Page 4 of My Kinda Kisses (Summer Sisters 1)

The home we’re going to build for them is going to be a big project. My plan is to combine my two crews into a singular unit while we complete the foundation and framing, though I haven’t ruled out keeping them both going on this one home for the duration of the project. As general contractor, I am also coordinating the installation of utilities, as well as new pipe work. The land they’re building on is completely bare. This project is going to be a great test of my capabilities, but I can’t wait to get it going.

It’s five when I pull into town, and remember that it’s Mrs. Hanson’s birthday. Groaning in frustration, it only takes me a second to realize that finding a gift at this point could be difficult. Many of the small mom and pop shops close down at five. Sure, there’s a Wal-Mart near the north edge of Jupiter Bay, but even I’m not stupid enough to try to find a gift for the woman who already has everything at Wal-Mart.

Spying the small flower shop in downtown, I pull into the first available parking spot and jump out. My watch reads five after five, and I say a quick prayer that I can catch the owner before she closes down for the night.

When I reach the door, I’m relieved to find it still unlocked and I push it open. A bell jingles above the doorway signaling my entrance.

The small shop is brimming with brightly colored flowers, lush green plants and small knick-knacky things that just collect dust. I’ve only been inside the place once–a long time ago when I was kissing Sara’s ass–but I’ve seen the owner around town. In a place like Jupiter Bay, you can’t help but run into someone you know everywhere you go.

Though I don’t really know her, she’s a striking woman. With long brown hair and deep green eyes, she’s a little bonier than I normally like. There’s nothing better than the delicate curve of a woman’s waist and the seductive arc where her lower back meets her ass. In fact, that’s my favorite part of a woman. It’s sexy as fuck.

Sara was slender. After the split, I couldn’t remember what in the hell I ever found attractive about her in the first place. She was salad-eating, stick-figure skinny with perfectly manicured nails and flawless skin. Her sleek black hair was always immaculate, and her brown eyes sparkled like chocolate diamonds. But her personality was in desperate need of a little work. Sara was a high maintenance bitch who was always out for number one. She was notorious for using people until she got what she wanted or toying with them to suit her game. Then she’d discard them.

Like me.

“Sorry, we’re closed.”

The woman’s voice draws my attention towards the counter in back. Taking long strides, I head towards the voice, determined to buy a bouquet before she can kick me out the door I just walked through.

“I understand that, ma’am, but I’m afraid I’m in desperate need of some flowers. I promise to be quick, take whatever you have already made up, and I’ll pay in cash,” I offer as I reach the counter.

The woman, who’s still showing me her back, is cleaning the work area filled with clippings of greenery and those little white flowers they stick in bouquets for whatever purpose they serve. Her hair is pulled up in a messy knot at the back of her head, revealing the long, slender column of her neck, and for some reason, it turns me on.

My eyes peruse leisurely down the back of her body. A crisp white dress shirt hugs her perfect hourglass waist, tight blue jeans mold flawlessly to long legs, and the swell of her ass is so damn enticing. Even through her clothes, I can see the divot at the base of her spine. The mental image is like a bolt of lightning straight to my dick.

“I said we’re closed,” she says while she spins around, the last word trailing off and almost inaudible as her eyes lock on mine.

Pale green eyes the color of dewed grass slam into mine so damn hard, the impact forces me to take a retreating step. I’m struck stupid, unable to process a thought let alone communicate words, as I gape back at her. The only thing that saves me from looking like a complete ass right now is that she appears to have the same reaction.

Her eyes hold my attention for what feels like hours. They’re expressive and stunning, even when they’re wide with surprise. While she continues to gape at me, I finally allow my attention to pull away from those intoxicating eyes. Smooth, silky cheeks with a hint of a pink blush. A mouth so alluring, lips too luscious for kissing that it’s suddenly all I can think about, all I want. To kiss this woman. I swear I could stare at those lips for days, and yet even then, it still wouldn’t be long enough.

“Can I help you?” she asks, barely above a whisper.

My gaze returns to her eyes just in time to catch her checking me out. She quickly skims me from head to toe, stopping at my chest on her way back up. She tries to be subtle, sure, but it’s futile. I catch her and make no attempt to hide my smirk. I’m a good-looking guy, I know, but there’s something about this woman that makes her appraisal that much more pleasing.

“I need flowers for a…friend,” I reply, intentionally adding a pause to my statement.

Green eyes slam back into mine as she takes in my words. “A friend?” she asks, trying hard to gather her wits. Unfortunately for her, I can still read how much our meeting has rattled her.

“Yep. A…friend. A good friend.” Again, I can’t help the quirk from the corner of my lips.

“Well, we’re closed.” Her façade slams back into place as she steels her back and stands to her full height. At six foot two, I still tower over her full five foot eight height. Her eyes harden, those gorgeous green eyes burning into my soul with a fierceness I’ve never experienced. Stubbornness radiates off her like a furnace, and I’ll be completely honest, it’s hot as hell.

I know the flowers are for my elderly neighbor, but it doesn’t stop me from toying with her. Her reaction to my appearance in the shop, followed by the change in her demeanor when I said they were for a friend, are both unexpected and arousing. I don’t know why, but I’m intrigued.

“I promise not to take too much of your time, but I really need some flowers. Don’t make me be that guy who shows up at her door tonight without flowers.” And with that, I give her the look. I’ve spent years perfecting it. Part puppy dog, part sexual innuendo. Throw in the full-wattage of my pearly white smile and burning, lustful eyes, and the results are always the same: she melts like warm butter.

Her eyes soften instantly, and I inwardly smile and mentally pump my fists in victory. She offers me a hesitant, shy grin before dropping her eyes to the cleaning cloth in her hand. “I guess I can sell you something as long as it’s out of the cooler,” she says before returning those eyes back to me.

For the second time since I arrived at the little shop, I’m rendered speechless. Those eyes. They draw me in and refuse to let go. I’m helpless, and that in itself leaves me a little unsettled. I’ve never felt this magnetic pull towards a woman before.

Beautiful women are everywhere. I’ve dated a handful and not exactly dated a few more. But this woman, she causes a different reaction entirely. Sure, my pants are three sizes too small right now, but it’s more than that. It’s in the way my heart rate elevates and my stomach tightens every time she looks at me.

“Though it really isn’t my style, I promise I’ll be quick.” I offer a little wink after my sexually-laced insinuation, and struggle to retain my laugh. Her eyes widen in shock and her breathing comes out in little pants. It instantly makes me think of other ways I’d love to make her pant.

Walking over to the cooler, there’s a dozen or so premade arrangements ready to go. Honestly, I don’t give a shit which one I get. Mrs. Hanson will appreciate any of them, but for some reason, I feel the need to draw out this first encounter, because if I know anything at all, it’s that this is just the first of many more to come. I’ll make damn sure of it.

“Which one of these do you think says friendly without commitment? The red roses are out, for sure, but what about these bright ones here? Do those give the impression that I love spending time with her day or night?”

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