Read Online All of Me (All Series Book 2) by Natalie Ann - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Natalie Ann
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and he pushed the machine to the side to get closer to the faucet. “Looks like it’s stripped for some reason. That’s strange.”
Looking away guiltily, she decided to fold her towels. Big mistake, because once she opened the dryer, the overloaded towels started to spill out onto the floor. She lifted her eyes to his and saw his knowing grin. Caught. “I can explain.”
He removed the washer ring that had been stripped. “Go ahead.”
“I’m used to the industrial-sized machines at my old building.”
“Plausible,” he said without missing a beat and tightened the new ring, then reattached the hose. “But I figured you were smarter than that. I mean didn’t you tell me it wasn’t that hard to figure out the appliances?”
She didn’t miss the twitching of his lips and didn’t appreciate it at all. He was right, but she wouldn’t admit it. So she tried another approach. “It’s been a crazy week, and I’ve fallen behind on my laundry.”
“Is that the best you can do?” he asked, his eyes crinkling.
Sliding back into their old ways, the bantering and the flirting, she cocked her hip and rested against the dryer door. “You would be surprised at the number of people who call me last minute begging me to get their taxes filed before the April fifteenth deadline.”
“Ouch,” he said, grinning wide. Replacing his wrench back into his bag, he looked around and found her mop against the wall, cleaned up the remaining water, and pushed the machine back in place. “In my defense, Sean is pretty anal about deadlines. I would have been fine if we filed the extension.”
Her eyes softened. She bet he would have been fine with it. But she didn’t want him to feel guilty. “It’s part of my job. I’m used to it. And so you know, Sean is pretty good at his job. It didn’t take me nearly as long as it might have.” She reached over and patted his hand lightly, realized what she did and yanked it back. “If it wasn’t you calling, it would have been another company.”
Picking up his bag, he walked out of the room. “Either way, we appreciated it.” Then he ruined his apology by adding, “Especially since it put you behind in your laundry.”
“Sure, rub it in,” she replied, but laughed just the same. “Since you went out of your way to fix the mess I made, the least I can do is offer you dinner.”
“That would be nice. What are you going to make me?” he asked with the boyish charm he’d always shown her before, enjoying their old ways.
“A nice big salad.”
His smile faded immediately. She figured as much. Too bad she wasn’t joking. But he surprised her and said, “I wasn’t that hungry anyway, so a salad sounds good.”
“Okay. Now I know you are trying to get on my good side,” she said, teasing him. Watching the light bounce back into his eyes warmed her immensely.
“What if I am?” he asked quietly.
She reminded herself to tread lightly. They were getting on dangerous ground here. She wasn’t ready for anything serious, and she didn’t want to lead him on. “Phil,” she started to warn him.
“No. Don’t put any walls up. Just be yourself. Like you used to be.”
Processing what he said, she nodded. What could it hurt? “Well, in that case, I will clarify my dinner plans.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a marinated London broil. “I was going to have a grilled steak salad, with plenty of leftover steak. So since you went out of your way to help me tonight, the least I can do is throw a potato on the grill to go with your steak.”
Cheered instantly, he added, “Maybe a tiny salad on the side.”
“Deal.”
After dinner was cleaned up and they each had a cup of coffee in front of them, with the last of another batch of Kaitlin’s biscotti, Sophia said, gesturing to them together at the table with her hand, “I miss this.”
“Why did it stop?”
“You weren’t safe anymore.”
“What?” he said sitting upright. “What does that
Looking away guiltily, she decided to fold her towels. Big mistake, because once she opened the dryer, the overloaded towels started to spill out onto the floor. She lifted her eyes to his and saw his knowing grin. Caught. “I can explain.”
He removed the washer ring that had been stripped. “Go ahead.”
“I’m used to the industrial-sized machines at my old building.”
“Plausible,” he said without missing a beat and tightened the new ring, then reattached the hose. “But I figured you were smarter than that. I mean didn’t you tell me it wasn’t that hard to figure out the appliances?”
She didn’t miss the twitching of his lips and didn’t appreciate it at all. He was right, but she wouldn’t admit it. So she tried another approach. “It’s been a crazy week, and I’ve fallen behind on my laundry.”
“Is that the best you can do?” he asked, his eyes crinkling.
Sliding back into their old ways, the bantering and the flirting, she cocked her hip and rested against the dryer door. “You would be surprised at the number of people who call me last minute begging me to get their taxes filed before the April fifteenth deadline.”
“Ouch,” he said, grinning wide. Replacing his wrench back into his bag, he looked around and found her mop against the wall, cleaned up the remaining water, and pushed the machine back in place. “In my defense, Sean is pretty anal about deadlines. I would have been fine if we filed the extension.”
Her eyes softened. She bet he would have been fine with it. But she didn’t want him to feel guilty. “It’s part of my job. I’m used to it. And so you know, Sean is pretty good at his job. It didn’t take me nearly as long as it might have.” She reached over and patted his hand lightly, realized what she did and yanked it back. “If it wasn’t you calling, it would have been another company.”
Picking up his bag, he walked out of the room. “Either way, we appreciated it.” Then he ruined his apology by adding, “Especially since it put you behind in your laundry.”
“Sure, rub it in,” she replied, but laughed just the same. “Since you went out of your way to fix the mess I made, the least I can do is offer you dinner.”
“That would be nice. What are you going to make me?” he asked with the boyish charm he’d always shown her before, enjoying their old ways.
“A nice big salad.”
His smile faded immediately. She figured as much. Too bad she wasn’t joking. But he surprised her and said, “I wasn’t that hungry anyway, so a salad sounds good.”
“Okay. Now I know you are trying to get on my good side,” she said, teasing him. Watching the light bounce back into his eyes warmed her immensely.
“What if I am?” he asked quietly.
She reminded herself to tread lightly. They were getting on dangerous ground here. She wasn’t ready for anything serious, and she didn’t want to lead him on. “Phil,” she started to warn him.
“No. Don’t put any walls up. Just be yourself. Like you used to be.”
Processing what he said, she nodded. What could it hurt? “Well, in that case, I will clarify my dinner plans.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a marinated London broil. “I was going to have a grilled steak salad, with plenty of leftover steak. So since you went out of your way to help me tonight, the least I can do is throw a potato on the grill to go with your steak.”
Cheered instantly, he added, “Maybe a tiny salad on the side.”
“Deal.”
After dinner was cleaned up and they each had a cup of coffee in front of them, with the last of another batch of Kaitlin’s biscotti, Sophia said, gesturing to them together at the table with her hand, “I miss this.”
“Why did it stop?”
“You weren’t safe anymore.”
“What?” he said sitting upright. “What does that
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