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“What are you talking about?” I took a step back, shocked that he was suggesting such a thing. “I do not.”
Jason cocked his head and smirked. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. He’s freaking hot. And ripped. That man can bench press you and toss you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.” He wiggled his body as if a shiver had just run down his spine. “HAWT.”
Now I laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you that much.” I looked out the window again, as if he might suddenly appear. “He’s definitely hot. But I don’t have a crush on him.”
Jason just shook his head. “Yes, you do. Why can’t you at least admit that?” He scratched Peaches before putting him on the ground and then taking Kona from me and doing the same so they could go play. “Besides, I think he likes you too.”
Pfft! “Okay, now you’re being ridiculous. There’s no way that man has any interest in me. I think he feels sorry for me. He always seems to walk on eggshells around me.”
“Well, duh.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course he does. Every time he walks in, you go running. He probably thinks you’re afraid of his big muscles and gorgeous face.”
“Well, I kinda am.”
Jason laughed and squeezed my shoulder. “You don’t have to be afraid of him. He’s a good guy. Tony trusts him, which means you can trust him too.”
That was a fair point. Tony was very protective of Jason and would not let anybody work here without being thoroughly vetted. “All I’m saying is, he has no interest in me. And even if I did have a tiny crush on him, it wouldn’t make a difference. He’s just some nice eye candy to appreciate throughout the day.”
And he definitely was.
Which made it even more of a treat when he was back at 4 o’clock in the afternoon to meet a delivery truck. Axel got to flex his big muscles as he helped the driver carry a three-person sofa from the truck and into our storage area.
I’d noticed the storage area was cleaned out and figured we had a big delivery to make room for, but I was surprised to see it was a couch. We had old chairs and couches throughout the facility for the dogs, so it didn’t make sense that they were bringing in a brand-new one.
But again, whatever they were working on didn’t matter as much as who was working on it. And right now, that who was saying goodbye to the delivery driver while rubbing a handkerchief across his forehead. His tight muscles poked out from beneath a T-shirt in the most delicious way.
Apparently, I was staring because Jason walked past me and used his index finger to close my mouth, which had been hanging open. “When he comes back in, you should ask Axel to show you what he’s been working on.”
I sucked in a breath, shocked he would even suggest such a thing. “Are you kidding? I can’t do that. It’s not my business, and…he’s busy. He doesn’t need me hanging around and apparently drooling over him while he’s trying to get stuff done.” I turned and looked for a better excuse.
Kona.
“And I should take Kona outside to go potty before he takes her home. Call me if you need me.” Before he could say anything else, I scooped up Axel’s little dog, and we ran outside with a trail of other dogs behind us.
Being outside had always been a safe place for me, and that had not changed as I got older.
So, like a complete coward, I hid in the backyard, playing with the dogs in order to avoid making a fool out of myself. At least, until Jesse asked me to come inside, just before my shift ended.
FIVE
AXEL
Peaches and Kona both wandered in just as I was getting the bed made. I’d picked up both a soft and firm pillow, a complete sheet set, and a beige comforter for the bed. Only the two sheets needed to go on the mattress for now, and the pillows and comforter stayed in a sealed bag in the cabinet so they could easily be tucked away until they were needed.
Part of me hoped Billy would agree to stay here tonight, but another part of me didn’t want his situation to be so dire that he had to leave immediately.
Either way, the couch was made up, there was a small side table with drawers he could use for clothes, and a lamp with three dimmer settings. I’d even picked up a cute little stuffed dog that looked like Peaches, the dog that used to belong to his mom.
“All right, kids.” I looked down at the two dogs staring at me. “I think we can call this good for tonight.”
With the temporary sleeping room ready to go, I could start some of the demolition upstairs. I was able to get preliminary approval to start construction during my lunch break today. Fortunately, I had a lot of friends in the city planning department from all the previous projects I’d worked on. And when I explained that the project was for a dog daycare that wanted to start overnight boarding, Mallory agreed to fast-track my request.
I think she had a little bit of a crush on me, and I wasn’t above using that to my advantage. I’d never overtly led her on, but if a little bit of friendly flirting got Billy’s apartment done even one day earlier, there wasn’t any harm done as far as I was concerned.
After taking one final look around the storage room and making sure I hadn’t forgotten any tools or trash, I went out to the main playroom to find the guys.
Jason was checking out some of his guests at the front, so I waited for him to say goodbye to them before I interrupted. “Excuse me, Jay, but I wanted to let you know that the storage room is ready.”
Jason immediately bounced on his heels, silently clapping his hands together. “I can’t believe you got it done so quickly. That’s amazing.”
