Read Online Texas Bossa Nova (Texas Montgomery Mavericks Book 5) by Cynthia D’Alba - Free Book Online Page B

coat peg.
    “I can do it.” He slammed the door behind him.
    Why didn’t she understand that being around her more than was necessary sent him into a shitty state of bone-jarring lust that produced a dick as hard as a fence post?
    During the day he was fine. There was more than enough to do to keep his mind busy, but the nights? The nights were the worst. If he didn’t already have calluses on his hands from the field work, he’d have them from his nightly tension release her presence caused.
    After backing his truck down the hill and around the barn, he set the brake and climbed out. Why was he not surprised to see Magda standing there, heavy leather coat on, thick leather work gloves protecting her hands?
    “Don’t argue with me. This will be faster with two.”
    Gritting his teeth, he nodded. “We’ll do a relay. Stand at the truck gate and I’ll pass you logs and you put them in.”
    “Works for me.”
    For ten minutes, he passed firewood and she stacked it in the back on the truck. Every time he touched her fingers, even through their thick protective leather gloves, his heart jumped.
    His mother had meant well hiring Magda, but this simply wasn’t going to work.
    Meals were hell. The lump that formed in his throat made every bite of food almost impossible to swallow.
    Her scent filled the house. Each draw of breath filled his nose with her unique blend of spices.
    And her laughter. That might be the worst. When she laughed, or even smiled, it was as if the sun had risen after years of darkness.
    He couldn’t live like this.
    Darren would give him hell. That he was sure of. Despite being slammed on the back of the head almost daily by Magda for something he said—and Reno suspected Darren deliberately egged her on—Darren had fallen for their housekeeper. Not fallen as in romantically attracted, but more like one would care for a sister. Darren loved the hot meals, clean house and fresh clothes. He seemed to enjoy chatting with Magda, passing jokes back and forth, and generally being in her company.
    Yeah, Darren would not be happy when Reno told him that Magda had to go.
    “How’s that?” Magda asked, jerking him out of his thoughts.
    The back of the truck was loaded down, way more than the wood box could hold. At least the overflow wood had a storage area much closer to the house.
    “Good. Let’s go.”
    Reno headed for the driver’s seat. Magda crawled up into the truck’s bed and sat.
    “Hello?” he said, his eyebrows arched. “You can ride up front, you know.”
    “Nope. I’d just get warm and then have to get out again. I’m fine here. But let’s go. I’m freezing.”
    With a roll of his eyes, he did as she asked and they drove slowly back up to the house and around to the side near the wood box. This time, they reversed the relay with Magda passing wood over the side of the truck to Reno and him stacking it in the wood box until it was full and then making a neat stack in the overflow storage.
    Shivering now, he was glad when the last stick of wood landed on the top of the pile.
    “Done,” he said. He looked at Magda, still the sexiest woman he’d ever known. “Thanks for your help. You were right. Two people made the work go much faster.”
    She slapped her hand over her chest and batted her eyelashes. “Why, Reno. I think that’s the nicest thang you’ve said to me since I got here.” Her words were spoken in a slow, drawn-out Southern twang. He couldn’t help it. He laughed.
    “Come on. I’ll help you down.” He moved to the truck gate and held up his arms.
    “I’ve got it.”
    “It’s slick down here. Don’t be stubborn. Let me help.”
    Blowing out a loud sigh, she leaned over and let him lift her to the ground. If hearing her laugh and eating her food was bad, touching her was sheer hell. Although her coat was thick leather, his hands could still find the indentation at her waist. And even when she was safely on the ground, his fingers didn’t want to unwrap,