Page 20 of One Touch

“I’m posting that one.”

I dropped my hands. “I’m sure you are. Now get down.”

Kate didn’t listen. She never did.

Instead, she surveyed her work and, with a satisfied little nod, held the brush and small jar of paint as she navigated down the unsteady ladder. That damn ladder wasn’t even one of mine, so who knew where she got it from.

I held the sides of the ladder still as she took tentative steps down. Within moments, her ass was inches from my face. An ass I’d spent an embarrassing amount of time focusing on as I jerked off in the shower.

What a scumbag.

Kate stopped and pulled me from my self-loathing. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t kill yourself.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“That may be true, but if you die or break a leg, I’m sure I’ll hear about it from your brothers.” I inelegantly grabbed her by the hips and lifted her off the ladder before she stepped on the rung that was nearly cracked in half.

“Hey!” she fussed when I plopped her on her feet.

My hands burned from where they’d sunk into her plush hips. I took a step back and wiped them together.

Kate pointed up at the six squares of paint she’d put up on the side of the house. “What do you think?”

I glanced up. “None of them.”

She shook her head. “You have shitty taste.”

I snorted.Look at who you spent six years in a relationship with.

I pointed up at the paint samples to make my point. “None of those colors are reflective of the traditional coastal palette.” I stared down at her as I jabbed a finger toward each color. “That one is too yellow. That one has gray undertones that will lean purple in the wintertime. That one is too cool for the landscape. The middle two are close but not quite the right saturation.”

Kate looked between me and the swatches she had painted with a frown.

Satisfied that I had won that little round of sparring, and since Kate was safely planted on the ground, I stomped back toward the front of the house.

Kate followed me, paintbrush still in hand. “Well, are you going to help me pick one?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Let your little internet friends decide.”

She shot me a glare before stomping up the porch steps like a child. Before I could call out and tell her I’d found another weak board, she stumbled. Her paintbrush clattered, splattering paint on the graying wood, and I snagged her upper arm to catch her from falling.

Her soft skin was warm under my palm, and my other arm wrapped around her rib cage as I righted her. Two inches higher and I’d have a handful of my best friend’s little sister’s tits.

I pulled my hands away. “Watch where you’re walking,” I growled.

Her cheeks were flushed.

Fuck, she’d felt it too.

“Fix this stupid porch!” The fire in Kate’s eyes was enough to have my dick springing to life.

I fought a smirk. “Is that all?”

With a huff, Kate slammed the door behind her, and I lost the fight against that grin.

EIGHT

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