Page 36 of Unbearable
He had just made it to his truck when he saw the front door swing back open. Edmund stood on the threshold with a smile. Something about it made a chill run down his spine.
He threw his truck in gear and raced away from the curb. There was no real direction in mind as long as he got away.Spending the next several weeks in that house was going to be miserable. Edmund had to have a job. He couldn’t possibly hang around all day. Could he?
He had worked in several of the large houses in the area, especially when he was starting out. None of those residents had even taken notice of him.
Fox was on the north side of the city before he realized it. He pulled over in front of the house he kept finding himself drawn back to every time. There was no reason for him to be parked here.
The sensible thing to do would be to head over to the one project he had on this side of town, but his sense of self-preservation seemed to be failing him more and more lately.
He was still debating what to do, when the front door opened and the one person he longed to see waved at him. It would be rude to drive away now he reasoned. Turning off the engine, he slowly slid from the driver’s seat.
“Perfect timing,” Bailey called. “I was just making some lunch. Care to join?”
“I would,” he answered. She led him through the house to the kitchen in the back. Never did she question why he kept showing up unannounced. She simply motioned at him to take a seat while she moved back behind the island.
“I hope turkey is okay. If not, I have peanut butter and jelly.”
“No, turkey is perfect.” He watched as she layered on meat, cheese, and plenty of vegetables on the sandwiches. “Mayo, please.” She smiled at him before smearing a healthy amount of the spread on his sandwich. When she set the plate in front of him it included a pasta salad, fruit, and chips. “This is better than any sandwich shop. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
They ate in silence for several minutes, but he could feel her watching him. No doubt she wondered what brought him to herdoorstep this time. If he was being honest with himself, there really wasn’t a reason other than he just wanted to see her. He had to tell her something, though.
“I’ve had the strangest day,” he finally said.
“Oh? Strange how?”
“We’re redoing this house in Boston, and the homeowner’s son is just creepy.”
“How old is he?” Bailey picked up a chip and popped it in her mouth before her gaze landed on his.
“Around my age, I’d guess. He’s just always there saying weird shit. Like, when I did the measurements for the bid, he just followed me around even though the designer was there. I’m sure it’s just my imagination, but I can’t help being weirded out. He makes my skin crawl.”
He watched as she slowly sucked the salt from the chip off her fingers.How did eating chips become so damn sexy?He moved his gaze back down to his plate to break the spell.
“I doubt it’s your imagination. If my gut tells me that something seems weird, it probably is. Maybe he has a crush on you.” He looked up, and she winked. “I get it. Guy like you, wielding a hammer, all sweaty and such. What’s not to like?”
“Yeah, okay.” He laughed. It was either laugh the comment off or throw her on the table and eat that pussy like a starving man. Laughing seemed like a safer option to him.
She had no idea what she did to him every time she talked like that. It felt a little beyond innocent flirting and a little dirty since he was with her sister. Still, he didn’t mind. Not at all.
“I made brownies,” she said, letting the subject slide. She stood and scooped up his plate.
“What sane man says no to a brownie?”
“Well, I’d hate to deny you your sanity.”
“I hate to deny you anything.” Her hands froze as she scooped some of the brownies onto a plate. Her soft brown gazemet his, and he swore he could see longing in them if only for a moment before she continued to plate the brownies. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Don’t be sorry,” she said, joining him again at the table. “I feel the same.”
“Shit.” He sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “What do we do about this?”
“I don’t know, Fox. But we can’t risk Ethan. If Brooke knew you were here, she would take him away from both of us, and we’re the only stable thing that little boy has in his life.”
“You’re right.” He scooped two brownies from the plate and stood. “I just don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending I want to be with her. I don’t know how much longer I can keep my hands off you.” He heard the small gasp she let out. “Somehow, I’ll figure this all out. I’ll find a way for us to be together with Ethan. If that’s what you want, that is.”
“It is,” she admitted. “But, until then, we can’t be together. We can’t even be seen together as friends. This,” she added motioning vaguely at the table, “can’t continue. It won’t end well. You have to understand.”