AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Puffing up in full feminist mode, she said, “I’m not a helpless female. I know a Phillips head from a flathead.”
“I know you do.” He winked. ‘I’m just teasing because I like seeing you outraged, that’s all.”
She knew he’d been baiting her, teasing her like he had too many times to recall when they’d first met, and it felt good. It felt downright fantastic to be firing back at him, to spar the way they used to.
“Think you can extend those tool discriminating skills to hand me a wrench?”
“Here you go, wise ass.” She handed him the wrench, being careful to keep her fingers out of contact this time and releasing a tiny sigh of disappointment when it worked.
For someone who knew what she wanted and grabbed life with both hands, giving it a good shake along the way,she couldn’t believe how contrary he made her feel. She was wavering and vacillating all over the place, wishing for one thing, hoping for another.
If she wasn’t careful she’d find herself agreeing to spend time with him…and they both knew exactly where that would lead.
Directly to matrimonial trouble.
With a soft grunt, he muttered, “Almost there,” and she rued the fact, considering she’d been enjoying the display of bulging biceps as he held the wrench steady, the shifting back muscles under his T shirt as he turned the screwdriver with his other hand.
“Got it.” With a final twist of the screwdriver, he straightened and she dragged her eyes upward with regret.
She’d got it all right; got it bad for her husband who’d breezed into her life when she least expected or wanted it.
“Thanks. I wouldn’t have had a hope of fixing it myself, would I?”
He smiled and handed her back the tools. “You did great. Though it had bent out of shape a tad and needed a bit of muscle power to get it back into alignment.” He smirked as he flexed his arm to display said muscle. “Glad I could oblige.”
“Uh-huh,” she mumbled, unable to drag her gaze away from the muscle play in his upper arm, the yearning she’d managed to dampen flaring in a second.
“Want a coffee?” she blurted, springing up from her haunches like a jack in the box, needing the safety of doing a rote, everyday activity to steady her shredded resolve.
She’d made a decision not to contact him, closely followed by a need to search out those old divorce papers and put an end to this once and for all. But now she’d seen him again in the flesh—so to speak—her intentions were shot.
The sparks resurrected between them the other night were still there, had intensified if anything, and with a little fanningcould burst into a raging inferno of mutual passion, the type of passion she’d only ever had with this one special guy.
“I’d love one, thanks.”
Grateful she had her back turned so he couldn’t see her scorching cheeks, she tried to concentrate on operating the machine, letting out an almighty yell when he snuck up behind her and placed his hands on her waist.
“Are you okay?”
“Apart from the fact you just scared me half to death?” She whirled to face him, her unjustified indignation melting away as she looked into his eyes, the desire she glimpsed taking her breath away.
“You seem jumpy.”
With his hands burning a hole through her flimsy silk top, the smell of cedar enveloping her in a heady cloud and making her wish she could work outdoors alongside him, she tilted her chin up, willing her arms to stay by her side and not reach up and slide around his waist.
“I’ just tired.”
It sounded like the pathetic excuse it was.
“You sure that’s all it is?”
What could she say? That he had her so physically aware of him she was tied up in knots? That she’d barely slept all week for dreaming about him? Remembering how good it had been between them? Wishing it could be again? Yet knowing it could never be, not with her infertility an ever-present shadow looming over her no matter how much she’d dealt with it and moved on.
“Uh-huh, running your own business is exhausting.” She took a step back, leaving him no option but to lower his hands. “Would you like an espresso? Or I can whip you up one of our signature coffees? I make a mean Café Latte Fredo.”
Thankfully, he bought her distraction. “What’s in it?”
“One part espresso, five parts cold milk, shaken with ice.”
