Page 113 of Mr. Fixer Upper
“I should have dried it last night. It looks like a rat’s nest condominium.”
He reached behind the bathroom door, yanked a Kings Construction hat off the hook, and settled it over her dark curls. “There. Problem solved.”
She tugged the brim lower, tucked her hair behind her ears, and managed to look adorable. He reached over and adjusted the fit.
Paige grinned at him. And not just the work smile, the full on blinding wattage that punched him in the chest every damn time. Her blue eyes were warm beneath the bill of his hat, her face bare and unbelievably pretty. His heart took that stumbling stutter.
“What?” she asked, cocking her head.
He wasn’t going to blow it all now by professing his undying love to her. Again. He had a plan and he needed to stick to it.
He shrugged and reached for his toothbrush. “Nothing. I’m just liking how this day started.”
Paige pulled her toothbrush out of the holder and rinsed it under the water. “Listen,” she began, reaching for the toothpaste. “To avoid repeating any past mistakes, I want to be clear about something.”
Gannon snatched it away from her and squirted some on his toothbrush. She swiped it back and spread some neatly on her brush.
“Why do I have the feeling that you’re about to piss me off?” he asked, brushing vigorously.
“I’m not trying to piss you off,” Paige insisted. “I just want to make sure you understand that I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”
He stopped brushing and stared her down in the mirror. “Sure know how to make a guy feel special, Paige.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and bent to spit. “You know what I mean. I like you Gannon. I like being with you. But I don’t have the time to devote to a relationship.”
He turned on the water in the sink, spat, and rinsed. “But you want to continue to have sex?”
She looked guilty. “Well, yeah.”
“And you’re not having it with anyone else?”
“Of course not! And neither are you, by the way.” She rinsed and caught the towel he threw at her.
“So we’re having monogamous sex. What about dinner? Do I get to have meals with you?”
“I know what you’re doing,” she warned him. She pointed her toothbrush at him.
“Meals, sex, probably some sleepovers.” He ticked the items off. “But not a relationship.”
“I just don’t want you to expect things from me like…”
“Like what? What does a relationship mean to you, Paige?”
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“Yet you’re positive you don’t want to make time for one?”
“Look, I just want to be straight with you. Okay? I don’t want to be thinking about next steps and questioning what we are and aren’t. I want to focus on work.”
“So no relationship.” Gannon clarified.
Paige looked relieved. “Yes. No relationship.”
“Agree to disagree.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Hurry up, princess. I need coffee.” He sauntered out of the bathroom leaving her glaring after him.
“So glad that’s settled,” she scowled.
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