Read Online Midnight Diamonds by Cynthia Hampton - Free Book Online
Authors: Cynthia Hampton
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up some legs.” Oh my God! What? “Eggs! I can scramble some eggs.”
“Eggs would be fantastic,” he agreed as she moved across the kitchen to the refrigerator. “How long have you lived here?”
Walking back to the counter, she set down eggs and milk. “Since Uncle Buddy died a few years ago. I was shocked that he left the house and car to me, but it came at the right time in my life. Not that I wanted him to die, but… You know what I mean.” At Justin’s nod, she shrugged as she cracked the eggs into a bowl. “One bedroom homes aren’t exactly vogue nowadays and it could use some major repair work, but on a teacher’s salary, there’s only so much I can do. I’ll get it all done some day.” She whipped the eggs and set them aside with a plate over the bowl.
“What kind of repairs?” he asked, leaning against the counter beside her as another cup of coffee brewed.
“Little things, like the leak under the kitchen sink, sagging fence sections, a new air conditioner, and that stupid patio door lock that’s broken. Simple fixes, but expensive for me.” She inhaled and felt it all the way to her fluttery stomach. He’d used her body wash, but his distinctive woodsy smell added something provocative to it.
“Do you have any tools?”
She watched as he tightened the belt on the robe. Don’t think about Iron Man. “Yes, why?”
Justin cleared his throat. “I’ll take a look at the leak under the sink if you want me to.”
A singer that did odd jobs? This should be interesting. Silver pointed to the garage. He was gone only a couple of minutes and walked back in with several wrenches in his hand.
“Your tools would rival any handyman’s collection.”
She shrugged. “They came with the house but I don’t know how to use many of them. How do you know what to do?”
“One of the things my daddy taught me was that every man needs some basic knowledge of cars, tools, and women,” he answered with a wicked grin.
To her surprise, he sat down on the floor, opened up the lower cabinet doors under the sink, moved things aside, and leaned in.
“Yep, you have a leak under here.” He sat back up. “It’s going to cost a bit more than I thought.”
Oh, no. “How much?”
“Well, miss, could I get a side of toast with those eggs?” He leaned back under the sink.
Laughing, she opened the refrigerator again a loaf of bread. “You got it, cowboy.” She turned back around and stopped dead in her tracks at the view of him under the sink—his knees were bent and the robe had slid open a bit.
Just enough.
“Oh, geez.”
“What’d you say?” he asked with a muffled voice.
Moving quickly to the stove, she set everything on the countertop and pulled out a skillet for the bacon. “Uh, I said cheese. For the tool. Eggs!”
“Not for me, thanks. This won’t take but a couple of minutes to tighten.”
Silver gripped the edge of the counter as her heart pounded. She already felt tightened, her hands were shaking, and the temperature in the room was much too warm. Fanning herself with a potholder, she focused and mentally created a list for breakfast… Bacon into the skillet, scramble the eggs, bread into the toaster… Rats, butter still in the fridge.
“Now that’s a view every woman wants to see when she gets up.”
Silver whirled around to see Becky standing there.
“A man wearing a purple robe, fixing the sink. I could live with that,” Becky said as she pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. Of course, then she glimpsed the real view and her eyes widened.
It was one of those moments where no words were exchanged, but the facial expressions and hand gestures said it all. Becky smirked and leaned a little to the right, one last time. Silver reached over and pinched her arm hard enough to make her wince. “Ow!”
“Sorry, my bad.” Silver glared at her, not sorry in the least.
“All done,” came Justin’s muffled voice. “Turn on the water, someone, so I can see
“Eggs would be fantastic,” he agreed as she moved across the kitchen to the refrigerator. “How long have you lived here?”
Walking back to the counter, she set down eggs and milk. “Since Uncle Buddy died a few years ago. I was shocked that he left the house and car to me, but it came at the right time in my life. Not that I wanted him to die, but… You know what I mean.” At Justin’s nod, she shrugged as she cracked the eggs into a bowl. “One bedroom homes aren’t exactly vogue nowadays and it could use some major repair work, but on a teacher’s salary, there’s only so much I can do. I’ll get it all done some day.” She whipped the eggs and set them aside with a plate over the bowl.
“What kind of repairs?” he asked, leaning against the counter beside her as another cup of coffee brewed.
“Little things, like the leak under the kitchen sink, sagging fence sections, a new air conditioner, and that stupid patio door lock that’s broken. Simple fixes, but expensive for me.” She inhaled and felt it all the way to her fluttery stomach. He’d used her body wash, but his distinctive woodsy smell added something provocative to it.
“Do you have any tools?”
She watched as he tightened the belt on the robe. Don’t think about Iron Man. “Yes, why?”
Justin cleared his throat. “I’ll take a look at the leak under the sink if you want me to.”
A singer that did odd jobs? This should be interesting. Silver pointed to the garage. He was gone only a couple of minutes and walked back in with several wrenches in his hand.
“Your tools would rival any handyman’s collection.”
She shrugged. “They came with the house but I don’t know how to use many of them. How do you know what to do?”
“One of the things my daddy taught me was that every man needs some basic knowledge of cars, tools, and women,” he answered with a wicked grin.
To her surprise, he sat down on the floor, opened up the lower cabinet doors under the sink, moved things aside, and leaned in.
“Yep, you have a leak under here.” He sat back up. “It’s going to cost a bit more than I thought.”
Oh, no. “How much?”
“Well, miss, could I get a side of toast with those eggs?” He leaned back under the sink.
Laughing, she opened the refrigerator again a loaf of bread. “You got it, cowboy.” She turned back around and stopped dead in her tracks at the view of him under the sink—his knees were bent and the robe had slid open a bit.
Just enough.
“Oh, geez.”
“What’d you say?” he asked with a muffled voice.
Moving quickly to the stove, she set everything on the countertop and pulled out a skillet for the bacon. “Uh, I said cheese. For the tool. Eggs!”
“Not for me, thanks. This won’t take but a couple of minutes to tighten.”
Silver gripped the edge of the counter as her heart pounded. She already felt tightened, her hands were shaking, and the temperature in the room was much too warm. Fanning herself with a potholder, she focused and mentally created a list for breakfast… Bacon into the skillet, scramble the eggs, bread into the toaster… Rats, butter still in the fridge.
“Now that’s a view every woman wants to see when she gets up.”
Silver whirled around to see Becky standing there.
“A man wearing a purple robe, fixing the sink. I could live with that,” Becky said as she pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. Of course, then she glimpsed the real view and her eyes widened.
It was one of those moments where no words were exchanged, but the facial expressions and hand gestures said it all. Becky smirked and leaned a little to the right, one last time. Silver reached over and pinched her arm hard enough to make her wince. “Ow!”
“Sorry, my bad.” Silver glared at her, not sorry in the least.
“All done,” came Justin’s muffled voice. “Turn on the water, someone, so I can see
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