AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I do. I really do."
"Are you sure?"
Looking into his gaze, she felt more certain of what she wanted than she had in years. "So sure," she said. "I want you, Decker."
"And what do you want to do with me?" he teased, the seriousness vanishing from his eyes.
"Many things." She tugged on the bottom of his shirt. "Let's get this off for a start." She helped him pull the shirt over his head and then tossed it on the bed, taking another minute to revel in the absolute magnificence of his bare chest that was toned with fine dark hairs running across his skin. She put her hands on his chest, the warmth of his skin instantly heating her up.
As desire ran through her, she needed to get closer. She wanted nothing between them. She wanted to feel every inch of his body and for him to feel every inch of hers. Their gazes met. They smiled at the same time, then laughed together, and stripped off their clothes, because they didn't need words. They knew exactly what each other wanted.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Decker left a sleepingChloe shortly before five on Friday morning, tiptoeing out of the house as quietly as he could. It felt strange to sneak out of a woman's house before daylight. It reminded him of sneaking out of his high school girlfriend's house before her dad got up. This situation was the same and yet completely different. Dating a woman with a child was an unfamiliar experience. He'd never really considered it before. He hadn't shied away from it. He just hadn't met anyone with a child that he'd wanted to date.
Chloe was different. She was special: beautiful, sweet, funny, down-to-earth, and quick-witted. She had a lot of baggage, but she was the only one carrying it, and that she rarely asked for help only made him want to help her more. But they were heading to a crossroads. She knew it, and so did he. He just didn't know what to do about it. But there was no decision to make now, so he wasn't going to make one.
When he got to his apartment, he fell back into bed, needing more sleep. It was half-past eight when he awoke; the sun streaming through his windows. He took a shower, dressed, and then headed down to the café to grab breakfast. There was no sign of Chloe, which was disappointing. He'd gotten used to seeing her in the mornings after she dropped Leo at school, but maybe he wasn't the only one who'd needed more sleep. He grabbed a breakfast sandwich and coffee to go and then headed to the job site.
He'd barely gotten out of his truck when two more trucks pulled up on either side of him, all with the same company logo. Joel hopped out of the first one.
"I have good news," Joel said.
"What's that?"
"I brought you some help." Joel tipped his head to the two guys walking toward the house. "Eddie and Lamar—this is Decker."
He nodded at the guys.
"They're here to do whatever you want for the next week," Joel continued. "It's on my dime. But I'll need them back at the development next Friday."
"Seriously?" he asked with surprise. "Why would you want to pay for their time?"
"I feel bad for abandoning you, and it's for Chloe, too. I didn't try that hard to help her with this project, and I should have." He paused. "Where do you want the guys?"
He turned to Eddie and Lamar. "There's a lot to do. What I need done first is to get the house cleared out. You can start by taking all the furniture out of the upstairs bedrooms and bringing it down here. Load up my truck and yours, and we'll take it from there."
As the guys went into the house to get started, he turned back to Joel. "This is very generous."
"You said you needed extra hands."
"And I said I was going to hire day laborers."
"These guys can do anything you need. They're both highly skilled—drywall, carpentry, electrical, plumbing—they can do it all. And they are being well compensated for their time. Oh, and I have the name of a tile guy for you," Joel added, pulling a business card out of his pocket. "I just talked to him, and he said he's actually waiting for a tile delivery, so if you can use him next week, he can do something for you."
He took the card. "This is great, Joel, but I can pay for these guys. I built labor costs into the bid."
"Not for this kind of labor," Joel said with a knowing smile. "Let me do this for Chloe. I realize now I wasn't being honest with her because I was lying to myself. I had this vision in my head that seemed so peaceful and perfect, completely different from the chaos of my life. But the truth is, I thrive on work. I love to make deals. Sometimes work can consume me, and I know I need to find a balance, a middle ground. But I also want to take my father's company and make it better than it ever was."
He nodded. "That makes sense to me. You're good at your job. And I'm sure you'll either find balance or stop looking for it."
Joel smiled. "That might be true."
"I also know you will find a way to make New York City your city. As for the help, I'm appreciative, and I'm sure Chloe will be, too."
"Hopefully, this will also allow you to get the job done more quickly and then you can get back to your life. Santa Barbara next, right?"
"Right," he said, not feeling in a hurry to leave Whisper Lake before he had to.
