volition, her lips parted and she felt her body being drawn toward his. The anticipation was almost more than she could bear.
Lips would touch lips.
Breaths would mingle.
Her nipples would be pressed to his chest.
“Hunter.” She sighed, going up on tiptoe, offering him her kiss.
Hunter wanted the kiss so much. It had been two years since he’d felt a woman’s body next to his. Two years since he'd felt a woman’s lips. Two years since his cock had had any relief other than by his own hand. Sage. Sage. God! What the hell did he think he was doing?
“Sorry,” he blurted, backing up so fast he almost tripped. “I’ve got to work.” With that, he almost bolted to the kitchen.
“Well, foot,” Cody whispered, tears fast welling in her eyes. “That was close.”
Hunter stood in the kitchen trying to compose himself. He was shaken, hard, and horny. And not for the woman he’d come to claim for his own, but for someone else entirely. Feeling guilty, he picked up his crowbar and took his frustrations out on innocent wood and tile.
When it was time to go, he didn’t go tell Cody. There was nothing for her to approve. He’d only succeeded in clearing out the old to make way for the new. During the drive home, he tried to call Sage but there was no answer.
He tried again that night, more of the same.
She wasn’t on Facebook either.
Disgusted with himself and with her, Hunter went to bed and tried not to dream.
Chapter Four
Hunter came early and worked hard. He began by framing the cabinets and cutting out the doors. Her preference was for clean lines and since there wasn’t a lot of router work, things would go fairly fast.
He’d rented a table saw and set it up outside. Mainly to avoid a pile-up of sawdust on the floor and in the air, but also to avoid his pretty little client while he tried to get a handle on how she made him feel. Sage had avoided him last night and to say he was teed off about it was putting it mildly. How could she ignore him like this? After all they’d meant to one another, he just didn’t understand it.
But he loved her, and you gave people you loved the benefit of the doubt.
When he stepped near a window, he could smell something out of this world. It was spicy enough to make his nose twitch and he bet it’d taste as good as it smelled.
About eleven the front door opened. “I have to go to class in a little over an hour. Would you like to knock off early and have lunch? I made jambalaya.” The way she said the last word was meant to tease—she used a lilt to her voice that made him take notice. God, sometimes she sounded just like Sage. This Louisiana accent must be prevalent.
“You bet, I’m hungry.”
He dusted himself off and went inside to the dining table. She had already filled a plate with a meat filled rice dish and crusty bread for him. Hunter tried not to notice, but Cody was cute in a slim skirt, a frilly white blouse and high heels. When she bent over to turn off the slow cooker, he almost groaned. God, how much he’d love to trace the curve of her ass with his palms.
What kind of man was he? He was cheating on the woman he loved as sure as shooting. But what was he to do? He was only human. Clearing his throat, he sat down, calming himself. Sage had promised to see him and he had to have faith.
“Tell me about your life in Colorado,” she spoke, joining him at the table, her voice carefully modulated, her face expressionless. Since she’d thrown herself at him yesterday and he’d run like a scalded tomcat, Cody had made a vow to keep her hands, lips, and emotions to herself. After he’d gone yesterday, she’d thrown herself on the bed and cried like a baby.
“Not much to tell.” He was being truthful. “My life pretty much consists of work and sleep. I have a few friends that I have a beer with occasionally, but my girlfriend is here. Most of my free time was spent with her online.”
Cody wished she hadn’t asked.
Lips would touch lips.
Breaths would mingle.
Her nipples would be pressed to his chest.
“Hunter.” She sighed, going up on tiptoe, offering him her kiss.
Hunter wanted the kiss so much. It had been two years since he’d felt a woman’s body next to his. Two years since he'd felt a woman’s lips. Two years since his cock had had any relief other than by his own hand. Sage. Sage. God! What the hell did he think he was doing?
“Sorry,” he blurted, backing up so fast he almost tripped. “I’ve got to work.” With that, he almost bolted to the kitchen.
“Well, foot,” Cody whispered, tears fast welling in her eyes. “That was close.”
Hunter stood in the kitchen trying to compose himself. He was shaken, hard, and horny. And not for the woman he’d come to claim for his own, but for someone else entirely. Feeling guilty, he picked up his crowbar and took his frustrations out on innocent wood and tile.
When it was time to go, he didn’t go tell Cody. There was nothing for her to approve. He’d only succeeded in clearing out the old to make way for the new. During the drive home, he tried to call Sage but there was no answer.
He tried again that night, more of the same.
She wasn’t on Facebook either.
Disgusted with himself and with her, Hunter went to bed and tried not to dream.
Chapter Four
Hunter came early and worked hard. He began by framing the cabinets and cutting out the doors. Her preference was for clean lines and since there wasn’t a lot of router work, things would go fairly fast.
He’d rented a table saw and set it up outside. Mainly to avoid a pile-up of sawdust on the floor and in the air, but also to avoid his pretty little client while he tried to get a handle on how she made him feel. Sage had avoided him last night and to say he was teed off about it was putting it mildly. How could she ignore him like this? After all they’d meant to one another, he just didn’t understand it.
But he loved her, and you gave people you loved the benefit of the doubt.
When he stepped near a window, he could smell something out of this world. It was spicy enough to make his nose twitch and he bet it’d taste as good as it smelled.
About eleven the front door opened. “I have to go to class in a little over an hour. Would you like to knock off early and have lunch? I made jambalaya.” The way she said the last word was meant to tease—she used a lilt to her voice that made him take notice. God, sometimes she sounded just like Sage. This Louisiana accent must be prevalent.
“You bet, I’m hungry.”
He dusted himself off and went inside to the dining table. She had already filled a plate with a meat filled rice dish and crusty bread for him. Hunter tried not to notice, but Cody was cute in a slim skirt, a frilly white blouse and high heels. When she bent over to turn off the slow cooker, he almost groaned. God, how much he’d love to trace the curve of her ass with his palms.
What kind of man was he? He was cheating on the woman he loved as sure as shooting. But what was he to do? He was only human. Clearing his throat, he sat down, calming himself. Sage had promised to see him and he had to have faith.
“Tell me about your life in Colorado,” she spoke, joining him at the table, her voice carefully modulated, her face expressionless. Since she’d thrown herself at him yesterday and he’d run like a scalded tomcat, Cody had made a vow to keep her hands, lips, and emotions to herself. After he’d gone yesterday, she’d thrown herself on the bed and cried like a baby.
“Not much to tell.” He was being truthful. “My life pretty much consists of work and sleep. I have a few friends that I have a beer with occasionally, but my girlfriend is here. Most of my free time was spent with her online.”
Cody wished she hadn’t asked.