Page 8 of Alpha Bear Accountant (Shifters For Hire #2)

8

NIAM

I followed Todd to his place and parked in front of the old house that seemed more like a turn-of-the-century mansion than an accountant’s fixer-upper. It had great bones and would be gorgeous once it was done, but it was a big project, for sure. Though, I could see the appeal of taking on something so massive just for the challenge.

Evidence of his ongoing renovation projects was visible in every corner. The scent of sawdust mingled with fresh paint and drying grout and other things I couldn’t even name. I hoped that was good news for me and would make my own scent easier to mask. I’d managed to calm down a bit on the ride over, but it was only a matter of time with him around.

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all. Making decisions with a hard-on didn’t make for wise ones, that was for sure.

Once I started looking around, my years of training with my dad kicked in, and I went into plumber mode, ready to repay Todd through the trade that I’d always assumed I would take over when I was a boy. There was a lot I didn’t know about the trade, but this was an old house, and I was pretty sure I could manage most of what he’d need.

“Your home is amazing.” I clutched the ratty notebook I found in my car and flipped to a clean sheet. It had been filled with the scribbles and shorthand only I could decipher from my high school days. “This is gonna be fun to work on.”

Todd chuckled and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’m not sure if fun is the right word, but it’s definitely satisfying. There are only a few spaces I would consider to be done at this point, but I love being in them. Knowing I put in the work and turned it into a place I enjoy being in is enough to keep me going.”

“I bet.” I glanced at a beautiful rubber tree that was on a stand near the window. “You’ve clearly got a green thumb.”

“Not exactly, but that plant is pretty hearty. It’s stayed alive in spite of me.” He chuckled. “Here, let me give you the tour.”

Todd reached for me as if he were going to place his hand on my back, but he quickly pulled it back. “Um, after you.”

Somewhat disappointed not to have his hand on me, I went down the hall and into the family room. Todd pointed out what he had already done and what he still needed to do as we moved from room to room. Just like when I was a teenager helping my dad with quotes, I began jotting down measurements and notes. Not just for the plumbing work but for everything he was talking about. If nothing else, I could organize his project for him with the planning tool we used at the shop.

Being in that role helped me feel like I was helping Todd, too. That it wasn’t a one-way street. Sure, I’d hired him and there would be money changing hands, but it felt unbalanced, and this would help correct that.

In the kitchen, I found ancient piping that was in desperate need of replacement. Truthfully, I was surprised it wasn’t leaking in more places. “Galvanized steel?” I cringed and glanced up at Todd. Instead of looking at the pipes, he was looking right at me. My breath caught, and I swallowed hard.

“Is that bad?”

What? What was bad? It took a quick replay of the past few seconds to understand what he meant. “Yeah, it’s kinda bad. We don’t use galvanized steel anymore because it fails. We should replace all of it. But good news is, it isn’t wood.”

“That was a thing?”

“It was. You didn’t see any of that in your projects, did you?” There were probably some still in the walls, but I doubted any were still in use, though I heard the guys mention finding some in an old house, so who knew?

“No wood.” Todd nodded as he closed his eyes, pained by that news. “But yeah, on the galvanized, I think that’s true for just about everything in the house. I only had minimal repairs done because…beyond my skill set.”

We continued through the rest of the house and then ventured upstairs.

"Watch your step here." Todd gestured to a loose floorboard that I had already noted for repair. His deep voice stirred something primal within me as I jotted down his observations alongside my own. “Are you regretting your offer to barter yet?” He smiled, but I could see the insecurity in his eyes.

“Not at all. If I’m gonna call on you every week to help me update the software, I’m gonna owe you three houses’ worth of help. I’m getting the better end of this deal, for sure.” Business wise, I wasn’t sure that was true. But having an excuse to see Todd on an ongoing basis was definitely a major perk for me. “We will still pay what the agency quoted.” I didn’t want him owing them money for working for me.

He just stared into my eyes. “No need. I’m getting a pretty good deal out of this as is.”

That same anxious feeling I had in the office washed over me in a flash. My whole body felt like it was on fire and slick began seeping down my thighs. "Um, have you noticed the leaky sprinkler head outside?" I knew the answer before he shook his head, and I was already walking toward the front door.

"Can't say I have." A sheepish grin stretched across his rugged features as he followed behind me.

"Water's a precious commodity, ya know." I walked straight to the soggy patch of grass I’d noticed on my way in and tapped my foot in the mud with a sense of purpose. "Not only is this being wasted, but it’ll drown your lawn and keep your foundation constantly wet, and that’s a whole different mess."

“It will?” Todd crouched down to get a better feel for his soggy grass. When he looked up, he was right at my cock level, and I had to take a few more steps back. “I guess we need to add that to the list.”

I glanced at my watch and was happy to see that the hardware store was still open. “I can fix this for you. We just need a new head today.” The distraction was welcome. His sprinkler was something I could fix easily enough. I’d done it a hundred times before and wasn’t nearly as complicated as lust and slick and sexually harassing the accountant I’d hired to fix my company. “I’ll run to the store and be back in a few minutes.”

“No, wait.” Todd reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me before I ran to my car. “I have some random stuff stashed away in the garage. The sellers left it, and I think there might be a few sprinklers in there.”

“Let’s have a look.” I followed behind, making sure I was downwind of Todd when we entered his garage. With the large door open, I felt confident I’d be fine as I rummaged through the clutter. I pulled out several things including pipe tape, a few washers, and a brand-new sprinkler head that was exactly what I needed. “Bingo! I’ll have that leak stopped in a jiffy.”

I kneeled on the soft earth and lost myself in the task. "Good as new." I sat up from my crouched position.

"Thank you, Niam. I wouldn’t have even noticed that for months.”

My stomach decided to pick then to rumble loudly. I was mortified but kinda hungry, so I played it off with a laugh. “Well, I seem to have worked up an appetite.”

“Can I buy you dinner?” Todd nodded toward his front door. “There’s a great Thai place that delivers.”

The right thing to do would’ve been to decline and head home. I was toeing a line, and it was best to take a step back. But did I? Nope. Instead I asked if there was a place I could clean up a little before it arrived.

After rinsing off as best I could, I joined Todd on his back porch. We got to know each other over a yummy meal of Pad Thai, green curry, and fried rice. It was one of the nicest dinner dates I’d ever been on.

Except, it wasn’t a date. I didn’t like reminding myself of that reality, but I couldn’t ruin my business arrangement with Todd because I wanted more than that. My business needed him more than I did. Maybe.

If he had noticed my attraction in the office, he’d done a great job ignoring it, and I was grateful. This was better. Mixing business with sexy times when an audit was on the horizon was asking for trouble.

The sun was nearly gone on the horizon, and as much as I hated it, I knew it was time to leave. But there was one more question I had to ask. The question that seemed appropriate in his home and over dinner. “Can I ask you something before I head out?”

Todd cocked his head, and his brow furrowed. “Of course. Anything.”

I cleared my throat, not sure how to bring up the topic that had always felt taboo, even though it was clearly part of the mainstream now. “Um, you’re a shifter, right?”

He grinned. “Yep, I am.”

“May I ask what kind?” Why was I so nervous?

Now his smile covered his whole face. “I’m a bear shifter. Grizzly, to be precise.”

My jaw slowly dropped as I processed his words. “A grizzly…”

“But don’t worry, Niam. I’d never hurt anyone…” He placed his hand on my knee, and my eyes immediately snapped up to his. “Especially not you.”

“I know. Not for a single second did it cross my mind that you might.”

”I mean it.”

I nodded, but my mind was going in ten different directions and I needed some space from Todd so I could think. “Okay, so, do you want to take tomorrow off and start up again later in the week or do you want to meet up again at ten? I don’t know your schedule at work work.”

His lips were pursed, but he just took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Ten is good for me. Do you want another hot chocolate?”

Some of the tension I’d been feeling drained out of me, but I was still…unsettled. “You bring the hot chocolate and I’ll bring breakfast burritos.” Now that I knew he was a freakin’ bear, I wasn’t afraid that he wouldn’t like what I chose. Bears would eat anything. Or was that pigs? I sure as shit wasn’t going to ask him that. He seemed to like the idea, so I went with it didn’t matter which animal that was.

"Great, then I’ll see you tomorrow, Todd." I stood up and headed around the side of his house.

"Good night, Niam."

Once I was home, my mind went straight to the list of things that needed to be done at Todd's house. Many of them were beyond my expertise, so I called Andrew, my best plumber and my dad’s right hand for so many years. That man could work miracles with pipes and silicone, and if there was anyone who could help me honor my debt to Todd, it was him.

He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, boss. Everything okay?”

"Yeah, but I’ve got a special job for you. It won’t be billed through the normal channels, but you’ll still get paid, obviously."

"Sure thing, boss." Andrew was always ready to help, with no questions asked. "What's the damage?"

I read off the list of things he could do, detailing each issue so he knew what I was asking him to finish. From the area in the house with no water to the pipes that would all need to be replaced to the shaky guest toilet upstairs, everything I mentioned was met with a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Consider it done." Andrew was probably already planning a list of his own. "I'll drag Michael along. We'll squeeze it in between jobs."

I knew I could count on him. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"Don’t mention it, boss. We want this company to survive just as badly as you do. We’ve got you."

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I was grateful Andrew couldn’t see me. “I know you do. Have a good night.”

Knowing Todd’s house was in capable hands helped ease my mind long enough for me to relax a bit. I’d given Andrew some of the work, but there was still a long list of things I wanted to do myself.

Something in me just needed to spend more time in Todd’s home.