refill?”
She didn’t answer him, but he sensed her walk up behind him. He quickly replaced the carafe on the warming plate before he dropped it.
“My eyes are what, Luke?” she asked.
Her low, husky voice caressed his cock. Shit. He didn’t want to develop a full-blown erection in front of her.
She touched his back, between his shoulder blades. Her hand felt cool against his skin that suddenly seemed stretched too tight. “Finish your sentence, Luke. I need to know. Please. I need something positive right now.”
He turned to face her. Once again, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He did what he’d done dozens of times since he’d known her—he drew her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, rested his cheek on it. “Your eyes are as beautiful as everything else about you. The only problem you have… Well, okay, you have more than one.”
His arms tightened around her when she tensed as if to pull away from him. “We all have problems or quirks or whatever you want to call them, Erin. Your main one is a lack of patience. Two of your friends recently got married. Your sister had a baby. You’re looking in from the outside and wanting what they have. I understand that.”
“You do?”
“Sure. Guys want love and happiness too. We just aren’t sappy about it the way women are.”
He heard her chuckle, which made him feel a lot better. She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him. “You’re good for me, do you know that?”
“Hey, what are friends for?” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Do you work today?”
Erin nodded, took a step back so they no longer touched. “From nine to two. I have a couple coming in the agency today who are planning an around-the-world trip for their twenty-fifth anniversary.”
“Wow. That should be a nice commission for you.”
“I can use it. My air conditioner isn’t cooling as well as it should.”
“That’s because you won’t let me replace it. Your unit has to be close to twenty years old.”
Erin frowned. “Luke, I don’t have an extra ten grand in my checking account for a new central air unit.”
“It wouldn’t cost that much.”
“However much it costs, I can’t do it. I can barely afford for you to fix my old one. Even though you don’t charge me for your time, I still have to pay for parts.”
“At my cost, which is what you’ll pay for the new unit. And you can pay it out for as long as you need to. No interest. It’s August in Texas. You can’t be without A/C. I can check the schedule for an open spot and install the new unit next week.”
He’d decided a long time ago that owning a heating and air conditioning company gave him the right to help his family and friends as much as possible. He took enough of a wage to support himself and left the rest in the company. He’d rather pay out bonuses to his employees than have a huge chunk of money in his personal bank account.
She wiggled her mouth back and forth. Luke recognized that gesture as one Erin used when she was trying to make a decision. “I’ll think about it.”
“It’ll pay for itself over time with what you’ll save in electricity—“
“Okay, I said I’d think about it.” Erin rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, you can be so bossy sometimes.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
Erin laughed. “Yes, it is.” She grabbed a paper towel off the roll by the sink. “I’m going to take some cookies with me.”
He knew she would. Erin couldn’t resist his mother’s homemade cookies. “Help yourself. Just leave me a couple, okay?”
She flashed him an impish grin. “Maybe.”
Grinning too, he watched her wrap four cookies in the paper towel. “Come back when you get off work for a swim. I’ll grill some steaks for supper.”
“Sounds great. I’ll pick up a bottle of wine.” She waved at him over her shoulder as she walked away. “Later, dude.”
Chapter Two
Erin straightened the colorful travel brochures on
She didn’t answer him, but he sensed her walk up behind him. He quickly replaced the carafe on the warming plate before he dropped it.
“My eyes are what, Luke?” she asked.
Her low, husky voice caressed his cock. Shit. He didn’t want to develop a full-blown erection in front of her.
She touched his back, between his shoulder blades. Her hand felt cool against his skin that suddenly seemed stretched too tight. “Finish your sentence, Luke. I need to know. Please. I need something positive right now.”
He turned to face her. Once again, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He did what he’d done dozens of times since he’d known her—he drew her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, rested his cheek on it. “Your eyes are as beautiful as everything else about you. The only problem you have… Well, okay, you have more than one.”
His arms tightened around her when she tensed as if to pull away from him. “We all have problems or quirks or whatever you want to call them, Erin. Your main one is a lack of patience. Two of your friends recently got married. Your sister had a baby. You’re looking in from the outside and wanting what they have. I understand that.”
“You do?”
“Sure. Guys want love and happiness too. We just aren’t sappy about it the way women are.”
He heard her chuckle, which made him feel a lot better. She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him. “You’re good for me, do you know that?”
“Hey, what are friends for?” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Do you work today?”
Erin nodded, took a step back so they no longer touched. “From nine to two. I have a couple coming in the agency today who are planning an around-the-world trip for their twenty-fifth anniversary.”
“Wow. That should be a nice commission for you.”
“I can use it. My air conditioner isn’t cooling as well as it should.”
“That’s because you won’t let me replace it. Your unit has to be close to twenty years old.”
Erin frowned. “Luke, I don’t have an extra ten grand in my checking account for a new central air unit.”
“It wouldn’t cost that much.”
“However much it costs, I can’t do it. I can barely afford for you to fix my old one. Even though you don’t charge me for your time, I still have to pay for parts.”
“At my cost, which is what you’ll pay for the new unit. And you can pay it out for as long as you need to. No interest. It’s August in Texas. You can’t be without A/C. I can check the schedule for an open spot and install the new unit next week.”
He’d decided a long time ago that owning a heating and air conditioning company gave him the right to help his family and friends as much as possible. He took enough of a wage to support himself and left the rest in the company. He’d rather pay out bonuses to his employees than have a huge chunk of money in his personal bank account.
She wiggled her mouth back and forth. Luke recognized that gesture as one Erin used when she was trying to make a decision. “I’ll think about it.”
“It’ll pay for itself over time with what you’ll save in electricity—“
“Okay, I said I’d think about it.” Erin rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, you can be so bossy sometimes.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
Erin laughed. “Yes, it is.” She grabbed a paper towel off the roll by the sink. “I’m going to take some cookies with me.”
He knew she would. Erin couldn’t resist his mother’s homemade cookies. “Help yourself. Just leave me a couple, okay?”
She flashed him an impish grin. “Maybe.”
Grinning too, he watched her wrap four cookies in the paper towel. “Come back when you get off work for a swim. I’ll grill some steaks for supper.”
“Sounds great. I’ll pick up a bottle of wine.” She waved at him over her shoulder as she walked away. “Later, dude.”
Chapter Two
Erin straightened the colorful travel brochures on
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