Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

embarrassment and covered her cheeks.
    “See? Paradox.”
    “You know, you don’t sound like a contractor. You sound like…”
    “Like?”
    “Well, before the ass comment, I was going to say professional. Educated.”
    “Maybe I am those things, as well.”
    She followed some more, crawling along behind him, her eyes automatically locking in on the way his jeans stretched taut when
     he moved. Which meant it wasn’t even really her fault. It was his. His and his tight—
    “I’m pretty sure,” he murmured without turningaround, “that it’d be a lot easier for you to give up sex if you stop thinking about it.”
    “How do you know I’m thinking about it?”
    He didn’t dignify that with an answer.
    “Because I’m not. I’m thinking about…” What? “About how hard it’ll be to get your jeans clean.”
    He laughed softly. “Hold that thought. I found the leak. It’s fixable.”
    “Good.”
    “But you’re going to need a new roof next year.”
    Not good. “What else?”
    “Besides the fact that I like to look at your ass, too?”
    With a moan that was only half embarrassment, she shook her head. “Stop it.”
    “Stop the looking, or the telling of the looking?”
    Oh, God. “You’re not helping me with this giving-up-men thing.”
    “I don’t intend to.”
    There in the dark, dusty attic she stared at him. “You have a stake in this, too. You said you weren’t interested, either.”
    “No, I said I’ve been there.
There
being fresh out of a bad relationship and so sure I never wanted to be in another again.”
    She sucked in a breath and considered denying that, but in the end, her curiosity won. “What happened?”
    “I got over myself. Sort of. And for the record, I am interested. Very.”
    Oh, boy. “Let’s go back to talking about the inn,” she said shakily.
    “Safer?”
    “Much.”
    His eyes smiled. “The windows are single pane. If you replace them with energy efficient and insulated, you’d make the place
     far easier to heat, plus get an updated look at the same time. Parts of the porch have to be repaired. It’s not up to code,
     it’d never pass inspection. There’s the leaking roof. You need interior and exterior paint, and the carpet is trashed. I’d
     suggest ripping it out and restoring the hardwood that’s beneath it. You want to replace the water heaters. You could easily
     update the bathrooms by putting in new vanities and cabinets when you fix the leaking pipes.”
    “Sounds like a lot.”
    “No, a lot would also be renovating the kitchen and replacing the entire roof.”
    True.
    Back outside, they headed to the marina with Izzy trotting along after them. The sun wasn’t assisting much in warming the
     air, and their breath crystallized in front of their faces. A long, shrill whistle came from the water. “What’s that?” she
     asked.
    “A seine boat searching deep waters for crab.”
    As always, she walked quickly, almost running. Jax’s stride was long-legged and sure but as unrushed as everything else about
     him. He liked to take his time, she was learning. He took his time measuring, he took his time talking, he took his time drinking
     the water bottle he offered her from the back of his Jeep, and he took his time giving Izzy a hug when she roused a very pissed-off
     squirrel and got scared.
    Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if he took his time in bed, too, and just the thought caused a rush of heat to places that
     had no business getting all heated up.
    He slid her a look, and his mouth twitched. “Again?”
    “So your superpower is reading my mind?”
    “Anyone can read your mind, Maddie. You wear it—along with your heart—on your sleeve.”
    She blew out a breath. “That’s going to have to stop. Soon as I figure out how.”
    “You could start by letting go of some of the stuff you’re holding in.”
    “I’m not holding anything in.”
    “Do we need to go over the long list of things you don’t want to talk about? Like your