This was the fourth project this year that Eddie had overseen with similar results. He didn’t cut corners either. In fact, he went so far as to follow guidelines that were just recommendations and not requirements, just to be on the safe side. In the three years since he’d become a project foreman, he’d had the lowest injury rate in the company and had not had one incident report filed on any of his jobs for the last fourteen months. Eddie knew that most of the guys he worked with just considered this a job, but he took pride in his work.
“Man”—Jason sat shaking his head—“this is unbelievable. I still don’t get how your productivity can be so high, your incident reports so low, and you’re actually under budget.”
Eddie appreciated Jason acknowledging his hard work, and it wasn’t as if those were just empty words. In the ten-plus years he’d worked for Sloan Construction, he’d always received bonuses that reflected his labor and dedication to the job, first from Bob, Jason’s dad, and then from Jason once he’d taken over.
“Listen, I wanted to ask you…” Eddie figured this was as good a time as any to see if he could stay a little closer to home over the summer. “After this job wraps, do we have anything lined up in Harper’s? Emily gets out for summer break this Friday and I would love it if I could be around a little more. At least for the next month or two.”
Jason nodded. “Actually, we just put in a bid to work on the brick buildings on Riverwalk East. New owner wants to handle all remodels himself as well as renovations. It’s ABC stuff, really basic. I was going to put a small crew on it, but if you want it, it’s yours.”
“That sounds great.” Eddie could use some basic right about now. Between the stuff going on with Haley and him, and Emily’s mission to grow up faster than she should, basic sounded perfect.
“Actually, I was going to wait to do this, but now seems like a good time,” Jason closed the files on the desk and looked back up at Eddie. “What would you think about stepping up to vice president?”
Eddie could not have been more shocked if Jason had said he had decided to have a sex change and was going to become a woman. Shaking his head, he said, “No. What about Bobby?”
The youngest Sloan brother Bobby, was the only other of the five Sloan brothers who worked at Sloan Construction. It was a family business. Bobby had taken Jason’s spot as V.P. when Bob had stepped down. He was a hard worker who deserved the position.
“Bobby told me last week that he didn’t mind staying on for as long as it took me to find someone to replace him but that he wanted to get back out on sites. The paperwork, the budgeting, the project management—he hates all of it. When we sat and talked about his replacement, the list was short. It had one name on it. Yours.”
Eddie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. As V.P., he would primarily work out of the Sloan Construction offices, which were located about five minutes from his house. He’d have more flexibility with his hours, even the possibility of working from home some days. Sure, maybe one or two times a week he’d have to head out to sites, but it wouldn’t be five to six days and he wouldn’t be there from dawn ‘til dusk.
As far as the things Bobby hated about the job went, that’s what Eddie loved. But Eddie had to remember that he had a good eight years or so on the kid. When he was in his mid-twenties, that work would have probably driven him crazy as well.
“What about your dad? How is he going to feel about this?”
Bob Sloan had practically saved Eddie’s life when he’d given him a job. No one in town would hire him after his misspent youth and wild teen years. Bob had had a front-row seat to it all too, because Riley and Eddie had always been together when they’d gotten into trouble. But he’d hired Eddie in spite of all that. Eddie would never want to disrespect him or step on his toes.
“He couldn’t be happier. Dad said he knew that Bobby was miserable. He was just waiting for him to say it. I was going to have the offer all drawn up and presented to you with your salary bump, bonuses, and job description. I can have all of that to you by Friday.” Jason stood. “Then take the weekend. Let me know on Monday.”
Eddie was speechless as Jason moved across the small trailer. Holding up the file he’d been looking at, he said, “And good job, man. This one had headache written all over it and you smashed it.”
The door shut and Eddie sat in stunned silence. Vice President. He had never imagined that that was even a possibility. He worked hard but had no college education, and the company he worked for was a family business, of which he was not a member. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. It seemed like all of this was happening to someone else, not him. He felt out of his depth, shell-shocked even, and there was only one person he wanted to talk to.
Haley.
Chapter Eleven
Haley’s hand shook as she signed on the dotted line. Well, technically it was just a line, not a dotted line, but still. This was the most financial responsibility she’d ever undertaken.
Just one week after first seeing this space, she and Amber were signing a three-year lease on 221 East Riverwalk Drive, the future home of Tempting by Bella. Haley wasn’t sure if she was going to cry, scream, or throw up. At this point, it was anyone’s guess.
“Here you are, ladies.” Heather handed both Amber and Haley sets of keys.
Haley reached out and her fingers wrapped around the small gold metal ring that held three separate keys.
This is really happening, she told herself. It still felt almost too good to be true.
“All right. Let me know if you need anything. There should be someone here for renovations within the hour. If you have any problems, you can contact myself or Mr. Jones. Actually, that reminds me.” Heather reached into her black leather laptop carrier. “Mr. Jones wanted me to give you his card and tell you that he is always available directly to his tenants. Day or night.”
Amber shook her head. “This is such a different experience than working with Mr. Cranston. He wouldn’t even put lights in the back parking lot as a safety measure, and he’d never pay for construction.”
“I know.” Heather nodded her head. “I have never worked with such a generous owner before.”
A blush rose up Heather’s porcelain cheeks, and Haley was pretty sure it wasn’t his generosity as an owner that had put it on the pretty brunette.
“Thanks for everything,” Amber smiled as Heather waved on her way out and looked more than a little flustered.
The second the door shut, Amber turned slowly on her heels back to Haley. “I think someone has a thing for Mr. Jones.”
“They’d make a cute couple.” Haley had only met her landlord once, but he was a good-looking guy, probably mid-thirties, in amazing shape. He’d been a professional cyclist. Heather had told her that he’d won a ton of races, including the Tour de France. Now he was retired and investing his winnings in real estate. Haley could see the appeal.
Of course, he had done absolutely nothing for her. There was only one man who made her blush and the most cycling he ever did was on a ten-speed beside his seven-year-old daughter.
Haley inwardly sighed as she thought of Eddie. She hadn’t seen much of him over the prior week, only having caught a few glimpses through her bedroom window. He’d been working long hours while finishing up the Martin job, and he and Emily had been leaving before sunrise and coming home well after sunset.
She had gotten to see Em though. On Friday, Chelle had brought her into Bella to pick out a necklace to celebrate her last day of school. Haley had to admit she felt a small twinge of jealousy at all the time Chelle got to spend with Em.
Which was ridiculous. Chelle was her aunt, and since she’d cut back her nursing hours to spend more time with Mya, she’d been able to take Emily to and from school. Still, Haley missed Em when she went a few days without hearing about her latest obsession, whether it was One Direction, Pretty Little Liars, or Farmville. When Emily was into something, she was all in and could talk for hours on the subject.
&nb
sp; Amber stepped up to the glass that overlooked the river. “I’m thinking maybe we should move Bella here and launch Tempting downtown.”
What?! Haley’s heart dropped.
When she didn’t respond, Amber turned around and lifted her hands in mock surrender as she shook her head back and forth, “Haley, no. I was kidding, Haley. No, sweetie, I would never dream of doing that.”
Haley let out a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding and covered her stomach with her hands. “Oh, you scared me.”
Amber laughed through her apology. “I’m sorry. It’s not funny at all, but if you could see your face—”
The door opened and both Amber and Haley turned towards it. Well, one thing was for certain. She knew if her heart had dropped it was now firmly back in place in her chest because it was beating so hard she thought she might crack a rib.
* * *
Eddie glanced up from his iPad that had the job’s details on it and saw Haley and Amber standing in front of him. Both looked just as shocked to see him as he was to see them.
“Hey,” he said, doing a double take, confused for a moment at what they were doing there. He was about to ask that very question when he saw the look on Haley’s face. “What’s wrong?” his voice thundered in the vacant space.
“What?” Haley asked, her brow furrowed, seeming to be just as confused as he just felt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amber looking slowly between the two of them before she said, “Everything’s fine. I just made a stupid joke.”
Haley blinked in understanding and shook her head slightly, a sheepish grin appearing on her gorgeous face. “Oh yeah, I just was freaked out for a sec. It was nothing.”
Amber and Haley exchanged glances, and although he didn’t speak woman code, he felt like they were communicating and he was being left out of the conversation. Okay, he thought. I might as well get to work.
“I am supposed to be meeting a Mr. Jones here.”
“Actually, that is our landlord. I already loved him, but now that he’s hired Sloan Construction, I love him even more,” Amber explained.
Looking around, Eddie quickly put the pieces together. His eyes landing on Haley, he asked, “So this is yours? This is Tempting?”
Haley smiled from ear to ear and nodded. “We just signed the lease.”
“Wow.” Eddie was seriously impressed. He hadn’t spent much time on Riverwalk East since they’d begun gentrification. He’d always loved this part of town, and he was happy to see the older rundown buildings having new life breathed into them. “This space is perfect.”
“I know.” Haley looked around. He saw the awe in her face.
Damn, he was so happy for her.
“Okay, well, I need to head back to Bella.” Amber grabbed her purse and phone, which were sitting on a stool—the lone piece of furniture in the place. “Haley will fill you in on all the details.” Turning, she pulled Haley into her arms. “Call me if you need anything.”
Haley nodded against her shoulder. He got the sense that she might be a little overwhelmed, which was totally understandable. This was a big deal, but he knew she was going to be amazing.
“All right. See you both later.” Amber pulled away and gave Eddie a quick hug before heading out.
Eddie heard the swooshing sound of the glass door shutting behind him, and the energy in the brick-walled space instantly changed, becoming electrified. He hadn’t spoken to Haley or seen her face to face since they’d had their talk a week ago. His eyes, of their own accord, narrowed in on her pink pouty lips like a heat-seeking missile.
His predatory gaze continued farther south. Haley was wearing a fitted white button-up shirt, black slacks, and red high heels. She looked like a walking fantasy come to life. He gripped his iPad tighter to stop himself from dropping it and reaching out to unbutton the delicate buttons on her cotton shirt, slowly revealing whatever lacy or silky lingerie she was wearing beneath it.
Eddie didn’t just want to strip Haley naked. He wanted to take his time doing it, layer by layer. Not just exploring her body, but memorizing every line, every inch.
Through his lust-riddled brain he heard Haley clear her throat and he lifted his eyes to hers. He noticed a faint pink flush on her cheeks as she asked, “So you finished the Martin project?”
Shit. What the hell was wrong with him? He had to stop mentally undressing her.
“Yeah. Finished it last week.”
“That’s great.” A genuine smile covered her face, and like the sun shining in through the large glass windows located on the far wall, it lit up the entire room. Then understanding dawned on her face as she asked, “So then you talked to Jason? You’ll be working closer to home for a while? Emily is going to love that.”
“Actually, for more than a little while. As of about thirty minutes ago, I am officially the new vice president of Sloan Construction.” It hadn’t really sunk until this very moment. Somehow saying the words to Haley made it real.
Haley’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened in excitement. “Oh my gosh! Congratulations!” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.
His arm automatically encircled her. He tried to keep his body in check as her luscious curves pressed hard against him. Where he was firm and muscular, she was soft, and she molded to him perfectly. His large hand covered the width of the small frame of her back and it rubbed up and down as she continued to hold him tightly. He kept his electronic device secure in the other. It was the only thing grounding him to any kind of reality.
He heard her speaking but her words were muffled against his chest and he couldn’t make out what she was saying. “What?”
Her body shook from her chuckle beneath his touch, and she raised her head, looking up at him with joy glowing from her beautiful smiling face. “I said, I’m so happy for you.”
Usually when Haley smiled, it put a smile on his face as well. But he wasn’t smiling. His jaw was locked as he breathed through his nose.
“Thanks.” He heard the need filling his voice.
He was holding on by a very thin thread of control. His body felt strung tight like a rubber band and he was terrified that at any moment it would snap. He felt his jaw tense as he stared into the sexy blue pools of her rounded eyes.
As she sucked in a breath of awareness, the smile faded from her mouth as her chest rose and fell in rapid succession. Her only movement was her labored breathing; otherwise, she was perfectly still. Her blond hair was falling down over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Eddie loved the way the silky strands brushed the back of his hand as he moved it slowly up and down.
Her lips were just a few inches away. All he would have to do was lower his head and he could claim her with a kiss. He couldn’t remember ever wanting anything more in his life.
The Nike slogan, Just do it, was playing on repeat in his head like a record skipping. It was just a kiss. What could one kiss really hurt? Without giving it another thought, he leaned down. At his movement, Haley closed her heavy-lidded eyes in anticipation of what was to come, causing his hard length to twitch against the zipper of his jeans.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he growled as he covered her mouth with his.
A soft sigh of need escaped her mouth as her lips parted. Slipping his tongue past her soft lips, he explored her mouth slowly, thoroughly, in long, languorous strokes. She met him lick for lick as their tongues entwined in a sensual dance.
He savored the feel of her tongue against his and the wet warmth of her mouth. Kissing her. Licking her. Tasting her. She was sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted before.
Their lips matched perfectly, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Her fingers threaded in the hair at the nape of his neck and he felt the pinch of her fingernails in his skin, the stinging sensation shooting straight to his groin. His rock-hard member strained against the layers of cotton and denim material that were covering it, demanding release.
Desire ripped th
rough him with hurricane-like forces. The arousal he felt was more powerful, more raw, more primal than anything else he’d ever experienced in his life. Every cell of his body was alive and pulsing with need.
Somehow, in the back of his mind, Eddie knew that he had to stop this now or things would get to the point where they would be out of his control. Reaching deep into his soul, he somehow found the strength and willpower, he didn’t even know he possessed, to break the sensual kiss.
The moment their lips parted, he heard a soft sigh of disappointment or desperation leave Haley’s mouth. As much as he wanted to answer it by once again covering her mouth with his, he knew he couldn’t.
Apparently though, all of his willpower and strength must have been depleted because he couldn’t force himself to let go of her yet. Holding her with his arm firmly against her, he rested his forehead on hers as they both struggled to regulate their breathing.
He waited for the regret to crash into him, for the guilt of crossing the line with Haley to take over. But neither of those things occurred. He didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt or even a hint of regret.
A disarming smile spread across her face, and when her eyes met his, he felt as if he could see all the way down to her soul. His forehead was still resting against her soft skin as she simply said, “Wow.”
She didn’t ask what that kiss was about, question him about why he’d abruptly ended the kiss, or even make a move to continue it.
Instead, she took a step back and moved out of his arms. “Okay.” Smoothing her trembling hands down her blouse, she said with a professional tone, “Well, I guess I should show you what we’ll need done.”
Eddie nodded and listened as she went over the basics of the dressing rooms, front counter, and shelving he would be installing. He tried to concentrate on what she was saying as he typed in notes on his iPad, but he was having a much more difficult time than Haley seemed to be as she animatedly talked about the plans for the shop.
Tempting Love - Haley & Eddie Page 11