Page 30 of Summer Heat
She shook her head. "Ugh. I should have known you were a real-estate mogul."
I chuckled. "In Monopoly only."
We played a few more rounds before Kinsley started yawning.
"I can save the game for another day." Or we could start over. It didn't matter to me. I just enjoyed sharing my favorite childhood game with her.
Kinsley stood and folded my blanket, placing it on the cushion where I'd just been sitting. "Let's start over in case Maya wants to play. I'd better get to bed if I want to be functional tomorrow."
I carefully carried the board inside and placed it on a table. I'd put it away later.
Kinsley paused at the stairs. "Thanks for showing me this place."
I didn't share this place with many people, but I didn't have any regrets sharing it with her. "You're welcome to come up here anytime you want."
"Night, Shep."
"Night, Kins." My voice was low and rough.
I heard her footsteps on the steps, and I waited until they faded before heading back onto the deck.
I might not have bought the house, but it was mine. It was a huge responsibility, but at the same time, it felt good to own something like this with so much history.
For a short time, I was sharing it with Kinsley and Maya. It was nice to have them fill the space with their things. Maya had bath toys, books, blankets, and Legos scattered in the living room, the bathroom, and even the hallway.
I couldn't walk anywhere without seeing evidence that they lived here. And it was nice. I liked seeing the empty tables filled with toys.
I was starting to think the house was filled with love and not emptiness. As much as I loved this house, it was weird being here when my grandmother wasn't. I associated so many of the rooms with her.
But now that Kinsley and Maya filled the empty spaces, it felt nice. It was different, and I liked it.
Being with Kinsley when Maya wasn't around was tempting. I couldn't avoid my attraction to her. It was impossible to pretend that I wasn't physically attracted to her.
We should avoid being alone together. Especially at night when Maya wasn't around to distract us with her antics.
The stars and the ocean were no distraction from Kinsley. She outshone them all. But she was my employee, and as my dad reminded me, I couldn't blur those lines and risk screwing everything up. She needed this job, and I needed my dad's respect.
For once, I'd do the right thing. I'd pretend that I wasn't attracted to Kinsley. That I didn't long to touch her.
I had to keep thinking of her as my employee and not anything else. Too much was riding on staying in my lane.
Chapter Nine
Kinsley
As nice as the evening was on the rooftop deck, I had to get out of there. It was too nice, and if I stayed any longer, I'd do something crazy like kiss Shepard or tell him how I felt.
The longer I sat there watching him move his piece on the board or count out money from the bank, the more I wanted to know how his fingers would feel on my body. Or how he'd sound if he was intimate with a woman. A tingle ran down my spine at the thought.
Shep was my employer. We were working together in the office and in his home. I couldn't afford to embarrass myself by coming onto him and being let down.
I was sure this happened to him all the time. He was a charming guy. Women naturally gravitated toward him.
He hadn't given me any indication that he was interested in me other than helping me with a place to live and wanting my design advice.
I laid there for a long time, wondering if Shep was sleeping on the deck. Or whether he was up there thinking about his life.
I couldn't remember when I'd had a better night. I'd tried to go out on a few dates, but they never panned out. Nothing ever outweighed spending an evening with my daughter. But tonight was something special.
