“I don’t think it affected anything in the walls, just possibly the fixture up there,” Brent said. “What’s your opinion on that, Ian?”
I screwed the dome back over the lightbulb and wires. “Yeah, same. This fixture will have to be replaced, along with possibly a few wires to the switch, but that’s about it.”
“All right, sounds good. So, hopefully everyone else will be as easy and quick.” Lauren clapped her hands together once and smiled. “Any estimate on that, now that you’ve seen your end of it all? I mean, you guys only work on jobs like this, right? You’ve probably seen a shit ton of cases similar to this one.”
“A shit ton?” Brent quoted her. “Man, you really are a girl after my own heart with a mouth like that.”
Lauren shook her head. “Already told you, pretty boy, you’re not my style. I go for the manly men. Guys more along the lines of Ian’s style.” Her brown eyes slipped to mine, and I grinned like an idiot.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Yeah,” was all I got in response. “So, timing? Any guesses?”
Her change of subject was like a slap to the face. Rejection. Hadn’t felt that sting in a while. Of course, that could be because I hadn’t put myself out there to feel it lately.
“Still can’t say for sure.” I folded the ladder up and hoisted it over my shoulder, before turning to face her again. “Shouldn’t be too long for everything though, a week maybe?”
“A week, well let’s hope you’re wrong,” she said.
Maybe it was just me having a moment of wishful thinking, but I could have sworn Lauren was checking out my muscles as I held the ladder up. Just in case, I flexed them a little more as I started past her toward the door. Jesus, I was being an idiot about this.
As I slid the ladder on top of the van and secured it in place, Brent came out with his tool belt in hand. Fastening the last strap down, I unhooked my belt and pulled it off. Brent was staring at me with one hell of a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
“What?” I demanded, a grin of my own forming at the sight of his.
“Don’t what me. You know perfectly well what.” He grinned even wider as he set his tool belt inside the van. “You were completely flirting with that chick.”
I cocked my head to the side and fought to tame the grin wanting to twist my lips even further. “I was not. If anyone was, it was you—all that asking if she was horny and crap. Jesus, what the hell were you thinking?” I shook my head.
“Look, I know I haven’t witnessed Ian Mason flirt in quite a while, but that was exactly what you were doing…that and undressing her with your eyes.” He walked around to the side of the van and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Undressing her with my eyes? I don’t think so. Is she good-looking? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I was intentionally flirting with her or undressing her with my eyes,” I said. I slammed my door shut and cranked the engine.
Lauren was attractive, but she had a “sort of boyfriend”—whatever the hell that meant. Maybe it was in my best interest not to get involved with a girl like her. She could only be one thing—trouble—and I already had enough on my plate at the moment.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
LAUREN
Who would have thought having electricians in my apartment could be so much fun? Even though pretty boy hadn’t been my type, that didn’t mean I hadn’t enjoyed our little cocky banter. And Ian, holy hell that was some eye candy I wouldn’t mind tasting. The image of him finding my stash under the mattress flashed through my mind, and I laughed.
Heading to my kitchen, I reached in the fridge and pulled out the bottle of wine I’d nearly finished last night. I swore I wouldn’t drink today after the way I felt upon first waking, but now that I’d laughed and had some serious eye candy to ogle for a while, I felt like having a glass. As I reached for a wineglass in the cabinet, my cell signaled an incoming text message was coming through. It was Jimmy.
If you come over now, I’ll cook for you.
I forgot I’d been having a conversation with him before the electricians had shown up. I’d also forgotten I was supposed to come by for some nookie. Darn it, no wine just yet.
Sure, be there in a few. ~ Lauren
I scrolled up to see what his response had been to me asking to spend a few days there. If he said yes, then I’d pack a bag. I frowned as I read his response. All he’d said was that he would think about it. What the hell? It had been a yes or no question. Why were things always so complicated with him?
Huffing, I headed to the pile of clothes draped across my dining room table. I’d pick out a few things and take them with me just in case he concluded I could stay, even if it was just for one night.
* * * *
Jimmy’s place was small. He lived in an apartment below a tattoo shop near the opposite side of town. The guy he rented from owned the entire building, including the tattoo place, and lived in the upstairs apartment with his wacked-out wife. Every time I went to Jimmy’s, she was standing outside on her balcony, which overlooked the tiny gravel parking lot, smoking a cigarette. I didn’t mind smokers—some guys, it made them sexier—but when you hacked up a damn lung every time you inhaled, it was time to quit and get checked out by a doctor.
I pulled my Charger into the space beside Jimmy’s tiny beater of a car and glanced up at the balcony. Estelle was leaning over the rail in her usual spot, puffing away and coughing like crazy. I cut the engine and climbed out, leaving my bag in the backseat in case Jimmy wasn’t okay with me staying the night.
“Hey, Estelle,” I shouted up to her with a wide smile as I made my way across the parking lot.
She took a long drag off her cigarette, and wiggled her fingers at me in a small wave. She was pretty—in that tattooed head-to-toe, pin-up in a tattoo magazine type ways. “Here to see Jimmy?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
That was so obvious, why did she even bother to ask?
“Have fun.” She winked, and then hacked up part of her lung into her hand.
“Always do.” I grinned back.
Sometimes I wondered if she secretly wanted a piece of Jimmy. Hell, for all I knew, she’d already had a piece. This didn’t bother me as much as one might think—Jimmy always used protection with everyone, including me. That was a major rule of his. In fact, he was a little paranoid about it. Sometimes I wondered if he’d had a pregnancy scare in the past with a girl.
Walking around toward the back of the building, I heard music of some sort and a unique scent fluttered to my nose. Pausing on the tiny concrete block for a porch, I knocked against the wooden middle section of his screen door.
“Hey, I’m here,” I shouted over the music.
“Come on in,” he called.
The door creaked as I opened it and stepped inside. No air-conditioning. That was something I’d forgotten about Jimmy’s place. He didn’t have central heat and air like I did. Instead, there were a few space heaters and a tiny gas fireplace to use in the winter, along with an ancient window unit for the summer months mounted in a window. Considering this was his first summer in America, he had yet to use the thing, so who knew if it worked. Jimmy had come to America in the fall. He’d been going to school at Norhurst University for some computer crap I didn’t understand. Why he’d chosen Norhurst University in the middle of nowhere North Carolina, I wasn’t sure. I was glad he had though, because he was damn good-looking and that was always a good thing.
I tossed my purse on the beige sofa along the far wall, and made my way across the tiny living room toward the kitchen where I knew he would be. Jimmy stood at the stove. His dark jeans hung low on his hips, and he was shirtless. Today was the day for eye candy, that was for sure. I leaned against the wall and stared at all of his olive-skinned glory. The muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed and moved as he did something in the casserole dish in front of him. He scooped up slices of what looked like eggplant from a plate, and spotted me ogling him. His full lips quirked into a cocky smi
rk, and he turned to face me entirely.
“You like what you see, eh?” he asked in his thick accent that drove me mad.
“Yes, I’d say I do.” Grinning, I sauntered over to him, ready to run my fingertips across those washboard abs of his.
“I’m glad, because you will be seeing a lot more of this later tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I cast a quick glance at the ingredients he’d spread across his counter. “What are you cooking?”
“Moussaka.”
I had no idea what the hell that was, but the way he’d said it sounded sexy as could be. “Okay, what’s in it?”
“Meat, eggplant, some spices, and custard. It’s not the way my mother would make it, but it will do. Get you in the mindset of Greece anyway.” He turned around and layered the eggplant over the meat like he’d been doing when I walked in.
“Sounds delicious.” It didn’t really, but I was down to try something new.
“It is,” he insisted.
After watching him pour some thick stuff I assumed must be the custard over everything and pop it into the oven, Jimmy poured me a glass of wine. I sipped the red liquid and waited for him to pepper me with kisses like I knew he would. After taking a long swig from his glass, he wrapped an arm around my waist from behind and pulled me into him. I squealed as he did so, knowing exactly what he was about to do—bite at my shoulder and nibble along my neck. His scruffy face brushed against my skin, causing me to squeal from the tickling sensation.
“Stop!” I laughed and pushed him away.
“You like it. You know you do.” His tongue slipped along the outer edges of my ear, and my lady parts grew moist.
“That I do.” I leaned into him a little more, pressing my bottom against his groin.
Jimmy moaned in my ear. It was the same primal sound he always made when he was turned on. His fingertips dug into my hips a little harder, exactly like I’d anticipated, and he spun me to face him, nearly making me drop my glass. His lips crushed against mine before I had time to think about how quickly he’d shifted me, and I moved my lips just as feverishly as his. Cracking one eye open, I searched for the counter and carefully set my glass down.
His warm hands slid up my body until they cupped my face, reminding me of how passionate he always was with his kisses. Some guys I’d made out with felt as though they were attempting to eat my face off, but with Jimmy, it always felt as though his mouth was making sweet love to mine when he kissed me. It was an entirely different sensation. Shifting on his feet, he moved us both and pressed me against the counter. The edges of it dug into my lower back, but I didn’t move. It was this type of sex that I wanted—the hot, completely passionate, lost-in-each-other kind. Jimmy was great in bed, but he was even better when he was on his feet.
I hoisted myself up on the counter, careful not to knock over anything, and wrapped my legs around him. His lips trailed along my throat as his hands found their way beneath my clothes. Slipping my hands across his bare back, I dug my nails into his skin a little, and heard him groan in pleasure. His tongue licked its way to my cleavage at the same time his fingers found their way underneath my panties. I hung my head back, ready for the explosion I always felt with him as I undid the button of his jeans. Tonight, foreplay was the last thing I wanted. After all the eye candy I’d seen today, I wanted to get straight to it without messing around, something Jimmy seemed to be clued into.
CHAPTER TWELVE
IAN
Friday night I forced my mom and sisters to head to my parents’ house for some real sleep and showers while I stayed with Dad. It was the least I could do. I hated seeing the three of them so run-down and ragged. Besides, there was no way I’d be able to head home for any shut-eye. I’d already gotten what I needed at the shop earlier.
Leaning back in the chair I’d claimed beside my father’s bed, the reality he’d had a heart attack had finally sank in. It was still tinted with a surreal sensation of unbelieving, but that was diminishing with every beep of his machines. Resting my elbows on my knees, I pressed my hands together and formed a steeple with my index fingers. I pressed my lips against them, and glanced at my father’s sleeping form. His face was pale, and circles rimmed his closed eyes. I’d be glad when there was color back in his features again, and he was home and away from these machines.
He’d done well the entire night, not waking once, even when the night shift nurses came in to check on him. His body must have been completely depleted from the heart attack. I left his room before dawn to get coffee and stretch my legs. My eyes were feeling a little gritty, but I still wasn’t as tired as I should be. My mind was racing. When I made it back to my father’s room and sat in my designated chair beside him, my cell vibrated in my front pocket, and I leaned back to fish it out. It was a text from Aubrey.
We’ll be there in about an hour. Want us to bring you something to eat? Cassie is making some veggie breakfast sandwiches and fruit stuff.
I smirked at her text as I reread it. Cassie was a health nut, and I was sure since Dad had heart issues, she’d be pushing for all of us to be the same. I ate healthy—mostly.
Sure. I’ll try one. I’m starved.
I would taste one not only because I was starved, but also because Cassie would like me to. A family health kick was definitely going to be in effect real soon because of this situation. When Cassie got on a mission about something, it was best to conform to whatever she was pushing for. You wouldn’t win if you fought her; no one ever did. Not against her. She should be a lawyer. Right now, she was just wasting time getting her general stuff out of the way while she decided what to do.
Another text from Aubrey came through.
All right. See you in a few.
After slipping my phone into my pocket, I leaned my elbows against my knees and yawned.
“You been here all night?” my dad asked. His rough voice echoed through the silent room and scared the crap out of me.
“Jesus, you scared me,” I breathed. “Yeah, I sent everyone home to rest for the night.”
Dad nodded his approval. “How’s your mom handling this all?”
She was a mess, a serious hot mess when it came to this entire thing, but how do you say that to the reason for her current state? This was one of those situations where my mother would tell me a little white lie was useful.
“She’s strong. You know Mom. She’s handing it pretty well,” I lied. “How are you feeling? Do you need me to call a nurse and have someone get you anything?”
“Only if they can get me some real food.” His pale, cracked lips twisted into a small smile. “I think I’ve figured out why so many people die in hospitals now. It’s not malpractice; it’s the food. It stinks.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I can see that. The coffee is horrible too.”
“You have no idea how much I want some bacon right now.” He rolled his head to the side, and took in the sight of the machines attached to him. “And for these damn machines to shut the hell up.”
“Well, I can’t do anything about the machines or get you bacon, but everyone is coming by in just a bit and Cassie has some veggie breakfast sandwich things she made. She’s bringing some sort of fruit stuff too.”
“Great.” He chuckled. “Just what the doctor ordered—rabbit food on a slice of bread and some berries. Guess I’d better get used to it though, huh?”
I nodded and attempted to crack a smile. “Yeah, guess so.”
There was a small moment of silence that built between us. We both knew his words were one hundred percent true; he’d have to get used to the fact that his junk food days were over.
“How was the shop yesterday? Did everyone have something to do?” he asked, filling the void of silence swallowing us.
While I was glad for the change of subject, I still didn’t want him worrying about work-related issues in his condition.
“Everything went great. Brent and I went on a few service calls—one I saw on your desk and another
that was called in later that afternoon. It was nothing major. The guys are all set for at least a week or so with the jobs they were already on.” I shifted in my seat, hoping he didn’t ask for any more details than that.
He sat up a little more in his bed. “Good, I’m glad. I knew you could handle it.”
“Oh yeah, I’ve got it,” I lied. Truthfully, I had no idea what the hell I was doing.
“What about that light in the kitchen? You still plan on getting to that this weekend?” He grinned.
I’d forgotten all about that stupid light.
“Absolutely.” I laughed.
Fifteen minutes later, the tiny hospital room was crammed full of family, and we were all eating the breakfast wraps with fruit and yogurt parfaits Cassie had made. The breakfast wrap wasn’t half-bad, but the parfait was a little on the sweet side for me first thing in the morning.
“That was good, Cass.” I stood and tossed my trash in the can beside the door. “I think I’m gonna head out. I need a shower and to check on Mojito. I might take her for a run. She’s been cooped up a lot lately.”
After getting hugs from my mom and sisters, I bumped fists with my brother-in-law, and dove in for a large man-hug from my father. Exiting the room, I made my way down the hall and onto the elevator. When I finally stepped outside, I felt the chilly sensation that had seeped into my bones overnight leave me. The air was humid and thick outside. If I were planning on heading home for a mid-morning run, I’d have to hurry before it got too hot.
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