She'd taken to using noise canceling headphones just so that she could focus on her work. Jamison was the only one who'd shown up that day; the rest of his crew had Saturdays off. He had offered to sweep her chimney, and she'd left him to it while she worked on her book upstairs. She pulled the noise canceling headphones off her ears and looked at the clock. Her stomach rumbled and she realized it was well past lunchtime.
On her way down the stairs, she glanced into the parlor and saw Jamison, shirtless, beside a blazing fire. The firelight glistened off his toned chest and abs. Her body and brain buzzed with arousal. Her eyes went wide, and she squeaked. He looked up at her and hastily pulled on his jacket.
"I've got another shirt in the truck. The one I was wearing got soot all over it so I took it off. I apologize if I startled you.”
"Not at all," she said, gulping.
He was gorgeous. Muscles for days and the kind of abs that you could imagine running your tongue over and licking like the most delicious ice cream you ever eaten in your life. Ruby felt a flush of heat run up and down her spine and flame in her cheeks. She knew she was blushing, and she was beyond embarrassed.
"I was just about to make a sandwich for lunch, would you like one?" she said, trying to keep her cool.
"I'd love one. I'll just change and wash up.”
"We can sit in here by the fire. I'm so glad that you fixed it. I've been wanting to have a fire in the hearth since the first day I moved in."
He’d brought in another load of firewood, saving her the trouble of doing in herself.
"Happy to do it," he said with a smile as he walked past her on the way to the front door.
The proximity to his body was overwhelming. She could smell the scent of his skin under his jacket. He nodded and smiled at her as he grabbed the doorknob. Ruby felt like she needed to fan herself like one of the characters in her novels.
Get a grip, Ruby, she thought to herself.
She had to remind herself that her relationship with Jamison was purely professional. She'd even paid him ten percent more than his original bid because she didn't want him to think that she was taking any charity from him whatsoever. He had tried to convince her to accept the original bid, but eventually she'd won. She didn't want him to think that she owed him anything. But as she went into the kitchen and started pulling lunchmeat out of the fridge, she really wished that she did owe him something. And that the only way to pay him back was…
"Oh my God, what are you thinking?" she said to herself, gritting her teeth.
She quickly made two turkey sandwiches with spears of pickles and potato chips and hooked the last two cans of soda in the six-pack on her finger as she carried the food into the parlor. Jamison had changed his shirt and was removing the plastic from the couch when she entered.
"I'll just wash my hands," he said.
As he passed, she felt her body flush with desire yet again. She wondered if maybe she should have just asked him to leave instead of making him a sandwich. What had she been thinking?
She set his sandwich and soda down on the opposite end of the table and took a seat on the other side of the couch. When he walked in, she was eating her sandwich, and their eyes locked. He smiled and sat down on the other side of the couch and dug into his sandwich.
"This is so good. Just what I needed after a long day's work.”
"You've done an amazing job," she said.
"I think we’re almost done. It should be comfortable enough for you to get through the winter. There's just a couple more projects that really need to be finished.”
"I can't believe how quickly you and your crew were able to get everything done."
"We're professionals," he said with a wink.
She bit her lip and tried to disguise the excitement in her core by turning away and grabbing her soda. She took a long chug, and then set it back down. She felt flushed and embarrassed. What had gotten into her? It's not like she'd never seen a man with no shirt on before.
But she knew Jamison was different. This was different. Not only had he single-handedly renovated her house to the point where it was actually safe and comfortable for her to live in, they'd also been matched on mate.com. That meant that she was his fated mate; that they were meant for each other. At least, that was how it worked for shifters. She wasn't a shifter, so it wasn't like he was the only one in the whole world that she could ever love. But she knew well enough that human women who were mated with shifter men ended up blissfully happy in the end. She hadn't even let herself think about it at first. She was not open to a new relationship after what had happened with Chad.
She'd even Facebook stalked him and found out that he was already dating again. Some twenty-two-year-old idiot who had just graduated from college. Typical. But the longer she spent with Jamison, the more she was beginning to think that maybe there really was something to the whole idea of fated mates. He was such a good man, he'd been so helpful and so kind, and he hadn't asked for anything in return. He really hadn't. He hadn't made one single pass or one sleazy joke. He'd been nothing but a gentleman and right now in that moment after seeing his hot as hell chest, she wished that he hadn't been such a gentleman.
She squeezed her eyes closed. Why was she having these thoughts? She needed to get her act together because this wasn't going to work. One of the bathroom sinks still needed to be replaced and there were issues with the electricity. She'd asked her brother-in-law Tony to come out and take a look at her fuse box, but he wouldn't be able to finish a lot of the other work Jamison was able to do. She couldn't start getting all gooey for this man — she still needed him to finish the project. She had to stop having these thoughts or it was going to be bad.
"That piece for the stove is coming in the mail. I'm pretty sure I should be able to replace it myself. But it's going to take probably a few more days to get here.”
"Jamison, I wish there were some way that I could thank you appropriately. Like maybe adding another ten percent your payment."
"No. I'm not going to take any more money from you, Ruby. You're already overpaying me."
"For some reason, I really doubt that."
She had the suspicion that he had undercharged her, and that the extra ten percent she was paying was just getting to a fair price.
And she hated that. She hated charity. She hated asking for help, and she hated depending on anyone. Especially after Chad. She was never going to let anything like that ever happen again. Jamison’s personality was a thousand times better than Chad could have ever imagined being. He really was a catch. And if he'd been human, he would've been married twenty years ago with a gaggle of children.
Why was she resisting? This man sitting next to her was everything that she could ever want. It seemed stupid. She let out a long sigh and stood.
"Well, at least I can take your plate back to the kitchen."
She reached out for his empty plate, and he reached for the plate at the same time. Their hands brushed over each other. There was such an intense electricity between them that they seem to simultaneously reach out for each other. They looked into each other's eyes, and she yanked him up from the couch, and threw herself into his arms. When their lips met, it was like an earthquake. The earthquake caused a tsunami that smashed into her with all the force of eternity sweeping over her mind, body, and soul.
His tongue slipped through her lips, and he held her tight against his strong, hard body. She groaned as their kiss deepened, and she felt herself going limp with moist need. She flung her arms around his neck and clawed her fingers through his hair. She groaned as she felt him rise against her stomach.
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
She stepped back. This was not cool. She looked up at him with shock, disbelief, and utter embarrassment. Then, a flashback of the minute Chad had walked away from her on her wedding day. Everyone staring, her mother sneering, and the mean girl from high school laughing behind her hands.
Ruby’s heart slammed in her chest. She stepped ba
ck and then turned on her heel. "Sorry. I need to get back to work," she said, running up the stairs two steps at a time.
Chapter 10
Jamison could still feel the warmth of Ruby's lips on his as he watched her run from the room and storm up the stairs. He was left in shock, standing alone in the living room. The place where she had just been was now empty. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and understand what had just happened. She had kissed him. She’d pulled him to his feet and pressed her soft, full lips to his. And then she had run away.
That transcendent moment where they had been intertwined in shared passion had broken and left him completely gutted. He felt lightheaded and sick to his stomach. What had he done wrong? All this time, he'd been waiting, hoping that she would notice him. And in those few seconds when their lips met and their tongues touched, he’d thought it had finally happened. She was beginning to feel for him what he had felt for her since the very first moment.
But it couldn't have been further from the truth.
He let out a small groan of pain as he stepped back and gripped his stomach. Looking around the room, he could see he had finished his work for the day. Everything would be completed until summer when he could send in another of his crew to finish the roof. The only thing left, for now, was a piece in the mail for the antique stove in her kitchen. But Jamison couldn't stand to be here another second. His bear screamed inside his mind for him to run up the stairs, grab her, and claim her immediately. But he felt humiliated and confused. All he wanted to do was leave. He grabbed his toolbox and made for the door.
Outside in the melting snow, water dripped from the roof and the sky hung low and gray above him. It was a reflection of the state of his heart and mind. Trying not to think, he hurried to the car, threw his toolbox in the crew cab, and started off down the road. He glanced one last time in the rearview mirror, hoping that he might catch sight of her, but all the windows were dark. She made no attempt to reach out to him. He winced at the pain inside, deep and raw, and he didn't know how to make it stop.
Underneath his jokes, gag gifts, and business acumen, he was a hard man. He'd seen active combat. He'd seen death. He'd experience things that would make most people's blood run cold. None of it had prepared him for the pain of being rejected by his mate.
He pressed the call button on his phone on his truck, dialing his crewmate Zander. If anyone understood the inner workings of the human heart it was Zander. The crew’s sniper was also skilled in diplomacy and clandestine operations. He'd made a study of human behavior. Jamison hoped that he could help him now.
"Hey Jamison," Zander said when he answered the phone. "How’s it going?”
"I was hoping I could chat with you about some personal issues."
"Does this have to do with your mate?”
"Unfortunately, yes."
"What happened? You don't sound very good.”
"My mate Ruby, she was recently left at the altar by her fiancé of six years.”
"Bad timing for a new relationship.”
"Very bad. I've been helping her with a house she just bought. I wanted to be close to her, and I also wanted to make sure that she had a comfortable place to live through winter. She wouldn't hear of staying anywhere else. So, since I have the free time, I've been working on her house.”
"And it's given you a chance to be close to her."
"Yes. And I thought we were getting closer. Until today. She kissed me. She pulled me up off the couch onto my feet and kissed me hard and fast. I thought that finally we were going to have a breakthrough. Then she just ran away without another word. Like it was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. I don't know what to think; I feel like I'm going to be sick. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Jamison. I'm sure the experience felt confusing, but she has been through a lot. Her fiancé destroyed her, embarrassed her. He nullified six years of her life and her commitments. For a woman like that to suddenly get into a new relationship with another man, that's asking a lot. She's not going to want to get hurt again or put herself out.”
"I know," Jamison said with a sigh. Zander's reassurance was helpful. He should have thought of all those things in the first place. But the shock of her kissing him and then running away made it hard to think straight.
"Just give her space. If she kissed you, she clearly has feelings for you. She is your mate. I'm sure she is an intelligent, hard-working woman of integrity. Just give it time. I know that's hard to hear. After all the time you've waited, now that you found her, I’m sure you just want to get on with your lives together, but she is a human woman who's been hurt. She needs time.”
"I know you're right, Zander. And I really appreciate you talking me down like this.”
"Any time."
"If you ever need help with anything, you know where to find me."
For the next two days, Jamison worked at home, managing his business and catching up on tasks that had been neglected while he'd been at Ruby's house. When the part for her stove arrived in the mail, he looked down at the box with a sigh, knowing he should take it out and install it, but Ruby hadn’t contacted him once. She hadn’t asked how he was. She hadn't even asked about the part for the stove.
He picked up his phone and send her a quick text message, telling her that the part had come and that he could install it today. She replied soon after, saying it would be fine, but she would be busy in her office so he should just come in and take care of it.
She was definitely avoiding him. Zander's words replayed in his mind. He knew he had to just give her space, but that didn't make it any easier or less painful.
He grabbed his toolbox, the part, and his keys and started out to Ruby's house. The weather had stayed clear, and Ruby had a new heater, a fireplace, and wood cook stove, but she still didn't have a way of cooking properly without the new part. When he completed this final task, his job here would be done.
When he arrived, he found the front door unlocked. He hurried to the kitchen and began working on the stove. As he installed the piece, he realized that he was still missing another essential component.
"Damn," he muttered. He wondered if he could find it at the hardware store, but it was unlikely since the part had to be specially made or salvaged.
As he was finishing up, he wrote her a note to inform her of the issue with the stove. He heard a knock at the front door and waited for a moment, in anticipation of her coming downstairs. When she didn't arrive, and he heard the door knock again, he went to answer it himself. On the other side of the door, he found a man with an expensive haircut and an outfit of all brand-new high-end outdoor gear. He looked like a model for a camping catalog for yuppies.
"Is Ruby here?" he asked, sizing Jamison up.
"Yes, she's here. Who are you?" Jamison asked, suspicion rising in his chest.
"I'm Chad, her fiancé.”
Jamison was struck with the intense desire to punch the man in the face. His inner grizzly growled and snarled, and he had to use every ounce of self-control in his body to keep from throttling the jerk who hurt his mate. It was a losing game. But then he heard the creak of the stairs behind him, and turned to find Ruby walking down. Her face was a mask of shock, panic, and confusion. She looked from Jamison to Chad as if she was in physical pain. He knew the feeling; he'd experienced it himself when she'd run away from him the last time they'd seen each other.
"Ruby, darling," Chad said, moving in for the hug.
Ruby was so shocked that she didn't resist. Jamison wanted more than ever to punch him. Instead, he hurried away and grabbed his toolbox from the kitchen. Chad asked her if he could come inside as Jamison stepped through the door.
"Ruby, there's another piece I need to get for the stove, so it's not finished yet. I'll see if I can find it in town, but I might have to special order it. I'm sorry about the delay." His voice croaked with desperation and rage.
"Thank you, Jamison," she
whispered.
He nodded gruffly and brushed past the city slicker on his way to his truck. As he was driving away, he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Chad stepping into Ruby’s house.
Chapter 11
"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked, her heart racing a million miles a minute. She hadn't seen or communicated with Chad since he left her standing at the altar in front of everyone they knew. It was like a nightmare or bad drug trip.
"Ruby, can I come inside?"
She was so speechless that all she could do was step aside and allow him into her house. He looked around, surveying the surroundings with an air of critical appraisal on his face.
"You've been busy. When you showed me this property online, I never could have imagined it could look this good. Was that your contractor who just left?"
"Jamison has been amazing," she said.
The feeling of their kiss still lingered on her lips. She'd been so terrified when she realized what she'd done that she couldn't face him. She couldn't speak to him. She knew that she had been totally horrible to him — almost as bad as Chad had been to her. Jamison didn't deserve that. He had been nothing but kind, honorable, and amazing.
He deserved the best of the best, and she had given him the worst of the worst. Now Chad was standing in front of her, looking around the home he hadn't wanted to share with her. She invited him into the kitchen and offered him a drink. She found a note on the counter beside the stove scrawled out in Jamison's bold and efficient handwriting.
“I wasn't able to finish the stove today. I need another part. I'll finish as soon as I can.”
She was struck with a wave of emotion and turned away from Chad so that he didn't see the tears rise in her eyes. She grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and popped the caps, handing one to Chad. She sat across from him at the kitchen table and took a long swig, then leveled her gaze at him.
Builder Bear (Justice Squad Book 6) Page 6