Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
"No, really, I'm fine. Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Sure. Hey, you want some help? Looks like you've got a lot to do. I've got nothing going on today, so if you need someone to unload stuff and move some furniture, I'm happy to do it." He holds out his hand to me, and it takes a minute for me to process that he wants to shake hands. His palm dwarfs mine when I finally accept it, and his skin is warm. "I'm Cam Shelton, by the way."
"Kelly Davidson." I clear my throat, feeling like a complete and total dork.
He smiles, and that just makes him even more handsome. He's got a smile that crinkles his eyes and softens the harshness of his face, and I can't help but smile back at him. "Welcome to the neighborhood. Now, let's get the rest of this stuff unloaded, and then you can get settled."
There's something about his Southern drawl and his immediate offer to help that leaves me reeling. Accepting help from a stranger, no matter how tall, dark, and handsome he is, should be a big no-no for a 21-year-old girl living on her own for the first time, but before I can tell him I don't need any help, he's carrying two boxes up the porch steps and inside.
I have to swallow, my mouth suddenly dry at the sight of his butt flexing in his jeans as he ascends the stairs. Something clenches low in my belly, and I feel a dampness between my legs that is totally new. I know I'm already flushed from heat and exertion, but if I weren't, just seeing Cam would be enough to turn me beet red.
This isn't normal, right? To have these feelings just from meeting a guy for the first time?
Maybe, maybe not. I don't have much experience with men. My last boyfriend was during high school, and we were together for less than a month. There was some kissing, but nothing else. Since then, I've just been too busy with college and work and everything else to even consider dating.
My only experience with men in college was a negative one. I somehow gained a stalker, a man named Frank, who was a teacher's assistant in one of my classes, and he freaked me out enough to put me off dating forever.
This guy, my new helper? Maybe some modifications to my no-dating lifestyle can be made for someone like that.
I've been standing on the ramp like a total idiot, and Cam turns and looks at me, raising his eyebrows. "Everything okay?"
"Yes!" I say, quickly picking up another box and hurrying after him.
I can't deny that having him here is a huge help. It means that my whole kitchen is unloaded within the next twenty minutes, and my bedroom furniture is in the bedroom without much effort at all. He's quiet while we work, and I try not to stare at him or ogle him, but I fail pretty miserably. I keep getting caught, and Cam keeps flashing me a grin, which is equal parts disarming and devastating.
Once the truck is empty, I snag us both bottles of water from the fridge and find Cam on the porch. He's leaning against the wooden railing, taking a breather, and when he lifts the hem of his shirt up to mop his forehead, revealing a tan six-pack lightly dusted with dark hair, I think I'm going to need several breathers to recover.
"Thanks," he says when I hand him a bottle, and he twists the cap off and drains it. He's not wearing a wedding ring, so it seems safe to assume he's single. "It's nice to see someone has bought this place with the intent to live here and not just to flip and sell, and I don't mean to assume, but are you living in this big old place alone?"
I nod and open my water bottle. It's a little embarrassing, and I'm afraid he's going to judge me, but I tell the truth. "Yeah. It's my first house."
"And your first time living on your own?"
"Yep."
He raises an eyebrow. "No starter apartment for you, I see. Jumping right into home ownership."
"It's a lot," I admit. "But I've always wanted to have my own place, and it was now or never. My mom thinks I'm being stupid, and she's not wrong. This house is a little bit of a fixer-upper, but the price was right, and it's got a nice yard. Plus, it's close to where I'll be working in the fall."
"Ah, so you've got a job lined up and everything, huh?"
"I've got a job lined up at the local elementary school as a kindergarten teacher."
"Impressive," he says, sounding surprised. Cam looks me over slowly, and I have to take another drink of my water to hide how much his gaze affects me. "I think you're going to make a fine neighbor, Ms. Davidson. Don't hesitate to come ask if there's anything you need. I only work part-time these days, and I've always done all my own repairs, so I'm good with my hands."