The Other Side of Us - By Sarah Mayberry Page 0,65
out over the lawn as she drank it, pretending that her mind was not alive with images of Oliver naked in the shower.
Water cascading down the strong column of his spine. Bouncing off his firm, muscular ass. Sleeking down his flat belly.
She tipped the dregs of her tea down the drain. There was no point getting herself all worked up over something that wouldn’t happen again. Because that was what the little conversation in the living room had been about—Oliver drawing a line under what had happened politely but firmly, and her agreeing.
Her newly reawakened libido might regret the decision, but her head and heart didn’t. Who in their right mind set themselves up for almost certain disaster? Not her. She had enough good sense to dodge that bullet.
The shower stopped with a groan of the pipes. Oliver would be out any minute now. Composing herself, she went into the living room to wait for him.
* * *
OLIVER SHRUGGED INTO a T-shirt and topped it with a sweater before pulling on jeans, very aware that Mackenzie was waiting for him. He hadn’t expected to see her today. Not after last night. He wouldn’t have blamed her for giving him a wide berth, either. Yet she’d still turned up, ready to fulfill her part of their bargain.
If he didn’t like her a hell of a lot already, her classy, honest actions this morning would have sealed the deal.
He took his boots into the living room to put them on and found Mackenzie ministering to both dogs, who were offering her their bellies for rubbing.
“Got you hard at work, I see,” he said as he donned the boots.
“No rest for the wicked. Hadn’t you heard that?”
“I’d heard a rumor.” He stood and gave her an assessing look. “Do you feel okay after yesterday’s workout? Because we don’t have to do this today if you’re not up to it.”
She blinked a couple of times and it hit him suddenly how he must have sounded—as though he was checking if she was able to function normally after a few hours in his bed.
“Because of the yard work,” he quickly tacked on. “I meant because of the yard work. Obviously.”
She bit her lip, then gave up trying to hide her smile.
“I’m okay, on both counts. But thanks for asking.”
His face burned with embarrassment. Which served him right for being such a yokel.
“Maybe we should get started before I have to have my foot surgically removed from my mouth,” he said, heading for the door.
They walked through the overgrown grass to the shed, the dogs disappearing into the thicker vegetation toward the rear of the lot.
Mackenzie stood to one side as he wrangled with the rusty bolt before opening the door wide. She joined him on the step to inspect the contents.
“Okay. That’s a lot of old furniture,” she said.
“It is. Feel free to back out if you’re freaking out right now.”
She gave him a look. “What do you think I am, some kind of wimp?” She pushed up her sleeves. “How do you want to do this?”
He couldn’t help grinning. She was small but feisty. A true force to be reckoned with.
“Bet you gave those doctors hell when you were in hospital.”
“I was a model patient—once we’d all agreed that no one was going to tell me what I couldn’t do.”
“Poor bastards.”
She punched him in the arm. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
He fought the urge to sling his arm around her and drop a kiss onto her lips.
“I am.”
She made a noise to signal she wasn’t so sure, but he knew she wasn’t really pissed. Just as he knew what her body would have felt like against his if he’d given in to the urge to kiss her.
It occurred to him belatedly that maybe there were worse things than Mackenzie avoiding him after what had happened between them—like spending quality time with her and having to keep his distance now that he knew exactly how soft her mouth was and how round and perky her breasts were and how silken and tight she was—
He turned away, aware that he was already half-hard. He’d made his decision where Mackenzie was concerned. He wasn’t messing up her life with his own confusion. No matter how attractive he found her.
Between them they decided to carry each piece of furniture onto the lawn so they could assess and photograph it for potential listing on eBay or valuation by a dealer. He did everything he could to minimize