AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Motley Crue’s anthem “Girls Girls Girls”was playing when she turned off the grinder and set it aside an eternity later. With her back still toward him, she removed the welding mask and dropped it to the floor next to the discarded power tool and then—to Jax’s continued amazement—released the single strap holding her overalls in place. The worn denim plopped to her feet where she kicked them aside. Legs. Good God, the woman had legs to her ears. They were tan and slender and would have made any Rockette green with envy. And holy shit, the woman had tats. There was what looked like a wreath of small flowers encircling one perfect thigh like a garter and something delicate and swirly on her other ankle. She stretched, arms extended, her body fully engaged, and then she folded forward with the grace of a prima ballerina. Jax felt his mouth drop open when she wrapped both arms around her knees and held her torso flush against those mouthwatering limbs.
His eyes coursed over her, taking in the beauty of her form and, since it was pointed directly at him, the flawless rounded perfection of her barely covered ass. She had on a pair of dark and light green striped panties that molded to the globes like they were painted on, and it never even occurred to him that maybe he should look away. When she pressed deeper into the pose with a breathy exhale that sounded almost sexual to his ears, she turned her face in his direction, and Jax felt the impact of her beauty like it was a physical blow.
She had a slightly rounded face with delicate brows and a small, slim nose. Her eyes were closed, so Jax had no clue as to their color, but the shape was large and almond. It was her mouth though that had his attention. She had those perfect Cupid’s bow lips and the most delectable dimple in her chin. Jax felt like he’d taken a step back in time and was staring at a 1940s pin-up girl.
* * *
Kiki heldthe stretch and imagined the burn in her muscles melting away the fatigue and strain from her work. This newest piece was coming along nicely. Her muse had kept her in a choke hold for the last twelve hours, dragging her out of bed at the ungodly hour of 5:00 a.m. It wasn’t unusual for her when inspiration struck to go without sleep or food, but usually her muse had the good sense to keep her up late, not wake her early! She was going to have a serious face-to-face with that fickle bitch if this ever happened again.
The exhaustion melted away, the muscles loosened, and her art gently faded to the background of her mind. Kiki sighed, lifting her face toward the sun pouring in from the open doors of the barn while continuing to hold the position for a moment longer. Then she rested her face on the side of her calf and opened her eyes.
There was a man staring at her. She wasn’t startled, having grown accustomed to the way she zoned out and lost awareness of her surroundings when she worked. It seemed that she was always coming out of the fog to find someone waiting on her. This one was cute too. From the snazzy dress slacks and designer button-up, she pegged him for the hottie tax guy helping Andie out.
She smiled. “So you’re the sexy accountant.” It made her chuckle that he was so engrossed in staring that it took him a full fifteen seconds before he registered she’d spoken. When he flushed and opened his mouth to speak, she barreled on, not needing any sort of explanation or apology. “I’m Kierra,” she said, holding her pose now, because she was getting a kick at the way he was having trouble keeping his eyes off her ass. “Kiki for short. I’m the skeleton in Andie’s closet.”
“Really?” That brought his eyes to hers, and Kiki squinted at him and wished she had her glasses on. She only needed them for distance so never wore them when she worked, and she would have liked to see the details of his face.
“From what I gathered, you were more like her centerpiece, the way she’s always dropping your name and bragging about her famous artist friend.” He charmed her. The way he crossed his arms over his wide chest and the way he tilted his head reminded her of an inquisitive puppy. So cute she wanted to cuddle.
“Yeah?” She straightened and stretched her arms out to her sides then clasped her hands behind her back to stretch out the aches in her shoulders. “She name-drops me?” Always a glutton for attention of any kind, she beamed at the thought that her bestie was bragging on her. Kiki bounced a little on her heels and felt some energy start to rebuild in her system. Her limbs reinvigorated themselves for whatever came next.
“Not that I’m complaining in any way.” Jax told her and waved a hand from her head to her toes. “But I feel it’s only gentlemanly to point out that you’re standing around in your underwear.”
Kierra looked down at her now bare toes—having stepped out of her oversized boots when she took off her outer layer—over her cute stripy undies, and up to where her nipples poked at the front of her skimpy white tank. “So?” She crinkled her nose at him. “You should see me in my bikini. It’s a thong.” Then she walked out of the barn. It gave her ego quite a boost, the way he stood there looking like he’d taken a punch to the solar plexus.
“You so weren’t kiddingwhen you said the tax geek was hot!”
“Right?” Kiki heard Andie shout back from where she was chopping veggies in the kitchen. “I told you! He is so dreamy I could die. Why didn’t he come in?” Andie added, unaware Jax had followed right behind her, and Kiki felt no need to enlighten her friend. She sent him a wink and held a finger to her lips to quiet him.
“Oh, he’s poking around in his fancy car,” she blatantly lied in a loud voice to Andie, though she never broke eye contact with Jax. “He’s freakingdelish. Please tell me you’ve had a bite.” She had to slap her hand over his mouth when she could tell he was gonna blow their cover and let Andie know he was there.
“Well,” Andie hedged with a giggle in her voice. “I might have had a nibble. Or two.”
“Atta girl.” Then, because he sent her a murderous glare, she added, “Oh hey! Here’s that handsome devil now.”
Kiki experienced a pleasant warmth spreading throughout her whole body as she continued to smile into his eyes while he continued to glare into hers. It had been a long time since she’d felt her interestandher imagination both spark at the same time with a man.
She had one or the other captured in her life, but it was a rare man indeed who triggered them simultaneously.
It complicated things that he thought he was falling in love with her best friend. He wasn’t, of course. No man could look at one woman the way he looked at her in the barn and be falling in love with another at the same time. Sure, men in love could admire and even desire other women, but the way he devoured her with his eyes… the way his entire body practically vibrated with yearning…? Yeah, no way could he love someone else and look at her that way.
Except, that was just her opinion. She was right, of course, but that hardly mattered to anyone else in these situations. There was nothing to do but wait until he figured it out for himself. Still, the journey could get rocky.
“Tricky,” she murmured, not giving a thought to the fact that he’d have no idea what she was mumbling about. “Doable, but definitely going to be tricky.” When an adorable crinkle appeared between his sandy brows, she patted his cheek. “Just hurry up, because waiting my turn isn’t exactly my strong suit.” Then she walked away while he looked at her like she’d lost her mind.
“Hello! Anybody home?” A new voice entered the room. It was high, light, and so sweet Kiki was smiling even before she turned back toward the screen door. A petite, sandy-haired girl stood on the porch.
“Yeah, the gang’s all here,” Kiki called out as she stepped around a still frowning Jax to greet their newest arrival. “You must be Jessica. Come on in. Little momma is in the kitchen, so you got here not a minute too soon. I do believe she was about to cook.” Jessica giggled the way only a carefree twenty-year-old could, and Kiki was captivated by her innocent beauty. “God. You’re bone structure is drool-worthy!” Always going with her gut, Kiki cupped the younger girl’s chin, tilted her face at different angles, and watched the light play over her delicate features. “My God, I’d kill for eyes like that! And those cheeks make me wanna shoot myself. Don’t even get me started on the lips!”
“Umm… thanks? Are you Miss Andie?” she asked as she pretended she wasn’t wierded out by having a stranger study and touch her face. She tried using the tactic of switching the oversized bags she had from one shoulder to the next to put distance between them, but Kiki was a pro at getting around such flimsy escape attempts.
“Sheesh, Kiki,” Andie said, coming from the kitchen while she wiped her hands on a dishcloth. “Leave the poor girl alone for at least the first day.” She moved Kierra out of the way with a good-natured hip bump and reached out a palm for a shake. “I’m Andie. You can drop the ‘miss’ part. This freak who was fondling you is my best friend and temporary roommate Kierra. She’s an artist, so she works very hard to convince us she’s eccentric and full of deep, artsy thoughts. Ignore her if you can; run if you can’t. Call her Kiki—we all do. And you probably already know Jax. Welcome.”
“Hi.” Jessica smiled, and Kiki felt a sharp and keen wish for her sketchpad and charcoal when dimples appeared. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Your first venture toward your own restaurant?” Of course Jax answered all polite and personal and even offered her a handshake. Kiki bit her lip to keep from poking at his manners. It wasn’t her place to chip away at his veneer. Not yet anyway.
“Sorta,” she answered with a winning smile. “This is the first step anyway: catering!” She waved her arms with a flourish, and there went the charming grin again. “Ta-da! Andie is my first personal client.” She did a stage whisper. “I’m gonna try my hand at being a part-time personal chef here, with added cleaning duties thrown in to the bargain for the little mama here. Aside from this though, I’ve already done two birthday parties and a wedding. I have two more events already booked for this summer too. The business is off to a great start.”
