Page 31 of Bond Strength

“Such a smartass.” He squeezed my ass. He cleaned around my cock, then hitched each leg up, one after the other, to give them soapy caresses as well. I sagged against the wall of the shower stall, a complete rag doll after orgasms and pre tea. He brought my leg down, and before I could return the favor, he cleaned himself off with economical motions. I took his other hand and brought his finger to my lips.

Noah gave me a warning glance, but I sucked it into my mouth anyway.

Mm. I liked the feel of that a lot.

I sucked a little harder.

“My god, Declan Brannon.” Noah’s voice had a stern note I liked, a little hoarse as well. “I’m dead. Utterly slain.”

“A bit dramatic too.”

“You’re one to talk.” Noah gave me a look, removed his finger, and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Come on. Let’s go have tea.”

He shut off the water and stepped out first. Fuck, his backside was just as sexy as the front. That ass so muscular and firm. I wanted to sink my teeth into it. Maybe I’d get the chance to. Even though things between us felt like perfection here in this bubble, I was well aware of what happened when you took a project and introduced a new variable.

Either it would adapt, or it would break.

Chapter twelve

Noah

After we left the shower, I’d called one of my buddies in the tree business. The storm brought in a lot of work for them, but given the tree blocking Declan’s driveway, he offered to bump my job to top priority.

We’d tipped back our tea in relative quiet. My mind was chaotic with how much had changed overnight, and Declan was sinking into his own space. And then, since we had electricity, he hopped onto his work laptop, and I checked out the damage to his walls. I already had my truck here with all my supplies, so I could at least complete some steps of this job. My boss had left me messages on my phone, but I didn’t want to listen to them. Guaranteed, Brandon would be pissed. Mom and my sisters had called too, but I had handled everything through text.

There was no way I’d be fielding any distractions while I had this perfect moment with Declan. Even the way we split off to do our separate tasks felt natural, and too easily, I could imagine being in eachother’s spaces on a regular basis. Anyone else, I might feel like I was letting them down with how often I got drawn into social things, but Declan hadn’t lied when he said he was self-sufficient. He savored his alone time.

If I could work with anyone, he might be the one person I could pull off a relationship with.

I chipped away at the rotting masonry outside. The motions were familiar, and I lost myself in the process of preparing the wall. With the way the flooding had dripped into his basement last night, he’d need this work done ASAP. Once everything dried, I’d get the mix ready and pour so it could set.

As much as my heart crawled out like a hermit crab from its shell, one thing kept me popping back inside. When we’d discussed our date, hesitation had lingered in Declan’s voice. He truly believed I’d blow him off. That I wouldn’t be able to tell work or my family no. And I hated that his concern had validity. I hadn’t in the past when it came to the guys I’d been with. Yet none of them had ever gripped me like Declan Brannon did.

I hadn’t been lying. If anyone was worth the effort of setting those boundaries, no matter how much doing so made my anxiety rise, it was him.

The beeping of a truck signaled my attention, and McCarthy’s Landscaping pulled into view. James and another guy hopped out of his truck, and they let out a low whistle.

“Damn, Noah,” James said. “You guys got real lucky this didn’t crush the cars or the house.”

“I know.” I shook my head as I strode over. “Want me to help?”

“I’ll knock some off the bill if you do.” James flashed me a grin. “We’re overstretched a bit, but I wouldn’t leave you hanging.”

“Thanks, man.” I clapped him on theshoulder.

“I’ll pass you a chainsaw, and we can get this thing cleared in no time,” James said.

I nodded, even though my heart thumped hard. Staying here forever was impractical, but part of me didn’t want this bubble of being with Declan to end. However, right now, I had work to do.

I lost myself in the motions, and by the time James, Gary, and I had cleared the tree, sweat was pouring off me. Still, it had been quicker work than I’d expected, and we’d piled the wood into the back of James’s truck. He promised to haul it for us, no charge. He’d be taking it to the mill right after.

All too quickly, James and Gary were clearing up, getting ready for their next job.

“Shit, you sure you don’t want to work in landscaping?” James asked. “That was so much easier with your help.”

I shook my head. “I like what I do.”

“Brandon doesn’t deserve you.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze and headed off. “I’ll throw you the bill later.”

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