Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“Do you want to see it?” he asks in a deep voice.
My pussy tingles hot as my eyes dart up to his. “What?”
“Are you ready to see the damage?” he clarifies.
“Oh,” I say, feeling my neck getting hot. “Yeah. Sure.”
We walk over and I glance up at my home. The damage doesn’t look too bad. It’s bad, but it could have been way worse. Thank goodness I had that massive fire extinguisher. I guess I knew deep down that my kiln would be trouble, so I bought the largest one they had. It paid off.
“This interior and exterior wall is going to have to be changed,” he says as we walk around the building. The wood is still up, but it’s black and charred. It’s all going to have to be scrapped. “The supporting beams look okay though,” he says as he shows me. “So, you got lucky in your bad luck. It’s going to be mostly cosmetic. A few days work. Maybe a week, but we can get the interior done today. That’s a good thing, June.”
I look over the damage and am relieved that it’s not too bad. The barn was in worse shape when I bought it and started the renovations. I can do this myself, but I’ll probably hire a construction crew to get it done quickly, especially since the insurance company is going to be paying the tab.
I’ll have to remake all of the broken pottery pieces that I had stocked up, but at least it’s just broken clay and lost time. I can recover from that.
When I’ve looked it over, I cock an eyebrow and turn to Ethan. “I didn’t realize firemen come back to the scene to rebuild,” I say with a grin. “Quite the service in the Greene Mountains.”
This time, it’s his turn to blush. I stare up at him, marveling that I’m able to get this hot, muscular, firefighting, mountain man blushing.
“I felt… compelled to help you.”
“Compelled?”
He grins as I smile at him. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you all night. I had to see you again.”
Our eyes lock for a long, heated moment.
It’s too much and I have to turn away. If I keep gazing into those sexy blue eyes, I’ll melt.
“So…” I say, changing the subject before my body takes over and shamelessly leaps on this man without my consent. “What should we start on first?”
He heads over to the broken wood and rips off a piece. Just like that. His big hands breaking planks of wood like they’re made of styrofoam.
“I think we should clear the debris,” he says. “Throw it in the back of my truck and we can bring it to the disposal center.”
My lustful eyes are locked on him as he carries the wood to his truck and tosses it in. I love how every muscle in his torso tightens and flexes with every movement. It’s hypnotizing. I’ll never be able to focus with him around.
“We can stop by the lumber yard on the way home,” he says as he walks back. “I know the owner and can get you a deal. We can patch that hole in the ceiling and fix the wall until the construction crew starts. I don’t want any raccoons or rain getting in.”
“And what am I going to owe you for all this?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Dinner,” he says, stopping and standing still. “Let me take you out to dinner, June. My treat.”
I should negotiate. I should ask for more favourable terms. Some that I can think of… He must work shirtless. I get to massage those big broad shoulders at the end of the day. He has to let me touch his beard whenever I want. No questions asked.
But I don’t. I can’t stop myself from agreeing immediately.
“You got yourself a deal, Mr. April.”
He grins and my heart soars.
“Tonight,” he clarifies.
“You got it,” I say with a laugh. “But just so you know, all of my clothes reek of smoke.”
CHAPTER SIX
Ethan
“How long were you there?” I ask June as my truck rolls down the road—music playing through the speakers, the open windows filling the cab with fresh mountain air, the bed full of freshly cut wood.
“Three long years,” she says with a carefree laugh.
I glance over at her and my heart clenches. Her elbow is resting on the door, her leg propped up on the seat, amber hair loose and whipping in the wind. It feels so natural and right with her beside me. It feels like I’ve known her my whole life. I’ve never clicked with a woman like this before. I’ve never clicked with anyone like this before.
Her hands move as she talks. She’s so expressive and animated, like her whole body is involved in telling the story along with her. I could listen to her stories for the rest of my life.