devastatingly wicked grin he always used on her flashed across his masculine features. This time, she didn’t want to say something rude—she wanted to throw herself at him and drown in her desires.
“Hello,” he said again. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, um—I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look…” He paused and took another small step in her direction. “Dazed. Are you hurt from this morning?”
“No, no—I’m fine.” Well, at least she hoped she was. Her brain was buzzing, and excitement prickled her skin. She strode past him to the living room. Her hand trailed across his forearm, and she gloried in the confused look that flickered across his face. “Come and sit down. We can talk about the house.”
Samantha made her long steps deliberate and as smooth as she could. She planted herself on the couch and patted the cushion next to hers. Lance shrugged and sat down in the chair across from her.
She propped her elbows on her knees, cupped her face, and tried her best to look like the world wasn’t tilting around her. “When Candice told me she had a friend who could help me—I’m sorry—but the last person I expected her to send over was you.”
He examined her face. “Do I bother you?”
She shrugged carelessly and leaned back against the cushions. “Not at all. As a matter of fact, it’s good to see you.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think my hearing is working. Did you just say it’s good to see me?”
She flashed a grin and nodded. “Don’t be so uptight. All right, I’ll admit it—I’ve been rude to you.” She waved her hands before loosely folding them in her lap. “But I’ve had a right to be.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. Samantha didn’t know if he was upset or relieved. He had a very good poker face.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
“No.” Dealing with the past and how hurt she’d been was nowhere on her to-do list. “So, you do construction?”
His eyebrows rose. “Changing the subject?”
She didn’t answer him.
“I get it. Yes, I own a construction company. I do some of the work myself, but I have a fairly large crew as well.”
Samantha didn’t miss the proud tone in his voice or the way his eyes shimmered when he spoke. “Did Candice tell you what Gram needs?” she asked.
“Not exactly.” He shifted his weight in the chair and brought an ankle up to rest on the opposite knee. “But that’s okay. I’ve been in contact with your grandmother, and I think I pretty much know what will have to be done.”
That made her pulse jump. “What do you mean, you’ve been in contact with Gram? Well, aside from the obvious lies you told while I was gone?”
He rose from the chair and headed for the foyer. “Don’t worry about that right now. Let me show you what improvements the house will need.”
He was hardheaded and stubborn, much like herself, but he took things seriously. If she let him do the work, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. That settled her. As she rose from her seat, clutching the armrest so she didn’t fall on her face, she once again felt the urge to show Lance not only what Gram needed, but what she needed as well.
Lance walked around the house, talking about three-foot doorways big enough for a wheelchair, lowering the countertops in the kitchen, putting a new tub in the downstairs bath, converting the sitting room into a bedroom, and adding a ramp to the front porch. He measured and calculated as Samantha trailed behind him. She tried to follow what he was saying, but the heat scorching her senses garbled his words. She focused on the thickness of his arms, the strong set of his jaw, the broad width of his shoulders. And his hands. They were strong and powerful as he waved them around, illustrating his thoughts. Samantha licked her lips.
“Anything else you would like to add, Sam?” They’d stopped in the foyer, less than a foot apart. This time, Samantha didn’t
“Hello,” he said again. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, um—I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look…” He paused and took another small step in her direction. “Dazed. Are you hurt from this morning?”
“No, no—I’m fine.” Well, at least she hoped she was. Her brain was buzzing, and excitement prickled her skin. She strode past him to the living room. Her hand trailed across his forearm, and she gloried in the confused look that flickered across his face. “Come and sit down. We can talk about the house.”
Samantha made her long steps deliberate and as smooth as she could. She planted herself on the couch and patted the cushion next to hers. Lance shrugged and sat down in the chair across from her.
She propped her elbows on her knees, cupped her face, and tried her best to look like the world wasn’t tilting around her. “When Candice told me she had a friend who could help me—I’m sorry—but the last person I expected her to send over was you.”
He examined her face. “Do I bother you?”
She shrugged carelessly and leaned back against the cushions. “Not at all. As a matter of fact, it’s good to see you.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think my hearing is working. Did you just say it’s good to see me?”
She flashed a grin and nodded. “Don’t be so uptight. All right, I’ll admit it—I’ve been rude to you.” She waved her hands before loosely folding them in her lap. “But I’ve had a right to be.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. Samantha didn’t know if he was upset or relieved. He had a very good poker face.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
“No.” Dealing with the past and how hurt she’d been was nowhere on her to-do list. “So, you do construction?”
His eyebrows rose. “Changing the subject?”
She didn’t answer him.
“I get it. Yes, I own a construction company. I do some of the work myself, but I have a fairly large crew as well.”
Samantha didn’t miss the proud tone in his voice or the way his eyes shimmered when he spoke. “Did Candice tell you what Gram needs?” she asked.
“Not exactly.” He shifted his weight in the chair and brought an ankle up to rest on the opposite knee. “But that’s okay. I’ve been in contact with your grandmother, and I think I pretty much know what will have to be done.”
That made her pulse jump. “What do you mean, you’ve been in contact with Gram? Well, aside from the obvious lies you told while I was gone?”
He rose from the chair and headed for the foyer. “Don’t worry about that right now. Let me show you what improvements the house will need.”
He was hardheaded and stubborn, much like herself, but he took things seriously. If she let him do the work, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. That settled her. As she rose from her seat, clutching the armrest so she didn’t fall on her face, she once again felt the urge to show Lance not only what Gram needed, but what she needed as well.
Lance walked around the house, talking about three-foot doorways big enough for a wheelchair, lowering the countertops in the kitchen, putting a new tub in the downstairs bath, converting the sitting room into a bedroom, and adding a ramp to the front porch. He measured and calculated as Samantha trailed behind him. She tried to follow what he was saying, but the heat scorching her senses garbled his words. She focused on the thickness of his arms, the strong set of his jaw, the broad width of his shoulders. And his hands. They were strong and powerful as he waved them around, illustrating his thoughts. Samantha licked her lips.
“Anything else you would like to add, Sam?” They’d stopped in the foyer, less than a foot apart. This time, Samantha didn’t
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