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And then he struts off in the direction of the garage. He’s dressed in plain shorts and a white t-shirt, and I can’t help but notice the way his body moves under the clothing. Now that I’ve seen him naked, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to picture him any other way.
“Did Ethan King just admit that I’m right and he’s wrong?” I call out after him, hoping for a distraction. Flirting seems like a good way to go.
“I’m not as stubborn as you seem to think I am.”
“Really? Because if the Wicked Witch of the West were to show up and demand my shoes I think I’d be less surprised than I am by the events of the last twenty-four hours, including you just admitting that you’re wrong.”
He turns on me then and I stop. We’re in a standoff, staring at each other like outlaws. My cheeks flame again. His mouth turns up into a slow smile. “The Wizard of Oz starts with a tornado, not a hurricane. Nice analogy though.”
I give a little curtsy. “I aim to please.”
“That you do,” he says slowly, then he whips back around and goes for the garage door.
Like a lovesick puppy dog, I follow.
Considering this isn’t a normal garage, I’m not surprised that there’s an area in the back with loads of expensive-looking tools. Tools that have probably never been touched. I know for a fact that the lawn care people bring their own stuff with them. But I guess there’s a first time for everything, because Ethan pulls out a chainsaw. He opens the cap and sniffs.
“It’s got gas.”
I snort. “Of course it does. Everything in this place is well-stocked.”
He raises his eyebrows. “You saw that for yourself this morning, didn’t you?”
Oh my god, he’s joking about his well-endowed cock, isn’t he?
My cheeks flame but we both laugh, then we put on gardening gloves and go back to the yard. On the first rip of the cord, the chainsaw roars to life.
“Wait,” I call out and he turns on me, brows drawn together.
I remove the sunglasses from my face and step forward, putting them over his eyes. “You need protective eyewear,” I yell, but I don’t think he can hear me. I can’t really even hear myself, the chainsaw is too loud.
I step back and watch him work. He’s the picture of masculinity and I have to admit it’s sexy as hell. As bits of the tree get broken up, I carefully pick them up to move them out of the way. Before long the sun is back out and it would be like the storm didn’t happen if there wasn’t such a mess to clean up. The work is hard and we’re both covered in sweat. The bright sun hurts my eyes but I don’t complain. Sun is my friend after the events of last night.
Ethan finally finishes with the chainsaw, returns the sunglasses, and helps me move the rest of the debris into a pile. “You’re burning up.” His mouth forms a tightly pinched frown and I shrug.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Let’s take a break.”
We head back inside and I immediately go for a cold rinse off. The water soothes my sunburns and I sigh into the stream, letting it fill my mouth and flow down my body. I’ve caught the burns early enough that I should be fine by tomorrow as long as I take better care with my skin the rest of the day. Maybe I shouldn’t have worked outside all morning but it was the most satisfying work I’ve done all summer.
After a good slather of after-sun lotion and a second layer of sunscreen, I find Ethan in the kitchen making sandwiches. I’m getting used to seeing him here, cooking for me. It’s nice. “You look good in the kitchen,” I blurt out and he grins boyishly, his eyes catching in the light. They’re stunning. He’s stunning.
And I’m in big trouble.
“After lunch, let’s go see if we can help the first responders.”
He considers my request. “That might not be safe. I don’t want to put you into any danger.”
I sigh and pick up the finished sandwich, taking two big bites and swallowing before I continue. “True, but you already put me into danger the second you asked me to stay through a Category 4 hurricane. We’re here. The least we can do is help those in need.”
He doesn’t have anything to say to that because he knows I’m right. He just watches me, his jaw tense and sandwich untouched.
“I mean it.”
After a long pause, he finally nods. “Alright, but on one condition.”
“And what’s that?”
