Page 63 of Don't Make Me Beg
I wave him off and roll my eyes. “Sure. I’ve never painted brick with a paintbrush so I don’t know what brush style I’ll need.”
Mural, supplies, paint… that’s the reason he brought me here. I need to focus.
“Okay…” he drags the word out under his breath as he follows me to the back, where a variety of different style ladders are lined up on the wall.
“How about something like this?” He nods toward an electric ladder on wheels.
I shake my head dismissively. “That’s too much… I don’t need a fancy machine. I’m perfectly capable of climbing a ladder.” I point to a basic, aluminum twelve-foot ladder. I don’t know why this is the battle I choose, but suddenly I feel the need to fight back, to show him that he can’t always get his way.
He narrows his eyes, looking at the ladder and back to me. “That’s too dangerous. I don’t like the idea of you climbing up and down that thing, carrying buckets of paint. What if you spill some paint on one of the steps and lose your balance?”
“Really, Mr. Motorcycle?” I challenge back, crossing my arms as I stare back at him.
His brows lift, clearly thrown by the shift in my mood, but then a ghost of a smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. “Nope, not even remotely the same thing,” he says, shaking his head.
“How is it different? If anything, you’re putting yourself in more danger just by being on the road with other drivers, not to mention on a moving vehicle?—”
He takes a step, closing the distance between us, using his height to his advantage as he towers over me. “I understand the risks, Girl Scout. But we’re comparing apples to oranges right now. Besides, the key difference in the two scenarios is that I won’t be there to make sure you don’t fall.”
I roll my eyes and scoff. “Of course, I don’t know how I’ve managed to live all this time without you holding my hand and making sure I don’t accidentally walk out in the middle of traffic.” But I can’t help the little flutter in my belly knowing he’s genuinely worried about my safety.
He hasn’t even touched me, and already my brain and my vagina are doing synchronized gymnastics, trying to read between the lines.
I really hope the damage isn’t permanent…
The slight tic in Luka’s jaw is the only indication of his annoyance. “You’re five two, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You’d have to be at least five seven to reach the top of the wall with the A-frame, and that’s assuming you were standing on the top step, which is completely out of the question. Sorry, Girl Scout, but it looks like I win this one,” he says with a non-apologetic shrug. “We can get both if it’ll make you feel better. But just so you know, you’re not climbing higher than six feet on that A-frame.”
I try to ignore the stupid tingles that have come back in full force, violently fluttering around in my belly like a giggly schoolgirl. Am I really so desperate that all it takes is for someone to consider my safety now?
“You’ve got some nerve if you really think I’m going to keep letting you tell me what I can and cannot do,” I fire back with all the confidence I can muster.
I know I’m in trouble when I see his lips twitch in amusement. He quirks an eyebrow and lowers his voice to an almost whisper. “Are you sure about?—”
I don’t wait for him to finish, spinning on my heel before stomping in the other direction. But my escape is cut short when I feel my shirt tighten around me as Luka tugs me back. “Whoa, not so fast. Tell me what this is really about. What’s got your panties all tied in a knot?”
“Nothing,” I lie, crossing my arms over my chest.
Luka narrows his eyes at me and grins. “No, it’s definitely not nothing.” He ruffles my hair playfully, dodging my attempts to swat his hand away.
“Will you stop? You’re messing up my hair. I’m not playing around, Luka!”
“Oh no, she’s getting angry,” he taunts as I try to catch his teasing hand before he can touch me again.
“I thought we’ve already established that you’re a terrible liar. So why don’t you spare me the tantrum and just spit it out already.”
I cross my arms over my chest and force myself to meet his eyes. “I can’t keep doing this with you. You say things like you know some secret about me that I don’t and…” I swallow, feeling my throat tighten with emotion. “And it’s confusing. I don’t know how to act around you anymore because I never know if you’re going to be the sweet, thoughtful guy who surprises me in bed with my favorite drink or if you’re going to disappear and completely ignore me.” My words break off at the sight of Luka’s smile, which he’s doing a terrible job of trying to hide behind his hand. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Sorry.” He folds his lips in a flat line and gestures for me to continue.
“You know what, never mind. Forget it. Let’s just finish up so we can leave.”
“Hang on. I want to hear what you were going to say.”
“This is hardly the place to have this conversation. Can you just drop it? I’m just tired. I was up all night finishing that mural design, and I can’t even remember if I ate breakfast.”
