I’d never even been a guy who liked muscles all that much. But Luke’s body hotwired something in my brain that went straight to my cock.
“All right, so first, I’m going to need to you to help me carry my tools from the back of my truck.”
Right.
Tools.
I needed to have normal thoughts. Totally neutral thoughts, only about making bird feeders. That’s why we were here.
“How many tools did you bring?” I asked.
“Enough,” he said. “We’re going to need plenty of them.”
We made the first of many trips back and forth to the bed of his pickup, hauling all sorts of tools, big and small, then the wood and flowers. He set up a little place to work under the shade of one of the tallest trees in the yard, then got started on some part of the project right away. He took small pieces of wood and arranged them in a shape that quickly formed a tiny little gazebo, about the size of a big shoebox.
“So this is going to be more like a little… house for the birds? A place for them to hang out?” I asked.
“The center is going to have the birdseed,” he said, focusing on the structure.
“I see.”
“And then the birds can hang out on these ledges. And when we’re done, we’ll put it on a beam, and then your kids will have a cool little birdseed gazebo on a post.”
“They’re going to love it,” I said.
He peered up at me, shooting me a quick glance from under his thick lashes. “What are you going to tell them?”
“Huh?”
He was silent for a moment. “The bird feeder. Are you just going to say you bought it?”
“Oh,” I said, realizing quickly what he meant. “No, I’m not going to lie to them.”
I really hadn’t even begun to consider that part of the equation.
“Maybe you can tell them you made it,” Luke suggested.
I puffed out a laugh. “My kids know I can’t make anything this elaborate,” I said. “Chloe makes fun of me for it, actually.”
“They know you well.”
I breathed deep, scanning the big empty yard. It was midday now, and birds swooped from tree to tree, angling down as they went down the sloping hill toward the creek below.
“I’ll tell them my friend built it,” I said. “Simple, right?”
“I didn’t know you’d be willing to even tell them that,” he said.
I waved him off. “Of course I can tell them I have a friend. I just…”
“Don’t know how to tell them anything else, right now?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s hard. I don’t even know what I want right now, you know?”
“Other than doing one thing a day that scares you,” Luke said, giving me a small smile.
“Fuck yes,” I said.
“Well then, get down here and help hold these so I can put in a screw.”
I crouched down and helped Luke. We continued on, putting together more and more pieces of the structure until it really began to take shape as an object. It all seemed so simple, each little step not complicated at all. But before long, I was amazed at how good it looked, how professional and impressive it was that this entire idea had come from Luke’s head.
After about an hour I stood up, admiring what we had done so far. He held it up in the light, turning the little bird gazebo in his hands.
“Not bad, huh?”
“Incredible,” I said. “You’re a magician.”
We were still under the shade, but the sun was out in full force now, heating up the whole yard. I took off my cardigan and folded it, draping it over the railing on the big deck behind us.
“Was wondering when you were going to take that thing off,” Luke said. “Hot as hell back here.”
“You’re hot as hell, because you’re working,” I said. “I mean—you probably feel hot as hell. But you also look hot. Obviously.”
There I was again, with no filter on my damn mouth.
He had a wicked grin on his face. “It’s okay. Call me hot again. I’ll take all the compliments you want to give me.”
I could feel a blush coming over my cheeks. “Please, Luke,” I said. “You obviously know you are.”
“I’m what?” he said, teasing.
“Hot as hell,” I said, looking him up and down, the slight sheen of sweat making his skin look like it was glowing. “Hot as fuck, actually.”
“I like you watching me work,” he said.
“Hey, I’m not just watching,” I said. “I helped. A little.”
“You did help,” he said.
I licked my lips. I knew he was just teasing me, but it was true that I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes off of him all day. The lines that went from his lower abdomen down past the waistband of his jeans were ridiculous. He looked like a goddamn rugged wet dream.
“Howdy!” a voice came from behind me, and I jumped a little, startled.