Page 37 of Running Risk

CLAYTON: NOW

“Mr. Daniels, I have a model rendering I need you to look over and give your thoughts on when you get a chance,” Marge says from her desk across the room.

“Again, it’s Clayton or Clay.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Send it to me, and I’ll take a look.” As soon as Marge started working here, she fit in.

She’s made my life easier, but the only problem is how professional she is.

It’s awkward showing up to work in jeans when she’s in a pantsuit.

How do I tell a woman to tone down her wardrobe?

The answer—I don’t. I’ve learned it's never a good idea to tell a woman how to dress.

“Yes, Sir.”

I sigh. This isn’t the first time we have had this conversation, and it definitely won’t be the last from the looks of it.

Her design choices are similar to Rylee’s, which made it easy for Rylee to show Marge everything.

They gushed over each other’s work, and I sat back and felt completely out of place in my own office.

I wasn’t looking forward to Rylee not working here, but I knew finding someone more permanent was essential for keeping my customers happy.

I take a sip of my coffee as Avery waltzes in the door. “Hello, beautiful people. Margey, you are looking exceptional today.”

I watch Marge turn every different shade of red as she tucks her chin, looking down toward her desk. “Avery, stop it.”

Shaking my head, I click on my mouse, deleting emails until I reach the ones I have to address.

I miss seeing emails from Rylee, even if they were work-related.

It felt like we were constantly talking, and now I’m struggling to find reasons to see her.

Going to her house this morning was a spur-of-the-moment decision I made while I was half asleep.

I had a dream about her, and when I woke up and she wasn’t in my bed, I threw on the first clothes I grabbed and headed for her house.

Finding that she was well-rested was my own type of torture because it showed I was alone in not being able to get her out of my mind.

Getting to feel her against me at the start of my day was exactly what I needed, and I want to figure out a way to make it a daily thing.

We don’t have plans or an agreement for how often this benefits thing will work, but I plan to take full advantage of it.

Avery sits down in the chair across from me, folds his fingers, and places them behind his head. “So how’s bossman?”

“Busy,” I say in a clipped tone.

He smirks. “Clearly.” He clicks his tongue, looking around the office while I stare at my computer. “How’s Rylee?”

My eyes jump to him. What does he know? Rylee and I were friendly at the bar that night, but I haven’t told him anything that’s happened after.

Especially not unless I want the whole town to know.

He would probably shout it from the construction site.

“Why?” I glance at Marge, wondering if she’s listening too.

This is the problem with sharing an office, she’ll hear everything.

I don’t know if I like that thought, especially since Avery says whatever’s on his mind, good or otherwise.

A smile pulls on his mouth, and I know nothing good is about to come out of his big trap.

I fold my arms across my chest. “Don’t you have work to do? ” I lift an eyebrow.

“That can wait.” He brushes me off. “You haven’t told me about Rylee.” He leans back further in the chair, putting his feet on the edge of my desk, crossing at the ankles.

My eyes narrow. “Marge, will you put an ad out for a new construction site manager? It seems I’m firing my current one.” Marge turns toward me, shock written across her face.

Avery holds his hands up and gets to his feet. “Alright. Got it. Touchy subject.” He chuckles as he walks toward the door. “I’ll get back to work, bossman.” He winks at Marge, and I grunt, turning my attention back to my computer.

“Um, Sir?” Marge asks quietly.

“No, I was not serious,” I answer the question I know she’s about to ask. She may be married, but I know she enjoys Avery’s flirting.

She smiles. “Thank you.”

The day crept along at a snail’s pace, and I’ve never been more ready to leave.

My fingers thrum on the steering wheel of my truck while I wait for the light to turn green.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I stretch my leg to fish it out.

Seeing Rylee’s name flash on the screen, I press the green button.

“Hello?”

“Clayton?” Rylee yells into the phone.

My body tenses hearing her frantic tone. “Are you okay?”

“There’s water everywhere. I can’t get it to stop, and the valve under the sink is stuck. Please come!”

I turn on my blinker and swerve into the turning lane. “I’m on my way. Get towels.”

“Oh, thanks for that little tidbit. I didn’t think of getting towels out while water is spraying onto my cabinets, walls, and floors.”

I roll my eyes as I race down the road. “Be there in two.” I hang up the phone and press harder on the accelerator.

As soon as I pull in front of her house, Rylee flings her front door open and waves her arms frantically. “Get in here,” she yells.

I shake my head as I jog up her walkway, but I say nothing as I storm toward her house.

She looks sexy as hell standing there in wet pajamas.

I pause in front of her, and my eyes rake over her.

They are different pajamas from earlier, but not by much.

These green plaid boxer shorts are more worn, making them slightly see-through, especially when wet.

Her white baggy T-shirt is completely soaked, giving me a full view of her perky breasts, and my body freezes.

God, she’s perfect. She clears her throat, but my eyes continue their slow scan up to her face.

Wet hair has escaped her messy bun, sticking to the sides of her face and her forehead, but she still looks absolutely breathtaking.

Her mouth moves as she says something while waving toward her open front door.

I take a step toward her, then another, and another until my body barely grazes hers.

Her eyes are wide as she looks up at me.

Cupping her cheeks, I bring my lips to hers and kiss her softly, feeling her melt into me.

God, I don’t care if she only wants me for my body or to fix her leaky pipes, I want her any way I can have her.

My tongue trails across her lips, and she opens her mouth, allowing me to deepen the kiss.

Still holding her face in one hand, my other arm trails around her body, looping it across her back to press her into me more.

She gasps against my lips. This wasn’t what I had planned for the night, but seeing her standing there, looking the way she does, there was no way to keep myself from touching her.

Her hands rub trails up my stomach to my chest. I reluctantly pull away and watch her be the frozen one with her eyes still closed. I squeeze her hip.

“Hmm?” Her eyes flutter open, and I arch my eyebrow, waiting for her to remember what’s happening inside. The realization flashes in her eyes as she pushes against my chest. “Clay, the water.”

Holding the back of her neck, I plant one more kiss on her soft lips that I’m determined to kiss again later tonight before sprinting inside.

Whoa, her kitchen cabinet doors are all missing.

The living room is filled with piles of food and kitchen dishes, and utensils.

The water from the faucet is spraying a mist into the air, so not flooding.

Her tools are scattered around the floor, and I immediately know she’s not an organized DIYer.

It’s pure chaos, and I freeze, unsure how to proceed. I take a breath, then run back outside.

I run past Rylee, and her face pinches in confusion. “Where are?—”

Going to her well, I turn the valve to shut off the water to the house. I walk back to the house, and Rylee launches into my arms. I catch her, my hands grabbing under her thighs as she wraps her legs around me, and I walk us back inside.

“You did it!” she squeals. “With all the chaos, I forgot to just shut off the water to the whole house, not just under the sink.”

I chuckle, feeling her breath against my neck. I kick the front door closed behind me, and she hops down, walking into the kitchen. I watch as she looks around, sighing. The look of dread is written across her pretty, wet face.

“Will you grab a few towels from that bathroom?” She motions toward the hallway.

I come back with all the towels, and she’s already working on wiping down the walls.

I grab the ladder she has set up in the middle of the kitchen and begin on the ceiling area that’s only a little wet.

We work quietly in unison while her Spotify plays today’s top hits in the background.

Rylee sings the lyrics to “Florida” right along with Taylor, making it hard for me to keep my eyes off her swaying hips.

She rounds up all the damp towels and throws them in the washer, and I gather all the tools and put them in the empty toolbag tossed in the corner.

“Wow. It’s getting late.” She looks at the clock on her stove. Her clothes are mostly dry now, but she’s still stunning with her hair a frizz ball on her head.

“Yeah. I’ll get going.” I point my thumb over my shoulder toward the front door.

“At least let me buy you a late dinner as a thank you.” She laughs when I scan her clothes and arch a brow. “Doordash. Duh. I’ll grab the menus . . . if I can find them.” She walks into the living room, searching through all the papers on the different tables.

I find them on top of the cabinet below the TV and lift them up. “Here.”

“Ah.” She flips through the stack. “Only a few of these places are open at this time of night. Hm . . . it looks like pizza is our best bet.”

I nod.

“Grab a few beers from the fridge, and I’ll order.” She walks to her bedroom and comes out with her phone, clicking away on the screen.

I walk up behind her, peering over her shoulder. My lips ghost the shell of her ear, and her fingers hover without clicking anything else. “You know you’re not paying for this food.”

She whirls around. “Oh, yes, I am.” She pokes me in the chest, and I have to stifle a smile at how cute she is.

I grab her finger and shake my head. “No.” Bringing her palm to my lips, I place a kiss there, holding her gaze.

“I am . . . ” Her voice is less forceful.

I kiss her again on her wrist. “Nope.”

She nearly moans, then rips her hand out of my grasp, clutching her hair and walking away. “Clay, what are we doing? ”

I walk toward her again with her back still to me and grip her hips, pressing my dick against her round perfect ass.

I place a kiss right below her ear, and she tilts her head to rest it on my shoulder, giving me more access.

“What do you mean?” I pepper a few more kisses down the column of her neck.

She sighs. “You know what I mean. What are we doing?”

I turn her in my arms, making her face me.

Her big blue eyes search mine, and I know what she wants me to say.

She wants confirmation that this isn’t anything serious between us, so she doesn’t have to freak out, but I can’t tell her that.

I know what this is, and I’m just waiting for her to catch up.

Cupping her cheek, I snake my fingertips in the back of her hair and bring my other arm behind her back, pulling her against me.

“Do you want to know what you’re doing?” I kiss her softly, making her eyes flutter closed, then pull back and whisper, “Or do you want to know what I’m doing?

” I don’t give her a chance to respond. I kiss her harder, gripping her ass in my hand while I enjoy every moment of her mouth on mine.

One day, she’s going to pick up on how real this is for me, and I could lose her fast. I’ll be anything she wants me to be, but I’m not going to fake it and lie to her.

I won’t let go unless she truly wants me to.