thought I did, but … ” She waved her arm at the mess.
He peered over the edge of the bathtub. “Turn the knob the other way. You’ve turned it on full force.”
The woman’s face reddened as she complied. As soon as she was done she glanced at Sarah. “I’ll leave you two to the plumbing.”
“You don’t have to — ” Sarah said, but the woman was already leaving the room.
Sarah pushed stray hairs from her face and glanced in the mirror. Good thing she wasn’t interested in this man. Dirt smeared her face and her T-shirt was covered in cobwebs. If she looked closely, she could see a little bulge in her belly.
“You look cute when you’re working,” Hunter said, fiddling with the shower head.
“Right.”
He tightened the fixture and said. “I need you to come closer so I can give you something.”
“What do you need?” She stepped toward the tub.
“This.”
He bent down and took her head in his hands. His lips met hers in a lingering kiss.
Her first instinct was to pull back; she didn’t need this. But his lips seduced her and whispered of strength and maturity. Hunter was a man to depend on.
She pressed her mouth to his, longing for the experience she’d read about in books, but had never had.
“Ahem.” Mandy stood in the doorway. “Plumbing done?”
Sarah’s face flushed and she stepped back.
Hunter knocked on the shower head. “Good as new.” He had a big grin on his face.
Her temper rose.
Stupid.
That’s what she was.
Easy pickings for any man.
She glowered at the man climbing from the tub.
Her feelings changed from anger to concern when she saw the awkward stance as he worked to keep from slipping on the wet, uneven surfaces.
“Thank you.”
“Yes,” Mandy echoed. “Boy, have we got work for you.”
“I’m sure Mr. — Mr., um, Hunter has more important things to do.” Sarah turned to him. “Don’t you?” She needed him to leave. The kiss was too real.
She looked up at him and a breath escaped her.
He was studying her as if he’d never seen her before.
Mandy cleared her throat.
“I’ll be glad to help any way I can,” Hunter said. The words were layered with meaning. “How about I take you out to dinner after all this is over?”
Sarah took a step back and pressed against the damp sink. “No, that’s okay. You’ve done enough already. Besides, I’ll be too tired.”
He stepped toward her. “I’d really like to take you out.”
“I’m not dating.”
He braced his hand against the wall and towered over her. “Not dating at all? Not dating men? Or just not dating me?”
“Not dating men.”
He cocked his head. “You didn’t strike me as a lesbian.”
Mandy laughed. “Hardly! She’s being stubborn though. Sarah, go out with him. All you do is work on this house. It’ll be good for you.”
Some friend.
“I can’t go out and you know why.”
She would
not
allow her gaze to drift to Hunter.
“That’s no excuse,” Mandy said. “Go out with him.”
“What’s the best restaurant in town?” Hunter asked.
“The Blackbird” was Mandy’s quick answer.
“Okay. The Blackbird it is. We’ll make it tomorrow night so you’re not too tired. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Again he brushed Sarah’s lips with his.
She glared at him.
He smirked and looked at Mandy. “Now what else needs doing around here?”
• • •
On Sunday morning Sarah woke in her childhood bedroom at her mother’s to the stark realization she had a dinner date.
What in hell had she been thinking?
Exhausted the night before from the work party, she’d fallen into bed without a thought about anything or anyone.
Hunter.
He’d been an amazing help the day before, adding expertise and knowledge to the dozen people who were long on enthusiasm, but short on skill. He’d even spent time with Mandy discussing how to get the kitchen in shape to be certified with the least expense.
He’d offered to help with the installation. He only wanted a room. His
He peered over the edge of the bathtub. “Turn the knob the other way. You’ve turned it on full force.”
The woman’s face reddened as she complied. As soon as she was done she glanced at Sarah. “I’ll leave you two to the plumbing.”
“You don’t have to — ” Sarah said, but the woman was already leaving the room.
Sarah pushed stray hairs from her face and glanced in the mirror. Good thing she wasn’t interested in this man. Dirt smeared her face and her T-shirt was covered in cobwebs. If she looked closely, she could see a little bulge in her belly.
“You look cute when you’re working,” Hunter said, fiddling with the shower head.
“Right.”
He tightened the fixture and said. “I need you to come closer so I can give you something.”
“What do you need?” She stepped toward the tub.
“This.”
He bent down and took her head in his hands. His lips met hers in a lingering kiss.
Her first instinct was to pull back; she didn’t need this. But his lips seduced her and whispered of strength and maturity. Hunter was a man to depend on.
She pressed her mouth to his, longing for the experience she’d read about in books, but had never had.
“Ahem.” Mandy stood in the doorway. “Plumbing done?”
Sarah’s face flushed and she stepped back.
Hunter knocked on the shower head. “Good as new.” He had a big grin on his face.
Her temper rose.
Stupid.
That’s what she was.
Easy pickings for any man.
She glowered at the man climbing from the tub.
Her feelings changed from anger to concern when she saw the awkward stance as he worked to keep from slipping on the wet, uneven surfaces.
“Thank you.”
“Yes,” Mandy echoed. “Boy, have we got work for you.”
“I’m sure Mr. — Mr., um, Hunter has more important things to do.” Sarah turned to him. “Don’t you?” She needed him to leave. The kiss was too real.
She looked up at him and a breath escaped her.
He was studying her as if he’d never seen her before.
Mandy cleared her throat.
“I’ll be glad to help any way I can,” Hunter said. The words were layered with meaning. “How about I take you out to dinner after all this is over?”
Sarah took a step back and pressed against the damp sink. “No, that’s okay. You’ve done enough already. Besides, I’ll be too tired.”
He stepped toward her. “I’d really like to take you out.”
“I’m not dating.”
He braced his hand against the wall and towered over her. “Not dating at all? Not dating men? Or just not dating me?”
“Not dating men.”
He cocked his head. “You didn’t strike me as a lesbian.”
Mandy laughed. “Hardly! She’s being stubborn though. Sarah, go out with him. All you do is work on this house. It’ll be good for you.”
Some friend.
“I can’t go out and you know why.”
She would
not
allow her gaze to drift to Hunter.
“That’s no excuse,” Mandy said. “Go out with him.”
“What’s the best restaurant in town?” Hunter asked.
“The Blackbird” was Mandy’s quick answer.
“Okay. The Blackbird it is. We’ll make it tomorrow night so you’re not too tired. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Again he brushed Sarah’s lips with his.
She glared at him.
He smirked and looked at Mandy. “Now what else needs doing around here?”
• • •
On Sunday morning Sarah woke in her childhood bedroom at her mother’s to the stark realization she had a dinner date.
What in hell had she been thinking?
Exhausted the night before from the work party, she’d fallen into bed without a thought about anything or anyone.
Hunter.
He’d been an amazing help the day before, adding expertise and knowledge to the dozen people who were long on enthusiasm, but short on skill. He’d even spent time with Mandy discussing how to get the kitchen in shape to be certified with the least expense.
He’d offered to help with the installation. He only wanted a room. His
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