Her Dirty Builders (Men at Work #10) - Mika Lane Page 0,18

the dark, the place looked like a dump.

“Alden—” I started to say. But when my hand brushed his, a jolt shocked me to my core.

I wasn’t sure whether I was more surprised about his hand touching mine, or my visceral reaction to it. But it didn’t matter. Before I knew it, he leaned toward me until his lips touched mine, soft and warm.

I wanted more.

So I put my hands on the sides of his face and melted into him.

13

ESME

“Hello, this is Esme.”

I knew better than to answer a strange number on my phone, and yet I went ahead and did it anyway.

Did it have something to do with the time I’d spent with Alden the previous night, and my not-so-subconscious hope that he was thinking about me like I was him?

And that maybe he was calling me?

Such hopes were quickly dashed.

“Miss Rutherford, this is Mr. Darling.”

Mr. Darling?

“At the bank. I’m calling about your overdue mortgage payment.”

Oh. That Mr. Darling.

Wait a minute. Overdue mortgage payment? Wasn’t Eddie taking care of that?

As hard as it was with the rage that began to bubble inside me, I calmed my voice. This was one conversation in my cubicle I didn’t even want my work husband to hear. But as soon as I started speaking quietly, Matt turned around, curious.

Because of course.

“Mr. Darling, have you called my former fiancé, Eddie Carmichael? Until we sell, he’s supposed to pay the mortgage.”

And if he were paying the mortgage, would the bank be calling me?

What the fuck. Did Eddie just wake up some morning and think ‘what can I do to endlessly make a mess out of Esme’s life?’

“You can be assured we did call him, Miss Rutherford. But we can’t seem to catch him on the phone. Since your name is on the note, you’re responsible, too, you know.”

Yeah, I knew that. Thanks, buddy.

I gripped my red stapler. It would feel so good to chuck it through a window. But that would be one more thing I’d have to fucking pay for.

“Okay. Let me get in touch with him and get this straightened out. I’ll get back to you.”

Goddammit.

I put my head in my hands. I didn’t care who in the office saw my distress. Might as well still milk the stood-up-at-the-altar thing. Hell, even the morning muffin guy had been leaving me a freebie every day.

The warm, juicy feeling of having kissed Alden the night before evaporated about as quickly as it had come on.

I tried to latch on to it for a little longer.

One moment I’d been getting a ride home thanks to too many tequila shots, and the next, I was making out with him in front of my house.

“You’re very pretty, you know,” he’d said, pushing hair out of my face.

Holyshitholyshit.

The way this gorgeous man, with his fiery hair and chin dimple, brushed his lips down the side of my neck was hypnotic. My eyes fluttered closed, and I arched to give him better access.

“Tastes so good…” he murmured, his breath warm and smelling faintly of expensive alcohol.

I reached for his shirt and began wrestling with the buttons. I had no idea where I was going with things, but I wanted to touch him, and the moment I ran my hands over his hard pecs, I was transported away from my dumpy house and asshole boss and to a place where pure desire ruled.

In that imaginary place, I was beautiful, and everything around me was, too.

But Alden’s phone buzzed a minute later, and he grabbed for it, extricating himself from me. “Hey, Mom. I’m heading home soon.”

Oh. Mom.

Buzzkill.

“Yeah, I’ll pick up some milk. See you in fifteen,” he said, swiping his phone closed.

Shit. I could have made out with this man all night long. So I started buttoning his shirt back up. I figured it was the least I could do.

He laughed. “No worries. I got it.”

“Well, if you’re sure, I’ll let you get home. Thank you again for the ride and the… tequila.”

Like the nice guy he was, he waited for me to get into the house before he took off.

And now, not twelve hours later, the wind had been sucked out of me so hard I felt like I was choking.

I dialed my dad.

“Hi, honey.”

He never failed to pick up my calls on the first ring. No matter what he was doing. It was amazing. I knew I was fortunate.

Lucky on the dad front. Not so much the mom.

“Dad, the bank called. Eddie has not been paying the mortgage.” I tried