wanted to be the one who made her smile. When she would bring in cookies she baked, I wanted to steal them all and keep them for myself since she made them. Instead, I would shake my head when she would offer the container, ignoring the way her smile fell away, and sneak some later when she was busy. I covertly stole looks at her during meetings, wishing I could smile at her and see that wondrous smile of hers in return. But if our eyes happened to meet, I would glance away, dismissing her. If she appeared on-site, I would snap at her about wearing steel-toe boots and a hard hat, without even greeting her. The truth was, I was terrified she would be hurt wandering around the site, but I couldn’t tell her that.
I was shocked when a new emotion—one I had never experienced before—ran hot and free in my veins. Jealousy.
Coming out of the trailer one day, I saw one of the crew, Larry, standing next to her car, joking and laughing with her, causing a slow burn in the pit of my stomach. Stalking toward them, I growled at him. “Are we on a coffee break?”
He frowned. “I don’t drink coffee, Jackson.”
“Then I guess the break is over. Back to work.”
Laura glared at me as he walked away, looking confused. “That was rude.”
“I don’t pay them to flirt with you.”
“He wasn’t flirting. He was talking about his mom. We were comparing the kinds of cookies she makes!”
“Whatever,” I sputtered. “And for the last time—wear a fucking hard hat when you’re on-site!”
She reached into her car and pulled out a pink hard hat, setting it firmly on her head. “I have one. I was leaving when Larry came over, so I had just removed it. Stop snapping at me, Jackson.”
She glared at me as she spoke, which did something to my chest. She was adorable in her pink headgear, which only made her more appealing to me.
I returned her glare, pointing to her feet. “You forgot the boots.”
I stomped away, knowing she was watching me, no doubt cursing at me under her breath. She rarely swore, but when she did, I found it rather sexy. I found everything about her sexy. It frustrated me to no end.
She was the opposite of everything in my life. In my world of dust, gravel, and hard steel, she was fresh, sweet, and delicate. Her voice was warm honey compared to the raspy tenors I dealt with all day, her mannerisms gentle and feminine compared to the roughness that surrounded me. There was a tenderness she hid from everyone that I could see when she thought she was being unobserved—usually when dealing with her father on a more personal level after hours. I wanted some of that tenderness in my own life.
I wanted her tenderness. I wanted her.
She took over the running of the office seamlessly, her actions always smart, direct, and honest. She was brilliant, and Hank beamed with pride.
Hank groused at me about not being friendly enough to her, and I scowled at him. “I told you, Hank, you can’t pick her friends. It’s a personality thing. Leave it alone.”
After a couple of weeks, she started standing her ground more and arguing with me all the time. We’d trade barbs and thinly veiled insults, even during meetings. I began thinking maybe the best thing would be to find another job. With my qualifications, I could easily move along, except I liked and respected Hank, and until Laura showed up, I enjoyed my job. Now, I dreaded some days, knowing I’d have to deal with her at any given moment. Yet, the thought of not seeing her made me miserable. And on the occasion when we found common ground and worked as a team, it was magic. It was as if she knew exactly how I was thinking and would respond perfectly, our ideas meshing in complete sync. In those moments, being in her company was effortless and made me want more.
I was so fucked.
I eased back in my chair, running my hands through my hair in vexation and tugging on the ends. We’d had another sparring match this afternoon, and I stormed out of the office and spent the rest of the day on-site, snapping at everyone around me. I came back to the office to do some paperwork, knowing it would be deserted and I could get my work done in peace. I had heard Hank and Laura