Kerrie let out a short laugh.
“Hush,” warned Reese before answering Matty. “You’re more than welcome to.”
They chatted a bit more, killing time until 5:00 when they could clock out. Reese had kept a towel in the back of her car in case she needed to drive a dirty Matty home. The last thing she wanted to do was try to get grease out of her seat cushions.
“What time are they supposed to be here?” Matty asked as they were entering the house.
“Anytime. I hope they don’t take too long. I’m starving.” She walked up the stairs to her bedroom with Matty following.
“Do you know where you want to eat dinner at?”
Reese shrugged as they walked into her room. She tossed her purse on the bed. “Not really. How about you?”
“Same. Maybe Mexican? I wouldn’t mind some fajitas.”
“That sounds good.”
“I’m going to hop in the shower really quick. It won’t take me long.”
“Okay, let me grab you a towel.”
“And a washrag if you have one?”
“Yep.”
Matty and her backpack headed to the bathroom while Reese went to the hall closet. The whole thing was crammed full of towels, washcloths, and bedding. It was in desperate need of going through, but it would have to wait until the more important tasks were completed. Until then, she would keep shoving things in and hoping it didn’t explode.
With the towel and washcloth in hand, she went to the bathroom and stopped abruptly at the sight before her.
Matty had shed her T-shirt and jeans into a pile on the floor. Reese’s mouth watered at her exposed body, just clad in a sports bra, boxer briefs, and white socks. Her eyes lingered longer than necessary.
Matty raised an eyebrow at her as a playful smile tugged at her lips.
Before she realized it, Reese was depositing the towel on the counter and going to encircle her waist.
“You probably don’t want to touch me. I’m covered in dirt and dried sweat,” Matty said softly.
“Nonsense,” she chided, pressing against her.
She pulled her into a kiss, tasting a hint of salty sweat as she ran her tongue over Matty’s bottom lip. They hadn’t gotten to kiss since Sunday. Neither thought it was appropriate for work, but now, in the safety of Reese’s home, they could finally have a moment together.
Matty’s hands quickly gripped her tightly, causing Reese to deepen the kiss. They made out for a few minutes before coming up for air.
“I wish the delivery guy wasn’t on the way; otherwise, I’d ask you to join me,” Matty panted, pointing at the shower.
A jolt of pleasure struck between Reese’s legs at the thought. She’d never showered with anyone before. Disappointment followed. “Me too. Maybe next time?”
“Definitely. Well, I guess I should hop in.”
“Yeah.”
She left her to it, pulling the door shut behind her. After changing out of her work clothes, she decided to go downstairs to wait.
The kitchen was in pretty good shape considering what it was like before. The cabinets had cleaned up surprisingly well. A little elbow grease and cleaner had gone a long way on the light oak cabinets. Years of neglect and wear had caused them to darken; the handles were covered in grime, but now they were practically back in shape. Replacing the handles had made it even better. She had been up late last night working on them.
There were still signs of the harsh years of mistreatment, like the areas of chipped linoleum and a burned stain on the backsplash above the stove. She still wasn’t sure what would have caused it, but for the most part, it was a fully functioning space.
And she couldn’t wait to use it. She had been shocked to find the stove worked. The oven had needed the heating element replaced, but one order from Amazon and Matty had it fixed in no time. Tonight, she would be bringing groceries into the space. She would bring everything down from upstairs and fill the cabinets and the new refrigerator. It would be a huge step in reclaiming the home.
