by Molly McLain
“Tony,” she exhaled. What would it be like to touch him? Kiss him? Just once.
“Or checking out your ass when you’re not looking.” His hand slid down to said ass and she gasped, involuntarily pushing herself against him, their bodies melded from belly to thigh. “I want you, Nicole. So goddamn bad I can taste it.”
Her eyes fluttered shut and she fisted the hem of his t-shirt in her hand. “We can’t,” she whispered, nearly choking on the words. This wasn’t what he needed, not really.
“You’re right. We can’t.”
Thank God for rational thought.
But then he tipped up her chin and slanted his mouth across hers in a kiss so intense and unexpected, the room began to spin. When he deepened the exchange and teased his tongue between her too-welcoming lips, her ears rang. And when he bent at the knees and lifted her onto the counter, she couldn’t breathe.
She didn’t want to breathe. She wanted to pour everything she had into learning his mouth and savoring the all-consuming relish with which he kissed, because she’d wanted this very thing from the moment she laid eyes on him outside the coffee shop.
But Bri chose that moment to whimper through the baby monitor on the counter. Just one little cry and nothing more, but it served as a reminder that Tony didn’t need the complication of a casual fling in his life right now. And neither did she.
She pulled back and put a finger to his lips. “We need to stop.”
He groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve been curious too.” She smoothed a hand around the back of his neck and into the hair there. He shuddered. “But I like you too much.”
He lifted his head and gave her an adorable frown. “Excuse me for being confused, but if you like me...”
“I didn’t come to River Bend looking to meet someone.” Her hand slid to his jaw and her focus moved to his eyes, narrowed in a way that made her suspect he was trying to convince himself she was right.
With a sigh, he took a step back, his hands in the air. “All right. First kiss, last kiss. I got it.”
“Don’t be mad at me.”
“Mad? Are you serious? After all you’ve done for me?”
She wet her lips and took a moment to catch her breath. “The kiss doesn’t change anything. I’ll still do whatever I can around here.”
He nodded, his jaw tense. “Speaking of which, that house of yours needs a lot more than a new window.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Let me help.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have time—”
“Nicole, look at me.”
She did.
“I’m not a fucking invalid.”
What? Where’d that come from? “I never said you were.”
Turning his back on her, he pulled a beer from the fridge. “You should probably go. It’s getting late.”
“What did I say? I mean—”
“I’ll see you in the morning. And while I’m there, I’ll make a list of what needs to be done.”
“Tony—”
“Goodnight, Nicole.”
Goddammit! She stared at his back for five long beats before she gathered her kit, pulled her shoulders back and headed for the door. They were not done with this conversation though. Not by a long shot.
“Goodnight, Tony.”
Chapter Eleven
“Blister your hand jerking off or what?”
Marking a wall on the second floor of the courthouse for studs, Tony didn’t look up when his co-foreman at Hudson Contracting sauntered into the room. He greeted him instead with a prompt single-finger salute.
Ryan Croft snorted. “The little woman hasn’t put out yet, huh?”
Oh, hell no.
Tony pushed to his feet and glowered. Licking his wounds or not, no one was gonna disrespect Nicole in his presence. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”
Laughing, Ryan raised his hands and took a step back. “Relax, man, I’m just playin’.”
“Yeah, well it’s fucking rude. I don’t appreciate it and I’m sure Nicole wouldn’t either.” Holy shit, he sounded like his dad.
His friend grinned. “You’re sweet on her.”
Jesus Christ. Who even said that anymore? And what wasn’t to be sweet on? He’d eaten like a king all week. His laundry and dishes were done. And Brianna was up on all fours, rockin’-n-rollin’ and ready to crawl. Not to mention, Nicole had made him pancakes this morning...after he’d stuck his tongue down her throat the night before.
Like hell he’d admit that though. “Dude, you better check your belt—your panties are starting to show.”
Ryan opened his mouth to throw out another barb, but he shut up fast when Josh strolled in.
“Thought you were taking off early today?” he asked Tony.
“I’m gone as soon as I finish marking this room.”
“Nah, I’ll take over. Get out of here and rest that hand. And say hi to Gracie for me.”
Ryan rolled his eyes and Tony tamped down the urge to jack him in the jaw. He definitely needed some R&R this weekend, if for no other reason than to blow off some steam.
“I’ll take you up on that.” He handed over his pencil and stud finder and dropped his tool belt in the corner. “See you losers at McCauley’s later?”
“Hell, yes.” Josh perked up. “Been a long time since you’ve been out. The guys will be happy to see you too. Shit, I’m already looking forward to smearing your ass on the pool table.”
Yep, that was probably gonna happen, seeing as Tony couldn’t remember the last time he’d even held a cue.
He did a quick sweep of the building to make sure the rest of the crew was on track before he headed out. He was chomping at the bit to get home, gather up Bri and hit the road to Hastings, but he had a list in his pocket that needed attention first.
“Hey, Jimbo, I need another favor,” he greeted the older man behind the counter at the lumber supply store. Jimbo and his dad had been old war buddies and, over the years, Jimbo had become something of a surrogate uncle.
“Twice in one day? You’re working me too hard, kid.” The man winked and pulled out his order booklet. “By the way, that new window will be in next week. Lucky for you, I was able to find a stash that size over in Grand Island. Hard to come by, you know.”
“Thanks, and I appreciate you looking local first.” He dug out the piece of paper he’d done his figuring on this morning and laid it on the counter. “Hoping to make a few more repairs to Ethel’s old place before it goes on the market.”
“Yeah?” Jimbo gave him a knowing smile.
“Can you get this ordered up for me? I’d like to get started as soon as possible.”
“Before the pretty lady leaves town, you mean?”
Jesus. “Does everyone in this town have to know my business?”
“Ah, so she is your business. That’s good. I was hoping it’d turn out to be more than just her watching the little one.”
“You were hoping? Have you even met Nicole?”
“Oh, yes. She came by earlier in the week for packing supplies. Sweet thing. Easy on the eyes too.”
Tony snorted.
“You haven’t noticed?”
“I’ve definitely noticed.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jimbo chuckled and swiped up the paper. “I’ll get your order placed right away. Don’t wanna keep your lady waiting.”
“She’s not mine.”
“She will be.”
“Doubtful.”
Jimbo leaned forward and winked. “Little secret about women? They love when we sweep in and do stuff for them they can’t do on their own. Don’t tell Gracie I said that or she’ll quit inviting me to town for cosmic bingo.”
Too bad Nicole wasn’t most women and...what? “Are you talking about my mother?”
Jimbo chortled as the store’s phone rang on the counter.
Tony pointed sternly when the man reached for i
t. “You better hope you’re joking, old man.”
“Would never joke about your mama, kid.” Jimbo stuck the phone to his ear and grinned. “River Bend Lumber, this is Jim.”
Tony scowled for a moment before he turned on his boot and stalked out. He had two women to sort out at home anyhow. One whose kisses made him feel like Superman and the other...well, a man. But Nicole wasn’t in his life to polish his tarnished ego or appease his libido, and he owed her an apology for how he acted last night. And he also needed to make her understand why it was important to him he work on her house. He tried to bring the subject up this morning, but she dumped a mountain of food on his plate and told him to eat instead.
He considered calling to let her know he’d be home early, but just the thought of her voice had his juices flowing again. And that meant he had ten minutes to get his head on straight so he didn’t do something stupid...like kiss her one more time.
***
“I messed up, Bri.” Breathless from her core training, Nicole sat up and leveled with Brianna, sitting happily in her bouncer a few feet away. “I let your daddy kiss me last night. And then I might’ve kissed him back.”
Bri banged her teething toy on the tray and screeched.
“I know, I know.” She adjusted her ponytail and got to her feet for the glute portion of her workout. “I shouldn’t have. It was totally wrong and it doesn’t fit into our plan to help him see how awesome he’s doing.”
Rolling her shoulders, she adjusted the straps on her sports bra and widened her stance. “I won’t do it again. Even though I really, really want to. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
Brianna began to bounce in her seat, as Nicole lowered into a series of squats that had her butt burning by rep two.
“I mean, it would be crazy, right?” she asked, her breath choppy as she lifted and then dropped down again. “I’ve got six weeks left here. Your dad deserves better than that.”
Down, one-two-three, squeeze, one-two-three, lift.
“Do yourself a favor, Miss Bri—don’t get addicted to caramel macchiatos. And when you make a boy pancakes, don’t eat any yourself. Ugh.” She lowered down again and held the stance until her legs shook. Sweat ran down the middle of her back and her thighs twitched from the exertion, but she held on for five more counts.
“Don’t worry, Brianna Bell. If I have anything to do with it, you’ll never date, let alone cook for a man.”
“Tony!” Nicole launched upright and spun around. “I didn’t hear you come down.”
“Sorry.” He leaned against the wall beside Bri with a sly grin on his face. When his eyes shifted down to her chest—then lower yet—she remembered why.
Snatching her t-shirt from the weight bench, she quickly pulled it over her head. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to wish I’d come home sooner.”
“Ugh, you.” She stomped passed him and grabbed her water bottle. “You didn’t tell me you’d be early.”
“I’m taking Bri to Hastings to visit my mom. I would’ve called, but I had errands to run. Wasn’t sure how long they’d take.”
Made sense, but some warning would’ve been appreciated. She’d been in her bra, for God’s sake. “That’ll be a nice getaway for you two.” She took a sip and held the bottle to her forehead. He smelled good. And he hadn’t shaved this morning, so his stubble was a little thicker and sexier than usual. Not that she was looking. She was still mad at him for last night, anyway.
“A few guys from my old reserves unit are coming to town, so I’m coming back.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re going out?”
“I am.” He pushed off the wall, hands in his pockets. “Listen, Nicole, I was an ass last night. I owe you an apology for that. It’s just...I really need to go out. Blow off some steam.”
Get laid. Scratch the itch. Yeah, she got it. Didn’t want to hear about it, but what could she do? She’d turned him down.
“I’d ask you to come along to meet the crew, but it’s probably not a good idea, all things considered.”
No kidding. The last thing she wanted was to see him moving in on someone else. “That’s okay. I’ve got plenty to do at home.”
“About your house...” he began and she straightened her spine. Why did he insist on beating this conversation to death?
“We’ve already talked about this.” He’d made his threatened list this morning and—
“I ordered the supplies this afternoon.”
No. No! “What? Why would you do that? I told you I didn’t want you to work on the house.”
“I did it because you’re in a bind and you’ll get better return on the house when you sell it.”
“I don’t need a better return, and I can’t afford to fix it up right now, okay? Even if I could, shouldn’t I get a say?”
“Did I get a say when you did my laundry?”
“Not even close to the same thing.” Dammit, he’d seemed like such a nice guy. One who respected women and didn’t jump at the first chance to throw his weight around just because he could. Capping her water, she strode over and punched off the music.
“Nicole.” Like a stealth ninja, he was suddenly behind her, placing gentle, coaxing hands on her shoulders. She sucked in a breath. His hands felt like magic, threatening to turn her anger to lust. “I just want to help.”
“I know, but I can’t let you.” She turned and, when his hands fells away, something misfired in her brain and she put her hands on his waist to regain the connection. So warm. So lean. Whatever else she might’ve said evaporated in that moment.
He cocked his head to the side, confusion in his eyes. “Why is it okay for you to be so good to me, but when I try to reciprocate, you look at me like I’m crazy?”
“I don’t look at you like you’re crazy.” More like he was the sexiest, sweetest man she’d ever met, but what if he had a domineering side like Derek? “And I don’t do things for you because I expect something in return.” Biting her lip, she smoothed her fingers over the warm wall of muscle beneath them.
God, she loved touching him. But he needed to understand that he couldn’t just sweep in like he might on the job and take care of her business. For too long, she’d let a man ‘take care’ of her and it hadn’t ended well.
“I’m not offering because I think you do.” He put a knuckle under her chin and lifted her face to his. His dark eyes slid to her mouth and, just like that, her legs shook all over again.
And so did her resolve. Any second now, she’d crumble like a house of cards in the wind.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered.
“Explain it to me then.”
“I just don’t like feeling pressured or controlled.” Dammit, this wasn’t therapy and Tony wasn’t Derek.
She needed air. And space. As quickly as possible.
“Please don’t push this.” Ducking around him, she grabbed her sweatshirt and bent to kiss Bri on the head.
“Nicole, wait. Don’t go.”
She had to. Or she might do something stupid and the last time she did that, she woke up in Derek’s bed. “Have fun tonight, Tony. You deserve it.”
***
“I wish you’d let me keep my granddaughter for the whole weekend like you do with that other woman.”
That other woman being Shannon’s mother, Marcy. The apparent bane of his mother’s existence.
“I’m happy to let you spent more time with Bri. Once you’re feeling better, that is.”
Grace scoffed and scooped Brianna up into her arms, mumbling something about stubborn men and ‘just like your papa’. Prime time to ask about Jimbo, but Tony bit his tongue because he had other things on his mind. Namely what the hell was going on with Nicole.
Her rejection after they’d kissed was one thing, but to suggest he wanted to control her, was another.
No, he shouldn’t have ordered the supplies without letting her know he had some store credit he didn’t mind passi
ng on to her. Fixing up her grandmother’s beauty of a home would be just as rewarding for him as it would be to Nicole.
But him, a controlling bastard? Never. Especially not with her.
Maybe her rejection did get under his skin a little too, because she sure as hell touched him like she wanted him. Yet she held him off. Like she was worried he’d lose his shit if he took on one more thing.
Total bullshit.
His mother waved her hand in front of his face. “You’re zoning out. Not enough sleep last night?”
He cleared his throat and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I’m sorry. Tell me about your test results.”
“I’m healthy as a horse,” she murmured sweetly to his daughter.
“Mom, I’m serious.”
“So am I!” This time, her tone wasn’t gentle. “It’s not your job to worry about me, Tony. You’ve got enough to deal with.”
“Are you kidding me?” he snapped before he could think better of it, but the last thing he needed was his own mother thinking he was a lost cause, too. He pushed away from the table and paced. “I’m sorry, but I gotta know—what am I failing so miserably at that I can’t even worry about my own flesh and blood without getting the side-eye?”
“Anthony, sit down.”
He cringed.
“No one said you were failing.”
Not directly, but this whole “you’ve got so much on your plate” bullshit pretty said it, didn’t it?
He slumped into the chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. His mother was sick, for God’s sake, and here he was acting like an ass again.
“Tony, you’re an amazing father. Yes, I was nervous about how you’d handle Bri when you first brought her home, but you’ve surprised me. And you’ve made me proud.” She took his hand and squeezed, and his neck began to burn.
What kind of mess did it make him that she’d said the words he wanted to hear but didn’t feel worthy of them?
“But,” she added, “I’m worried you’re putting all of your energy into my granddaughter and not saving any for yourself.”