to do anything other than drool.
“Rah baa haa!”
“He’s not a lot of help.” Calder had been at the other end of the aisle selecting rollers and paintbrushes.
“That’s okay.” As many nights as she’d lain awake at the halfway house, dreaming of the day she’d finally live in a place to call home, she’d committed her lemon-sorbet shade to memory. The house she shared with Calder may only technically be her home because she worked there, but for now that was good enough. “I know exactly the color I want.”
“Since you spend so much time in the kitchen, want it yellow, too?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, that’d be nice.”
He waved off her concern, then performed a smile-and-wink combo that turned her legs to mush. The man really was criminally handsome. When he turned on his charm, she craved the kind of physical attention a woman shouldn’t want from her boss. She had to remember Julia came first. “You forget who you’re dealing with. I’ve been trained to handle any situation with ease.”
Famous last words.
Four hours into their project, Calder had more paint on him than the walls. “What am I doing wrong?”
She laughed. “Not that I’m an expert, but you’re tackling the job like—” she took a second to think “—I don’t know, like you’re charging up some hill with a bayonet instead of a paint roller.”
“A bayonet, huh?”
There he went again with his slow, easy grin. Her pulse skipped as if she was a little girl holding a carnival balloon. “Here...” She cupped her hand around his wrist, not caring that in the process, her palm got coated in paint. “Like this.”
By showing him the seemingly simple movement, her whole world turned upside down. Somehow he now stood behind her, pressed against
“I didn’t mean to sound like I was complaining.” She sat on the hearth. “Just, well...thanks.” She’d removed her glasses, resting them atop her head. She had a simplicity he found intriguing. Never any makeup or high-maintenance hair—just a natural beauty he very much appreciated.
“You’re welcome.” He placed the manual on the coffee table, far more interested in studying the ten shades of green in her eyes. “Considering all you do for me and Quinn, I wanted to return the favor.”
Her smile warmed him through and through. Made him wonder why he’d ever doubted her being anything other than wholesome perfection. But then, even if he weren’t her boss, it wasn’t as if he had anything to offer. She deserved better than a guy genetically incapable of commitment—even if in Quinn’s case he’d been thrust into it.
“Whatever the reason, I appreciate it.”
“Sure.” Her sweet, simple smile left him tongue-tied. He usually knew just what to do and say around women, but around her he couldn’t even think. He met her gaze, which only made him more confused. Lord, he wanted to kiss her. Not the kind of boozy, dance-floor-make-out kiss he’d grown accustomed to, but more of a leisurely getting to know her in a way wholly inappropriate for a boss to know his employee.
Looking away for his own sanity, he found the perfect answer to his conversational dilemma in the sliver of her god-awful bedroom wall visible from his vantage. “Got anything going on this weekend?”
She shook her head.
“Want to paint your room?”
Nodding, voice barely audible, she said, “Sounds fun.” Her words were encouraging. Her expression read wistful. Lost. Was it possible she’d craved that kiss as much as him?
*
S ATURDAY MORNING AT Lowe’s, staring at hundreds of yellow paint samples, Pandora could hardly contain her excitement. Her heart felt composed of confetti and glitter. The only thing that would make the moment even better was the day she chose wall colors for her own home she’d share with Julia.
“What do you think?” she asked Quinn, who was too busy chewing a teething hippo to do anything other than drool.
“Rah baa haa!”
“He’s not a lot of help.” Calder had been at the other end of the aisle selecting rollers and paintbrushes.
“That’s okay.” As many nights as she’d lain awake at the halfway house, dreaming of the day she’d finally live in a place to call home, she’d committed her lemon-sorbet shade to memory. The house she shared with Calder may only technically be her home because she worked there, but for now that was good enough. “I know exactly the color I want.”
“Since you spend so much time in the kitchen, want it yellow, too?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, that’d be nice.”
He waved off her concern, then performed a smile-and-wink combo that turned her legs to mush. The man really was criminally handsome. When he turned on his charm, she craved the kind of physical attention a woman shouldn’t want from her boss. She had to remember Julia came first. “You forget who you’re dealing with. I’ve been trained to handle any situation with ease.”
Famous last words.
Four hours into their project, Calder had more paint on him than the walls. “What am I doing wrong?”
She laughed. “Not that I’m an expert, but you’re tackling the job like—” she took a second to think “—I don’t know, like you’re charging up some hill with a bayonet instead of a paint roller.”
“A bayonet, huh?”
There he went again with his slow, easy grin. Her pulse skipped as if she was a little girl holding a carnival balloon. “Here...” She cupped her hand around his wrist, not caring that in the process, her palm got coated in paint. “Like this.”
By showing him the seemingly simple movement, her whole world turned upside down. Somehow he now stood behind her, pressed against
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