Hammer, Nails, and Happily Ever After?

by Mitzi Kelly

  She slammed the bathroom door shut. How could Greg think she was still in love with someone who had lied to her? She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She had to be fair. Could she really blame him for not fully understanding after the emotional breakdown she’d just experienced?

  Anybody else would have jumped up in horror and run for the hills, but he’d stayed and held her, comforted her, showing her she was not alone. And all of that while believing her emotions were in turmoil over feelings she still had for Todd. She might not like Greg assuming she still cared for Todd, but she had to admit his actions impressed her.

  She turned on the faucet and washed her face, hoping the cool water would soothe her puffy eyes. She hung up the hand towel and looked at herself in the mirror. Her body still tingled from the electric jolt it had received when it came into contact with Greg’s. This awareness thing with him was going to drive her nuts, and it was also going to ruin any chance they had of a normal friendship. She couldn’t even get close to the man without all her senses rising to the highest alert level.

  Todd Greene had been pushed to the farthest recesses of her mind while sensations of desire started coursing through her, and if Jack hadn’t distracted her, she had no doubt she would have made yet another mistake.

  However, friendship was all about forgiving mistakes, wasn’t it? A friend was someone who would be there even when you fell flat on your face.

  Ginger leaned against the counter and analyzed how the full meaning of friendship applied to her and Greg. She liked what they shared now, but she couldn’t help but feel their whole relationship was in danger because of dumb moments where she had to fight to keep from jumping his bones.

  After a moment, she narrowed her eyes. This rollercoaster of emotions had to stop. Still she waited a while, hoping her inner voice would wake up and tell her that what she planned to do was idiotic. But that voice remained quiet.

  She nodded to herself and squared her shoulders before leaving her bedroom. There was only one way she was going to be able to save this friendship.

  Greg was scooping some sheetrock mud from the plastic-lined box when she walked into the room. With a metal pan in one hand and a trowel in the other, he turned. His smile faded and his brows drew together as he searched her face. “What’s wrong?”

  She didn’t answer. Ignoring the tools in his hands, she marched right up to him, grabbed his face in both of her hands, and pulled his face down to hers while her body melded tightly against his.

  He stood frozen. But not for long. A loud clanging noise split the air as the tools in his hands hit the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, opening his mouth slightly to let her wandering tongue enter. He groaned and pressed her head back to deepen the kiss.

  Consumed by primal desire, all she could think about was she wanted this man. All of him. The heat between her thighs grew hotter as the intensity of his kiss grew hard, passionate, and possessive. He kissed her with a thoroughness that took her breath away.

  Need exploded inside her. She was a desperate, hungry animal craving appeasement. Pulling her lips from his, she jerked his T-shirt over his head, and finally—finally—she ran her hands over his hard chest, something she had been craving to do from the moment they met. Greg drew in a ragged breath, and power surged through her, wild and uninhibited. Her senses were alive as never before, and nothing mattered except satisfying the desire burning inside her.

  Her hands trailed down to the snap of his shorts, but he pulled her arms up to lift her tank top over her head before crushing her mouth with his once again. Her hands returned to his shorts while he unhooked her bra, and somehow, without breaking the bond of their lips, they stood fully naked, fully aroused, and fully enveloped in the fire raging around them.

  She bent her knee, raised her leg, and ran it slowly up and down his, the feel of coarse hair against smooth skin sending shivers down her spine. He trembled as the strong male body succumbed to the soft female body. He lowered his hands to her bottom and lifted her off her feet as her legs wrapped around his hips. Then he maneuvered her perfectly to accept his full manhood.

  Ecstasy shot through her as her breasts rubbed against his bare chest and the dance toward the sensual pinnacle began. Suddenly, the wall was at her back, and he increased the tempo. She was lost in the incredible sensation. Her climax started slowly in her toes, winding its way through her entire being before bursting into a kaleidoscope of brilliant color at the same time he cried out, his shoulders quivering, his body coming to a quiet rest against her, the only sound their deep, ragged breaths.

  After several minutes, they gently, tenderly separated, and her legs slowly slid down his legs until her toes hit the floor. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and she clung to him, not sure her legs would hold her up yet. And he didn’t appear to be in any better shape.

  Finally, she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. “Wow.” A shy smile played on her lips.

  “That’s an understatement.” His smile was tender, his voice deep and husky. “I can feel your heartbeat,” he whispered, lowering his head to nibble her earlobe.

  She would have been surprised if he couldn’t. Their lovemaking had been deeper, more consuming than anything she experienced before. They had joined, standing up in the midst of tools and supplies with no foreplay, no slow seduction, and yet she’d been rocked to her core with the complete perfection of how right it was.

  That hadn’t exactly been the plan, though. This had been an exercise in diffusing the sexual tension that had grown between them, a way to salvage the friendship she wanted so badly. She wasn’t supposed to feel this overpowering sense of belonging, this feeling of coming home after a lifetime of aimlessly searching for the place she was meant to be. She swallowed and lowered her eyelashes to cover her eyes. What have I done?

  Suddenly, Jack jumped up and stared at the front door, a deep growl coming from his throat.

  Greg frowned and leaned away slightly. “What’s wrong, Jack?” he asked quietly.

  Ginger sent up a silent prayer of thanks. She wasn’t about to tell Greg it was probably nothing more than a squirrel or a neighbor getting into a car. She quickly stepped away from his embrace and began gathering her clothes. “I know for a fact it’s not a pizza delivery,” she said jokingly, “because I didn’t order any. But believe it or not, I do have some eggs. Give me a minute, and I’ll scramble some for us.” And then she practically ran from the room.

  ****

  She couldn’t hide forever. She had to face Greg and pretend their lovemaking hadn’t just tilted the earth and dramatically changed her world. Her original plan had been to have sex, get it over with and out of the way so they could move forward with a strong friendship. That her plan had backfired spectacularly was an understatement. Still, none of this was his fault, and she couldn’t allow him to feel any pressure to escalate their friendship into something more now that they had shared an intimate moment.

  Drawing a steadying breath, she wiped her palms down the sides of her shorts and headed down the hallway. Greg had already started on the eggs. She smiled but avoided looking him in the eyes. “I didn’t know you could cook.” She peered into the pan. “It looks wonderful.”

  “Oh yeah, eggs are my specialty. Do you think you could cook us some toast?”

  “Ah,” she said with a nod, “you’ll be surprised to learn that toast is my specialty. Get your taste buds ready, buster.”

  “Oh, I’d say my taste buds are more than ready,” he said suggestively. “But regarding food, it’s good to know we’ll never have to worry about starving. Between eggs, toast, and pizza, I’d say we’ve got it made.”

  Her back was to him as she dropped bread into the toaster. This was a bittersweet moment, taunting her with the image of what a normal relationship could be like as they worked together, puttering around the kitchen to prepare a meal. But it also reminded her of similar beliefs she’d had in the past, only to discover the true depth o
f emotion was only one-sided.

  She spread butter liberally over the toast while Greg spooned the eggs onto paper plates. He carried the food to the table while she poured two glasses of milk and then joined him, Jack flopping down on the floor at her feet in the hopes there would be leftovers. She doubted it, though, because she was suddenly ravenous, digging into the simple meal with all the gusto of a Sumo wrestler. “This is surprisingly delicious.”

  “Of course, it is. Did you doubt my expertise?”

  “I was talking about the toast.”

  If she thought sharing the meal with Greg would be awkward, she couldn’t have been more wrong. As had occurred so often in the past, the topics they discussed were varied and wide-ranging, something she really enjoyed about him. He respected her opinions even though he often disagreed, but he listened and commented without showing any impatience, sarcasm, or rancor. If his eyes softened and lingered on her face longer than usual, or his smile held traces of a special intimacy, she refused to acknowledge it. They were just two friends sharing a meal.

  After having shared incredible sex.

  Chapter Twelve

  Greg pushed his plate away and gave a sigh of contentment. He leaned back and stretched out his long legs. Dropping his hand to rub Jack behind the ears, he said, “So no more flowers from your secret admirer, huh?”

  Ginger looked at him, but his gaze stayed glued on Jack. She shrugged, took a last drink of her milk, and got up to throw the paper plates away. “No. And I threw the others out.” She emphasized her comment by stuffing the plates in the trash with more force than was necessary. She started to mention the strange coincidence about finding the florist ticket in her neighbor’s yard, but thought better of it. Greg hadn’t brought up the subject of her neighbor again, and she didn’t want to start another discussion on how she shouldn’t trust people so easily.

  She brought out a bag of chocolate chip cookies from the dishwasher and sat back down at the table. She had basically forgotten about the flowers, and she hated that Greg had brought up the subject of Todd, tarnishing the relaxed atmosphere with that scumbag’s name. But her relationship with Todd wasn’t a secret anymore. She opened the bag of cookies and scooted them toward him.

  He leaned forward and reached for a cookie. “You’re not going to have to worry about Todd Greene anymore. In fact, if he calls again and I’m here, just hand me the phone. And if he doesn’t take the hint, I’ll make a trip to California to explain the situation in detail.”

  She raised her head. He wasn’t teasing. He really would go to those lengths if necessary. Warmed by his thoughtfulness, she nevertheless had no intention of having him fight her battles for her.

  “I can take care of Todd myself, but thank you for the support. I’m not afraid of him. He’s just playing a game, which he’ll tire of soon.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t know that for sure, Ginger. But even if you’re right and he is just playing some sick game, then it’s borderline harassment, and you shouldn’t have to put up with it.”

  She placed her hand on his arm. “I appreciate your concern, Greg, I really do. But I’d like to change the subject. Todd is a blemish on my past, a memory I would rather forget. The more we talk about him, the more I’m reminded of what a stupid mistake I made, among many others.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. She had to make him understand her feelings about relationships without making it appear as if she were asking for sympathy or pity. “Every knight in shining armor who I’ve fallen for has turned out to be a fraud. They’ve had hidden agendas, or they’ve lied to me, or they’ve flat out used me.” Her lips tightened. “I don’t have a good track record for picking men who genuinely care about me. That’s why I decided to move to Texas and make a fresh start. I’m focusing on me, my independence, my goals, and my future. I’m certainly not going to put myself in a position to be sidetracked or humiliated by Mr. Wrong again.”

  He popped a cookie in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Finally, he looked at her. “I’m a little confused.” His voice had cooled by several degrees. “That little episode between us a moment ago—is that what you would call being sidetracked?”

  Heat rose in her face, but she couldn’t avoid the question. He deserved better than that. She just prayed their friendship would survive her answer.

  “No,” she said softly. “I’d call that amazing.” She looked at him, hoping he would see the honesty in her eyes. “That was not a distraction. It was a way to get rid of the distraction.” Her gaze faltered, and she glanced down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “You are probably the best thing that’s happened to me since I left California. No, scratch that,” she said, taking a deep breath. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time. And I don’t want to lose your friendship. That’s why I…um, attacked you.”

  Her nose wrinkled as her face scrunched up in a display of embarrassment. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, but he just sat there with a bemused look on his face. She was taking a big risk opening up to him like this, but the alternative was to keep hiding her past from him. Friends didn’t do that to each other. Not good friends anyway, and she meant what she had told him. He really was the best thing to come into her life in a very long time.

  Greg Tucker was a good man, and she sincerely wanted to hold on to his friendship. Him being her boss was just plain bad luck.

  He shook his head as if to clear out cobwebs. “If your goal was to confuse me, then you’ve done an admirable job,” he said with a laugh, his dark eyes dancing. “You attacked me—your words, not mine—because you don’t want to lose my friendship?”

  “Exactly.”

  He leaned forward and reached for her hands with a big grin on his face. “I’m still confused, but if that’s how you define friendship, then I’m all for it. In fact, why don’t we go discuss our friendship in more detail…like maybe in the bedroom?”

  She pushed his hands away and frowned. “This isn’t funny! You know what I mean, and you’re purposely misconstruing it.”

  “I honestly don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, Ginger. Maybe I’m just dense, but you’re going to have to explain it better than you have.”

  She gave a gusty sigh and crossed her arms. “Okay, I’ll spell it out. I made a decision when I came to Texas that I was not going to get involved in any kind of romantic relationship. Then you came along, and you were so nice and friendly, and I really enjoyed being with you.” She stood and began to pace. “I was worried I was starting to think of you as more than just a friend, though. I was getting tired of this…awareness thing whenever you were close, so I figured we’d better have sex to get it over with and save the friendship.” She turned and headed for the refrigerator. “Do you want a beer?”

  She’d said it. It had been hard, but she’d said what needed to be said. Now they could get back to the casual, fun relationship she wanted with him. She pulled two beers from the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle opener. In a perfect world the subject would be closed now, and they could move on. But it wasn’t a perfect world.

  He stood just as she turned back toward the table. He approached her slowly, and her eyes grew wide. She took a few steps back until her backside brushed up against the countertop.

  “Would you rather have a soda?” she asked, her voice pitched a little too high.

  He ignored her. His eyes were darker than normal, and he wasn’t smiling. When he got close to her, he planted both his hands on the counter on either side of her. His voice, when he spoke, was whisper-soft and as strong as steel. “My friends and I engage in a lot of activities, but having sex isn’t one of them.”

  She swallowed when his head dropped and his warm, moist lips pressed against the side of her neck. She clutched the two beer bottles for dear life, not even noticing the cold, wet stain spreading across the front of her top.

  His mouth traveled u
p her neck to right below her ear and then trailed to her chin. “One person doesn’t get to call all the shots in a friendship,” he murmured lazily. “It’s a give-and-take situation just like any other successful relationship.”

  His mouth reached the corner of her lips, and her knees almost buckled. Desire as hot as molten lava shot through her. His mouth was the only thing touching her, but she knew how his strong, sinewy body felt pressed close to hers, how his arms felt wrapped around her, and how his mouth felt when devouring hers. Her eyes drifted closed, and she almost whimpered in her struggle to keep from begging him to take her right here on the kitchen floor.

  He shifted slightly, and she prepared herself for the kiss she was sure was coming. It would be explosive and earth-shattering, just as it had been before. But when after several seconds nothing happened, she raised her eyes. He was looking at her, a satisfied expression on his face.

  “I do value your friendship, Ginger. You’re a very special woman, and I’m glad you came into my life. I’m not particularly happy that sex won’t be a part of our relationship, but I’m glad you warned me. I don’t want to make a fool of myself by trying to seduce you when you so obviously don’t want it.” He took one of the beers from her and raised it to his mouth before placing it on the counter. “Get some rest now, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” With that parting remark, he turned and left.

  Ginger waited until she heard the front door close before she walked over to the table and sank into one of the chairs. Her hand was shaking as she raised it to take a drink from her beer and then placed the cold bottle against her flushed cheek.

  She might have to rethink this whole friendship thing.

  ****

  All three brothers were at the office when Ginger pulled into the parking lot the next morning. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks as she squared her shoulders and headed for the front door. With Justin and Steve acting as unwitting buffers, she wouldn’t have to navigate her way around any awkward moments with Greg.