Read Online Torchlight by Lisa T. Bergren - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa T. Bergren
Ads: Link
out.”
“No! The water? It’s done?”
“Give her a whirl,” he said, like a daddy playing as Santa.
“Oh, Trevor! If I have clear water, I
will
be pleased as a cow in a field of clover.” Tentatively, she reached out and twisted the knobs. The faucet sputtered and spit and then ran quickly with the first clear, clean water she’d seen since arrival. “Oh, Trevor!” she repeated. Without thinking, she turned and gave him a quick hug. She was in his arms before she realized that it was rather unorthodox behavior for a boss and her employee. She pushed away and focused on therunning water. “Thank you, thank you,” she said lightly. “I’m ever so grateful.”
“How ’bout I make you dinner to celebrate?”
Trevor asked. Julia had been working with him and the men all week, ripping out the walls in preparation for the new plumbing and bathrooms while the guys did the primary work in the basement. She and Trevor had at last reached the master bedroom and were almost done with the ripping work. She glanced at him as he yanked at a piece of kitchen wallboard covered with layers of wallpaper, but she was careful not to look too long. He hadn’t made another move toward her since his declaration of admiration in the library a week before. She had pretended his offer was a casual one of friendship and camaraderie, and yet she had carefully placed Miles out of her mind.
“Sounds great,” she said, after an awkward moment of silence. “What are you going to make me?”
“I’ll surprise you. My place or yours?”
“Mine,” she said. Trevor had managed to fix up the lighthouse cottage in the month since he arrived, in addition to the work he had accomplished on the main house. The cottage was quaint and very livable, and Trevor enjoyed its easy access to the lighthouse. But, as she had made clear earlier, she felt surer of herself in her own living space.
“Okay,” he agreed. “Seven o’clock?”
“Great.” Then she said deliberately, “This is just dinner between colleagues, right?”
“It’s anything you want it to be.”
“It’s a platonic dinner. Let’s keep the lines clear.”
At five minutes to seven, Julia looked at herself in the mirror one more time. After taking a long, luxurious bath in the blessed clear,and hot, water, and redressing, she was at last ready for dinner. She chided herself for being nervous and thought of Miles, due to arrive again later that week. “Why am I more excited about dinner tonight than my upcoming weekend with Miles?” she asked her image in the mirror.
The thought of Trevor downstairs cooking dinner distracted her. What an amazing man. He had traveled the world. He was good with a hammer and in the kitchen. He could make rusty water clean. And he was obviously infatuated with her. “In-fat-u-at-ed,” she enunciated at her image, just in case she was thinking it was anything more. Then she turned and walked downstairs.
Obviously not wanting to put Julia off, Trevor had set a table in the brightly lit kitchen rather than in the darker and more intimate dining room. When she entered, he glanced at her briefly, then looked again as if to make sure what he had seen was true. “You … you’re stunning.”
“Thanks. Thought I’d dress for dinner.”
Julia wore a lavender silk blouse, which brought out the color of her eyes, tucked into a slim black denim skirt that tapered to her lower calf. Her hair was pulled up in a graceful chignon.
Trevor looked down at himself. He wore jeans and a white Henley, with a handwoven vest. “Sorry I couldn’t dress up more. My luggage should be arriving any day.” He had been living out of his duffel bag for an entire month, but it hadn’t mattered to Julia. To her, his easy ways and simple, if slightly foreign, clothing were reassuring.
Trevor turned back to his work at the sink. “That Miles is a very lucky man. Glad you’re with me tonight and not him.”
Me too
, she reluctantly admitted to
“No! The water? It’s done?”
“Give her a whirl,” he said, like a daddy playing as Santa.
“Oh, Trevor! If I have clear water, I
will
be pleased as a cow in a field of clover.” Tentatively, she reached out and twisted the knobs. The faucet sputtered and spit and then ran quickly with the first clear, clean water she’d seen since arrival. “Oh, Trevor!” she repeated. Without thinking, she turned and gave him a quick hug. She was in his arms before she realized that it was rather unorthodox behavior for a boss and her employee. She pushed away and focused on therunning water. “Thank you, thank you,” she said lightly. “I’m ever so grateful.”
“How ’bout I make you dinner to celebrate?”
Trevor asked. Julia had been working with him and the men all week, ripping out the walls in preparation for the new plumbing and bathrooms while the guys did the primary work in the basement. She and Trevor had at last reached the master bedroom and were almost done with the ripping work. She glanced at him as he yanked at a piece of kitchen wallboard covered with layers of wallpaper, but she was careful not to look too long. He hadn’t made another move toward her since his declaration of admiration in the library a week before. She had pretended his offer was a casual one of friendship and camaraderie, and yet she had carefully placed Miles out of her mind.
“Sounds great,” she said, after an awkward moment of silence. “What are you going to make me?”
“I’ll surprise you. My place or yours?”
“Mine,” she said. Trevor had managed to fix up the lighthouse cottage in the month since he arrived, in addition to the work he had accomplished on the main house. The cottage was quaint and very livable, and Trevor enjoyed its easy access to the lighthouse. But, as she had made clear earlier, she felt surer of herself in her own living space.
“Okay,” he agreed. “Seven o’clock?”
“Great.” Then she said deliberately, “This is just dinner between colleagues, right?”
“It’s anything you want it to be.”
“It’s a platonic dinner. Let’s keep the lines clear.”
At five minutes to seven, Julia looked at herself in the mirror one more time. After taking a long, luxurious bath in the blessed clear,and hot, water, and redressing, she was at last ready for dinner. She chided herself for being nervous and thought of Miles, due to arrive again later that week. “Why am I more excited about dinner tonight than my upcoming weekend with Miles?” she asked her image in the mirror.
The thought of Trevor downstairs cooking dinner distracted her. What an amazing man. He had traveled the world. He was good with a hammer and in the kitchen. He could make rusty water clean. And he was obviously infatuated with her. “In-fat-u-at-ed,” she enunciated at her image, just in case she was thinking it was anything more. Then she turned and walked downstairs.
Obviously not wanting to put Julia off, Trevor had set a table in the brightly lit kitchen rather than in the darker and more intimate dining room. When she entered, he glanced at her briefly, then looked again as if to make sure what he had seen was true. “You … you’re stunning.”
“Thanks. Thought I’d dress for dinner.”
Julia wore a lavender silk blouse, which brought out the color of her eyes, tucked into a slim black denim skirt that tapered to her lower calf. Her hair was pulled up in a graceful chignon.
Trevor looked down at himself. He wore jeans and a white Henley, with a handwoven vest. “Sorry I couldn’t dress up more. My luggage should be arriving any day.” He had been living out of his duffel bag for an entire month, but it hadn’t mattered to Julia. To her, his easy ways and simple, if slightly foreign, clothing were reassuring.
Trevor turned back to his work at the sink. “That Miles is a very lucky man. Glad you’re with me tonight and not him.”
Me too
, she reluctantly admitted to
Similar Books
