Page 37 of The Talk Around Town

Gabe held up his hand and let out a whoop of satisfaction as Ryan high-fived him. Their laughter reached her, washing over her, calming her jangled nerves and tilting her mouth in a smile. They were finished.

Emma stood upright, pressing her hand to her back to get the kinks out and called up to them. “Hey! You guys want something to drink? I have beer in the fridge.”

Both turned at once, their combined grins and sheer presence enough to fell her on the spot.

I should’ve moved to the country years ago.

“You said the magic word, baby!”

Gabe let out a loud chuckle at Ryan’s comment. “You should never mention the word beer around this guy. He’d fall over himself to get to it.”

Gabe swung over the edge of the roof and onto the ladder, tool belt firmly around his hips, jeans even firmer. He jumped the last few steps to the ground and spun around to face her as she walked up.

“Do you think I could use your bathroom? I’m a little sweaty.”

Emma made a show of looking him up and down, a fake grimace of disgust curling her lip.

“You bet. You’re not exactly man-of-the-year material like this.” She pinched her nose between two fingers. “Get into that shower, boy.”

Light sparkled and reflected in the stormy-grey depths looking back at her. Gabe’s husky laughter rang out around her, enveloping her in a promise of sun, sin, and long hot afternoons of sex.

Stomach muscles clenched tight in awareness, Emma pasted a grin on her face so that he wouldn’t notice her reaction.

“Thanks. Towels are in the closet in the bathroom?”

Emma nodded, consumed with the effort it took to keep her composure around him while he was half naked. “Yes. I guess it’s the least I can do, considering you were instrumental in rebuilding my broken bathroom.”

Shrugging a shoulder, he walked up the steps with her, stopping to remove his work boots before entering the house. “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?”

His cheeky comment belied the dark look in his eyes. She stepped closer, not even realising she’d done so, drawn to his magnetic gaze.

Gabe sucked in an audible breath, his eyes narrowing and dropping to her mouth.

Is he going to kiss me? For real this time?

Emma’s breath caught in her throat, her chest tightened and refused to let anything either in or out until he did.

“So, where’s my beer?”

The question came from behind her. Emma jerked back. Embarrassment flooded her from head to toe. “I was just on my way to get it.”

She sidestepped Gabe and hurried down the hall, her Dunlop shoestapping rapidly on the bare floorboards.

*

Ryan stopped onthe top step to the porch, eyes wide with surprise. Gabe avoided his friend’s gaze. He knew what was coming.

Ryan moved up beside him and toed off his shoes. Gabe risked a glance in his direction. One eyebrow curved upward toward Ryan’s wavy blond hair as he walked past Gabe.

“Not interested, huh?Liar.”

Chapter Fifteen

Emma opened thefridge door and stood with her head pressed to the freezer. Frigid air washed over her traitorous body as she tried to calm her breathing.

What was it about the man that ratcheted her body temperature up twenty degrees whenever she was in his presence?

The man was off limits.

---