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“Great. Uh—thanks.”
He nods, and before he can say anything else or do anything else or maybe murder me with the bug spray stuff, I slam the door in his face. And lock it—with a resounding click that he had to have heard.
Great. I have less than twenty-four hours to figure out how to survive this guy being in my house. Do they happen to sell tasers at friendly local big box stores?
CHAPTER 11
Wade
The next night, I dress in my best, which means a fresh black t-shirt and the only pair of jeans I brought with me that isn’t black. I find myself walking out the door at just after five and have to coax myself back in and warn myself to settle down. I seriously am not trying to impress anyone, and it takes all of five seconds to walk across the yard.
I don’t need this. I really don’t. Lu-Anne is a complicated complication I can’t afford. She seems a little…off, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s not like I actually think she’s crazy. I know she’s not. She acted like a regular person when her friend and brother visited her all those times before. Maybe it really is the heat. It’s hot enough outside to scramble anyone’s brain a little. Maybe it’s just like she said. The lack of sleep because of the whole spider incident. Although I think it’s somewhat irrational, I can kind of see where she’s coming from if I try hard enough. If a porcupine or bear wandered into my house and got into my bed, I think I’d have an issue with that. Why should a spider be any different? Just because I don’t find them threatening doesn’t mean she doesn’t. It might be irrational, but phobias generally are.
I finally can’t sit still any longer. It’s almost six, so I grab my toolbox and head next door. I knock, hoping Lu-Anne won’t answer the door as flustered as she was the night before. I could tell she was still embarrassed about getting caught in the middle of my kitchen.
She pulls open the door after a few minutes, and this time, she does look more composed. Her cheeks are slightly flushed, but I credit that to the heat. Her hair is done up in a fancy sort of thick braid that is thrown over her shoulder. She’s wearing an adorable red sundress, and her feet are bare, which I find bizarrely charming. My reaction surprises me as feet are usually not my thing.
I hold up the toolbox. “I came as promised.” In the ensuing silence, those words swirl around, sounding strangely dirty. This time, I’m the one swallowing hard.
Lu-Anne blinks at me. I stick out my free hand when I realize I’ve never even given her my name. I take a chance on using my real one because, for some reason, it actually matters to me that she doesn’t call me by a name that isn’t mine.
“Wade.”
“Wade?” She mouths my name like a question.
“Yeah. Wade. You know. My name. The thing people usually call me by. I thought it would be better to give it to you, seeing as we haven’t been introduced, but we seem to have seen…well, the more intimate sides of each other already.”
That does it. Lu-Anne goes completely scarlet. She won’t look at me, but she does stick out her hand and very softly, lightly, and briefly shake mine. Her touch sends a wild bolt of electric current racing through my arm, and I nearly jolt in place from the shock of it but hold myself steady so as not to give anything away.
There’s also some lightning happening between my legs but thank god my tighter fitting jeans and boxers take care of that. Still, it’s a first for me. Popping a mild hard-on from a handshake, that is.
“I think the unit is outside, actually,” I say quickly, because yes, it is. I spotted it when I was walking over, humming along merrily. It does actually look quite ancient. “I just wanted to let you know I’m out there. I’ll probably need to check the control panel in here as well.”
“Okay. I—sure.” Lu-Anne blinks. She blinks again—big, long swoops of her thick, incredible lashes. She still seems flustered, and I regret the stupid intimacy joke I just made.
“Okay. I’ll be outside for a bit then. I’ll knock when I’m done.”
“Okay. Should I—do you need help?”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll knock if I do.”
“You don’t have to knock. Just come in. Uh—god knows I do.”
Now, I’m the one blinking at her. Did she just try to make a joke about the whole B&E thing? Yes. Yes, I believe she did. I grin at her with a big, goofy grin that isn’t forced at all. I turn quickly, hiding my elation before I scare her because grinning like that probably isn’t natural, and she’s already skittish.
