Page 38 of Daddy, Sir

She wasn’t wearing coveralls anymore, and he forced himself to look at her face instead of the strip of bare skin between the hem of her t-shirt and the waistband of her cutoff jeans. A crystal winked at him from her navel and his mouth watered for a taste.

“No, and I shouldn’t have chased you off mine either.” Despite wanting to pull her into his arms, he let her keep her distance. “Can I get a do-over on that conversation?”

“Hmm.” Her lips twitched into an almost-smile, and she folded her arms across her chest. “How did you want that conversation to go?”

He cleared his throat and tried to keep his expression serious. “Sadie, let me help you handle your shit. I think I have bleach in the garage.”

Smiling fully, she nodded. “Thank you, Daniel. I’d love to have your help. Put on gloves and hold the bag for me? I have hand sanitizer in my truck.”

“Perfect.” Taking a chance, he stepped closer and took her hand. “But I would love it if you could delay work on my house until I get some security in place.”

Daniel chose not to mention what he planned for the asshat targeting her. The damage to his house was annoying, but less important than her safety.

“I could do that,” she murmured, moving close enough to let him inhale the scent of her floral perfume mixed with a touch of sawdust. “There’s plenty to keep us busy at The Majestic, and it would keep my crew safer.”

He let out a breath of relief. “I’m so sorry I overreacted. I was out of line.”

“Why did you?” Thankfully, she didn’t remove her hand from his. “What set you off?”

Chuckling softly, he met her curious gaze. “Let me ask you this. Would you have gotten angry with Beatriz if she cleaned it up herself?”

She blinked and pressed her lips together in a scowl. “Way to call me out there, sport.”

“Uh huh.” He winked and kissed her callused fingertips. “Pot, meet kettle, Ms. Mama Bear. Then mix it with a clear threat to you. I am sorry I lost my temper though. I still want to keep you safe, but I should have stayed calm and explained myself instead of starting a fight over something stupid.”

“Guess that makes you Daddy Bear.” Shaking her head, she chuckled softly. “Are you apologizing because you couldn’t find another contractor?”

If only she knew exactly how right she was about his Daddy tendencies.

“No.” He curled her hand around his elbow and escorted her toward the open plan diner. “I’m apologizing because you deserve it.”

“And you couldn’t find another contractor.”

“I didn’t bother looking. If you don’t come back, I’ll do the work myself.”

“Without construction experience?”

“I didn’t say I’d be good at it,” he countered, making her burst out laughing.

She snorted, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I suppose we could come back.”

“Are you sure?” Although he loved the sound of her laughter, he wanted to make certain working for him was what she really wanted.

“Historic renovations aren’t for the faint of heart, but I love them, and I really want to finish yours. We were less than a week from done anyway.” She shrugged, her smile fading. “The cleanup will add a day or two though.”

“I don’t mind. Besides, I got pretty good at stucco, remember?”

“You did.” She chuckled and bumped him with her shoulder. “And it was a huge help.”

His mouth watered at the scent of smoky barbecue and spices emanating from the work area behind the counter where Jake was stirring a large pot of something.

The diner’s aged vinyl booths had been replaced with freestanding tables pushed together to accommodate the Horsemen and Sadie’s crew. Streaks of paint samples decorated the far wall surrounding a floor to ceiling opening covered with plywood. He almost questioned it, then remembered Jake mentioning setting up for outdoor seating. The old-fashioned counter had gotten a new top too, and the dated chrome stools were gone.

Conversation stopped when they walked in, and he didn’t miss the glares directed his way by her team. Apparently, Sadie wasn’t the only one he needed to charm.

“What’s going on, Sadie?” Lourdes asked, giving him a dark scowl. “Didn’t Lieutenant Dan fire us?”

“He apologized, so he’s off the naughty list.” She took a chair at the end next to Sean while Daniel sat across from her. “What’s for supper?”

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