back to the room, but she kept a hold of his
hand. “So, what are we going to do about these shelves?”
Douglas breathed his own sigh of relief, amazed that she let
it go so easy. He tightened his hand around hers and spoke gruffly
because his throat had tightened inexplicably, “I guess we’re going to take the
time to do it right. You get your girly details.”
“Oh, I know I do.” She looked back at him and
smiled. “You sure you can handle it?”
“I think I can muddle through it . . . No need to get
another carpenter in here.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the
lips, his eyes on hers warming. “Not that you could; we’ve all seen what
happened in the past when you tried to get rid of me.”
She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him back. “I don’t
doubt Uncle Jack would talk some sense into one or both of us if I tried.
Best to just skip it entirely.”
“A good plan.” Then he kissed her again, this time he
didn’t let go until she had softened in his arms completely and her eyes were
dazed with desire. “Whelp,” he said, “back to work.” Then he turned
with obviously improved spirits and smacked her on the ass as he left.
Beatrice could have made an issue out of it, but it took her
a good ten minutes to get her mind back in gear after that kiss. Plus,
she was just glad to have the regular obnoxious and cheerful Douglas Bruce
back. Maybe things would get back to normal around here, and they could
get this house done sometime this year.
***
After the tension ended, they managed to get some good work
done on the porch structure and the staircase, and everyone was back to jovial
teasing by the time they loaded up their trucks and headed out. When the
workday ended, Douglas went looking for Beatrice. He found her locking up
the trailer and shrugging into her coat and messenger bag. He helped her
by pulling her bag off her shoulder and then untucking her hair from her
collar.
“You ready?” His voice was quiet in the twilight, his
eyes hot on hers.
“That depends. What did you have in mind?”
He pulled the shoulder strap across his own shoulder and
stepped into her space. “I thought dinner out, some wine.” He pushed
her hair back and zipped up her coat for her. “Then if we can make it
that far without you trying to break up with me again, we’ll end the night on
an up note.”
“What’s the likelihood of that actually happening?”
“I’m willing to be on my best behavior if you are?”
“You’ll be on your best behavior so you can get back into my
pants?”
He pulled her by her coat until she was pressed tight
against him. “We don’t have to start right off with the pants. I’m
willing to work up to that.”
That made her laugh and he kissed it from her lips.
Then he leaned back smiling, “So what do you say?”
She raised a brow, “Are you actually asking?”
“Told you. Best behavior.”
She smiled. “All right, dinner. Then you can
begin your working up to it, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Turns out Douglas Bruce’s best behavior was pretty darn
good, and his ability to multi-task phenomenal, as he proved when they returned
to their room. As soon as the door clicked closed behind them, Douglas
turned and pressed her back against the door. His hands were warm on her
hips; his fingers dug into the denim and he slid her up the wood until they
were face-to-face.
She grabbed his face and stopped him from kissing her.
She studied his incredibly clear green eyes and chiseled jaw with the light
dusting of scratchy stubble. She would kill for eyelashes like his. “I
think I had a little too much wine, because right now you seem absolutely
gorgeous.”
“It could just be I really am that good looking.”
She snorted. “Not possible.” She ran her hands down
the side of his face to the top of his flannel shirt. “No one is that
pretty.”
“You are.” He slid her up higher,
hand. “So, what are we going to do about these shelves?”
Douglas breathed his own sigh of relief, amazed that she let
it go so easy. He tightened his hand around hers and spoke gruffly
because his throat had tightened inexplicably, “I guess we’re going to take the
time to do it right. You get your girly details.”
“Oh, I know I do.” She looked back at him and
smiled. “You sure you can handle it?”
“I think I can muddle through it . . . No need to get
another carpenter in here.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the
lips, his eyes on hers warming. “Not that you could; we’ve all seen what
happened in the past when you tried to get rid of me.”
She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him back. “I don’t
doubt Uncle Jack would talk some sense into one or both of us if I tried.
Best to just skip it entirely.”
“A good plan.” Then he kissed her again, this time he
didn’t let go until she had softened in his arms completely and her eyes were
dazed with desire. “Whelp,” he said, “back to work.” Then he turned
with obviously improved spirits and smacked her on the ass as he left.
Beatrice could have made an issue out of it, but it took her
a good ten minutes to get her mind back in gear after that kiss. Plus,
she was just glad to have the regular obnoxious and cheerful Douglas Bruce
back. Maybe things would get back to normal around here, and they could
get this house done sometime this year.
***
After the tension ended, they managed to get some good work
done on the porch structure and the staircase, and everyone was back to jovial
teasing by the time they loaded up their trucks and headed out. When the
workday ended, Douglas went looking for Beatrice. He found her locking up
the trailer and shrugging into her coat and messenger bag. He helped her
by pulling her bag off her shoulder and then untucking her hair from her
collar.
“You ready?” His voice was quiet in the twilight, his
eyes hot on hers.
“That depends. What did you have in mind?”
He pulled the shoulder strap across his own shoulder and
stepped into her space. “I thought dinner out, some wine.” He pushed
her hair back and zipped up her coat for her. “Then if we can make it
that far without you trying to break up with me again, we’ll end the night on
an up note.”
“What’s the likelihood of that actually happening?”
“I’m willing to be on my best behavior if you are?”
“You’ll be on your best behavior so you can get back into my
pants?”
He pulled her by her coat until she was pressed tight
against him. “We don’t have to start right off with the pants. I’m
willing to work up to that.”
That made her laugh and he kissed it from her lips.
Then he leaned back smiling, “So what do you say?”
She raised a brow, “Are you actually asking?”
“Told you. Best behavior.”
She smiled. “All right, dinner. Then you can
begin your working up to it, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Turns out Douglas Bruce’s best behavior was pretty darn
good, and his ability to multi-task phenomenal, as he proved when they returned
to their room. As soon as the door clicked closed behind them, Douglas
turned and pressed her back against the door. His hands were warm on her
hips; his fingers dug into the denim and he slid her up the wood until they
were face-to-face.
She grabbed his face and stopped him from kissing her.
She studied his incredibly clear green eyes and chiseled jaw with the light
dusting of scratchy stubble. She would kill for eyelashes like his. “I
think I had a little too much wine, because right now you seem absolutely
gorgeous.”
“It could just be I really am that good looking.”
She snorted. “Not possible.” She ran her hands down
the side of his face to the top of his flannel shirt. “No one is that
pretty.”
“You are.” He slid her up higher,
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