Page 113 of The Lost Book of First Loves

Something told her she was not going to be sleeping much that night. She was going to be tossing and turning, remembering that kiss and wondering what Xander would do if she unzipped his tent in the night and climbed into his sleeping bag with him.

Chapter 37

Beckett

Beckett pulled into the driveway of the luxurious home where he was delivering the table then shut off his truck engine.

Juniper didn’t so much as blink awake. She was obviously exhausted, poor thing. She had certainly survived a chaotic month.

Should he wake her or let her sleep while he delivered the table?

He decided to let her wake up on her own. She needed sleep more than she needed to see a log home worth a small fortune.

The designer he had been working with, Heather Mason, pulled up behind him as he was opening the back of the trailer. Over the past year, she had commissioned several pieces from him for her clients.

He was grateful for the work, though he wasn’t as thrilled that she had begun to act a little flirty with him.

“Beck! Thank youso muchfor doing a rush job on this one. The owners are hoping to be in the house in two weeks and you already know how demanding they can be. They expect every single thing to be perfect.”

She gave an exasperated eye roll before she stepped forward and offered her cheek for him to kiss.

She did smell good, softly seductive, but he wasn’t tempted in the slightest. Frustrating that he couldn’t seem to drum up any interest in someone who was patently interested in him, while he pined over a woman who was unattainable.

“I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with it,” she gushed. “I feel like every project you do for me is somehow better than the one before.”

“I try.”

“And you succeed. Let me have a look.”

“You’ll see better once I get it out of the truck. It’s already on the furniture mover. Can you help me guide it into the house?”

When she looked slightly aghast, gazing down at her strappy sandals and white shorts that showed off long, tanned legs, he had to smile.

“Nothing to it, I promise. All you have to do is help me steer. I’ll do all the work.”

“Okay. As long as you promise I won’t get dirty. I’m on my way to lunch with some girlfriends after this.”

“You won’t,” he assured her.

While he could see she was reluctant, she still climbed into the back of the trailer to help direct him as he pushed the table down the loading ramp to the sidewalk.

He had wrapped it in soft blankets to protect it for the ride and as he removed them, the table gleamed in the sunlight.

“Oh,” Heather exclaimed, gazing with admiration. “It’s perfect! So much better than the pictures you sent me.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Iloveit. More importantly, my clients are going to love it.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck in an impulsive hug, holding on longer than strictly necessary. As she released him, he caught movement out of the corner of his gaze and found Juniper walking around the passenger side of the truck to where they stood at the rear of the trailer.

She looked a little disoriented, her eyes clouded with lingering sleep and her hair disheveled on one side where she had slept against the seat.

Still, she looked soft and sweet and delicious.

Heather, he saw, had taken a step away from him and was viewing June with a cool gaze.

“You shouldn’t have let me sleep. I planned to help you unload the table.”

---