Page 9 of Her Christmas Fix
“No crew. Just me.”
I blink. “Don’t you need help for this much work?”
“It’s the holidays. Most of my guys are booked or busy and…” He shrugs. “Just me. That’s the deal.”
His expression is guarded in a way that makes me think there’s more to the story, but I don’t push. “Justus,” I say, and somehow those two words sound more intimate than they should.
“You want to help?” He asks the question like he still can’t believe I’m not going to bolt.
“Totally.”
“We’ll be working from sunup to sundown, seven days a week until it’s done.”
“Lucky for you, my schedule’s open.”
He crosses his arms over that broad chest, and I try not to notice the way muscles flex in his forearms. “No diva moments.”
Heat flashes through me at the insinuation. “I’mnota diva.”
When he raises a brow, I realize he’s teasing me. And even more of a surprise, I kind of like being teased.
“Okay, maybe some diva tendencies. But I want to be a part of fixing this. And before you ask, I know the difference between a Phillips head and a flathead screwdriver.”
His mouth curves up at one corner, the first real smile I’ve seen from him. Griffin is hot when he’s brooding, but the smile makes him even more devastatingly attractive. “Fair enough.”
We stand there for a moment, the waves crashing in the background the only sound. Which is helpful because otherwise I’m afraid he’d hear my heart thundering in my chest. Then his expression grows serious again.
“Let’s talk about your accommodations for the next two weeks. If the Wild Rose Point Inn is out?—”
“It’s out.” I hate the thread of panic in my voice, but I can’t handle being recognized right now. “Maybe I can find a rental house? Somewhere private?”
He studies my face, and I know he can see the desperation I’m trying to hide. “You could stay at my place.”
My stomach does this stupid fluttery thing. “I can’t ask you to?—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” He lowers his arms to his sides like this is no big deal, but his hands are clenched into fists.
I should say no. I should insist on finding somewhere else because my reaction to standing this close to him is dangerous in ways I’m not ready to think about. The last thing I need is to get involved with another man who could let me down. But the truth is, a part of me wants to pretend for just a little while that I belong in Griffin Meyer’s world.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” His eyes hold mine, and those flutters migrate to my heart. “Besides, I need to make sure you don’t fall through anything else.”
Who knew protectiveness—even as a joke—could be such a turn on? “Deal,” I say after clearing my throat. I stick out my hand to shake on it.
When his fingers wrap around mine, that spark ignites again. His warm, calloused hand completely engulfs mine, and the word safe flits across my mind. But there’s nothing safe about the way he’s looking at me or the way my skin burns where we touch.
I reluctantly pull my hand back before I do something embarrassing like never let go. “So we’re really doing this?”
Griffin blinks several times, like he’s surfacing from the same haze that’s clouding my brain. “We’re going to work our asses off for the next two weeks, and you’ll have your Christmas miracle.”
“I could use a miracle or two,” I say softly. And for the first time since I discovered Daniel’s betrayal, I feel an emotion I’d almost forgotten. Hope.
5
GRIFFIN
Three days into this venture,and I’m regretting it with every fiber of my being. Not just because it’s stupid to think I can get what Monika wants done in two weeks. Although, yeah, that too.
