Page 11 of Handy

“Who has a secret admirer?” Cole shouts. How did he even hear that over the construction racket?

“Griff,” Stone yells back.

All of the noise suddenly stops, and I bite back a groan as everyone turns to focus on me, coming into the framed-off room or peering around the wood to grin at me. Ugh. Can I put the words back in my mouth? Pretend I was joking maybe? Would they buy that?

“Okay, if we’re going to figure this thing out, the first thing we’re going to need to do is put together a list of suspects,” West says.

Ollie pulls a small notebook out of his back pocket, along with a nub of a pencil that’s stuck between the spiral. “Top of the list has to be anyone you’ve hooked up with lately.”

I rasp out a laugh. “Then there won’t be a list.”

“Hmm, okay, what about anyone you’ve suspected has a crush on you? Barista at your favorite coffee place? Cougar down the block who always stops to chat when she sees you getting your mail?” Ridge rattles off some possibilities, and I almost laugh again.

“No and no.”

“It has to be someone who has his address,” Ev points out.

“Shit, maybe it’s the hot delivery guy,” Stone says.

“The guy who delivers in my neighborhood is probably eighteen years old and definitely doesn’t have a crush on me.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Cole assures me, and I make another amused sound in my throat.

“They probably weren’t even meant for me. I’m sure they were misdelivered.” I shrug and do my best to ignore the pitying looks I get in return. This is why I don’t open up. I didn’t even say anything pathetic and they’re all looking at me like I’m a wounded puppy.

When they realize this isn’t going to be the exciting detective work they were expecting, they all turn back to what they were doing, and I let out a breath. Forget the flowers. I don’t know where they came from, but I don’t have a secret admirer. What Idohave is a promising night of no-strings fun to look forward to.

LEDGER

I stand in my living room with my arms crossed, surveying the damage for the umpteenth time since last night. I feel like I should tidy up or something before Griff gets here, but I’m not really sure how I would do that. Besides, he’s not coming over to relax, he’s coming over to lay some pipe.

I snort a laugh at my own innuendo.

“It feels wrong not even cooking him dinner or doing anything to seduce him a little,” I mutter out loud.

TP chirps and pokes her head out from under the tarp I draped over the couch. She was way too excited about her new little burrow. I really don’t want to know what kind of damage she’s doing under there. At least the couch is already wrecked, so I guess it doesn’t matter how elaborate of a tunnel system she creates inside of it.

“That’s a good point, I could order something.” I nod in agreement and TP disappears under the tarp again.

I wonder what Griff likes to eat. There aren’t a ton of options around here, but all the restaurants available are kick-ass. The question is whether he’s more of a fish fry guy or a cheeseburger dude. And speaking of seducing him… I pull my phone out of my pocket and open the website I bookmarked this morning before I saw those cranes.

I still can’t stop getting butterflies over that genuine smile on Griff’s face when he got the flowers and I suggested he had a secret admirer. The need to make him look like that again is too desperate to ignore. Legitimately, my dick has been half-hard all day thinking about getting my hands on him tonight, but if I had the choice between making him smile like that again or humping him like a horny wildebeest, it’s no contest.

“Do you think he would rather get chocolate covered strawberries or an assortment of fruits?” I ask out loud.

TP doesn’t bother responding this time. I do hear the distinct sound of tearing fabric though. I sigh and click on the assorted fruit option. Just in case he doesn’t like strawberries, this way it’s almost a guarantee there will be something he’ll want to put in his mouth. I grin and add it to my cart. I don’t have to pause to think this time about what to put in the message either. I’ve been thinking about it since this morning, and I have the perfect message for him.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Please eat me slowly

And I’ll lick you too.

I am such a genius.

I glance up at the soggy hole in my ceiling and sigh.SometimesI’m a genius. On the other hand, this messdidgive me the excuse to have Griff over here for the next couple of weeks so I can get to know him better. Also, it gave me the chance to proposition him for sex, so maybe buying thisdeathtrap of a house wasn’t actually the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

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