Page 13 of The Last Time

As he twists it onto the sander for her, I take the opportunity to look at her. She certainly isn’t like any woman I’ve ever met. Clearly, she’s willing to get sweaty and do some manual labor.

It adds a whole other element to her attractiveness, other than her incredible curves. When my eyes look from her ass all the way up her body, I’m met with her eyes looking right back at me.

I don’t know what to do since I was just caught checking her out. I quickly look away like that somehow will make it better.

When I look back at her, there’s a small look of amusement across her face. Yeah, she knows exactly what I was doing. I feel like a complete idiot.

“So, any chance at least one of the showers is gonna be ready today?” she asks me as she glances down at her body. “I’m clearly gonna need one.”

“I think we could run the pipes up one side of the house into the master. I’ll have to tape some plastic over the area of the shower that gets cut out to access the pipes.”

The look of relief on her face is evident. “Oh my gosh! Seriously? That would be amazing.”

“Well, you could definitely use a shower,” I reply.

The small smile on her face fades. Shit, that wasn’t the right thing to say.

I didn’t mean it like that. For once, I tried to be polite, and it still came out like an insult. It’s like I don’t even know how to be nice anymore.

I think I was going for funny, lighthearted, since she’s covered in dust. Somehow, that came out like I was telling her she smells like a barnyard animal and needs soap and water immediately.

Josh chuckles. “Don’t mind my friend here. He comes off as scary, but he’s harmless. We’re heading out for lunch. Can we bring you back anything?”

“Oh, wow. That would be great. Thank you so much,” she smiles at him, then turns to me, and her smile fades.

It pisses me off more than it should.

Why does he get those reactions from her?

More importantly, why do I want those from her? I shouldn’t.

Josh hops in my truck, but before I’m even out of the driveway, he’s on my ass.

“Dude, what the fuck is your problem?” he asks accusingly. “Are you trying to be a dick to her?”

I run my hand through my hair in frustration. “Of course, I’m not trying. I meant it as a joke. If you said it, she would’ve laughed.”

“Yeah, well, if I said it, I would’ve had a damn smile on my face. You can’t have a scowl on your face and tell somebody how badly they need a shower.”

I hate it when he’s right. There used to be a time when I was that happy-go-lucky, carefree kinda guy. That feels like ages ago.

“Wait a minute,” Josh says. “You were trying to make a joke? Since when do you joke around with anyone anymore, Mr. Grumpypants?”

My body tenses at the realization that he’s on to me. Deny, deny, deny. That’s my plan.

“I joke around plenty of times,” I lie.

He throws his head back in laughter. “That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve heard all year. Between your reaction to her when we walked up to the house and you trying to joke around with her…I’m thinking someonelikesher.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t like her. She’s my client. I was trying to ease her worries.”

“Alright, so you’re not ready to admit it. That’s fine. Or I’m wrong, and I can go for her. She was pretty adorable, covered in sawdust, trying to do that project on her own.”

I know he’s trying to get a rise out of me, and it’s not going to work. I clench my jaw to refrain from saying anything incriminating.

Even if I do like her, I would never do anything about it. I won’t put myself out there like that again.

Chapter Five

---