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I waved my hand. “No, it’s fine. Don’t close. I can call Grandpa.”
“He’s working on your tables today. What part of one customer didn’t you understand?” His eyes still shone, but now with laughter. “Seriously. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be right back, okay?”
Sighing, I nodded. “Okay. Thank you. I don’t want to think about what damage I could cause with that thing.”
He backed toward the door, grinning. “I’m a little more worried about what you can do to yourself with it, and I kinda like you just the way you are.”
I blushed as he left and turned to his store.
Damn it.
***
“Bailing you out is becoming a habit. One more time and I’m going to rent a suit of armor.” Chase blew in the hole he’d just drilled, and dust went flying.
“Why? Because you’re my knight in shining armor?” I snorted and put another grape in my mouth.
He turned, holding his arms out to the sides. “One of us is drilling your holes. The other is—what? What did I say?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Nothing. Carry on.”
He started to talk, then stopped. “It’s because I said ‘drilling your holes,’ isn’t it?”
“Little bit.”
“Are you an adult woman or a teenage boy?”
I thought about that for a second and then said, “An adult woman with an inner teenage boy.”
Chase stared at me for a second then burst out laughing. “That’s about the answer I expect. How about I rephrase and say, ‘I’m drilling holes for you?’”
“Better.” I nodded. “Thank you.”
“Although I’m totally down to drill your holes should the opportunity arise.”
I covered my face with my hands and bent forward. Oh my God. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Hey, you’re the one who turned an innocent comment sexual. You’re the one who has a dirty mind.”
“You realized what I was thinking. That gives you a dirty mind, too.”
“Correct.” He pointed the drill at me. “Mine is probably dirtier.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Are you thinking about me screwing you up against this wall right now?”
My cheeks flushed. “No.”
Chase held out his hands. “Dirtier. I’m definitely thinking about that.”
My lips parted into an ‘o.’ “You can’t think that!”
“Why not?”
“Because!”
He waited for me to elaborate. I didn’t.
He set the drill on the counter and laughed. “Wow, now I get why. Your explanation was gold.”
I threw a grape at him, only for him to catch it and pop it into his mouth with a grin. “You know why. It’s weird.”
“I’m gonna humor you.” He rested against the counter and put one hand on his hip. “Why is it weird that I’m thinking about screwing you against a wall? It wouldn’t be the first time.”
I blushed from head to toe. I fucking swear. “Chase!” I threw another grape. “Stop it!”
“Why?” He laughed. “You don’t want to hear more about how I’d pick you up and—”
“La la la la!” I put my fingers in my ears and got up, walking away from him. “La la la la!”
“Rae!” His laughter made it through my attempts at blocking him out. “Rae!”
He caught me in the kitchen and pulled my fingers out of my ears. His laughter was deep and low and rich, and goosebumps immediately erupted all over my skin.
Our eyes met, and I pouted. “What?”
He paused, trying to control his laughter if the brightness of his eyes was anything to go by. “I’m messing with you, babe.”
“So you aren’t thinking that?”
“Oh no. I am. I’m definitely thinking about it.”
“Then how are you messing with me?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t have to tell you. I just…I forget sometimes. I forget this isn’t what it used to be.”
A lump formed in my throat. “It’s okay. You’re not pissing me off; you’re just embarrassing the heck out of me.”
He paused. “Rae, you once got your period in the middle of sex, and you’re embarrassed about this?”
Shit. I’d forgotten that. “Um. Well, now I’m embarrassed about the period thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” He grinned. “Listen—I’m not going to apologize for being stupidly attracted to you. It kinda comes with the territory of being crazy in love with you. But if that makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop telling you it.”
“No. It doesn’t. I mean—you don’t have to.” I took a deep breath and let it go.
We were so close. I moved even closer as my heart picked up a little, and I tilted my head back to look into his eyes.
They were beautiful. Fucking unfairly so. They were so bright and perfect, the color of the eyes of princes in fairy tales.
You could drown in them.
I knew.
I’d done it a thousand and one times.
He watched me, questions in his eyes. Hesitance was the most prevalent emotion—and I swear, he was afraid of what I was going to say.
“I don’t hate you,” I said quickly but quietly. “I feel…something, Chase, but I don’t know what. I don’t know if it’s just because you’re here and there’s…this…and it’s safe and comfortable and familiar or because there are real emotions left inside me that I’m just acknowledging.”
