Page 62 of Single Girl in the City
Onward and upward.
Shit.
No matter how long she stood there or how many times she whispered, “That is a battle for another day. Today it’s about calm and tranquility,” she couldn’t gather the courage needed to crawl onward and upward just one more rung.
“You totally have this.” Hands clammy, she lifted one foot and then quickly put it back down when she felt the world sway. “You so don’t have this.”
First busses, then cars, and now heights? The crash had been the gift that kept on giving. At this rate she was bound to enter retirement before she could screw in even a single bulb. Yesterday had been easy, she’d pointed to the light fixture and Clive became hero for the day, swapping out one for the other.
But today was Clive’s day off and Abi was too embarrassed to ask anyone else to climb up Rapunzel’s hair.
“What are you doing up there?” Owen’s silky, sexy voice said from below. Her heart warmed. Along with some other, more pertinent, parts.
“Being environmentally conscious by putting in eco-friendly light bulbs. They last three times longer and use half the energy. Even the universe deserves a little pampering. Only I can’t seem to reach the light to swap out the bulbs.” She sighed. “Correction. I can’t seem to climb any higher to change the bulb.”
“And the whiteboard?”
“I figured that if everyone could see the schedule, they’d be less likely to play sick. Knowing they’d literally be leaving their co-workers in the lurch is a great motivator. Plus, if everyone can see who’s working then—”
“Everyone can see who’s bailing for a day of fun.”
“Exactly.” She turned around to ask him why he was there, but then she forgot how to speak. Owen had climbed up behind her and perched on the second rung, which brought him eye level. “Smart and sexy.”
She opened her mouth, but all the air whooshed out of her lungs and her heart melted faster than a pat of butter on hot cornbread.
The man redefined “sexy.” A faded college T-shirt clung to his impressive chest. His hair was a little messy, and his jeans hung dangerously low, giving her a prime view of chiseled abs and lean hips, and highlighting his yummy parts. No ball cap, no pretenses, and no confusion.
Sometimes he’d leave her to enjoy her coffee and other times, like that morning, they’d sit on the patio and talk about everything and nothing, all at the same time.
She learned about his childhood, and she shared small slivers of hers. Usually cracking some kind of joke when things became too serious. She could tell he wanted more, but after hearing about his idyllic childhood, that was all he was going to get. But she did tell him all about Jenny and their time in Mobile and how it was the first place since her grandma passed that felt like home.
Even when they kept things light it was as if they were circling each other, waiting for the other to pounce. But while it was always sex-charged, it was still friendship driven. That was why seven in the morning had become her favorite time of the day. And when she finally left for—she couldn’t say greener—other pastures, she’d miss those quiet moments, almost as much as she’d miss him.
And that wasn’t even the most tempting part. Nope. The more she saw Owen as a normal, real guy and not the repentance she’d come back to Portland for, the more the boundaries seemed to blur, and the harder he became to resist.
“I suck at boundaries,” she rushed out, more for her than him. “For me, they’re more of a test than a line in the sand.”
“I’m excellent at boundaries.” His hand cupped her hip and he leaned closer. “Around you, not so much.” His gaze dropped to her lips, his fingers splayed around her waist. “Are you on the clock? Please tell me you’re not.”
She considered lying, but she’d already racked up her fair share of those. “I just started.”
He groaned low in his throat and dropped his head to her shoulder. “That’s probably for the best.” But his hands stayed right there on her hips, his thumb teasing under the hem of her shirt, making short little passes on her bare skin. “This is becoming harder and harder.”
“For me too.”
She felt him straighten and a rush of air left his lungs as he pulled back—all the way back. “Now, tell me how I can help?”
She held out the light bulb. “Can you put it in?”
“I’ve never had a problem putting it in,” he said.
“You don’t get to do that.”
“Do what?” he asked innocently.
“Turn my words into foreplay. You made the rules. Your conditions, remember?”
“Oh, I remember. When Horny Owen finally runs into Responsible Owen, he’s going to kick his ass.”
