Page 9 of Alpha Bear Accountant

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all. Making decisions with a hard-on didn’t make for wise ones, that was for sure.

Once I started looking around, my years of training with my dad kicked in, and I went into plumber mode, ready to repay Todd through the trade that I’d always assumed I would take over when I was a boy. There was a lot I didn’t know about the trade,but this was an old house, and I was pretty sure I could manage most of what he’d need.

“Your home is amazing.” I clutched the ratty notebook I found in my car and flipped to a clean sheet. It had been filled with the scribbles and shorthand only I could decipher from my high school days. “This is gonna be fun to work on.”

Todd chuckled and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’m not sure if fun is the right word, but it’s definitely satisfying. There are only a few spaces I would consider to be done at this point, but I love being in them. Knowing I put in the work and turned it into a place I enjoy being in is enough to keep me going.”

“I bet.” I glanced at a beautiful rubber tree that was on a stand near the window. “You’ve clearly got a green thumb.”

“Not exactly, but that plant is pretty hearty. It’s stayed alive in spite of me.” He chuckled. “Here, let me give you the tour.”

Todd reached for me as if he were going to place his hand on my back, but he quickly pulled it back. “Um, after you.”

Somewhat disappointed not to have his hand on me, I went down the hall and into the family room. Todd pointed out what he had already done and what he still needed to do as we moved from room to room. Just like when I was a teenager helping my dad with quotes, I began jotting down measurements and notes. Not just for the plumbing work but for everything he was talking about. If nothing else, I could organize his project for him with the planning tool we used at the shop.

Being in that role helped me feel like I was helping Todd, too. That it wasn’t a one-way street. Sure, I’d hired him and there would be money changing hands, but it felt unbalanced, and this would help correct that.

In the kitchen, I found ancient piping that was in desperate need of replacement. Truthfully, I was surprised it wasn’t leaking in more places. “Galvanized steel?” I cringed and glanced up at Todd. Instead of looking at the pipes, he was looking right at me. My breath caught, and I swallowed hard.

“Is that bad?”

What? What was bad? It took a quick replay of the past few seconds to understand what he meant. “Yeah, it’s kinda bad. We don’t use galvanized steel anymore because it fails. We should replace all of it. But good news is, it isn’t wood.”

“That was a thing?”

“It was. You didn’t see any of that in your projects, did you?” There were probably some still in the walls, but I doubted any were still in use, though I heard the guys mention finding some in an old house, so who knew?

“No wood.” Todd nodded as he closed his eyes, pained by that news. “But yeah, on the galvanized, I think that’s true for just about everything in the house. I only had minimal repairs done because…beyond my skill set.”

We continued through the rest of the house and then ventured upstairs.

"Watch your step here." Todd gestured to a loose floorboard that I had already noted for repair. His deep voice stirred something primal within me as I jotted down his observations alongside my own. “Are you regretting your offer to barter yet?” He smiled, but I could see the insecurity in his eyes.

“Not at all. If I’m gonna call on you every week to help me update the software, I’m gonna owe you three houses’ worth of help.I’m getting the better end of this deal, for sure.” Business wise, I wasn’t sure that was true. But having an excuse to see Todd on an ongoing basis was definitely a major perk for me. “We will still pay what the agency quoted.” I didn’t want him owing them money for working for me.

He just stared into my eyes. “No need. I’m getting a pretty good deal out of this as is.”

That same anxious feeling I had in the office washed over me in a flash. My whole body felt like it was on fire and slick began seeping down my thighs. "Um, have you noticed the leaky sprinkler head outside?" I knew the answer before he shook his head, and I was already walking toward the front door.

"Can't say I have." A sheepish grin stretched across his rugged features as he followed behind me.

"Water's a precious commodity, ya know." I walked straight to the soggy patch of grass I’d noticed on my way in and tapped my foot in the mud with a sense of purpose. "Not only is this being wasted, but it’ll drown your lawn and keep your foundation constantly wet, and that’s a whole different mess."

“It will?” Todd crouched down to get a better feel for his soggy grass. When he looked up, he was right at my cock level, and I had to take a few more steps back. “I guess we need to add that to the list.”

I glanced at my watch and was happy to see that the hardware store was still open. “I can fix this for you. We just need a new head today.” The distraction was welcome. His sprinkler was something I could fix easily enough. I’d done it a hundred times before and wasn’t nearly as complicated as lust and slick andsexually harassing the accountant I’d hired to fix my company. “I’ll run to the store and be back in a few minutes.”

“No, wait.” Todd reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me before I ran to my car. “I have some random stuff stashed away in the garage. The sellers left it, and I think there might be a few sprinklers in there.”

“Let’s have a look.” I followed behind, making sure I was downwind of Todd when we entered his garage. With the large door open, I felt confident I’d be fine as I rummaged through the clutter. I pulled out several things including pipe tape, a few washers, and a brand-new sprinkler head that was exactly what I needed. “Bingo! I’ll have that leak stopped in a jiffy.”

I kneeled on the soft earth and lost myself in the task. "Good as new." I sat up from my crouched position.

"Thank you, Niam. I wouldn’t have even noticed that for months.”

My stomach decided to pick then to rumble loudly. I was mortified but kinda hungry, so I played it off with a laugh. “Well, I seem to have worked up an appetite.”

“Can I buy you dinner?” Todd nodded toward his front door. “There’s a great Thai place that delivers.”

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