Page 34 of Blue Collar Hotties

Him on the sofa.

Me on my knees.

That’s how last nightshouldhave gone.

Instead I let two decades of the Hattworth conditioning override all my natural instincts, and I let down my new favorite person in the whole world. My dad didn’t even listen, anyway. He never does.

“I wish I could take it back.” My smile is wobbly. “Seems like I keep messing up with you.”

Gabe frowns, the cold wind out there flapping his black work shirt against his body. He shakes his head, green eyes fixed on mine. “Not possible, baby.” His words are muffled by the window pane. “It’s okay if it takes us a minute to find our rhythm. We’re brand new.”

Yeah, we are. And when he smiles at me again, broad and warm this time, the knot of tension loosens in my chest.

Screwing up my courage, I stick my hand through the open window. Gabe reaches down and takes it immediately, knotting our fingers together and giving them a gentle squeeze.

“We’re good,” he says.

No one ever reassures me like this. I could cry.

“Next time it’s your turn,” I promise. “That’s twice now that I’ve—um. You know. And you haven’t.”

“Haven’t what, exactly? Not sure I follow.” Gabe tilts his head out there, grinning. His eyes glitter, teasing me.

And I open my mouth to say god knows what, but Uncle Roderick’s office door slams open behind me.

“Three minutes lateagain, Lenore,” my uncle says. “It’s unacce—oh.”

The temperature plummets in our stuffy office. I turn my head slowly, stomach already cramping with nerves, but I don’tlet go of Gabe’s hand. I’m clinging on like he’s my lifeline in a storm.

Uncle Roderick’s face is puce, his expression thunderous. His mean eyes flit between me and Gabe, me and Gabe, before landing on our joined hands.

My uncle sucks in a deep breath, chest lifting. Like he’s about the yell the roof down.

And all the while: “Shit.” Gabe curses quietly out on the scaffolding, then finally lets go of my hand to shove the window open wider. He crawls through boots-first, grimacing as the back of his shirt drags over the scaffolding floor, then hops lightly onto the brown carpet beside me. Surprisingly agile with all that muscle.

I step close. So close our arms press together, then grab his perfect, callused hand once more.

Gabe leans down and murmurs my name, pressing a reassuring kiss to my temple. “However you want to handle this,” he says, so quiet only we can hear as my uncle bristles at that kiss. “That’s how we’ll handle this. Okay, gorgeous?”

Okay.

Yeah.

Handlingthis.

Oh my god. My family are gonna freak.

But… they freak about everything I do, no matter how small and harmless. They’re impossible to please. And even if I could ever make them happy, which I seriously doubt… would I give up Gabe Dempsey to do it?

No way, no how.

“Uncle Roderick,” I say, coughing to clear my tight throat. “You, um. You’ve met Gabe—”

“Gabe.” My uncle spits the name, his face getting redder by the second. He shakes his head slowly, breathing hard, thenglares directly at me. Writes Gabe out of his universe, as easily as that. “Abuilder.Really, Lenore?”

Gabe stiffens beside me, and it’s my turn to squeeze his hand. “Yes,” I say, proud at how firm my voice is. “Really.”

“But he’s—”

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