The smirk grew wider and he crossed his arms over his overly enthusiastic pectoral muscles and favoured her with an amused shrug. “Not currently.”
Amber sighed. He was not being particularly helpful in her time of need. “Don’t you normally put down wooden boards or something? So you don’t traipse mud all over the client’s new house?”
“Sure,” he nodded. “But just about everyone is gone for the day and I had to spread the soil before the lawn shows up tomorrow. So I removed them.”
“The soil,” she repeated. “You mean this mudslide?”
“Yes. That’s what soil turns into when it gets wet.” He wasn’t actually laughing out loud at her, but she figured it was a close thing.
Amber scowled at his condescension. “Well, it’s a very level mudslide. I’ll be sure to let the head gardener know how industrious you’ve been.”
“Would you?” he replied with a blatantly false look of sincerity. “That would be great. I really want to impress the boss.”
She felt the corner of her top lip lifting in a clear show of distaste and yanked it back down. It would be unprofessional of her to get into an argument with this man and since she’d inherited this job from her best friend, Julia, less than six months ago she wanted to be as professional as possible. Julia had been unflinchingly professional in every way and so could she. “Of course,” she said with a wide not-so-convincing smile of her own. “Well, I’ll be heading inside now.”
Her weight shifted from one foot to the other as she considered the best form of attack. Maybe she should take her shoes off before crossing the mud. Except then she’d have muddy feet and wouldn’t be able to enter the house at all—or put her shoes back on.
“You’re going to ruin your shoes.” Another drawled comment from Captain Freaking Obvious.
“I’m aware of that,” she snapped. Why, oh why, had she offered to bring these papers to Scott after she left work? She’d thought it would be a quick matter of popping into a construction site so he could approve the changes his partner, Derek, had made and add his signature to the bottom. Then she could pop the envelope into the post box on her way home. It had all sounded so simple. Until she found herself confronted with a river of sludge. Damn it. She loved these shoes.
“Come on, princess.” The gardener stepped forward, grabbed her wet umbrella with one hand, and scooped her up into his arms before she had a chance to react.
Her feet flew up in the air and she squealed as she gripped onto him for dear life. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He adjusted her in his arms before taking a few long strides over the mud. His step was sure and steady, despite carrying her squirming self in his arms. “I’m saving you the tears you’ll shed over the destruction of those torture devices you call shoes.”
“How dare you? Put me down!”
Coming to a stop, he leaned forward to peer over her body at the ground. The move shifted her balance in his arms and she squeaked in horror and gripped onto him tighter.
“Are you sure you want me to put you down?”
Amber peeked over her shoulder and saw the muck surrounding them. The front porch of the house was now a mere two metres away.
“Yes,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I want you to put me down, right there.” She pointed at the safety of the porch with one manicured finger.
He started to laugh. The full, deep sound reverberated through her body until she could feel her own mouth twitching at the corners, despite her fear his continued mirth would cause him to lose his balance and drop her. She gripped onto his arms and felt the shift of heavy, corded muscles beneath the tanned skin. Yeah, okay, it was time to get out of his arms before she started to lose her head.
“You’ve had your fun. Can you please get on with the saving part now?”
A few long strides later, he stepped up onto the porch. One arm slid out from behind her knees and her legs swung down toward the wet, but relatively clean, wood. She held onto his shoulders as her feet touched down and she regained her balance.
His hands shifted to her waist, steadying her, and for a moment, their gazes met. The late afternoon light fell across his face, showing his eyes to be a pale green. Compared to the rest of him, which suffered the ill effects of toiling with dirt in the heavy rain of an hour ago, his eyes were crystal clear.
Yes, he was more than a little good-looking under all the dirt. Rough. Roguish. But hot all the same.
Realising she was staring, not to mention the fact they had yet to let go of each other, she snatched her hands away from his shoulders and stepped back so his hands slid off her waist. She took a deep breath in an effort to recover her composure.
“Thank you for your assistance, Mr…?”
“Linc,” he said as he handed the umbrella back to her.
“Mr Linc,” she repeated. “Though next time you decide to put your hands on a woman be sure to ask permission first. Do you understand?”
There was that maddening smirk again. “Sure thing, princess,” he said, placing his hands on his hips.
She paused in the process of flattening out the envelope she’d crushed in her hand to look up at him. “I’m not a princess. I’m an accountant.”
“My mistake.” He licked his lips and laughed as his gaze travelled the length of her—twice. “You sure do look like a princess.”
Amber frowned as she checked her outfit. She was dressed in a tailored navy blue skirt suit, paired with a cream knitted top. Her jewellery included a trendy coral necklace with matching earrings. It was a clean, modern look, but nothing was going to stop her ensemble from screaming ‘office worker’ to anyone within a fifty metre radius. In no way, shape or form, would she ever be mistaken for a princess.
Tilting her head back, and now she was this close she realised how far back she had to tilt to do that, she narrowed her eyes at his amused countenance and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Good day, Mr Linc. Enjoy your dirt.”
She walked into the house and slammed the door behind her, but she couldn’t block out the sound of his laughter echoing in her ears. For all his supposed chivalry, the man was still a condescending bastard. No amount of sex appeal could make up for a bad attitude.
When she exited the house twenty minutes later there was no sign of the dirty gardener. There was, however, a path of wooden boards stretching from the porch all the way to the footpath. Her shoes would live to see another day, after all.
Lost in Amber (Finding Forever, Book 2) is available now on Amazon.
Also by Rebecca Raine: Splinter
Ignite the magick within, or be hunted in the dark.
Rachel Fallon has inherited the estate of her grandmother, Maddie, and believes she’s finally found a place to call home. That is, until a terrifying experience convinces her Maddie’s death was no accident, but murder. Now, her search for answers will uncover a world brimming with magick, where vampires are real and thirsty for blood.
Nick Hunter has left behind his own splinter of reality to follow Maddie’s killer to this place of disbelievers, where people have not learnt to fear nightfall. Despite his difficulty accessing the magick here, Nick is determined to find the vampire and put an end to his madness.
Rachel’s presence is both a complication and an all too tempting distraction, even with the force of the magick she unknowingly possesses. When she becomes the focus of the vampire’s attention, Nick and Rachel must work together to stop him. But as the flames of desire burn hot between them, the truth about the night Maddie died threatens to destroy them both.
Available Now on Amazon
About the Author
Rebecca is a long-time lover of all things romance. Whether it’s a book, movie, or real-life, she will always have more fun if there’s a love interest thrown into the mix. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her very own hero husband, two adorable children and one big, black dog. Other than reading and writing books, her favourite things include
loud music, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, organising everything in existence, and spending too much time on the Internet.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to say a huge thank you to my family for all the love and support they give me. I would never be where I am today without you.
To Georgia Henry, thank you for being the world’s best critique partner. You help me lift every book up to greater heights.
As always, thanks to Syneca Featherstone for the gorgeous cover. This one is my new favourite!
Finally, to every reader who purchases a copy of this book, and especially those who take the time to leave an honest review, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
This Time Forever: Second Chance Romance (Finding Forever Book 3) Page 18