Enjoying great sex while thinking you’d finally connected with someone only to find out it was just great sex and nothing more was painful. Figuring out that the man she had fallen in love with was definitely not interested in being a father had been a life lesson Tori would not soon forget. It was also an expensive lesson, as raising a child alone cost a lot of money. Though Zach was worth every penny.
At least she’d managed to subtly talk Tim into going home instead of staying over. Maybe she needed to take the initiative next time…ask him out and plan something different and spontaneous. That might bring out a little more passion in her. At least Tim had seemed to have enough passion for both of them.… She would just try harder next time.
Rolling over and eyeing the alarm clock on the floor next to her bed, she noticed that it was even later than she’d thought. Scraping herself out of the bed, she shuffled to the bathroom, swallowed down a couple of aspirin and then stood under the spray of the shower for several minutes willing the pain in her head to go away. After managing to get dressed, she headed downstairs for coffee and to get cereal for Zach.
Standing at the bar in her kitchen pouring cereal into a bowl, she looked out her curtainless kitchen window and nearly dropped the cereal box. A shirtless man was mowing her yard.
She had meant to call someone to take care of the yard work and had completely forgotten. Had a neighbor taken it upon himself to do the job? She knew it was getting bad when even Tim had offered to help her with the lawn because it was so out of control. The unusual spring temperatures had made the grass grow even faster, and lawn care was not a skill she brought to the table.
The man looked familiar so he must be one of her new neighbors. Embarrassment crept up her cheeks. Yet she could barely drag her eyes away from the vision outside. He had a chest worthy of a fitness magazine ad…sculpted and chiseled and shiny with sweat. No extra pounds on him, nor pale pasty skin.
She shuddered at the reminder of the night before, and quickly set Zach’s bowl of cereal at the bar as he climbed onto one of the stools. The least she could do was take the poor man a drink of water for all his hard work. She filled a glass with ice and water from the door of the refrigerator.
“I’ll be back inside shortly, I’m just going to say hi to the nice man outside,” she said, looking at Zach.
Zach was fully engrossed in the cartoon he could see on the television through the doorway of the kitchen. Gathering some courage, she headed outside to introduce herself, to apologize for the condition of her yard and to thank the man profusely.
As she walked across the lawn, he made a turn with the push-mower and directed it straight toward her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she recognized him. Seth Lewis.
This could not be happening! He was supposed to be working other jobs…not for her! She’d assumed it would be someone she’d never met, or maybe even Rusty. Not Seth…never Seth. Hopefully, Seth was only a temporary worker and not the maid who had been assigned as her permanent part-time housekeeper. Maybe she would get a new person each time.
She’d first met Seth at Kayla’s mother’s funeral. He had hardly even noticed her, which was to be expected from a man like him, with his good looks, muscles and sexy grin. She did not have the assets that would catch his eye—large breasts and little brains.
His comments about her a few months later, at Kayla and Ronnie’s wedding, had made that clear. Though she would never again date, or even sleep with, a man like Seth, she could still appreciate the view. As her gaze made it up to his, she was caught off guard by the warm smile he offered.
“Hi, Tori,” he said breathlessly as he released the bar on the mower, shutting off the engine.
She handed him the glass of water and he downed it in a few gulps. Though she knew his sort, and didn’t particularly care for him, she watched helplessly as a trickle of water missed his mouth and slid down his muscled neck and chest. Her inner voice scolded her loudly for her weakness.
As her eyes made it back up to his yet again, she was rewarded with an expectant smile, as though he had anticipated her response to his shirtless display.
What a smug bastard with an equally arrogant smile.
“I have a son who is only six years old. And though I realize how unusually warm it is for this time of year, would you mind coming to work fully clothed from now on?” she asked with all the sweetness she could muster, talking as one would talk to an employee. With that admonishment, she reached out and took the empty glass he handed to her.
His self-assured look was replaced first with one of shock and then with one of incensed resolution. Sometimes payback was a long time in the making, but when the score was finally settled, the exuberant feeling made it worth the wait.
She’d overheard Seth talking with another one of his friends, Ian Hamilton, at Ronnie and Kayla’s wedding reception about how Tori was as small as Kayla’s daughter, Addie, who was only a teenager. That remark she could have forgiven, since it was mostly true and she was accustomed to people’s assumptions regarding her age because of her slight stature. Except then the bully had followed up the remark with a comment on how Tori should drink milk and then maybe she’d grow up…and develop boobs.
She was aware that most of the time she didn’t really need a bra at all, but his words had been just plain mean. Well, from the look on his handsome face right now, she’d firmly lobbed the ball back into his court. Forcing herself to turn away from the glorious body even now being kissed by the morning sun, she marched back inside with the empty glass.
As she closed the door after stepping inside, she released the breath she’d been holding since seeing his handsome face and incredible body working hard…in her yard. Forcing her mind away from Seth Lewis, she headed into the kitchen to clean up Zach’s breakfast before settling him in with something to do for a couple hours so she could work on the server migration.
“You remember Seth from the wedding?” she asked Zach. When he simply nodded his head while continuing to stare at the television, she continued, “He’s going to be helping out around here today. So if you need anything, you can ask him. I’ll be in my office working, so unless it’s really important, just ask him.”
She made her way to her office, closing the door on both Zach and the fantastic specimen of a man outside working up a sweat in her yard. It didn’t take long for her to lose herself in rows and columns of data. A few hours later, Zach came running in, stopping next to her desk. She clicked the save button and looked over at him.
“Seth made me a grilled cheese sandwich. It was delicious. You should come to the kitchen and have one, too,” Zach said, licking his lips and rubbing his stomach in an attempt to be dramatic.
She should take a break and do at least a few things around the house. It was the weekend, after all, and there was so much that needed to be done in an effort to make the place more comfortable for both her and Zach. Following him to the kitchen, she came up short upon finding Seth pulling glasses out of a box marked “Kitchen,” wiping them off and putting them away. He was unpacking her things!
Upon seeing her enter, Seth set a pitcher with sunflowers painted on it down on the counter and grinned at her. She had to look away from him for fear the impact of that smile would show on her face. He quickly pulled out a plate and a bowl from another cabinet.
“I hope you like tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches,” he said, ladling some of the soup from a pot on the stove into the bowl.
Wooden building blocks were piled in front of the refrigerator, and Zach knelt down next to them and began sifting through the stack. She forced herself to walk over to where Seth stood to get some soup. As she approached, she could feel heat pouring off the man as though he had some internal furnace. For some reason she wanted to get even closer to the warmth. Instead, she took the bowl and hurried over to the bar.
“Be careful with that. It’s very hot. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll make you a sandwich to go with the soup. Do you want som
ething to drink?” Seth asked her.
She watched as he looked back over one broad shoulder to stare at her with a suggestive grin. Be strong. Do not look. But against her will, as soon as he turned back to the stove, her eyes immediately glided down his wide back to his firm butt housed in a pair of shorts that must have been made specifically to showcase his first-rate backside.
“Do you like it?” he asked after several moments of silence in which he began making her a sandwich.
She nearly choked on her first spoonful of the scalding soup at his words. “Excuse me?” she asked after a brief cough.
“The soup… Is it hot enough for you?” he asked.
“Yes…it’s…it’s fine,” she stammered.
After a few minutes, he flipped a perfectly browned grilled cheese sandwich onto a plate and placed it in front of her. Instead of walking away or going back to unpacking the box, which now sat abandoned, he leaned across the counter…looking at her. He watched her with the most amazing green eyes she’d ever seen. They danced with a sexuality she was completely unprepared for.
Realizing that she held her spoon somewhere between the bowl and her mouth, she forced herself to stare right back at him. When it became apparent that he was waiting for her to look away first, she leaned forward and slurped the soup off the spoon. Even Zach looked up in shock at her rudeness. With her gaze still locked on Seth’s, she reached out and pulled the plate with the sandwich closer to her.
“At least as good as it gets for tomato soup, which isn’t a favorite of mine. But it’s usually one of Zach’s first picks, so I can see why you made it,” she said.
The grin that probably had women stripping naked and offering themselves like a sacrifice of fertility slid quickly from his face and was replaced with a look of surprise and insecurity. He moved away from the counter and back over to the box. She could barely keep the smile of victory off her face. He probably didn’t get blown off very often, and she was glad she could be the one to do that for him now.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I rinsed off in your shower after I finished up the yard work. I thought I would unpack a few of the boxes from out in the garage. I found a couple boxes of Zach’s toys and carried them up to his room. Was there something specific you wanted me to do for you today?” he asked, looking first at Zach and then grinning at her again in spite of being so brutally shot down just moments before.
She wasn’t sure if the sexual tone of his voice was only in her imagination, or if it was something he was completely unaware of, or if it was just second nature for a man who looked like him. For the first time in her life, she understood what Eve went through in the Garden of Eden; every image in her head was soaked in sin. The difference was she knew what kind of serpent hid underneath the tight-fitting T-shirt.
“Actually, no, I didn’t put together a list of things for you to do. I was under the impression that you would be able to just step in and do whatever needed to be done. At least that was the way Mr. Hawkins described the services Man Maid provided. Perhaps he spoke too soon on your behalf.… If so, then I can make a list. Continue unpacking boxes until I can put together a formal rundown of your job duties,” she replied smartly.
“I figured out that your lawn looked more like a wheat field blowing in the wind, didn’t I? I took care of that all by myself, didn’t I?” he asked sarcastically. “I was just making sure, trying to be nice.”
“My apologies, sometimes I am as immature socially as my stature would imply I am. I should just grow up, mature, develop perhaps. I hope you can forgive me,” she said, pausing for effect. “Well, I need to get back to work.”
His rigid stance was all the confirmation she needed that her words had hit their target. Good. Perhaps in the future he would think before demeaning those who weren’t as blessed in the looks department as he was. Little did he know, she chose to look this way.
In fact, she played down her looks significantly and purposefully. In her field of work, especially in her new position, looking overly attractive and dating the boss could prevent her from being taken seriously. It wasn’t fair, but life never was. However, she would never grow any taller, and if pregnancy hadn’t increased her bra size, it was unlikely her breasts would ever get any bigger. Besides, attractiveness only served to bring around equally nice-looking guys who ended up breaking your heart. Plain and simple looks got her plain and simple dates. Guys like Tim. So it was worth looking a little drab all the time.
Scooping the plate containing her sandwich off the counter, she glanced once more in his direction and could have sworn his head drooped as though he was ashamed. Right. Men like Seth Lewis knew no shame…not from playing the field and definitely not for being less than nice to other people.
She headed back to her office to get some work done and to avoid Seth—and her growing embarrassment over her treatment of him. Her words to him hadn’t been much nicer than his had been about her at the wedding, and she was better than that.
*
Later that afternoon, Zach came into her office again and said, “My room’s all done. Come and look, Mommy!”
Glancing at the computer’s clock, she realized she’d been working for more than three hours straight without even looking up. So much for only working on the migration for an hour and then getting started on the house. She smiled apologetically at Zach and, after saving and closing out her connection to the server, followed him up to his room. His little body simply shook with excitement.
As they entered his bedroom, she was shocked at the progress Seth had made. Zach’s bed was totally put together, complete with headboard, and had been made up with clean sheets and a freshly laundered bedspread. The bookshelves were filled with the books from the boxes that had been too heavy for her to heft up the stairs. Zach’s toy box and cubbies were in place and organized with his things and pictures were hung on the walls. It was perfect…just what she would have done herself if she’d had even a single creative bone in her body.
“We cut pages out of my zoo magazines and glued them to the old boxes that Seth cut up. We made them into pictures just like at art time in school! Do you like them, Mommy?” Zach smiled proudly.
“I love them, honey. They’re wonderful,” she breathed.
A feeling of pure guilt made her stomach lurch. She had been so rude to Seth because of what she’d overheard almost two months ago. He, in return, had created an environment for Zach she could never have even imagined, let alone created on her own.
“We should tell Seth thank you,” she said quietly. She could hear the shame in her voice as sharply as she felt it.
“He already left,” Zach said.
Chapter Two
She had the smallest hands ever…and an amazing complexion, completely free of makeup. Leaning across the counter earlier he’d been surprised to see a few things about her that he hadn’t paid much attention to when he’d first met her.
Her hair had been all smoothed back into a braid at the funeral and in some up-do at the wedding. Both styles enhanced her youthful look and small features. Today her hair had been left loose to fall in messy curls that hung more than halfway down her back. Somehow the mousy brown color wasn’t so bad when left down and the curls made her look as though she’d just had sex. The term bedhead came to mind, in a good way.
Just when he’d thought perhaps his initial assessment of her had been a little off the mark, she’d opened her mouth. Granted he probably deserved it for thinking she was scoping him out while he was mowing when in reality she’d been offended at his half-dressed state. Most women would have been flirting with him and when she’d approached with the glass of water he’d assumed she would as well…but he’d been wrong. Dead wrong!
Then when he had fixed her a sandwich, he’d thought for sure she would soften up a little, forgive him for any offense. Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad. She did have some pretty amazing eyes, full of intelligence…even hidden behind her ridiculous glasses.
He
r lack of makeup had only made his mind conjure up thoughts of her in a more sexual setting. Women who wore less makeup were the ones who typically rocked his world. They were uninhibited. Those that did wear a lot of makeup often were more concerned with him messing it up.
Her reference to his less than flattering remark about her at the wedding made him feel like a first class asshole. Not just for obviously being overheard, but for ever having said it in the first place. Being put down hurt. He of all people knew how badly that could feel. Somewhere along the way the roles had reversed. Now he was the one being mean to other people. The well-placed reminder of how that kind of behavior could come back to haunt a person, had left him speechless.
He should probably talk to Rusty and see if he could change some things around so Seth didn’t have to work for Tori anymore. But pride, stubbornness or maybe just complete and utter disbelief that nothing about him appealed to her, kept him from making the call to his former commanding officer and current boss. He had made his bed where Tori Stewart was concerned and he would now lie in it. Hopefully, what he’d done in Zach’s room would be a small peace offering. He was sure he could win her over…if she’d just give him a chance.
Not too long after Tori had gone back to her office, Zach had lost interest in his blocks and had taken to questioning everything Seth did. His growing frustration with the questions made Seth realize the kid was bored so he’d put Zach to work finding pictures in his vast collection of zoo magazines. By the time the kid had picked out eight images of different mammals Seth had finished up the bed and bookshelves. He could see a lot of himself in the boy, easily bored and easily distracted.
By the time they’d finished up the last few pictures, Seth had to leave in order to get home and get ready for his other job. Most nights he looked forward to dancing. He enjoyed being the center of attention and liked having a vast array of women fawning over him. He especially relished having his pick of an evening companion. Perhaps it was morally reprehensible as Rusty often said, but Seth liked women…and sex.
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