the grass and hurries away. She doesn’t look back, not even once.
I spend a while just sitting here, staring out at the creek, trying to figure out why being here feels so familiar—feels so right. I’ve never actually sat out here. It’s quite peaceful. I can clearly see why Selene would want to sit out here and look up at the moon.
Why is this place so familiar? I ask myself again.
When the answer doesn’t come to me, I head home, needing to push all thoughts of this creek and the beautiful woman sitting in the grass out of my mind.
It turns out, the job I need to work on today involves the object of my fantasies from last night. I had no idea the contract we’d be working on today was for Gavin. He didn’t mention anything to me the other night or at the grocery store. He probably knew if he went through me, I wouldn’t charge him, which definitely explains why he went through the other guys and purposely kept it hush-hush.
Last night, I couldn’t get Selene out of my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t force her from my mind. I thought about the way her gorgeous hair spilled over her shoulders and the way her smooth porcelain skin looked like it was begging to be touched. The freckles on her nose and her beautiful smile plagued me and my dreams. Though in my dreams, she wasn’t wearing what she wore last night at the creek. She was dressed in jeans and a tank top, and she was receptive to my touch.
She begged me to touch her, to kiss her, to make her feel good. I woke up with a permanent hard-on after last night. The dream felt so real. I could practically taste her skin on my lips. I was imagining in vivid detail the rosy color of her nipples just before I took them into my mouth. The way her lower lips glistened for me, begging me to slide through them with my tongue. Her body was so tight, so perfect, I felt like absolute shit when I woke up because I knew it wasn’t real life, and the chances of all that happening were slim.
Not only does she already have a kid, but she’s also Gavin’s daughter. He’d probably chop my balls off if I ever tried anything with her. He’s damn right to be overprotective of her. She’s gorgeous and has obviously been fucked over by the previous men in her life. I don’t blame him, and I’m also not interested in pushing my luck with a sick man.
I hop down from my truck, slamming the door behind me, just as my buddy Bishop meets up with me as we near the porch landing.
“Why didn’t you tell me the job was for Gavin Drake?”
He frowns, shooting me a look that clearly says you know why. When I raise an expectant brow, he blows out an agitated sigh.
“I didn’t really think it mattered. Gavin asked me not to say anything because he knows how you are, so I respected the customer’s wishes. This way you could just come in, no questions asked, and get the job done.”
I avert my gaze, focusing on the two-story structure, without even bothering to deny it. He’s right. They all know exactly how I am. There’s no way I would’ve made Gavin pay for any of our services. I’ve never cared who the jobs belonged to when I took them before. It’s always more money for the business, or helping someone in town and doing something I love. I see his point.
Shaking it off, I knock on the front door, and when Gavin answers, he’s wearing a smug look on his face. He’s obviously proud of himself for keeping this a secret. Noted.
I let Gavin show me around his place, though I’m familiar with most of the layout already. I listen to him as he explains what he wants while I go over the blueprints Griffin drew up for him. He wants to make the back section of the house bigger, and now, I understand why. It’s for Selene and her daughter. It seems they’ll be staying in town much longer than I originally thought. I make note of it, already tweaking possible ideas in my head. A lot of unnecessary walls take up extra space toward the back of the property, so if we knock those down, we can create extra space. With three bedrooms