Page 24 of Keeping My Wife
“You don’t know me.”
“I’m going to learn. I told you attraction is the first level. I’m going to make my way through the rest.” He stroked up my back into the heavy fall of my hair. “Am I allowed to touch your hair?” He gentled his touch.
Surprised, I arched a brow. “Maybe this isn’t your first rodeo with women of color.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Any woman with a blowout like this can skin a man if they fuck it up.”
I went on my toes, because dammit I couldn’t resist him. I bit his lower lip. “I like a good hair pull.”
He gathered a handful and pulled just enough to cause a tiny lick of pain. “Good to know.” He pulled again until my head tipped back, and he could get to my neck. He dragged his nose along the column and down to the hollow of my collar bone. “This whole closet smells like you. Like cookies warm from the oven and my favorite bourbon.”
I swallowed down a groan as he went lower to the tops of my breasts before making a return trip up, relaxing his hold on my hair.
“Write up your paperwork. Whatever it is that makes you feel safe.”
Staggered by the change in conversation, I stared at him. “What?”
He buttoned up his shirt. “Whatever it is you need to get rid of those chains your grandmother put on you. Make it happen.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Good.” He took the hoodie from me and stretched the neckline to get it over my head. I automatically slid my arms into the sleeves. He pulled my hair out and settled it over my shoulders. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I followed him out of the closet and down the stairs.
“Make sure I hear that lock after me.”
“You’re awfully bossy.”
“Protective.” He paused at the door. “Very protective.”
My heart rate still was living at marathon levels when I locked up and finished cleaning up the kitchen. I put the rest of the bread in the cute little bag it came in. At least I had the fixings for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Then I’d need to actually do some shopping.
By the time I shut off all the lights and got upstairs I was a little more even.
Only a little, because this was way more than I expected when I asked Cam to help me out.
I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.
Chapter 7
Cam
As it turnedout Maxie’s paperwork was going to take some time.
Lawyers didn’t like to be rushed. Especially ones from Georgia.
I busied myself with the roster of jobs that was always on the books. Every night, I went over to the Delacroix house and found out some new idea Maxie had for the bed and breakfast.
We christened a few of the rooms, but the minute the sweat dried on our skin I got distracted by how much work needed to be done. It was going to take a big crew to do this.
Maybe even bigger than we had access to.
Since we had more jobs than we could juggle, this might be out of our wheelhouse. I started researching on my own for people in the area who specialized on old home renos.
As much as I wanted the job for our company, I knew when we were over our head.
But I’d make sure she was set up. And that I was helping her every inch of the way.
