Page 9 of Ravished By Her

“I need a break,” she told me when we’d made it partway through the living room.

“Sounds good,” I said, and we both went outside. She took off her mask and coughed a few times. “I have water if you need it.”

I grabbed two bottles from my car and handed one to her. She rinsed her mouth out and then spat in the grass.

“Sorry. I feel like I’ve been eating dust.”

“It’s cleaner than I expected,” I said.

“He used to hire cleaners every now and then,” she said. “But it’s probably been a while.”

I gulped at my water, trying not to spill. I was so thirsty already and we still had a full day.

“What happened?” I asked.

Lacey shrugged. “Let’s just get back to work.” She chucked her empty water bottle into the pile of items that were getting thrown out.

* * *

We made it through the living room before I decided to call it quits for the day. My body ached so much that I knew I was going to have to ask Kai to let me soak in her bathtub tonight. A quickie shower in the van wasn’t going to cut it.

I knew I had dust and probably spiders in my hair and my jumpsuit was a mess. Still, I felt good in a way that I hadn’t in a while. To see the room cleared out now and ready for me to work my decorating magic was exciting. I couldn’t wait to see the whole place empty.

“Thanks for helping,” I said to Lacey as we sat on the porch steps again. She’d taken off her hat and leaned backwards on her elbows. Something in my chest tightened as I looked at her. There was something about her jaw that captured my attention.

“Fuck, I’m beat,” she said, rubbing her eyes. I took off my glasses and wiped them with a cloth I kept in my pocket.

“Are you staying nearby?” I asked.

“Yeah, I have a rental. I couldn’t stay here.” Understandable, even if the house had been livable. “You?”

“I’m staying with my sister. She just moved up here a few months ago.” I wasn’t walking around and telling people that I lived in a van, even if that was the cool thing to do now for my generation.

“The sister that wants the leopard,” she said.

“Yes,” I said, smiling. “She’s something else.”

I thought the conversation was going to continue, but she dropped things there, taking out her phone.

“I’m going to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Without a backward glance, she headed to her truck and got in, cringing at the amount of crap in the back that was now covered by a tarp.

Reluctantly, I got into my car and cringed at how much dust I was probably bringing with me. I’d have to take it to the car wash and get it detailed when this job was over.

By the time I parked my car and knocked on Kai and Sterling’s door, I was both starving and ready for bed.

“How was your first day?” Sterling said immediately and I had to put my hand up to stop her from throwing all her energy directly at me.

“Can I use your tub?” I asked Kai, who was in the kitchen chopping something.

“Of course,” she said. “Take whatever you need.”

I’d have to use her products, which wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t have the energy to retrieve mine from the van.

“Talk when I get out,” I told Sterling as I headed to the bathroom.

* * *

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