a hand.”
But when she saw a black Labrador come around the corner carrying a pink stuffed bone in its mouth, a hot flush started at her knees and worked its way up. Please, no.
Sure enough, at the other end of the leash, Mike Nichols appeared in the doorway, his broad shoulders taking up much of the space. He looked up. “Hello.”
She used the tip of her tongue to whisk away the perspiration on her upper lip. “Hi, there. Keep Sheridan back—I dropped a lightbulb.”
“Sheridan, stay,” he said, then walked forward. “Where’s your broom?”
“You don’t have to—”
“In here?” he asked, pointing to a closet.
She supposed it did make sense to clean up the glass before she climbed—or fell—down. “Yes.”
He opened the closet and emerged with a broom and dustpan. Lacey hung on to the ladder for dear life, chancing a glance down occasionally as he cleaned up the pieces of glass. She had a bird’s-eye view of his broad shoulders and back as he moved with the easy agility of a man who had full command of his body.
And what a body it was. His Army-green T-shirt molded to his well-built torso like an old friend, while his worn jeans encased long, muscular legs. Lacey’s sweat glands kicked into overdrive.
After he dumped the last dustpan of debris into a waste can inside the closet, he announced, “Done. I assume you need another bulb?”
“Yes,” she managed to say. “From the box on the shelf.”
She heard rather than saw him retrieve the bulb and walk to stand beneath the ladder. When she glanced down, he was holding the bulb up to her. He was so tall and she was so short, all she had to do was let go and reach for it…yet she couldn’t. Her stomach swayed again, mostly at the thought of toppling headfirst and embarrassing herself—more—in front of this man. She leaned into the ladder and clung to it.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I…uh…I’m kind of…stuck.” It was easier to talk now because she wasn’t looking at him.
“Stuck?”
She tried to laugh, but the noise came out sounding a little strangled. “I’ve always had a problem with heights.”
“And you thought today would be different?”
His sarcasm rankled her. “I don’t like asking for help.”
“That’s silly—I’m right here.”
She bit down on her tongue. “Okay…will you please help me get down from here?”
“Sure. Give me your hand.”
Lacey sank farther into the ladder, her forehead pressing against the rung above her, her pride gone. “I’m afraid to let go.” She expected him to laugh, but he was quiet for a couple of heartbeats.
“Then I’ll come get you.”
She tensed when she felt the ladder flex under his added weight, and held her breath as he climbed up behind her. Her face flamed when she realized he was getting an up close and personal look at her backside. His big body slid behind hers like a warm wall. She felt utterly contained and safe…except for the fact that her heart was jogging in her chest like a runaway puppy.
His arm circled her waist. “You can let go,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ve got you.”
Nothing about this situation was remotely sexy…so why did his logical words and helpful touch elicit such inappropriate responses? Her breath was trapped in her lungs, her midsection pinged with awareness and long-neglected erogenous zones sang a tune.
“Relax,” he urged.
Her eyes fluttered closed. How pathetic was it that this was the closest thing to an intimate encounter she’d had in…too long? Slowly, she loosened her death grip on the sides of the ladder.
“That’s it. Let go.”
She did, and he made a little noise of approval in his throat.
“Okay, let’s go back down together.”
He waited for her to make the first move, then they descended in tandem. A moan lodged in her throat as their bodies slid against each other, hill to valley. Her skin caught fire every time and every place they touched. By the time her feet reached terra firma, she felt positively scorched from their encounter. He stepped away and turned her around for an inspection that did little to calm her pounding pulse.
“You okay?” he asked, searching her face. It gave her a good excuse to study his features, too. Mike Nichols was a striking man, with smooth, tanned skin, a strong nose and jaw, and deep blue eyes surrounded by dark lashes and brows. Very…appealing.
Even though Lacey’s knees were weak, she nodded. “Thank you.”
His unexpected smile was a jolt to her system. “You’re welcome. Want me to change the bulb?”
Her