Indy tilted her head and he saw her hazel eyes blaze green. “We weren’t talking. You were yelling at me for no reason.”
“No reason? I walked into the room to find you joking with my foreman and half of his employees staring at you. Work stops around you.”
“How is that my fault? What do you want me to do, put a bag over my head?”
The image made him smile. A bag wouldn’t help. They’d stare at her ass or breasts instead. “No.” He sighed, knowing his anger was unjustified.
“I don’t think doing a pregnant woman leads the list of things men fantasize about.”
She had no idea.
“Do me a favor and stay away from the guys.”
She bit her lip but couldn’t stifle the smile. “There are men working in almost every room. I can’t avoid them all, but don’t worry. I won’t be here often, not until they’re almost done.”
His nerves jittered. Not around? He’d hired her so he would have a reason to have her around. “I thought you’d start soon.”
“I will. After I draw up the proposal and you agree to it. But I can’t paint until the construction’s done.” She turned and went up the stairs.
He was tempted to follow, but she needed to take her pictures and he had a kitchen to finish. Plenty of frustration to work out. The kitchen would be the perfect outlet.
He didn’t know what to do about Indy. He’d missed her. Unable to erase her from his system, he brought her back into his life. The problem was, he didn’t know what to do next.
They’d split up with no hard feelings. They remained friends, but every touch still sizzled. He knew she felt it too, but she kept pulling away. He couldn’t blame her. He offered no commitment and she tried not to have expectations, but she was having a baby.
Now he had to prove he wanted her back. He didn’t even know what that meant. All he knew for sure was that he couldn’t walk away from Indy Adams.
But he also couldn’t marry her and be the kind of husband her father would expect.
Where did that leave them?
More importantly, would it be enough for Indy?
The questions poured through his mind with each sheet of drywall he slung into place. Hours passed and his muscles screamed.
Damn. It’s time to get back to the gym and the racquetball court when a few hours of labor make me sore.
Twilight had fallen outside, but that was little indicator of time in the middle of winter. He checked his watch. Almost dinner time. He dropped his toolbelt in the corner of the room.
In the computer lab, Kevin stopped him for a brief update. The wiring would be complete by the end of the week. The small crew would work for another hour or so and head out.
Griffin looked out the front window and saw Indy’s car still at the curb. He’d thought she’d left. He climbed the steps two at a time. He checked the master bedroom and the one next to it. No sign of her.
“Indy?”
“In here,” she answered.
He followed her voice down the hall and found her sitting cross-legged on the floor with her notebook on her lap, sketching furiously. He’d never encountered such an intense expression on her face. He walked closer until he stood above her. “Come on. Let’s go have dinner.”
“Huh?” She squinted up at him and then over her shoulder out the window. “Damn. What time is it?”
“Almost five.” He held out a hand to help her up.
She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet, putting her body within inches of his. “What do you want to eat?” he asked quietly. He only had a taste for her.
Her gaze landed on his lips and she licked her own. “I have work to do.”
“You’ve worked enough today. I want to take you out.” He leaned forward to take her mouth.
She abruptly stepped back, breaking the moment. “You’re not dressed for dinner. You’re covered in dust.”
“I’ll go home and change. Then we can order in or go out.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He stepped forward again, closing the gap. “Why not?”
She moved and bumped into the window, losing her balance and dropping her notebook. He caught her arm and steadied her. Indy was nervous. The thought brought a smile. He’d seen the woman bring a crowded bar to its feet to cheer for her and handle a business lunch with finesse. Being close to him, however, made her breathe heavy.
Indy jerked out of his grasp. “This isn’t a good idea.”
He answered with raised eyebrows.
“We’re in a good spot. We’re friends. I’m working for you, which is something I appreciate. Let’s not ruin this.” She stared into his eyes. Her face showed determination, but her eyes said something different and he couldn’t quite read them.
“It’s dinner. You have to eat. I have to eat. Let’s do it together.” He stepped forward again but stopped the odd dance when her hands fisted.
“It’s not just dinner. There’s too much stuff between us.”
“I know. I want to get into that stuff.”
Her shoulders straightened. “I don’t. I can’t. I have about four million things going on right now. School, a new career, my first big job, moving to a new apartment. And I’m pregnant.”
Like he could forget. That was the sticking point.
“I get it. I’m asking you to dinner.”
“No, you’re not.” She shook her head to emphasize her response.
“Fine. You caught me. I planned to talk to you at dinner or after, but if it’s got to be now . . .” He rolled his shoulders and stepped back to put more distance between them. He needed to be able to think clearly. “I’m sorry I hurt you when I left. You said we were over.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. We had a casual fling and it ended. You were my rebound guy.”
Her rebound guy? “It might’ve started out as a casual thing, but we both know it didn’t stay that way. We had something more. We still do.”
“You’re wrong, Griffin. We’re still attracted to each other. Great sex has that effect on people. That’s all it is.”
His anger returned. “We have more than sex. I know you feel it too.”
“Stop it, Griffin. We had phenomenal sex. We barely even know each other. Correction: I barely know you. How close can two people be if they don’t know each other?” She turned and headed for the door. “There are no more flings for me. I have something more important to think about than having a good time.”
So that was it. He couldn’t offer her enough. His gut screamed at him to go after her, but he froze in place. At his feet, her notebook of sketches stared up at him. He’d have another chance.
Chapter 14
Tears welled in Indy’s eyes. She tore down the stairs and grabbed her coat. She didn’t even get her arms into it before she flung open the door. Wind stung her eyes while she fumbled with her jacket. She needed to get away from here, this house, Griffin. Her teeth chattered as she started her car.
She did the right thing. Making a life for herself and her child had to be her priority. It was the responsible thing.
Being responsible sucks.
The man in that house wanted her. Shit, he cared about her even though she was pregnant, and she’d pushed him away. He wanted to be with her, wanted to explore what they had. What did running away say about her?
Nothing is wrong with me. I can’t have another fling. I deserve more and so does the baby. More? More what?
She’d never thought about anything but having a good time in the moment. Living in the moment used to work, but now she had a future, someone who counted on her for the long haul.
Her palms got sweaty and her breaths shallow. Having a baby was a forever kind of thing. She laid her forehead on the steering wheel and slowed her breathing to normal. The heat finally rattled on and she turned the blowers to face her. She looked up and saw Griffin’s silhouette in the bedroom upstairs. Throwing the car into gear, she pulled aw
ay.
She’d felt this trapped months ago when he’d hired her to find the house in the first place. He’d done it again, but this time was so much worse. Then, she’d dismissed him as a rich playboy. Now she knew he had more depth. She’d spoken the truth, though. She knew little about Griffin Walker. A good man, a kind man, a great lover, but she knew next to nothing about his life.
She wanted more than a feel-good, shallow relationship. Her baby needed more. They both needed depth and longevity. Indy knew next to nothing about those too.
Quinn could help. No, Kate would be the better choice. Kate would lay it on her. She’d tell Indy if she was screwing up more than usual, so she drove straight to Kate’s house.
She grabbed her purse and held her coat closed against the wind. She rang the bell and stomped her feet against the cold. Kate answered, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.
“Hi. What are you doing here?” she asked, swinging the screen door open.
Indy mumbled a greeting, unsure where to start.
After getting the kids settled in front of the TV, Kate returned to the kitchen. “So what’s up?”
“I need help. My life is a mess and I have no idea what I’m doing. I can’t even think straight.”
Standing at the stove, Kate loaded a plate with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. She placed it in front of Indy. “Not being able to think straight is a pregnant thing. As for the rest, I don’t know how I can help.”
“Tell me what to do.” Indy sank her fork into the slab of meat and ate. “Mmm. This is good. I don’t remember the last time I ate homemade meatloaf.”
“Thanks.” Kate poured a cup of coffee and sat across from Indy.
“Tell you what to do about . . . ?”
“Griffin.”
“Quinn told me he was back. About time. So what’s up with him?”
The meatloaf turned to stone in her stomach. “He hired me to decorate his new house.”
“Congratulations.” Kate’s sigh detracted from the verbal pat on the back.
“He asked me to dinner tonight.”
“I’m guessing you declined since you devoured my meatloaf.”
“Yeah. I told him it wouldn’t be a good idea. That I was done having flings because the baby and I need more.”
Kate said, “Okay.”
“But I’m a mess. Every time he gets close, I lose control of my body. I barely escaped throwing myself at him.”
Kate laughed and shook her head.
“This isn’t funny.”
“It’s hormones. You’ve had a sexual relationship with him and your body recognizes him. Your hormones are in overdrive.”
They’d shared more than lust. Every time she looked into his eyes, she felt it in her heart. She’d convinced herself she was over him, but the lie wouldn’t take hold.
“Oh, God. You fell for him. Do you love him?”
Indy dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t know. I ache whenever I think about him. But like I told him tonight, I hardly know him. My life is so fucked.”
“Does he feel the same?”
Indy shrugged, afraid to consider it. “At the wedding, I would’ve said yes. We had so much there, at least the beginning of something, but then I broke up with him. And he left. Gone for three months.”
“He never called?”
“All the time.”
“Did you talk to him?”
Indy shook her head. “He was my rebound guy. He was supposed to be meaningless.”
Kate chuckled, and Indy raised her head. “Again, not funny.” “Sure it is. Mark was my rebound guy ten years ago.”
Indy laughed. She laughed so hard, tears streamed down her cheeks. Ten years with a rebound guy? Indy couldn’t believe she’d forgotten. She blotted her eyes against a napkin. “Thanks. I needed to laugh.”
“You need to be honest with him.”
“I know,” Indy whispered. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Everything. That he might want to pick up where we left off. That he might want to be part of my life.”
Kate stood and refilled her coffee. “It’s not a bad thing.”
“It is if I screw it up like I always do. Then I’m left with a broken heart and a baby all alone.”
“You sound like a woman in love.” Kate cleared Indy’s dish and loaded the dishwasher in silence.
It was unlike Kate. She usually filled the silence with something, even talk about the kids. “Something wrong?”
“No, not really.”
“You’re full of shit.” Indy stood and leaned against the counter.
“How are things with Mark?”
Kate closed her eyes and leaned heavily against the sink. “I think I’m done rebounding.”
“Oh, shit.” Indy pulled Kate into a hug. Things had been rough for Kate for months, but she’d never hinted at being ready to give up. “What did he do?”
Kate pulled away and blinked rapidly. “I’m not ready to talk.” Indy held her hand. “Doesn’t seem fair. I unloaded a mess on you. You should do the same.”
“I need to get the kids ready for bed.” She pulled away.
“I’ll wait.”
Kate shook her head. “Mark will be home soon, and I’m not ready to get into it.”
“Sure?” Indy’s heart felt heavy. She wished she could be half the friend Kate had been over the years.
“I’ll call when I’m ready.”
“I’ll be here.” She hugged Kate tightly.
Kate whispered in her ear, “Talk to Griffin.”
Indy left and drove aimlessly before heading home. Talk to Griffin. Crappy advice. Talk to him how? Tell him what? I know we agreed to no expectations, but I fell in love with you. I know you left, but now you’re back so it’s all okay.
It was all bullshit.
None of it was okay.
Maybe she could wait until she finished decorating. She should be done within two months. He’d said his deadline was spring. She could work on his house and see how things progressed. Maybe they would lose steam. Maybe he’d find someone else.
Someone who wasn’t pregnant.
They’d have two months to get reacquainted. Not sexually.
Definitely no sex.
No matter how good it would be. She sighed as lustful images stormed her brain. Griffin looked hot in a toolbelt. She imagined his muscles flexing while using tools. Then those same muscles flexing over her naked body.
She rolled down her window and let the cold winter wind chill her fevered skin.
Definitely no sex.
Fantasies made her incapable of coherent thought. The real thing would render her useless.
She pulled into Quinn’s driveway and gathered her things. Her notebook was missing. She couldn’t find it in her bag or on the floor. Damn. The book had hours’ worth of research and ideas in it.
She walked up the front steps, surprised no lights shone through the front windows. A note fluttered on the door. “We went out to dinner. Don’t wait up. Q.” The thought of having the house to herself without interruption increased Indy’s energy. She hadn’t had much alone time over the past couple of months.
While her computer booted up, she turned on the radio. Being alone allowed her to crank the volume to vibration level. She hoped the neighbors wouldn’t notice. It’d be just her luck to have the cops show up.
She pulled up the research on Queen Anne houses she’d saved on her computer. After rereading, she knew she was wasting her time. She needed to do, not plan, and she worked best when she went with her gut. Flipping open her color deck, she imagined herself in Griffin’s bedroom.
Bad idea.
With thoughts of the shape and feel of the second bedroom, she went to work.
Her car sat in the driveway, but Indy didn’t answer her phone. Griffin cut the ignition and stepped out into the cold with his peace offering. He’d get Indy to listen to him no matter what, but a bribe of chocolate couldn’t hurt.
&n
bsp; He heard the music before he reached the front stairs. Déjà vu. He climbed the steps and saw no sign of her through the front windows. Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, he knocked. The tip of his nose numbed in the cold before he walked around the house. At the back door he stopped.
On the other side of the glass, Indy bobbed and wiggled, dancing to the beat he could feel outside. The intensity of her concentration fascinated him. She studied sheets of paper spread on the table and across the counter.
He knocked with a fist, and she jumped.
Eyes wide, she turned to face him. Irritation replaced the surprise. She held up a hand and walked away.
The abrupt silence cut through the air, and Indy returned to the door. She opened it wide but hesitated. “Quinn and Ryan are out.”
“I came to see you.”
“Oh.” She stepped back.
The smell of Indy’s perfume did more to defrost his frozen extremities than the warmth of the house. He reached into the bag and extracted her notebook.
She reached for it, relief taking the tension from her shoulders. “Thank you. I thought I lost this.”
“You dropped it at the house. You left in a hurry.”
Her eyes shifted and her cheeks grew pink. He enjoyed her nervousness. “I’m here with a peace offering. I’m sorry I spooked you.”
“You didn’t spook me. What’s in the bag?” She shifted farther away, but her tone was playful.
“Chocolate. The biggest brownie I could find.”
Her lips eased into a smile. He loved those lips.
“Walnuts?”
He slid the small bakery box from the bag. “No. I thought you preferred your chocolate unadulterated.”
Her voice became husky. “I do.”
The admission slipped from her incredible mouth like an invitation, and his dick became half hard. His face must’ve revealed his lust because she took another step back.
“I’ve never known you to be skittish.”
“I’m not skittish. I’m making tea to go with the brownie.”
As she turned toward the stove, he stalked her, brownie in hand. He reached his arm around her to place the box on the counter. The motion put his body mere inches from her back. The sexual tension crackled. Only one thing would douse it, and he didn’t think she’d get naked.
A Good Time Page 21