They especially seemed obsessed with getting me paired off.
“Yes, she’s fucking hot,” I growled, ignoring the second part of his question. I sipped the last of my tequila and told Drake to fill it up again. “She’s beautiful,” I said glumly.
“But is she nice?” Whiskey asked, warming up to his topic as he sipped a beer. “That’s even more important.”
“Nice is not the right word,” Nick offered. “Feisty. I’d say she was feisty.”
“She’s nice,” I mumbled. “She just likes peace and quiet.”
I was still feeling guilty about Suzanna’s situation. She was stuck in that house. I could tell she didn’t have a lot of extra money. And the development was fucking with her income on top of it.
That’s if she was right about the plants not liking all the extra noise.
I took a big gulp of tequila after Drake refilled my drink.
Guilt, unrequited lust, and sore feelings. All of it was new for me. And I didn’t much like it.
Especially considering she wasn’t even the sort of woman I’d imagined settling down with. Sure, she was beautiful, but she was no shy little shrinking violet. She stood up for herself, and damned if she didn’t look good doing it! And she wasn’t all gooey-eyed over me either.
That’s what I want, I reminded myself. A shy, quiet girl who had eyes only for me. She would adore me and do whatever I asked, like strip down and ride my pole for hours. I wouldn’t have to torture myself like this, wondering what she wanted. I would know, instantly.
Life would be sweet and easy.
But the wildcat with the wavy hair? She was just an irascible itch that needed scratching. Not that I wanted to rush. I knew it would take time to get her out of my system. I’d be real nice to her in the meantime.
We’d both get what we wanted. I just had to be patient. I had time. With all the repairs her little house needed, I had time to turn things around. I could help her, assuage my guilt, and get the unwelcome lust out of my system.
And then get on with my life.
The image of Suzanna with her long, silky legs wrapped around my waist sprang to mind. She’d cling to me, grateful and eager to show me her thanks with that luscious body of hers. Her soft waves would tumble everywhere as I pulled her hair free and started undressing her. She would make soft, feminine sighs as I touched and tasted every inch of her delicious curves.
Things would get serious real fast after that.
I grinned suddenly and finished my shot.
“You leavin’?” Nick asked unnecessarily as I stood to go. I gave him a look and he shrugged. The man was impossible to embarrass. “Goodnight, Boss.”
I threw some money on the bar and nodded to Drake, Whiskey, and Kyle. I slapped Nick’s back as I headed out of the clubhouse.
I was ready for bed. I had a feeling I might dream about Little Miss Jean Shorts and I couldn’t wait.
Chapter 6
Suzanna
I squinted at my laptop, unwilling to pull my reading glasses out from under the fat tabby lounging at my makeshift desk. Somehow, the cat always found something vital to stretch out on. But I didn’t mind. She ruled the roost, and we both knew it.
The compost accelerator is more than I want to spend, but with it, I don’t need to buy even pricier organic fertilizers…
If only I were feeding more than one person, I would have more eggshells and coffee grinds, I thought to myself. Mac immediately sprang to mind. As if a guy like that would stick around for eggs and coffee in the morning. That was definitely not going to happen.
Nothing was going to happen, I reminded myself, mostly because he was not the type to stick around for eggs and coffee. Or cuddling. Or pillow talk.
No matter how sexy he was, it wasn’t worth the aftereffects of feeling used. I knew it would make things worse. I would end up feeling lonelier than before. Feeling empty.
Especially with him lurking around next door at a job site for the next five years. I groaned at the thought of all the extra traffic and noise. Five years of it! I closed my eyes and prayed for strength.
My fingers reached out to idly stroke Calliope’s jaw as I forced myself to focus.
Half an hour later, I was still trying to balance the books. I needed to juggle my expenses before reordering supplies. I was always doing that, calculating where I could afford a late fee and where I absolutely had to pay as quickly as possible. I looked up and frowned at the sound of a car pulling up the long driveway.
Mac won’t be here for half an hour, I thought to myself. If he even shows.