Page 44 of His Build

“Afternoon,” he said.

“Hello.” She was wearing a pair of navy shorts and a t-shirt with a high collar, but that was somehow sexier than a bikini top in the way it draped over her shoulders and breasts.

Then he was picturing her in a bikini top.

He shifted in his little canoe seat.

“Everything okay back home?” he said as he pulled up next to the dock and climbed out.

Lucy sighed. “Yes. We found the cat.”

“The cat?”

Lucy laughed, then told him about how her sister had lost her neighbor's cat. How her sister’s boyfriend, some kind of deadbeat, had blamed her sister, and she’d had to stay with her another couple of days, nursing her through a temporary break-up.

“Temporary?” Graydon asked, barely following along.

“She’s just going to make up with him or find the next guy not worthy of her attention.”

When she said that she glanced at Graydon, and something went tight in his chest. Was he worthy of Lucy?

Lucy’s skin flushed pink, and she sat up stiffly, looking at the canoe as if changing her mind. She was feeling awkward. Had he made it awkward? They hadn’t seen each other since that morning.

Graydon reached a hand down to her to help her to her feet. “I promise we don’t need to make this weird. We can keep it purely professional.”

Sparks flew up his arm as she took his proffered hand. God, just touching this woman’s fingers set him off. He’d been practicing the words about professionalism on the way over, and though it was nearly impossible to contemplate and would probably kill him, he’d meant what he said. He knew coming over here that it was better to be around her and not be with her in that way than to be apart.

Especially as that was what was going to be happening anyway.

She smiled at him. Did she know he was dying inside?

“I’m just coming to your place to see the barn,” she said. “For storage. This is purely professional.” But her fingers curled around his, her eyes going to his lips. Was she… coming on to him?

His cock jumped in his pants once more. “Maybe we can be different kinds of professionals,” he said. His voice was hoarse, like he hadn’t used it in days. “Professionals with benefits.”

Her mouth twisted at the corner and then she laughed. It was that full, throaty laugh that sent an arrow straight through his heart. He brought his free hand up to her face and slid his fingers into her red waves. Then he leaned in and pulled her lips up to meet his. The electricity snapped in his chest like a live wire. When he pulled away, she seemed as stunned as he was.

“I missed you,” he whispered. “I mean, I had a good time with you. Before.”

She opened her mouth as if to speak, then looked down.

You idiot.

“So… should we go?” she said.

“Right,” he said, the reason for him being there coming back to him. He led her towards the side of the dock by the canoe. Just being in her presence made him feel like a piece of him that had been missing was fitted back into place. Of course, he had a hard time being in her presence without wanting to put his hands all over her, but he’d try his best not to let that show. He’d let her take the lead.

But as he watched the most gorgeous, smart, determined woman he’d ever known climb into his boat, some old part of him suddenly slipped in. An awareness of what he’d spent his whole adult life trying to avoid.

Remember what happens when you have all the happiness in the world.

He had a vision of his mother, looking back at him from the front seat. His father, looking over at his mother with a tenderness that made his teenage heart squeeze even while he mimed barfing. Then the light, and the crunch of metal.

Graydon shook his head, gripping his hands into fists so that his nails dug into his palms.

Let her take the lead, and maybe this won’t go too far.

16

---