Page 4 of Caden

Her eyes widen, and she quickly looks away as a blush pinkens her cheeks, attention returning to the spigot.

Fuck, I shouldn’t have said that out loud. But dammit, I don’t seem to know common sense around this woman. This is why I need to keep my distance. Because a couple of minutes in her orbit, and I’m already forgetting every reason we shouldn’t do this. Every reason I shouldn’t cage her against the wall and devour that pretty mouth.

I clear my throat and force myself to refocus. “Let me try,” I say, nodding at the spigot.

The fucker is tight. Tight enough that I have to work for it, and that’s enough to get my head back on straight. After engaging every damn muscle it takes and muttering a string of curses that would make a sailor blush, I finally get it to turn on.

Water rushes through the attached hose.

“Oh good, you got it!”

“Let me know when you want it turned off. I can get it.”

“Thanks, Caden.”

My determination to avoid looking at her caves when she says my name again. Never in my life has a woman had to do so damn little to turn me on. I avoid those emerald orbs, but I give myself permission I don’t deserve to rake my gaze over those bare legs. Before I can get to those cute toes, my gaze snags on a bright red substance running the length of her calf.

“You’re bleeding.”

“Oh shit, I am,” Ruby groans, twisting her leg to look at the minor injury running along her calf. “Hazard of the job.”

“You could try wearing pants,” I suggest, my tone stern.

She flashes me an easy smile, her eyes twinkling. “Nah. I’ll be fine. It’s just a little scratch.”

“You should clean that up before you head back out to the dump.”

“It’snota dump,” she says, her tone exasperated. As though she’s had to defend that very sentiment more than once since she started working on it. “At least it won’t be in a few days. Or weeks.”

“Weeks?”

“Relax,” she says, chuckling. Though the laugh doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I hate that I’ve somehow contributed to some crushing of her vision, but I don’t know how to make it any better without just making it worse. “I refuse to let thatlittlealcove best me for weeks. It’ll be a sparkling gem when I’m finished with it.”

Her dreamy and determined tone is sexy as hell. If I had any sense, I’d get some distance between us stat.

“Of course, it might takeweeksif you don’t let me out of this creepy back room,” she teases, staring at my chest. She reaches out a hand, as though she means to push me, but seems to think better of it before she makes contact and withdraws.

It’s for the best. I almost captured her hand and held it over my heart, just so she could feel it thunder. Just so she knew the truth. A growl itches at the back of my throat. I need to calm the fuck down. Flip the switch.

And Mom’s watery lasagna just isn’t doing the trick.

I glance down, searching for anything to distract me – because clearly, just stepping out of her fucking way isn’t an option. My attention snags on the rivulet of blood that’s already made it to her ankle. She’s going to track blood all over the gym.

“You’re not going anywhere until thatscratchis cleaned up and disinfected.”

Her gaze softens, a smile gracing her entirely too kissable her lips. It’s not the reaction I expected from my firm, slightly asshole tone. Shit.

“Well, well. Caden Michaels, youdohave a soft side. Who would’ve thought me getting a little scratch would bring out your inner protective teddy bear?”

There are so many things I could say in this moment that would likely result in Ruby being pushed up against the wall with my tongue down her throat and hand sliding over her hip. But, as much as I crave her—as much as I probably always will—I can’t give in.

Iwon’tgive in.

It’s why I stare her dead in the eyes, my expression stone cold. “Don’t flatter yourself, Ruby. You brother would kill me if you got tetanus.”

3

RUBY

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