Page 19 of The Handyman

I closed my eyes to whip around and take a huge, gulping breath as blood drummed in my ears.

.“So, as I was saying…” Reece pressed his palm against my lower back to guide me down towards the chicken. “Chicken?”

“That’s disgusting.” I didn’t have alotof experience with guns— I’d never touched one, but my dad had one in the house growing up. Scrunching up my nose, I shook my head shortly as we walked away.

“Usually, it takes more to make them shit themselves.”

Cracking my eyes open, I glanced up.

Reece’s face twisted in thought. “It’s disturbing, though. I don’t know whether or not he was following you, but that guy’s way more dick than dude. You heard him call me a homewrecker, right? I wasn’t imagining that?”

“I heard it. Why do you think they’re a myth?” The smell died down by the time we reached the whole chickens, and I glanced back as some poor kid stood, miserable, where we’d just been. Clearly, someone had seen Brandon waddling out, holding his ass cheeks together, and a little, malicious giggle tickled my chest.

Brandon went on in a conversational tone, “Homewreckers imply the side piece has sole responsibility for ruining a relationship. If you’re looking for someone to fuck outside your marriage or whatever, it wouldn’t be the other person’s fault. I’m sure there’s actual people out there that destroy relationships for fun, but fucking someone else’s girlfriend means she was she was actively looking to step out. That’s not someone worth getting angry about, if you ask me.” He waved his hand in dismissal, as he held up my basket for me. “You aren’t anyone’s girlfriend and he’s delusional thinking rushing face first into a brick wall was a good idea.”

My mouth dried at this statement and I took my basket while Reece browsed the chicken drumsticks.What am I if not your girlfriend, then?But the question stuck in my tightening throat while I flexed my fingers around the basket’s handles.

14

Riley

“Here it is. Not very exciting, but I don’t have to pay for it, so. . .”

Glancing around Reece’s apartment, I hummed softly in acknowledgment. His place was basically an efficiency with stairs leading up to a loft bedroom. Setting the bags on the kitchen table, the open plan separated only by the flooring, I let my eyes wander. Carpet for the living room, tile in the kitchen, large windows and a small balcony to tie it all together.

All in all, Reece’s was a typical upscale New York flat, which wasn’t that surprising at all.

“If you want, Riley— I’m not working the rest of the week, so if you wanted to stay over, I can bring you to give Vanessa your resume sometime. Probably not tomorrow, though. The day after nights like this one are killer.”

I didn’t know when I went out tonight that Reece lived so close to me; just five or six blocks separated us. Turning my gaze to him as he started putting groceries away, I pursed my lips thinly as a faint anxiety curdled my blood. “Do you not want to date me or something?” I frowned as I leaned against the back of the sofa. “You said I wasn’t your girlfriend… what are we doing?”

Reece paused with a box of pasta halfway into a cabinet. “Uh, I thought it’d be more important to know more about you than just the two facts that you’re great in bed and have terrible parents before I asked you to hurl yourself into a serious relationship, honestly.” Deadpanned, Reece put the Angelhair pasta away to cross his arms over his chest and lean against the white marble counter. “Unless you wanted to do that, waste six months or so, and eventually get bitter if we find out we’re not really compatible outside the bedroom? Enjoying fucking you shouldn’t be confused with wanting to date you, Riley.”

“So, youdon’twant to date me.” I couldn’t help but be a tiny bit upset when Reece shrugged a little, and I pulled a face somewhere between irritation and relief. As glad as I was that he wasn’t pulling his punches, I still felt like all this time had been misleading. And not even because of him, but because I fucked up, called him all those weeks ago, and got it in my head that because he was nice, he was interested.

Man.

“That’s kinda the whole point of this. I enjoyed fucking you those few times before you went under contract, but that’s it. That’s all it was supposed to be. Obviously, things are different now. I don’t think spending a few weeks getting to know you before I ask you out necessarily means Idon’twant to date you. I just want to be sure that it’s gonna be worth my time.” Reece sounded coldly practical as he sauntered over to me.

Questions beat against the backs of my brain even as he cupped my chin so I couldn’t look away. His expression was serious. “I think one fool making assumptions is enough, don’t you, Riley?”

His cold reasoning tightened my chest, ramping up my heart rate as expectation gripped me in a vice. “You made a guy shit himself in front of me, but then went around and said I wasn’t your girlfriend. That’s some real mixed signals, okay?” I gave a shiver of disgust at the memory.

Reece caressed my chin with his thumb as he remained silent.

I shook my head and sniffed a shallow breath. “Maybe, I got ahead of myself, but…it’s not like I don’t have a reason. You said it yourself, you treat me different because you want me to like you.”

“I’m glad it’s working. The last woman I brought home ended up being amonumentalwaste of time and energy, not even worth the gas to pick her up. She had the full intention from the beginning of being a fucking bitch about it. So, yeah. I treat you how you deserve, Riley. Whether that’s construed as ‘different’ or ‘better’ is up to you. No one treats two people exactly the same. I wouldn’t grumble under my breath calling you a slave driving bitch of a boss, right?” Stretching his fingers to cup my cheek, Reece didn’t smirk at his question. His eyes narrowed to fine points on me, his palm dry and warm as he brushed my cheekbone tenderly. “Do you think you deserve less, Riley? Because that’s what jumping into relationships is…it’s less.”

“I-I would like to stay— if that’s okay with you.”

An affectionate smile stretched his lips, finally cracking the seriousness of his demeanor.

Sucking on my bottom lip, flames licked up my neck as Reece drew close. My heart fluttered against my ribs, and goosebumps washed down my arms and across my chest.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want you to say ‘yes’.” His lips brushed mine.

I gasped as shocks skittered along my cheeks. We’d never kissed on the lips— it seemed like such a silly thing, considering we’d had sex, but I couldn’t think on it, when he breathed his sultry request, “Stay, Riley.” So much promise vibrated in that whisper as Reece snuck his free arm around my waist. Every part of him was so close but still not quite close enough. His face distorted from the inch or less between us, but the desire blossoming in his eyes was crystal clear. The short bristles of his five o’clock shadow tickled my chin as his palm flexed against my cheek.