Page 32 of Just This Once

“You prefer duchess? Me too.”

“I can’t fucking stand you,” she says with no heat in her voice. In fact, I think she likes me. More thanlikesme.

Especially because she asks, “Why do you need a place to stay?”

I am immeasurably happy that she’s curious about me, but my living at home isn’t exactly a topic I want to explain, so I skip over it. “I broke up with my girlfriend a few weeks ago, and I need a new?—”

“Youcheatedon her with me?”

Without thinking, I grab her shoulders again. “No. I would never and have never cheated on anyone.”

“When did you break up?”

I can’t help my growing smile. “Are you concerned for her or me or you?”

She wiggles out of my hold, scrunching up her nose. “Notme.”

“No? There was no tinge of jealousy in your voice just then?”

She steals the bag of candy and sees herself out of the laundry room. I, of course, follow her. “I’m a great tenant. I’ll mow your lawn, take out your trash. Hell, I’ll even cook you dinner if you want.”

She stops abruptly, pivoting to face me. “Cook me dinner?”

“Yeah.” I lean against the wall, casual as can be. “I’m Italian. Make you sauce from scratch.”

She rolls her eyes. “I can’t have my contractor living in the apartment above my house. It’s not appropriate.”

I push off the wall, taking a step closer to her. “There’s nothing inappropriate about it. I work for you, notunderyou.”

Immediately, my mind goes to working under her. Fuck yeah, I’d work so hard.

I think she’s imagining the same thing—her sitting on my face—because her cheeks flush pink.

And she struggles to reply, her jaw flapping up and down. So I cut her a break. “You won’t even know I’m there. I’ll be so good. Scout’s honor.”

I hold up three fingers, giving her my best innocent smile, and she shakes her head. Though, I can see her resolve wavering, lips twitching, and I press my palms together, silently begging. She eventually closes her eyes with a delightful little growl. “I’ll think about it.”

I can work with that. I tweak her arm and head over to the crew to see what I can help with.

By lunchtime, we’ve made good progress inside, so I headoutside to refinish the porch. Which makes Taryn completely incensed when she realizes.

“Why are you doing this? I can’t pay for it. This wasn’t in the contract or on any list of items we discussed.”

I shrug. “Yeah, but the exterior could use some love too.”

“It’s not in the budget.”

“It’s on my dime,” I tell her, and she fumes.

“This better not be some quid pro quo situation.”

“I literally have no idea what that means,” I say, adjusting the bandanna I have tied like a headband to catch my sweat. “But this’ll be loud, so…”

I hit the power on the sander, and she clamps her hands over her ears, shouting something at me that I can’t hear. Though her ass sure does look good as she stomps away from me.

Later, I help carry in a pallet of wood, waving at Taryn to catch her attention. “Look at me being professional at work.”

She scowls.

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