unconsciously.
He looked over at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said with a slow drag and a sly grin while staring at him.
“Regan, are you sure?”
Busted !
She blinked realizing she’d answered while stuck in the erotic daydream. “Yeah, never felt better. Is it warm in here? I think I will go outside for some air.” She dropped the end of the tape measure causing it to spring inside the mechanism still in his hand.
Orlando stepped in front of her blocking her path. Her forehead bounced against the plane of his chest. “Ouch.” She rubbed the spot of the imaginary pain.
“What is really going on with you? Have I done something to you?”
Heck yeah you’ve done something to me! “No, you haven’t done anything to me, Orlando. It’s me.”
“What IS you?” He asked dropping the tape measure on the makeshift table. It consisted of a long piece of plywood propped between two sawhorses.
“I’m not as blunt as you. I can’t say what is on my mind.”
“Yeah, you can. If I have done something to offend you, tell me and let me worry about my feelings getting hurt.”
She sucked in a deep breath wanting to spill her guts. She told herself it was fear not letting her say what was on her mind. The fact Orlando didn’t seem interested in her as much as she was in him, meant he would have to explain why, and she didn’t want to face that rejection.
“I’d rather not say what is on my mind,” she said feeling the nervousness prickling at the backs of her knees.
His hands rested on his narrow hips. Regan could see his lips moving, but her eyes and mind were slowly undressing him. Why was she having the horny hormone invasion? Was she trying to be a divorcee who’d bed every man she’d meet?
She leapt to the present when his hands closed around hers. Somewhere between being lost in her mind and losing sight of him, he had moved to take her hands in his. His thumbs rubbed across her knuckles. Regan's heart raced. She had to get away from him before a repeat of what happened at the beach, happened again.
“Regan, where are you disappearing to?”
She pulled her hands away wiping them down the sides of her shorts. The carnal sting of his touch burned her hand. “I get lost in my thoughts sometimes. I’m deep that way or, crazy as Lincoln calls me.”
“Oh really?”
He held her gaze for a moment too long. She held her breath thinking what if he was reading her mind or better yet her lie. He stepped away from her going to the window, she sighed a breath of relief. The argument with Mark, this morning, should have killed any sexual tension pent inside her only it seemed to intensify her want for Orlando.
She coughed to clear her throat. “Are you replacing the window or measuring it for a window dressing?”
“I was thinking of putting in a bay window with a seat. It would give more character to the room. What do you think?”
“I agree. A bay window would be perfect. The owner could put in a garden and sit and watch it grow.”
He smiled displaying a perfect set of teeth. “I guess I have a little taste. Now if I could find someone to occupy it, I would be willing to dig the garden myself.”
“What if I rented it from you?”
His head whipped in her direction. “Come again?”
“I’m serious, Orlando. I’ve been looking for a place to live. This house is the right size and would be easy for me to maintain.”
“I don’t know, Regan. It’s never a good idea to rent to friends.”
Casting a glance at the watch on her wrist, time was moving fast but not fast enough for her. “You think of me as a friend?”
“Sure do. You have a friend for life in me.”
“Okay, then let me do this for you—my friend. I need a place to live so Lincoln can have her privacy. You have a house you are trying to rent. You wouldn’t rent me something uninhabitable, would you?”
He
He looked over at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said with a slow drag and a sly grin while staring at him.
“Regan, are you sure?”
Busted !
She blinked realizing she’d answered while stuck in the erotic daydream. “Yeah, never felt better. Is it warm in here? I think I will go outside for some air.” She dropped the end of the tape measure causing it to spring inside the mechanism still in his hand.
Orlando stepped in front of her blocking her path. Her forehead bounced against the plane of his chest. “Ouch.” She rubbed the spot of the imaginary pain.
“What is really going on with you? Have I done something to you?”
Heck yeah you’ve done something to me! “No, you haven’t done anything to me, Orlando. It’s me.”
“What IS you?” He asked dropping the tape measure on the makeshift table. It consisted of a long piece of plywood propped between two sawhorses.
“I’m not as blunt as you. I can’t say what is on my mind.”
“Yeah, you can. If I have done something to offend you, tell me and let me worry about my feelings getting hurt.”
She sucked in a deep breath wanting to spill her guts. She told herself it was fear not letting her say what was on her mind. The fact Orlando didn’t seem interested in her as much as she was in him, meant he would have to explain why, and she didn’t want to face that rejection.
“I’d rather not say what is on my mind,” she said feeling the nervousness prickling at the backs of her knees.
His hands rested on his narrow hips. Regan could see his lips moving, but her eyes and mind were slowly undressing him. Why was she having the horny hormone invasion? Was she trying to be a divorcee who’d bed every man she’d meet?
She leapt to the present when his hands closed around hers. Somewhere between being lost in her mind and losing sight of him, he had moved to take her hands in his. His thumbs rubbed across her knuckles. Regan's heart raced. She had to get away from him before a repeat of what happened at the beach, happened again.
“Regan, where are you disappearing to?”
She pulled her hands away wiping them down the sides of her shorts. The carnal sting of his touch burned her hand. “I get lost in my thoughts sometimes. I’m deep that way or, crazy as Lincoln calls me.”
“Oh really?”
He held her gaze for a moment too long. She held her breath thinking what if he was reading her mind or better yet her lie. He stepped away from her going to the window, she sighed a breath of relief. The argument with Mark, this morning, should have killed any sexual tension pent inside her only it seemed to intensify her want for Orlando.
She coughed to clear her throat. “Are you replacing the window or measuring it for a window dressing?”
“I was thinking of putting in a bay window with a seat. It would give more character to the room. What do you think?”
“I agree. A bay window would be perfect. The owner could put in a garden and sit and watch it grow.”
He smiled displaying a perfect set of teeth. “I guess I have a little taste. Now if I could find someone to occupy it, I would be willing to dig the garden myself.”
“What if I rented it from you?”
His head whipped in her direction. “Come again?”
“I’m serious, Orlando. I’ve been looking for a place to live. This house is the right size and would be easy for me to maintain.”
“I don’t know, Regan. It’s never a good idea to rent to friends.”
Casting a glance at the watch on her wrist, time was moving fast but not fast enough for her. “You think of me as a friend?”
“Sure do. You have a friend for life in me.”
“Okay, then let me do this for you—my friend. I need a place to live so Lincoln can have her privacy. You have a house you are trying to rent. You wouldn’t rent me something uninhabitable, would you?”
He
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