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Harper couldn’t help but smile back.
After all, a gorgeous guy with a killer Aussie accent had just kissed her in a way that would leave any woman wanting more. And since they were having lunch Saturday, more wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Why wouldn’t she smile?
Much later, after she and Jinx had dissected everything to do with Seth—such discussions were mandated in BFF law—Harper grasped just how much Seth had gotten under her skin in a way she liked, even craved.
Craved.
Lordy be, but there was no other word for her condition. She was totally craving Seth Justice.
When she was with him, sharing a laugh, discussing interesting topics from books to current events and everything in between, and of course, those kisses, she experienced what felt like a shot to her bloodstream of Seth’s personal elixir, created solely for the purpose of leaving her wanting more.
Heaven help her if she ever needed an antidote.
* * *
That Saturday afternoon, Seth emptied another bag of soil mix into the six-foot by four-foot hardwood framed garden bed. “When you said we’d be getting dirty, this wasn’t what I imagined, you little minx.”
Not that he minded. There was a certain satisfaction in tired muscles earned from building something tangible in comparison to lifting weights in a gym.
“No?” Harper looked up from under the brim of her straw sunhat. “Did I forget to say we’d be starting my veggie garden on the roof terrace? I can’t imagine how else you’d think we’d be getting dirty.”
Oh, yeah. Definitely getting a spanking.
He dropped the empty bag of soil mix beside the large, elevated bank of foliage plants and shade trees. Harper’s little green oasis stood out against the backdrop of gray buildings that hid the view of Puget Sound. Flowers in white, red, and orange dotted among the greenery. What were those big leaf plants? She’d told him earlier…hostas? Their foliage in various shades, from grays to variegated greens added more color.
Seth dumped the last bag of soil into the piled bed, leaving the rich, loamy mixture ready for raking. “Next time, I’ll know to assume nothing.”
“Hmmm.” Harper nodded and pressed her lips together as if pondering the meaning of life. “Always a good practice.”
He waited until she bent over to retrieve a seedling tray of zucchini. “That, and I’ll change the rules to suit myself.” Without warning, he swatted the left cheek of her denim-covered arse.
“Hey!” Harper twirled around, her adorable lipstick-free mouth wide open. One gloved hand squeezed the seedling tray at the sides so it resembled a bow tie, while the other clutched her backside.
Perfect.
“You can’t do that kind of stuff out here.” She speared him with a fiery gaze, the picture of an infuriated garden nymph with her pink T-shirt and orange canvas sneakers marked with splotches of dirt. Wisps of hair fell about her face, defying the constraints of her now lopsided bun. Bloody adorable. He didn’t know whether to kiss her nose or tease her further.
Ah, bugger it. He’d always been a fan of spice in his diet.
“Sweetness, the dirt covered imprint of my hand proves otherwise.”
She twisted this way and that, brushing her bottom with the same desperation she’d probably wave away a wasp. Seth laughed so hard he didn’t hear the approach of the men behind them.
“Is this your version of interpretive dance?”
Seth turned at the sound of a male voice. A tall guy, the one with the blue stripe in his hair, Seth recognized from the café on Thursday, stood near the door to the stairs.
“No, I’m just…” Harper tossed an annoyed glance at Seth and sighed. “Never mind.”
Another male, same age as the first, with brown hair, about six foot, held a garden spade in his hand.
More workers? It seemed he and Harper had company. So, the little coffee girl wanted a buffer for their date? Considering the high-impact nature of their time together so far, he couldn’t blame her. His job now was to make her feel safe enough to desire being alone with him.
“Great timing, guys. We need to get these veggie beds finished.” She grabbed a bundle of bamboo stakes and stacked them against one of the beds. “Let me make the introductions. Seth Justice, meet Nitro Jackson”—she waved first to the taller guy and then his friend—“and Ryan Davis. They rent the apartment above mine.”
Seth tugged off his gloves and shook hands with both guys, all the while wondering how a bloke working in a café could afford to rent an apartment in a prime area near Pike Place Market. “Good to meet you.” He kept his expression blank under Nitro’s assessing stare.
Ryan moved to stand next to the teak outdoor table and chairs that were shaded by a huge blue canvas umbrella. “I finally get to meet the Aussie Nitro talked about.” His smile was relaxed along with his open manner. “Sounds like you had a bitch of a day on Thursday.”
