Page 11 of Mister Curb Appeal
I search for Airbnbs for tonight and the next night. Nothing comes up.Shit.I know Lake Haven is popular, but surely there’s something for tonight at least. I change the search, but get no results.
I open Booking.com, and then Trivago. There’s nothing within a sixty-mile radius of Lake Haven. Looks like I’m going to be driving home. So much for the universe having my back and wanting me to take the weekend off.
While I should feel slightly annoyed that my plans have now changed, I can’t seem to regret the decision. Because I wouldn’t have the memory of Lexi doing what she did.
I realize, with a smile she can’t see, that the drive all the way out here was worth it. This could be the greatest day of my life.
Chapter Six
LEXI
Shit. Shit. Shit!
I stand in the other room, fanning my face.
I just saw Joshua Lucas naked. And he’s fit. No, he’s not just fit; he’s fucking fantastic.
His body. OMG. He’s built like a freaking stallion. Joshua doesn’t just stand tall, he towers over me like a Greek god. Okay, I’m short, but still. His big, muscular frame barely fit into the shower stall. His dark, brown hair slicked back off his forehead, and a day-old stubble on his usually shaven face was all too much. When he looked up at me in surprise, one hand on his dick as he washed himself, I thought I was going to pass out.
Swoon. The man could be a GQ model… And the sweats? Kill. Me. Now. I’ve only ever seen Joshua in suits. Now I’ve not only seen him in Armani, but his birthday suit, too. Oh, the irony. He looks so good without clothes on… like, ridiculous. Why even wear anything when you look that good? I don’t know if I got away with it, but I flush when I think about my fingers brushing up against him accidentally. Holy guacamole.
I mean, you hear about men who are hung like horses, but you never really think they exist. Point one to Joshua, becauseI’d go as far as to say he’s got a monster between his legs, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.
I rummage around in my little overnight suitcase, pulling out the sweatpants and knitted sweater I threw in there in case it got cold. This will have to do. I didn’t plan on seeing anyone, so I didn’t exactly pack my best clothes. This is the freaking wilderness. I thought I’d be chilling out this weekend, catching up on my favorite TV shows, drinking wine and eating ridiculously priced chicken salad. This has to be the best surprise I’ve ever had. However, Josh is talking about moving out so I can take the cabin. That doesn’t seem fair. It’s not his fault Ali and his dad screwed up.
Though, I’ll be sure to send my boss a quiche and a bottle of wine to say thank you.
When I see myself in the reflection of the small mirror on an old closet across from the bed, I squint a little closer. I look like a drowned rat, and my makeup has run, smudging my eyes so I look like freaking Alice Cooper on a good day. Shit, I need to fix that. I also need to convince Josh to stay. If anything, I should be the one moving out.
I quickly grab my phone and look for accommodation on Google. There’s one inn, but it’s fully booked. As are all of the Airbnb’s in town when I further search for accommodation options.Crap.Well, I have to stay here tonight, because I’ve got the showing in the morning. There’s a couch… surely Josh won’t mind if I stay there?
I may be on the curvier side, but I don’t take up that much room. I find my cosmetic bag and dig out my makeup wipes. Then I fix my runaway mascara, comb my sodden hair and take a deep breath. This will have to do.
Steeling my shoulders, I pick up my wet clothes and take them, and my towel, with me to hang outside. Josh is nowhere to be seen.
Then I hear;thump. Thump. Thump.
What is he doing?
I let myself out onto the porch and my eyes do a double take. Josh is standing over by a huge tree stump with an ax in hand, chopping wood. Every time he swings it and the blade cracks into the wood, his t-shirt rides up, showing me his fine-as-fuck torso. A torso I’ve had the privilege of ogling. As my eyes dip lower, I can see he hasn’t got any underwear on. I can see the outline of his dick through his gray sweats, and my eyes almost roll into the back of my head when I think about how much I want to do with it. I don’t know how long I stand there staring at him, but when he looks up suddenly straight across at me, I look away and quickly hang my clothes over the banister and pretend I wasn’t checking him out. Again.
When I glance back, I give him a little wave and he smiles, giving me a chin lift in return. Then he scoops up the wood he’s chopped up into his arms, like it weighs nothing, and starts walking toward me.
I swear to God, if he was in a TikTok video, he’d go viral, no question. I’ve seen those clips of men who chop wood without a shirt on, and Josh would give them a run for their money. Holy heck, he would.
I smile sweetly as he approaches. “Nice to see you brought your skills with you out here,” I say. “I just bought wine and chicken salad.”
His smile turns into a grin, and I’m rewarded with those pearly white teeth that make the bees in my stomach come alive all over again. “I bought the exact same salad.”
“Really?”
“I’m a sucker for a meal in a pouch, what can I say?”
I chuckle to myself. “How’s your leg? We should probably take a look at that? My cat scratched you up pretty good.”
“I’m changing his name to Freddy Kruger.”
A high-pitched laugh escapes me, but secretly, deep down, I hope he doesn’t hate Mr. Snuggles. Not that I blame him, but in my cat’s defense, he was disorientated.
