Page 19 of His Hot Mess

“Kind of like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve just never seen you so adamant that you take on a job personally.”

There was clear subtext there. I tried not to glare at my friend even as I knew he could see right through me. “There was that job on Opal I fought for. And the one out on Emerald last summer.”

“Right,” Graydon said, though his grin widened further.

I could tell there wasn’t much I could say that wouldn’t sound incriminating, so I tried to put on my most casual, nonchalant face as we discussed details.

We determined we’d need a few days to rejig our timetables, but Graydon figured if he lent me a few guys to help out we could reduce the whole job to a single week. Even though I couldn’t ignore the tinge of disappointment I felt at fewer days at Sadie’s, I couldn’t argue with the condensed schedule, given I had convinced him to insert this new job in our already packed summer. We determined I could be spared next Wednesday to do measurements for materials, and provided Charles could send me the building plans, I could get started with materials on Friday.

Now that the day was here and I was faced with the prospect of seeing Sadie again within the hour, I deeply regretted my insistence on taking this job myself.

Rinsing out my hair, I swabbed soap onto my face and neck. I’d gone for a run this morning: five miles around the hills behind Sapphire Lake at sunrise. It had burned off some of my nervous energy, but I was still buzzing.

Sadie Fulham.

I rolled her name around in my mouth. The woman was wild. Distractible. Excitable. As different from me as oil and water. I sudsed my chest and ran the bar of soap down between my legs.

Again her scent came back to me; her laugh, that twinkle in her eye as she’d pulled her panties from my shirt.

I pictured the offending underwear on her then; pictured pulling the flimsy waistband from her hip with a single finger, then snapping it against her skin, making her jump and giggle.

My cock stiffened in my hand.

Sadie Fulham.

What would she look like soaped up in this shower? What would she feel like under my hands? Her skin would be soft and yielding, I knew. Her hair, wet and streaming down her back, ready for gentle tugging.

She probably made noise when she came. A lot of it.

I stroked my cock, the soap giving my hands glide. My palm rounded the tip, making me moan with pleasure in the steamy shower.

Sadie Fulham.

It only took me a few more seconds before I came, hot and fast, Sadie’s name on my tongue.

Then I turned on the cold water.

CHRIS

The moment the door to the shop opened and Sadie’s face appeared—flushed, smiling, sexy as hell—I regretted my me-time in the shower. My fantasy was probably all over my face.

I wished I could haveherall over my face.

Motherf—

“Hello, Christopher,” she said.

I realized I’d been standing there without saying anything. Not a great start.

“I guess we’re a go?” I said, my voice gruff. I hadn’t meant to sound quite so unfriendly, but I wasn’t sure how to loosen my words. Seeing Sadie after a week of thinking about her nonstop was messing with me.

“I have to say, I was surprised to hear you were going to be the one helping me out, after you embarrassed yourself like that.”

My stomach plunged and I could feel my cheeks burning like a schoolboy’s. For a split second I wondered if somehow she knew I’d made myself come thinking of her only a brief half hour ago.

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