recall an incident, or a conversation, or any one of a thousand reasons that she should have dumped him, should have ended the marriage years ago. It felt good. Maybe even great. And then she looked down and saw red. Literally. There were blood droplets all over. Before she could even ponder why the room was looking like a crime scene, the wooden handle was ripped from her hands.
“What are you doing?” He sounded incredulous. And annoyed.
“You’re a contractor? What does it look like I’m doing?” She was upset that he had interrupted her impromptu therapy session.
Shaking his head, Joe grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. “I know demo and that wasn’t it.”
She growled. “I wasn’t done yet!”
“You, babe? You are finished.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he covered it. With his mouth.
Shocked, she stood there with her eyes wide open. His mouth was pressed against hers. And it didn’t feel wrong at all. Without thinking, she melted into him, wrapped an arm around his neck, and allowed her eyes to slowly flutter shut. Joe bent slightly and scooped her up and held her against his muscular chest. His lips pulled back, but his forehead was pressed against hers. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her.
“Crazy woman,” he muttered to himself as he carried her out the back door of the house. She couldn’t be certain, but it seems like she would have been carried farther if he hadn’t heard the sound of others talking in the front yard.
Slowly he lowered her to the ground and made sure she had her footing before releasing her. She wanted to smile up at him, but she hadn’t decided what to make of that moment. All she could do was look at him and murmur…”Why?”
“I needed to distract you,” he responded with a shrug. And with that he turned and walked away.
She formed fists at her sides. That man. He had tricked her. And she had fallen for it. She felt like a fool. Laurel was right to warn her. She started to storm off, to head back to Hope House, to run to the pharmacy for Bandaids and antiseptic, to be anywhere but near him. She glanced at her hands, dripping with blood from many tiny slices made from flying tiles. They didn’t hurt, but they looked so ugly. She was just about to get into her Vue when he grabbed her.
“Where are you going?” He asked jovially.
She wanted to be angry, but that would just let him know that he had gotten to her. And that was something she could never allow. “Just heading out to clean up. My hands are a mess.” She held them up to demonstrate.
“Yeah, I figure I’m covered with your blood, too. He reached behind his head to feel the back of his neck. Then he examined his fingers. Yup. Great.” He turned to the crew. “I’ll be right back.”
And with that, he grabbed her hand and led her across the road to his house. The door was unlocked, which didn’t surprise her since he was close to home. He probably let the guys use his bathroom, too. After all, it wasn’t as though she had one they could access…especially now.
Joe gave her the world’s fastest tour ever. He dragged her through the front door, through the great room, down the hall and brought her directly to the bathroom off the master bedroom. From everything she had seen so far, the bedroom was not unlike the rest of the house.
“I didn’t see a computer,” she noted in surprise.
“That’s because I don’t have a computer.” He busied himself pulling supplies out from under the bathroom sink while she chattered away.
“I don’t understand how anyone can get along these days without one.” She shrugged.
“What do I need a computer for? I have this mini one here on my hip.” He pointed to his iPhone.
She took a moment to rattle off any number of things he might need a computer for, not limited to printing invoices, which she would need for the house and her taxes. To each reason, he shook his head.
“Computers are a hassle. They are always getting viruses and needing repair. I doubt I’ll ever buy one again.” He had started washing her hands at this point and she was surprised with how gentle he was.
With a twinkle in her eye, she retorted, “You wouldn’t have this problem if you’d lay off the porn sites.”
He colored and