Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,76

wore sweatpants the first time I went to your apartment, but otherwise it’s always been nice slacks.”

“I figured I needed to dress for manual labor today,” he reasons. “We have a guinea pig mansion to build. Also, I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some glitter paint with me, because I had this inspiration that we can paint it to look like Elsa’s ice castle.” He holds up the plastic bag in his hand.

“That’s brilliant. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

“One of the many things I bring to the table,” he says with a flirty grin.

I know he’s joking, but he’s not wrong. In the few months I’ve known him, I feel like the best version of myself. He’s made me braver, stronger. He’s shown me what true happiness can feel like. Every time I think about him, my whole body feels full of big, indescribable things that I’m starting to think might be love.

I lead him down to the basement where I have all the wood and tools already waiting.

“Wow, you’re all ready to go,” Watson says, looking at measurements I’ve already jotted down and the sketch I roughed out.

“I’ve been meaning to get this done for a month, but something kept distracting me,” I explain with a pointed look and a grin.

“Not sorry.”

“Neither am I,” I agree. “Let’s get started.” I rub my hands together and reach for the notes I made.

“Two levels would be better,” Watson suggests, looking over the draft with me.

“Can they climb? They’re so stocky with those stubby little legs.”

He chuckles. “You make ramps to go to the second level,” he explains.

“Easy enough.” I flip the paper over and sketch out a new design, which Watson approves, and then we get to work.

Watson

If I thought Ev looked hot on Halloween wearing a toolbelt and no shirt, I severely underestimated exactly how sexy it would be to see him actually use his tools. His face is set in concentration, the power drill whirring loudly, his muscles straining the sleeves of his shirt, while I hold the wood stable and try not to drool.

I’m almost positive he doesn’t even need me for this process—considering when I went upstairs to pee, he finished putting together an entire side without me in less than five minutes. But I’m not about to complain about my front row seat to construction porn.

My only real contribution to the process, aside from my fantastic design suggestions, is singing ad libbed songs about tool safety. Ev’s eyes sparkle with amusement as I try to come up with a second verse to a song that started with Tools come in many sizes, it’s how you use them that I’ll emphasize.

“Lube your drill before you use it,” Ev suggests with a smirk.

“Pound a nail but don’t abuse it,” I sing-song back, and we both laugh.

It only takes about two hours for him to have the entire thing put together, and it looks so awesome, I’m tempted to try to convince him to build Fermata a new cage.

“This looks amazing. Just wait until we paint it.”

“Why don’t we take a break and order some dinner first?” he suggests, standing up and stretching his arms over his head to work out the kinks. His shirt rides up, exposing the furry little happy trail beneath his belly button. I lick my lips and shuffle forward until I’m kneeling right in front of him.

“Dinner is one option.”

His eyes darken as he looks down at me. “I’m listening.”

I slip my hands under his shirt and slide it up again, leaning forward to press a kiss to that patch of skin beneath his belly button, and his breath hitches. “I’m thinking we hop in the shower together to get all wet and soapy together, see where that leads.” I flick my tongue along the waistline of his pants, and he drags his fingers through my hair.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” he agrees breathlessly.

I cup the growing bulge in the front of his jeans, and he gasps, thrusting into my grasp. His grip on my hair tightens as I kiss and lick his stomach until his erection strains against the denim.

He makes a noise of protest when I pull back, and I chuckle. “I kind of have to get up if we’re going to get to that shower. Although, I’m also fully on board with dragging you down here next to me and making a feast out of your ass here and now,” I offer.

Ev blinks and some of the