Page 14 of The Dallas Dilemma

Me:OMG. He’s here. What do I do?

Twila:Answer the door.

Me:Right.

Me:Gotta go. Text you later after he leaves.

Callie:You’ve got this, girl!

Raven:XOXO

I tuck my phone into my back pocket and head for the door while attempting to take long, calming breaths. Stopping just in front of the door, I exhale slowly before twisting the knob and pulling it open.

My throat closes up when I see Dallas on the other side, holding two glasses of iced tea while wearing a wide smile and a toolbelt.

Holy shit.

Is this actually a porno?

I feel hot all of a sudden, and Dallas’ smile starts to fade. I know I should move. Say something. Anything.But damn, why did he have to change into a tank top that revealed all those muscles?

“Hey,” he says softly, and my gaze snaps up to meet his.

Fuck. Did he see me checking out his biceps?

He clears his throat and asks, “Um, can I come in?”

CHAPTER SIX

Dallas

The awkward momentseems to disintegrate as Josette snaps out of whatever trance she’d fallen into. Offering me a slightly nervous smile, she steps back and waves me in. Now, I’m the one pausing, wondering if this was such a good idea, after all.

I mean, she really needs to get that row of cabinets fixed, and I want to help her. But it’s impossible not to notice her high level of anxiety as she waits for me to cross the threshold. When I don’t move, she wrinkles her brow like she’s confused.

“Sorry,” I say in a low voice before stepping inside.

There’s no reason to spike her anxiety any higher by changing my mind and going back to my own apartment. I’m here now. I’ll fix the cabinets, then let her makethe next move if she wants to explore this…friendship. Or whatever it is.

“Here,” I say when I catch her staring at the sweating glasses of tea in my hands.

She takes the one I hold toward her and eyes it a bit suspiciously. “I’ve never had sweet tea before.”

She turns and starts walking, and I follow her into the kitchen as I say, “Really?”

She swings around to face me again with a tentative smile. “Really.”

I take a long sip from my own glass with a satisfied hum. “My parents are from Texas, so this was a staple in my house growing up. The key is to only use the ‘Luzianne’ brand of teabags.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she says, then takes a tentative sip.

I watch her expression as she swallows, smacks her lips, then takes another drink. Then she meets my eyes and nods.

“The sweetness is a bit shocking, at first, but it’s good. I like it.”

My lips curl up before splitting apart into a wide smile. Josette’s gaze drops to my mouth, then her throat works as if she’s swallowing against a lump in her throat. As if to reinforce the thought, she clears her throat and drops her gaze to the floor before taking another sip of tea. Her cheeks brighten with color, and my smile shrinks into something softer. Warmer. Her blush suits her, making her even prettier than before.

Clearing my own throat, I take a drink from my glassbefore setting it on the counter beside me and saying, “Okay, I’m ready to get started. Do you happen to have a step stool or a small ladder?”

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