Page 168 of Return To You

“Well, yeah—who else?”

She frowns. “I thought for sure she said it was a handsome carpenter.”

I chuckle.

“No, seriously, she said it was a very hot carpenter. Not a cyber geek rebelling against the United States Air Force.”

“You know, Lucas keeps asking me to go work for them. I could do that, if that turns you on more than the whole geek thing.”

She swats my chest playfully. “Ethan King, don’t you dare.”

“What, you don’t want me fixing your house?”

She runs her gaze down my chest, licks her lips, and sets her coffee mug on the floor.

“Our house,” she corrects me, sending a zing down my cock.

Right. We need to have the money talk now, but with me living here for good, I don’t foresee any trouble.

She leans into me, sex in her gaze. “I guess if you only work for me… and without your shirt on… we could work something out. But what shall we fix?” she adds in a little voice.

I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to me, then run my fingers over her hardening nipple. “We could start by adding a garage. A three-car garage.”

She chuckles. “Oh, you have thought this through, haven’t you?”

I pull her onto my lap. “Maybe.”

fifty-four

Grace

One month later

*

“Everything okay, Claudia?’ I lean over the reservation system to find out what’s making her frown so profoundly. Even her lips are tilted down, like she just drank something sour.

“Why is she booked with Cheyenne?” she asks, pointing at a name on our nail artist’s column of reservations. Amy Keller.

“Hey, even Cruella deserves awesome nails.” We are the only game in town, after all.

Cheyenne, having heard her name, pops her head between the two of us to glance at the computer. “Oh yeah, I ran into her at Lazy’s the other night, and she wouldn’t stop raving about my nails. I told her to book online.” She shrugs. “That’s okay, right? We don’t hate her anymore. Right, boss?”

“We don’t hate anyone,” I confirm. “Especially not someone who wants to give us their business.”

“I suppose,” Claudia says. “I heard she’s buying a house up in the hills.”

“Really? Good for her,” I say. As far as I’m concerned, I have nothing against Amy, and I’m choosing to forget her not-so-glorious, mean girl episode. Carrying a grudge in a small town is unhealthy.

“From Richardson too,” Claudia continues. “You know, I never could figure out why he wanted to sell this house. It’s an investment property for him. D’you think he needs money?”

I shrug. Not my problem, but certainly a valid question.

“Usual spot?” Randy interrupts us, carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

“Awww,” everyone coos.

Ethan has been ordering flowers for the spa and our home ever since he decided to stay in Emerald Creek for good. “Just because I’m here doesn’t mean you don’t deserve all the attentions,” he said.

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