Page 79 of Not Fooling Anyone

His gaze narrows, but he can’t prove I was mocking him.

I go back to stocking in peace after he leaves, my work easy enough that I can zone out. And my go-to daydreaming topic this morning?

Lexie.

Our bodies pressed together on the dance floor, moving in sync. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I held her against that door, grinding into her soft warmth. Her spread out for me on the bed, watching as I’d brought her to greater heights.

The sound of my name on her lips. The remembered taste of her pussy, so fucking wet for me. The way she’d surrendered to me, her body mine to do what I wanted with, for however brief a time.

Her guard finally down, letting me in. Letting me close. That’s all I ever wanted from the start.

I have no illusions we’re on the same page quite yet, but we’re on the same chapter at least. Well, maybe more like the same book. Same shelf? Same bookstore?

We’re closer than we were, is the point. We have to be for her to let me do that to her.

Will she let me do more tonight?

“Keith give you a hard time?”

I startle, nearly dropping the hammer I’m holding. Damn, that would’ve hurt if it had fallen on my foot. How long was I out for?

Turning, I spot my oldest brother, Scott, his brows raised at me. “Jumpy much?” he asks.

“I wouldn’t be if you didn’t tiptoe around.” I place the hammer in its proper place, making sure it’s aligned with the others. “How’d you know about Keith?”

He takes a sip of his coffee and I silently eye it. Would it be weird if I asked him for some of his? I need to wake up. “It was the first thing he told me when I walked in. And said I needed to have a talk with you about your attitude.”

I grin at him. “Consider me officially warned.”

He chuckles, tipping his Starbucks cup back to get the last of his drink. Damn, there’s no more. “Why are you wasting your time here? You could run circles around these guys if you wanted.”

I shrug, remembering how Lexie had asked me nearly the same thing about boxing. “It’s easy. I don’t have to think.”

“Yeah, but you could make more money somewhere else. Isn’t there some engineering gig you could do? You should start building up your resume.”

I point a finger at him. “Did Mom put you up to this? Do you have a hidden mic on you?”

“I’m being serious,” he says, wrestling my finger away. “You’re already a junior. You need to start thinking about these things.”

“Or, what? I’ll end up like you?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

He’s made no secret of the fact he doesn’t particularly care for this job, but he’s too complacent to actually go out and look for anything else.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of time.” Graduation isn’t for another two years. And my classes are hard enough. I don’t need a demanding job on top of that, especially with all my training at the gym.

“That’s what I thought, too,” he mutters. “It goes by quicker than you think.”

The bell over the shop door rings, both of us turning toward a familiar face.

Jacob approaches us, his hands in his pockets, completely out of place among the tools. He’s never been mechanically-inclined.

“Taking up woodworking?” I ask him, motioning toward the chisels and hand drills on display.

“Dad needs a level,” he says, ignoring my joke. “He can’t find his.”

What project is he up to now? And Scott wonders how he ended up working here with as many times as Dad dragged us to hardware stores growing up?

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