Page 30 of Indecent Lies

She took a step back, “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were busy, I’ll come back, Tait.”

It was the other man who spoke and his whole face changed when he flashed her a grin … wow, the handsome just bloomed right there as if by magic.

He lost at least 40% of his scariness.

“Hey, babe. No need to go on my account. Just dropped by to see this fucker.”

She sent her gaze to Tait, checking that he minded if she was there. She got nothing from his low-lidded glance so she let her eyes drop down his body. He was wearing a white thermal, sleeves rolled up and low riding sweatpants and both forearms were splattered with paint, some even dotted in his black hair.

It didn’t make her trampy that she was at the altar not long ago but lusting for a new man now, or perhaps it did, but she had no real deep down feelings of that nature for Ronnie. He didn’t make her tummy flip over. His voice never sneaked into her dreams to whisper crude things to her. And if Ronnie had been splattered in paint, she was positive she wouldn’t be turned on by the sight of it.

Tait’s eyes didn’t look anywhere but at her, so she stayed in the doorway.

“Poppy, this is Snake. Ignore anything he says, he thinks he’s funny.”

“Bitch, I am funny, you’re just jealous,” the snake man told Tait. “You sure you wanna shack up with this guy, babe? He’s come back to town like a mountain man. Hand to God, I thought it was a burglar when I clapped eyes on him, not even wearing a tie, look at the fucking fluff growing on his face.”

This made her lips twitch at the edges and she lost some of the tension in her shoulders.

“He bought me, so I’m obliged to stay,” It was good to see she could shock Tait, when his eyes flared. The snake guy choked on a laugh, maybe he thought she was joking too. “I just came to tell you my good news, I got a job!” she announced. Tait’s eyebrow inched up into his hair. “Yeah?” He asked.

“It’s just a couple of days a week to start. It’s in the bakery on main.Sweets by Paige. The girl is so nice and offered me the job right away. I’m so excited, Tait.”

Both men looked at each other. And then at her.

“You got a job at Paige’s bakery?”

“Yeah, that’s her. You know her?”

Tait hunched down to stir paint, giving a noncommittal grunt, it was the other man who spoke. “Yeah, babe we know Paige, she’s married to our brother.”

“Your brother,” Tait said quietly.

“Oh,” that took some of her excitement from her voice seeing how Tait reacted. “I didn’t know. I don’t have to take it, Tait.” His head came up, as if he couldn’t believe she’d say it. She smiled at him. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it, I’m frozen and want to head up. Bye.”

She heard the deep voice of Tait’s friend as she took the stairs and then Tait’s laugh.

God, that noise, it shot through it.

He sounded like all the good dreams a girl could ever have.

Honest to God, she wanted him and she didn’t know what to do about it, because he’d shown more arousal for the limp lettuce on last night’s tacos than he did looking at her.

The length of time didn’t matter, she thought, as she hung up her coat in his apartment and felt the heat envelop her when she kicked off her shoes.

Surprise attraction always came thick and fast where Tait was concerned, he’d held a piece of her for most of a decade, even before that she’d hero worshipped him and nothing about these last few days told her that those feelings had gone away.

Did she come to Colorado seeking out more than a safe haven? She couldn’t answer that. Because the answer was all caught up in her mixed emotions with the whole mess that was her life.

She could say she sought him out for a reason.

And that reason had everything to do with her heart ramming up against her rib cage.

She wanted him.

And she started to wonder about the reason he didn’t want her, and why he stayed away from New York… was it because he was still in love with Addison?

* * *