“H-Hey,” she managed to say, tearing her attention away from his abs. So, he was still starting over with her. They were playing that game. “Yep, that’s me.”
He offered her a sheepish grin. The golden glow of late afternoon played with his hair, highlighting the lighter places to an almost blond color. “I saw you from across the way and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you are when you smile.”
Her stomach twisted. It would be easy—so frigging easy—for her to
do what Lisa said. The wind blew her hair in front of her face, cutting off her vision, and she was grateful for that. Not seeing him made it easier for her to keep her head on straight. “Thanks. That’s very kind of you to say.”
“This might be too forward of me, but I was thinking of hitting a soup kitchen after this and serving some food.” He stepped closer, brushing a piece of hair off her cheek. “Would you like to come with me?”
Playing along, she pressed a hand to her chest and gasped. “But, sir, I barely know you.”
“We can fix that.” He gave her a once-over that should have set her on fire…along with her imagination. “Come with me.”
He was so frigging smooth. Ugh. Maybe she should just forget about why she didn’t usually date guys like Taylor. What’s the worst thing that could happen—?
No, Sam. Bad.
“All right, I’ll go with you.” She swallowed hard, putting her tools away in her toolbox and closing the lid. “I’ll talk to you later, Lisa?” she called, since her friend had moved to give them privacy.
Lisa nodded, watching Taylor from under her lashes. “Think about what I said, okay?”
Her cheeks heated. “Yeah.”
Taylor offered his arm, his toolbox in his other hand. Even though she didn’t want to touch him and tempt herself, she couldn’t think of a good enough reason not to, so she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. Despite his hard work, he still somehow smelled good. With that silky voice of his, he was a treat for the senses.
Not that she was interested.
“I meant what I said earlier.”
She ripped herself out of her unwanted thoughts. “About what?”
“Thank you for bringing me here. I feel bad it’s been so long.” He sighed, his forehead wrinkled. “It’s just hard sometimes. I work over fifty hours a week, and by the time I’m done—I forget how important it is to give back. Being a Big Brother to a kid isn’t enough.”
“You have a brother?”
He laughed a little. “No, I have a sister. But I sponsor a child through the Big Brother program. Bring him to sporting events and stuff. He loves the Bulls and idolizes Michael Jordan.”
Well, crap. His attractiveness multiplied by a thousand…again.
“Still, I should do more.” He smiled at her. “Thank you for reminding me. I plan on coming back next week to help some more.”
She swallowed. “Me too.”
“Maybe I’ll see you here, then?”
She shrugged.
“It could be our thing.”
She swallowed. Did he want a thing with her?
“What does Lisa want you to think about?” he asked as they walked, arm in arm, their steps matching perfectly.
“She said I should bring you home with me tonight,” she blurted out before she could change her mind and lie. “I told her it wasn’t gonna happen.”
He slowed his steps. “What? Why?”
“Why would I want to bring you home?” she asked in a rush, tightening her grip on her toolbox. “Or why won’t I?”