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Jason held out his hand and whispered, “Come here.”
His hand, his deep voice, they were tempting enticements and Emma knew she was helpless to them both. His brows had bunched together while he’d worked. His confident hands constantly moving the roller
in sure, steady strokes. She’d been going crazy wondering what else the man could do with such thoroughness. Did he have that sort of concentration in everything he did? If so, he’d be one heck of a lover.
Emma stepped off the stool, stretching out her stiff legs and spine, then closed the distance between them. She became aware of her growing excitement with each step she took. Jason watched her as if he wanted to devour her in one languorous bite.
The minute she came within reach, he grasped her hand in a firm, unyielding hold. It was almost as if he were afraid she would slip through his fingers. Emma had to hold back a moan when his large, rough hand closed around hers.
He pulled her directly in front of him, and suddenly she felt the entire length of his body against her back. She trembled and closed her eyes. The wet paint, the wall, her shop were all but forgotten.
“Well? Does it pass muster?”
Jason’s whispered words drew her out of the web of desire he’d spun around her.
“It’s…it’s perfect.” She started to thank him, but as she turned her head and saw the intensity in Jason’s eyes, Emma clamped her mouth shut instead.
“Go to dinner with me,” he murmured. “Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up.”
Oh boy, things were getting real now. Fear crept up her spine as old insecurities began to seep in around the edges of her heart. “Jason, I don’t know.”
“Give me a chance, Emma,” he said, his voice a little rougher now. “I’m not the young, stupid kid I was in high school. Let me prove it to you.”
Did she dare? She ached to say yes. To spend more time with him. To have the moment she was denied all those years ago. Before she could talk herself out of it, Emma blurted out, “Yes.”
“You won’t regret it.” His gaze zeroed in on her mouth, and he murmured, “Maybe this will tide me over until then.” He lowered his head, and Emma went still, accepting the kiss. When his lips touched hers, she tasted the sweetness of the doughnut, but beneath that was the wild flavor of Jason. And she was certain that last part was what kept her from pushing away and ending the kiss.
His lips were soft as they coasted back and forth, barely touching hers. As his tongue darted out, a shiver of excitement raced the length of her spine. When he pulled back and stared down at her, Emma could see the hunger in those deep, sexy eyes of his. She understood the feeling. It wasn’t just her lips screaming for more of his touch.
Without another word, Jason stood and walked out. After she heard the front door close, Emma collapsed against the back of the chair. Oh God, she was going on a date with Jason Kershaw. An entire evening with the intoxicating man. She’d have him all to herself. The juncture between her thighs dampened. She covered her face and groaned. “I’m in way too deep.”
After Jason left Emma’s curio shop, he set his mind on business. He had two houses to clean and an office. It would be several hours before he was finished, but he enjoyed the work. Which surprised the hell out of him. Who knew that wielding a mop and scrubbing out toilets would be a rewarding job? So far, the way things worked, Jason was the guy to drum up business while Jensen worked the figures. They each, Seth and Ames included, had a list of clients they serviced. They were talking about a newspaper ad and possibly hiring an employee for the mounting office work, but other than that, Man-Maid Cleaning Service was consistently getting stronger.
An hour later, Jason stood in the Wilsons’ house, cleaning the master bedroom. They were good people, both working parents with a pair of toddlers. Hiring Man-Maid had freed the couple up so that they managed to squeeze in a little quality time. A sense of pride filled Jason as he surveyed his handy work. The pine hardwood floor shown to perfection. The sheets were freshly washed, and hell if he didn’t enjoy seeing a job well done. As he headed down the hall to the laundry room to finish up a load of towels, his thoughts strayed to Emma. Her pretty smile had invaded his mind as he’d dusted the top of the entertainment cabinet. He remembered the way she’d watched him as he’d painted her shop. And he’d enjoyed every second of it. Jason loved being in Emma’s company. When was the last time he’d appreciated a woman’s company outside of bed? Hell, it’d been too long to remember.
Jason tossed a load into the dryer, before moving down the hall to the toddlers’ room. He stopped and stared at the door, wishing he were with Emma instead of wiping down furniture and mopping floors. Soon, he reminded himself. She’d agreed to dinner, and he’d make every second of their date count.
After finishing up for the day, Jason headed back to the office. He needed to take care of ordering supplies and returning a few calls. Ten minutes later, Jason was deep in invoices, when Jensen confronted him with a new problem.
“I’ve interviewed a few candidates for the office position, and I can’t find anyone that fits the bill,” Jensen said as he sat in the seat across from his desk.
Jason pointed over his shoulder to the window. AJ stood in the parking lot, cleaning out one of their work vans. “What about AJ?”
Jensen frowned as he glanced out the window. “What about her?”
“I say we ask her if she’s interested in the job.”
His brother stood and went to the window. A beat of silence stretched between them as Jensen watched her. “Do you think she’d be interested?”
“I don’t know. She has that administrative assistant job at the IT center, but I don’t think she’s happy there. I’ve heard her complain more than once about her lecherous boss.”
“She’s smart, ambitious, and already knows the business as well as we do.”
“Exactly. So, do you want to talk to her?”
Jensen turned around and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll talk to her first thing tomorrow.”
“Good deal,” Jason replied. Jensen frowned as he sat back down. His brother should be happy, so why wasn’t he? “What else is eating you?”
