by Street, K.
“It’s about damn time your lazy ass showed up.” Jase crossed the space and shook Easton’s hand, pulling him into the one-armed, back-slapping man hug.
Easton stepped back and pinned Jase with a glare. “Lazy, my ass, dude. I’m always working.”
“I know the feeling.” Jase laughed.
Jase stayed busy between working for my brother, running the winery, and getting everything set, so construction on the tasting room could start by next month.
Jase walked to where I stood and pulled me into a hug. He kept it brief, and I knew it was due to East standing a few feet away.
My eyes scanned Jase’s body.
Who knew tool belts were so sexy?
“Shall we get started?” He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together.
“Two minutes. I’m going to give Saylor the grand tour,” Easton told him.
Jase nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll grab the rest of the tools out of my truck.”
I fell in step behind my brother as he walked down the hall. The first room we came to was the master bedroom.
“It’s a little on the small side.” He sounded almost apologetic. “But you would have your own bathroom.”
I held my hand up like an auction paddle. “Sold.”
Sharing a bathroom with Knox had been wearing on me. Bless his heart, he tried, but he missed the bowl half the time. I was the one responsible for toilet-training him, and it wasn’t like I could teach my son how to drown Cheerios, so I’d taught him to sit to pee. However, since we’d moved in with my brother and Knox spent more time with my dad, he’d taken to standing up and apparently pretending his little manhood was a fireman’s hose. My own bathroom sounded glorious.
We peeked inside the en suite. My eyes landed on the single vanity and a shower-tub combination in desperate need of an upgrade. I had seen some pictures of Easton’s projects in the past, and I had the utmost confidence he could pull it off.
Back inside the bedroom, I opened the closet door. Like everything else, it wasn’t big, but only my clothes needed to fit inside, so I guessed it didn’t matter.
“There’s a guest bedroom right next to the master, and it’s the smallest of the four bedrooms. Come on; I’ll show you.” Once inside the next room, Easton knocked on the wall. “Since this isn’t a load-bearing wall, I thought about knocking it down to extend the master suite.”
“That would work, especially considering how small this room is. I don’t think losing a bedroom would be a big deal for resale.”
After he showed me the other two bedrooms and bathroom, we met up with Jase in the kitchen.
My brows lowered, and I wrinkled my nose as I looked around. I had glimpsed it at a distance earlier but didn’t have the opportunity to inspect it.
White cabinets with glossy maroon doors and countertops covered in chipped emerald Formica left a whole lot to be desired.
“Were the previous owners color-blind?”
“That’s a damn good theory.” Jase chuckled. “Don’t worry, Socks. Once everything is gutted and redone, it will be unrecognizable.” He pulled a carpenter’s pencil from the back pocket of his jeans and then drew an X on the wall.
Easton picked up a pair of protective eyewear and passed it to me, and I slipped it on.
Jase reached for the sledgehammer. “You ready for this?” he asked, passing me the tool.
“Hell yeah.” I took it from him.
“Go ahead then; do the honors.” Jase pointed at the wall.
My mouth spread into a grin. “All right, here goes nothing.”
I cinched my grip on the handle. With a glance behind me, I made sure the guys weren’t in the way before I shifted the gadget into a horizontal position. I pulled back a little and used the strength in my arms to propel the hammer into the surface. It barely marred the drywall.
Thirty
Jase
“Put your back into it,” East told his sister.
Saylor changed her stance a bit, positioning her feet a little wider, almost as if she were taking her mark before she broke into a run. This time, when she struck the drywall, she managed to punch a hole in the surface. White dust and bits of debris fell onto the parquet floor.
She glanced over her shoulder at me and her brother with a grin on her face.
Damn. She’s so fucking adorable.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I said proudly and grabbed one of the two remaining sledgehammers.
Easton reached for the other one. “I’m going to start on that wall in the guest bedroom on the other side of the master.” He turned his attention on his sister. “Make sure you don’t get demo happy, kid. Wait for Jase to give you the go-ahead before you start randomly punching through walls.”
Saylor tipped the head of her hammer at her brother. “You got it, boss.”
It was hard as hell not to ogle Saylor. Her gorgeous blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and flushed cheeks made her dusting of freckles dance on her face. Not to mention, the sight of her wielding a sledgehammer was the sexiest thing I had seen in a while.
“What now?” Saylor asked as East left the room.
“We finish busting out this wall before we move on to the cabinets.”
She raised the hammer, making the current hole even bigger.
Stop staring at her, you ass.
“Jase?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you going to help or stare at me all day?”
I smirked. “What can I say, Socks? I like the view.”
“You’re incorrigible. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“My mother and often.”
Saylor grinned and rolled her eyes. Then, she took another swing at the wall.
Between the two of us, the drywall was gone in a matter of minutes. I got her started on the upper cabinets while I used a reciprocating saw to cut through the studs in the wall.
The kitchen wasn’t huge, and the two of us managed to gut it within forty-five minutes.
Saylor leaned her hammer against the wall and wiped her face on the long-sleeved shirt she wore, having shed her sweatshirt before we ripped out the cabinets.
I went to the opposite side of the room, bent to grab two bottles of water from the cooler, and took one to her. “Here.”
“Thanks.” She took it, twisted off the cap, and brought it to her mouth, wrapping her full lips around the bottle.
An image began to take shape in my head.
Saylor on her knees—
“Can I get one of those?” East asked, yanking me from my train of thought.
Before I could reply, Saylor had already taken care of it.
“What’s next?” Saylor rested a hand on her hip.
East finished chugging his bottle and pointed to the mess on the floor. “We carry all this shit to the dumpster outside.”
The mess was cleared out in no time, and we moved on to the next project. Around one, East left to pick up lunch while Saylor and I started on the master bathroom.
I reached into my tool belt for a utility knife. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep this vanity?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Eww. No.”
“Wasn’t pink your favorite color?”
“When I was twelve! Besides, nobody wants a sink the same shade as diarrhea medication.”
I busted out laughing. “I’ll agree with you on that.” I passed her the blade. “Here.”
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Run the knife around the sink to break the seal. After I remove the sink, you’ll do the same thing along here.” I tapped the place where the counter and wall met.
Saylor followed my instructions.
Since I had already turned off the water and disconnected everything under the sink, I was able to remove the basin and set it inside the tub.
Saylor dragged the knife through the caulk edge between the vanity and the wall.
After I lifted the countertop off and set it inside the bedroom,
I turned to go back into the bathroom.
“Ahhh!” Saylor screamed.
I didn’t even have time to process as she dashed through the doorway and nearly knocked me on my ass.
I regained my balance and caught Saylor before she ended up on the floor. “What the hell, Socks?”
She squirmed while fisting the material of my shirt. “Is it on me? Oh my God! It’s on me. Get it off. Get it off.”
“What? Get what off?”
“Oh God.” Saylor ripped off her shirt and tossed it to the floor.
I was struck stupid.
The way her chest bounced beneath her thin black tank as she shimmied and shook made my dick twitch. I ached to touch her.
Her shoulders jerked as she bounced on her feet like a woman possessed. “Ugh. My skin is crawling,” she shrieked.
I was trying my damnedest not to laugh.
A sound drew my attention from Saylor’s body down to the threadbare carpet.
I spotted the guilty but harmless culprit. Perched on top of Saylor’s discarded shirt.
“Saylor,” I said calmly, trying not to laugh.
“What?”
“You can stop freaking out.” I gestured to her shirt. “It’s just a frog.”
“Just a frog?” She glared at me and repeated herself, “Just. A. Frog?”
“Please tell me you aren’t afraid of a tiny frog.”
She pointed her finger at me. “For your information, buddy, I’m not scared of frogs.”
“Care to explain what that was? You were dancing around like your body had been taken over by the cast of Riverdance.”
“Normal frogs are fine. The kind that stay outdoors and respect personal space. That one”—she jabbed a finger toward the amphibian—“is an asshole with no regard for boundaries.”
I doubled over in laughter.
“It’s not funny.”
I laughed harder.
“Jase, I’m serious.”
I wiped at the tears and tried to rein it in. “Socks, if you had seen your face—” My laughter took hold again.
Saylor attempted a stern look, but it didn’t last. She started laughing her ass off.
“Whew. Shit. That was funny.”
“Speaking of funny, how do you even know what Riverdance is?” She cocked her hip.
“My mom is obsessed. Dad took her for their anniversary one year. Then, Mom decided to show us how it was done.”
“Oh my God, I love your mom. She’s my spirit animal.”
“Do you want me to find a container for your new pet?” I teased.
“Hell no. Please get rid of that thing.”
One of the bedroom windows was missing its screen. So, I opened it, gathered Saylor’s shirt, careful not to upset the creature, and dumped him outside. Then, I flipped her shirt right side in and strode toward her.
My eyes were fixed on her still-heaving chest, and my mouth went dry.
“Jase?”
I lifted my gaze to her face.
Desire flashed in her blue eyes. Her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip before she pulled it between her teeth. All traces of laughter were gone.
“I want to kiss you.” Under normal circumstances, I was not the kind of man who declared his intentions.
The situation was different; Saylor was different. I wasn’t going to screw this up. I respected her, and I would never take from her if I wasn’t a hundred percent certain she was ready to give it. She was all I saw. And I’d wait the rest of my fucking life for her to see me if that was what it took.
“I want you to kiss me.”
Thirty-One
Saylor
Desire burned bright in Jase’s eyes. The same desire I was certain he saw in my own.
“Are you sure?” The sound of his deep, gravelly voice heated my skin.
I didn’t need to think about the answer. “Yes.”
He dropped my shirt to the floor. Then, he lifted his hands to my face, cradling my head. He dipped his head and brushed his mouth over mine. Gentle, as if he was testing the waters.
I pulled back to look at him.
His eyes were the deepest blue I’d ever seen.
I was desperate for him to see me, to hear me. I didn’t want him to treat me like I was broken. Because I was so sick of being broken.
“Kiss me. Please.”
One of his hands glided from my face, across my shoulder, and over my rib cage before settling on my hip. Full lips captured mine.
I fisted the material of his shirt, needing him closer.
A tiny whimper escaped me. At the sound, Jase ignited like gasoline poured onto an open flame. His tongue dived inside my mouth.
He tasted of coffee, mint, and teenage dreams.
I pressed into him, the action emitting a groan from Jase. The hand on my hip returned to my face. He cupped my cheeks between his palms, taking the kiss deeper. His neatly trimmed beard scratched my skin.
Hunger blazed within me, and heat pooled in my core. I hadn’t been touched in so long. My body was consumed with need. He kissed along my jawline, to the spot below my earlobe, and then over the base of my throat. Gooseflesh danced across my skin. His mouth returned to mine. I pulled him tighter as one of his hands gripped the back of my neck, and the other gently tugged on my ponytail. I opened on a gasp, and Jase’s tongue slipped inside, swirling with mine.
Tasting. Searching.
The need for oxygen burned my lungs. Our kiss slowed, and Jase’s lips brushed over mine. When he finally pulled away, we were both panting for breath.
My legs were jelly. “Wow. That was everything I’d thought it would be and more.”
Jase smirked.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“You did.” His grin fell away, and he looked at me with concern.
“Jase, please don’t ask me what I know you want to ask me.” I didn’t want to examine my feelings or allow guilt to taint the kiss we’d just shared. Something I’d wanted so desperately.
Just then, we heard Easton’s truck pulling up outside.
“Shit!” we both said in unison.
Then, we were scrambling around like two teenagers.
“Socks, fix your ponytail.”
My hands went to my hair, gliding over the loose ponytail. I ripped out the hair tie securing my locks, and with nimble fingers, I combed through the strands, looped the band around my hair, and gave it a good tug.
Jase and I glanced at each other and busted out laughing.
Easton walked into the room, carrying take-out bags, and suspiciously eyed us. “What’s so funny?” He turned his attention on Jase, pinning him with a glare. “And why is my sister half-naked?”
Without missing a beat, I pronounced, “I was violated by a frog, and Jase thinks it’s the most hilarious thing ever.”
“Man, you missed it.” Jase chuckled. “Shit. That was priceless.”
“Violated? By a frog?” Easton grinned.
“It was in the bathroom, and it jumped on my arm. I tried to get it off, and somehow, the little fucker ended up on my shoulder and then down my shirt. So, yes, I was violated.”
Easton busted a gut. When he composed himself, he said, “I’m pretty sure it’s safe to put your clothes back on, so we can eat.” Then, he walked away.
“I’m wearing a tank top, butthead. Stop acting like all my girlie bits are hanging out,” I yelled after him.
Jase retrieved my shirt from the floor, shook it out, and then gave it to me. He leaned in, dropping his voice low. “Just for the record, I have no problem with your girlie bits hanging out.”
“Jase, you’re awful.” I slipped my shirt over my head. “Thank you.”
“For the frog or the kiss?”
“Both.”
“Socks, we should talk about what just happened.”
“It’s all good. Now, let’s go eat.”
I left the room, and he followed me.
Easton had turned over three milk crates as mak
eshift chairs.
Jase and I took our seats and started eating.
“Any idea what color you want to paint the interior?” Easton asked me.
I thought about it for a minute and shrugged. “I was thinking maybe a calming shade of blue. Light gray would be nice, too.”
Jase grinned. “What about lily-pad green?”
I reached into my bag, picked up one of my fries, and threw it at Jase, smacking him square in the forehead. “Bull’s-eye.”
“I taught her to aim,” East declared proudly.
I cocked my head to look at my brother. “You wish. And, speaking of aim, I’m going to buy some Cheerios, so you can teach your nephew to drown them.”
East looked offended on Knox’s behalf. “Don’t be hating on my bud like that.”
“This is why I need my own bathroom.” I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t worry; I’ll help him out,” East assured me.
While we ate, the three of us discussed design plans for the house. The more we talked about it, the more excited I became.
* * *
We spent the entire day demoing and cleaning out the house. My whole body ached when I walked through the door. I was certain that, tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to lift my arms over my head.
“I’m going to jump in the shower before I have to go pick up Knox,” I told my brother and then headed in the direction of my room.
“Kid?”
I spun to face him. “Yeah?”
“I’ll go get him.”
Knox was my son. My responsibility.
I was about to decline Easton’s offer when he spoke again, “You look like you’re ready to fall over.”
“I think I might.” I laughed. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’m going to shower before I go. I’ll pick up pizza for dinner while I’m out.”
“Thanks, East.”
“Anytime.”
We went our separate ways.
Once inside the bathroom, I turned on the water and stripped out of my clothes. A bath sounded more appealing, but I was covered in drywall dust, grime, and frog cooties, and I was not about to soak in all that. A shiver ran down my body at the thought of that damn frog.