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Chapter 3
Damn it allto hell. There’s no way I’ll ever get this done in time.
Troy Valentine had been doing his best to put those kinds of self-defeating thoughts out of his mind as he took a deep breath, centered his mind, and refocused his efforts—hell, if he had to do this entire job on double speed in order to get the results in the necessary timeframe, then that was damn well what he was going to do.
Just as he’d settled into a new smooth and productive rhythm, a knocking sound hit his ears, different than the industrial cacophony created by his hammer and the occasional power tool.
He paused his work and listened, just hoping it wasn’t a raccoon or some other animal that had decided to make a home somewhere on the unfinished property. Taking care of the critter infestation would eat into his already impossibly tight schedule, and tie his gut up into even tighter and more complicated knots than it already was.
It wasn’t a raccoon, though. Rather, it was a creature potentially much more dangerous, and possibly even harder to shake.
“Hello? Is anybody here?”
The beautiful woman stepped tentatively through the open front door frame, rustling the semi-opaque plastic sheeting as she did, and Troy watched her from his perch on the second floor landing.
As soon as he saw her, glossy black hair backlit by the diffused morning light, her lithe body elegant even in jeans and a faded tee, his heart jumped in his chest.
It wasn’t like he’d never seen a beautiful woman before. In his years as a pro ballplayer, they’d been a constant fixture. But there was something different about this lady… and he realized then that’s what it was. She was a lady. Everything about her told a story of grace, poise, and confidence. There was an air of mystery about her that intrigued him. Within two seconds of laying eyes on her, he knew he wanted to get to know her better.
He sped down the back kitchen stairs and came through the doorway to the living room, unable to take his eyes off of her.
He was stopped short by a sudden image of himself. He still had his safety goggles on, and he must’ve been pretty well covered in a fine coat of sawdust. Trying to be as smooth as possible, he slid the glasses off and gave his hair a quick back and forth with his fingers. He had no idea how much good that would do, but he had to try.
“Hi, there. What can I do for you?”
She just stared at him.
Oh, shit! I must look even worse than I thought.
He decided to overcome whatever bad first impression he’d clearly made by employing directness and charm. It had been a winning strategy in the past. Maybe it would work now, too.
He put his hand out to shake hers. “I’m Troy. Troy Valentine.”
She thrust her hand out, presumably to meet his, but it was occupied by a coffee cup that went crashing to the ground after the hot liquid splashed onto her hand.
The ceramic shattered and dark brown coffee spread and sank into the plywood covering the floor. Her eyes widened, horrified, as she watched it grow, and she cried, “Oh God, I’m so sorry!”
Troy put an arm around her shoulder and hustled her out through the same doorway she’d come in. “We need to get some cold water on that hand. It’s already turning red.”
She looked down at her wrist, studying it like it was an alien life form. “I didn’t even notice. It hurts like hell now that I’m thinking about it.”
“You’re in the house next door?” He felt pretty confident in his guess. There weren’t any other houses on this long private road; where else could she have come from?
“I am. Just got here last night.”
Troy grinned. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
She let out a laugh that was a perfect mix of sardonic and appreciative. His heart jumped again. Beauty, grace, and mystery were alluring enough on their own, but a woman who got his sense of humor? Hubba hubba!
When they stepped onto the back porch, he reached out to steady her as they climbed the steps. In the back of his mind, he realized how ridiculous he was being. After all, it was a small burn, not a debilitating injury. He couldn’t help himself, though. He felt an inexplicable need to provide her with a steadying hand, to make sure she was all right.
He didn’t even know her name.
She opened the back door, and they stepped into a gorgeous kitchen. Even as distracted as he was by the sudden appearance of this beautiful woman, he couldn’t help but surreptitiously check out the finish work. Top-of-the-line fixtures, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances. He’d always wanted to see inside this place, and it didn’t disappoint. He made quick mental notes of things he might want to incorporate in his future projects.
As she rotated her hand under the cold water pouring from the faucet, she gave him a quick grin. “That coffee was supposed to be a goodwill gesture. I think it may have had the opposite effect.”
“Goodwill gesture?”
