Page 8 of The Naughty Elf

Ginger has to let go of me at the stairs since we can’t both fit side-by-side, even with her small size. Her hand trails down my arm as if she doesn’t want to release me.

My jaw clenches. I struggle to keep from twining our fingers together. Taking the stairs behind her gives me a better view of her ass in that tight skirt. Lust punches through me, settling below the belt.

The scent of her is amplified in the enclosed space, overcoming the smell of the dust from construction. It smells of citrus and some sweet flowers, with an undertone of musk.

I breathe in deeply, trying to hold onto it, to hold onto a part of her, because I can already tell that when she returns to the office, her absence will be equally as distracting as her presence is right now.

The master bathroom is in the front right corner with big windows that let in a lot of natural light. We painted the walls ivory to capture the warmth of the other finishes. The moldings have been installed, and the flooring is a plush neutral carpet that we’ve covered while we finish the job.

We still have to install the shelves in the walk-in closet. And the storage bench isn’t finished, but that’s on my list for the day. I’ve been working with these guys on sites long enough that I know that as long as I get the supplies in on schedule, they know what they’re doing. That means I get to do what I enjoy most—the finishing carpentry. I love the small details that make a house special and useful.

Ginger peers back at me as I pause to take in the details. I still have a lot to finish, but the list fades from my mind as I look into the blue-green of her eyes. My feet move again, pulledalong behind her as she steps into the master bath. It’s bright and white with gray and black accents to match the marble tile.

The shower isn’t finished, and the free-standing tub needs to be attached to the plumbing, but the rest merely needs to be cleaned up before we put the finishing touches in—mirrors and faucets and the backsplash above the sinks.

I can do the tiling and backsplash, but we have someone who’s better at it.

Ginger runs her fingers over the tile. She looks so tiny in the big shower. And I’m imagining how small she will seem under me. Will she fit me just right?

“We don’t do the same colors each time, but we try not to stray too far from neutrals for better sales.” Ashley leans against the opening to the shower, almost cornering her with his elbow on the prepped drywall, head in his hand as it tips to take her in.

“So you never do any fun colors? I always wanted abluebathroom. The different shades of the ocean.” Her face transforms with a youthful smile, reminding me of just how young she is. Of who she is.

It’s a bucket of cold water that barely staves off the heat that has been building from being in her presence.

“Do you like the ocean?”

Ashley doesn’t shift as she comes closer. She has to brush against him to get by.

It doesn’t seem to bother her, especially with the easy way she puts her hand on his chest as she passes. And those pretty eyes twinkle at me as she investigates the tub. Her fingers run along the curved edge of the porcelain.

I want to settle her in the bottom of it and surround her with hot water and fragrant bubbles. To rub her shoulders. To take a loofa to her creamy skin. To make her back arch and knees spread as I stroke between her thighs.

My body stirs in response, and I shake away the thoughts. I’ve got to stop. I need to lose myself in a project to distract myself from these errant thoughts.

Ginger meets my gaze again like she can read my mind. “Do you like the ocean?”

There’s not enough blood getting to my brain for me to formulate a response.

She sits on the lip of the tub and looks between us both. Her head tilts and the pins in her hair glint in the light. Her laughter echoes in the room.

“I could use one of these at home.”

“We recovered that from an estate sale. Cleaned it up, resealed it.” Ashley comes to lean next to me, crossing his arms.

“Upcycling. I like it.” She roams her gaze over us, chewing on her lip.

“You should come to one of the sales. I bet you’d have a good time. Find some gems.”

She stands again, slowly stepping closer. The way she looks up at us makes her eyes big like saucers. “Let me know next time. Could be fun.”

Swaying on her feet for a beat, she saunters out of the room, and we both watch her go.

Fuck.

I’m following her before I can think about it. Ashley isat my back. Jackson ascends the stairs with a smile that shines at the three of us. “They’re doing a great job, aren’t they?”

Ginger peeks in the other three bedrooms and the other bath before returning to us. “It’s amazing. I want to watch the whole process. There’s something about building something from nothing that I can really sink my teeth into.”

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