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“You shouldn’t be. You could step on a nail.”
“Is that the reason, or is it that I was out here at the same time as you? Because someone put that couch in the living room.” Sometimes, I thought my mere presence set him off. That nothing I did or didn’t do made a difference.
He threw his hand in my general direction. “I don’t need my guys seeing that when they’re working.”
My hands instinctively went to my hips. “No one was supposed to be here.You’renot supposed to be here. This is my time.” When Delaney was asleep, I could breathe and stress about all the reasons why I was crazy for doing this.
“It’s safe to assume someone could be here at any time,” he said gruffly, gathering up the towels with shaky movements and tossing them into the laundry room off the kitchen.
My nipples were hard, aching points. Did some part of me get off on a man who growled at me? If so, it was a betrayal. Because my brain definitely hated Mac in my space.
Mac crossed the room toward me with purpose. Goose bumps raced over my skin. “It’s dangerous to walk around like that.”
“Like what?” I snapped, my gaze narrowing as he stepped into my space.
He drew a dry towel over my shoulders, gathering it around me in an effort to cover me. Then his hand grazed my nipple, and we both froze. The warmth of his hand seared the damp fabric, piercing my skin.
I swayed on my feet. My core ached.
He snatched his hand away and took a step back. Then two. “You should dry off.”
“What are you going to do about this?” I gestured at the floors so that his attention would be anywhere but on my nipples.
“I’ll turn on some fans to dry the floors. Hopefully, they don’t warp.”
“Were they wet long enough for that to happen?” I asked, chewing my lip.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to take every precaution. We can’t afford any more setbacks.”
Was that for professional reasons or that he couldn’t stand being around me? I couldn’t get a read on him.
Initially, I bought the house and attempted to direct renovations from South Carolina. When there was an issue with the floors, everyone at Fletcher & Sons thought it would be best if I lived closer. Mac had been on board with diverting the crew to the owner’s suite to get that ready for me and Delaney. His determination to create a space for us as soon as possible had been sweet, but I hadn’t seen any other evidence that there was a heart underneath his gruff words.
I clutched the towel to my chest, my skin prickling for a different reason. I shivered and couldn’t seem to stop.
“You need to get dry,” Mac said.
“In a minute.” But it was hard to talk. Every part of my body was trembling, my teeth chattering.
Mac stepped into my space, this time, pulling me into his warm, very hard body. He wrapped those steel arms around me, and I breathed in his masculine scent mixed with sawdust. His warmth was too enticing. I melted into his body as he held me tighter.
I rested my cheek against the soft material of his shirt and the hard pec underneath. He was all man. I’d seen the way he worked around the B&B every day, but being this close to him, touching him, was a whole other thing. The heat unraveled around me, seeping into my skin, the shivers slowing.
He used the towel to rub my skin dry and squeeze the water out of my hair. I felt warm all over now. His gaze was appraising, his touch gentle. My cheeks flushed as he took me in.
He stepped back, regret on his face. “You should change into warmer pajamas and get into bed. You’ll feel better.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt better than I had in his arms. Better than I’d felt in Jay’s arms. Mac had never appeared to be interested in me before. Was it the unexpected display of skin, my body’s reaction to the cold, or something else? Was he short to mask his attraction? Had he pushed me away because he was attracted to me? I wasn’t sure what to think.
Finally, he said, “I’ll take care of this.”
I swallowed, suddenly unable to have a coherent thought. Confused by my revelation, I stepped back from him, the damp towel loose around my shoulders. Tightening my fingers around it, I felt exposed and vulnerable when I hadn’t shared anything with him.
“Thank you,” was all I could manage before I turned on my heel and hurried toward the door that separated my space from the construction zone. Closing the door softly behind me, I was very aware that Delaney might have heard us. I listened carefully for a noise, and hearing none, I leaned against the door that separated me from Mac.
Was he attracted to me? Warmth spread through my body, my nipples tingled, and my pussy clenched. What would have happened if he’d kissed me? If his hand would have lingered on my nipple or even cupped my breast? I knew I wouldn’t have said no.
I hadn’t felt an attraction to anyone in a long time. Far longer than I cared to admit. Jay cheated on me and moved to Texas to be with his new girlfriend, leaving me living in a town where I wasn’t from, with his parents who weren’t mine.
