Page 7 of The Naughty Elf

That furrow returns to his brow. “Not married.”

Why does that send goosebumps over my flesh? I check his hand, a bit obviously, to see if I can catch him in a lie. Yet, there is no ring on his left hand. But those big hands of his are oh so tempting. I bet they’re rough and calloused from his work.

I bet he works with his hands in his spare time, too. Tactile. The quiet ones usually are.

God, what would his palms feel like as they slid over my skin? I want to find out.

Peering up into his stormy eyes again, I give him a smaller smile, one with a hint of teasing around the edges. “All right. Time for you to give me some answers that use more than a couple words. I’m trying to get to know everyone.”

I lean against his arm, noticing how he stiffens when I press my breasts against the bicep I’m still holding. Finally, I see what I’ve been aiming for: a slight tint of pink crawling up his neck.

“You can handle that. Can’t you?”

4

SAWYER

Ginger is the spitting image of Genevieve—petite, curvy, poised. But those green-blue eyes are all her own. They are sharp, curious, andmystifying. And that mouth, painted in red lipstick, purses and smiles at me as she flirts.

Being the center of her attention, even for a few seconds, lands a blow to my chest that I’m unprepared for. It’s struck me dumb. I can’t manage more than a few words to answer her questions, but I don’t want her to turn away from me.

However, It’s inevitable with the bustle around a construction site.

I can’t keep my attention off of her, though.

Ashley punches me in the shoulder as Ginger turns to ask Daniel what he’s working on. I grit my teeth as he raises a brow. I shrug one shoulder because, miraculously, her slender fingers stay around my arm, the chill of them breaching my work shirt.

Women didn’t usually touch me. Not without a whole lot of awkward posturing. The ease with which Ginger has wrapped her hands around me and led me into the house we’re working on dumbfounds me.

The way she so easily teases me is even more astonishing.

Those turquoise irises aim my way again, and I’m struggling to breathe. “Where to next?”

It takes everything inside of me not to reach up and cup her cheek or pull her hair between my fingers to feel its silkiness. To touch her. Everywhere.

Her finger pokes into my chest again. “What’s the first thing that gets done once the outside of the house is finished and you move your focus inside?”

“Rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC,” I tell her.

Those teal eyes go wide, and her eyelids flutter. My muscles tighten, and the grip she has on my arm says she feels it.

“That was more than two words. Congratulations.” A slow smile crawls across her mouth, and fuck, I want her.

If no one else were here, I’d drag her to that unfinished counter and pin her against it instead of simply imagining doing so. I’d taste her and see if that mouth is as sweet as it looks.

My hand squeezes into a fist to keep myself from touching her.

Her face swings toward Ashley, turning her away from me without letting go. Thank God. Jealousy flares in his eyes, but when he looks down at her, I feel that same burn. His expression reflects the very same thoughts that are roaring through my mind.

“Then we insulate,” Ashley says, smirking down at her. “Drywall, primer, flooring. And that’s where we are now. Drywall is up. Flooring is almost finished. We’ve started putting fixtures in.”

He pats the cabinets but points up the stairs.

“Master bathroom is the closest to finished if you want to see.”

“I do.” She needs no further invitation. Ginger swings toward the stairs, taking me with her.

I can feel the surprise flash over my features before I can control myself. Ashley shoots me a challenging look with his brow lifted and gets ahead of her, showing her the way.

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