Page 11

11

ARLO

“Going somewhere?”

Kalen had just arrived, his tool belt on his sexy hips making me consider calling in sick. He eyed my dark slacks and pink shirt with a tie slung loosely around my neck and a jacket flung over one shoulder.

“It’s an office day.” I did a 360 with my arms outstretched and added a butt wiggle, hoping he’d comment. “Do I pass?”

He quirked a brow, and his lips parted. The tip of his tongue poked between them. “You look good enough to eat.”

Damn! Slick coated my ass. Did I have to change my pants? Nah, I had a spare set of clothes at the office.

“Wish I could stay, but there are muffins in a tin on the kitchen table.”

Today he was working inside, so he had free rein in the house. Stephen’s words echoed in my head, but they were worthless because I trusted Kalen.

Now that we’d exchanged pleasantries, there was nothing else to do other than wave goodbye, but we’d been on a date and shared a kiss, so did we air kiss? Hug?

I shuffled awkwardly and shifted my backpack from one shoulder to the other. But Kalen took the initiative and pecked me on the cheek. I would have preferred he’d shoved his tongue down my throat, but that would have resulted in me dashing back into the house and changing before I left. No way could I sit in a puddle of slick until I reached the office.

“Bye.” I hummed as I drove to work, my mind already on returning home to Kalen.

My phone dinged as I walked into the office. A pic of Kalen with Princess. She was doing well, and I crossed my fingers I could transplant her when she’d sprouted roots.

More pics arrived at intervals of one hour showing the progression of his repairs. He was adorable, and it was just as hard concentrating on work in the office as at home. But I’d been called in because the big boss was in town for a few days, so I was attending meeting after meeting.

I wasn’t sure about meeting statistics regarding how useful they were, but today’s were a bust. The boss could have conducted them online and saved his time and the company’s money.

There was a dinner scheduled for tomorrow that I had to attend, but after being held hostage in the office until six, I escaped, hoping Kalen hadn’t left.

“Please let him be there,” I chanted as I drummed my knuckles on the steering wheel. I screeched around the last corner, burning some rubber, and hoped my elderly neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, who lived in a huge house on a sprawling piece of land, wouldn't see me. He’d stuff a note in my letterbox telling me to drive more carefully.

But the gate was open and Kalen’s pickup was in the yard, parked off to the side, allowing me to drive in. I’d texted when I was in the parking garage, and he was in the habit of opening the gate for me.

“Come and see what I did today.” He grinned and beckoned me into the house.

“Wow!” The ceiling was pristine, and he’d be painting it tomorrow. He was almost done. There was a sinking feeling in my belly because I’d grown used to seeing him every day. “You’ve done so much.” He needed to slow down, maybe take a sick day.

“Thanks.” He wiped his hands on a rag. “I should wash up.” He headed outside to use the hose.

I ran after him asking him if he needed oil. He gave me a look, and I clarified that I was talking about the paint removal.

My mind worked frantically, thinking of other jobs that needed doing around the house. But a leaking faucet and a squeaky gate wouldn’t keep him here for long.

“I want to reward you for your hard work.”

Again with a look from Kalen. Did he think I was talking about sex?

“Dinner.” I refused to fall to my knees and beg, but my body was humming with feverish energy. If I continued buzzing, I might need to see a doctor.

“That’s kind of you. But you don’t?—”

With a finger on his lips to keep him quiet, I replied, “I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”

Kalen slid a hand over my ass and squeezed it. Desire rippled over my body, and both my hands and feet tingled. “I’d love to, but I’ll help.”

I placed a hand on his chest and giggled. “Did you think you were going to sit on your butt and watch me cook?”

“Hmmm. Maybe. Isn’t that what you do when I work?”

“What? No? I have my head down, ass up, my fingers tapping at the keyboard.”

“Oh, really. Guess I owe you an apology. I could have sworn you were peeking at me through a window, around a corner, from the shed, and even from the attic.”

Damn. I had been spying on him, and he’d never let on that he’d seen me.

“I’m taking the fifth. Don’t want to incriminate myself.”

He smirked and nodded.

“Do you eat chicken?”

“Sure. I eat a lotta red meat, but I like me some chicken.”

I made a mental note to cook beef for him next time. And despite telling Stephen I wasn’t going to create a pros-and-cons list—and I still wasn’t—I did keep notes on what Kalen liked and his skill set, including his love of the dark and hiking as well as his enhanced eyesight.

“Come on.”

When we got inside, I tied an apron around his hips, making sure to pull it tight as I leaned in close, less than an inch between us.

“Sounds about tight,” he purred as he glanced over his shoulder and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

I washed my hands and Kalen did the same, even though he’d washed his outside. After seasoning the chicken breasts, I boiled water for pasta and turned on the gas burner.

“Chicken or pasta? Which do you want to be responsible for?”

He closed one eye. “Hmmm, I might burn the chicken or cook the pasta too long so it falls apart into a gluggy mess. Decisions, decisions.”

I nudged him. “You do either and you’ll be ordering dinner for both of us.”

He chose the pasta, and asked if he could toss a strand against the kitchen tiles to check if they were done.

“No, maybe taste one instead.” Much as I fancied Kalen, I didn’t want to clean off sticky pasta residue from the tiles.

With the chicken in the pan and the pasta bubbling away, I grabbed a jar of pesto sauce from the pantry. “Store-bought, sorry.”

“Hey, no criticism from me. Modern life is busy and we do what we can to get by.”

I wanted to do more than get by with Kalen. Falling into his arms and waking up beside him was what I dreamed of.

Kalen drained the pasta as I sliced the chicken. He combined the three ingredients while I made a quick salad. After adding basil leaves from the garden to the main dish, we sat down to eat.

“I could get used to this.” He twirled the pasta on his spoon using the fork and stuffed it in his mouth. “So good and yet so quick and easy to make.”

“That’s my motto. Quick and easy.”

“Does that cover everything in life or just food?” He winked and concentrated on stabbing a piece of tomato from the salad.

He was throwing me a curveball, and I wasn’t sure how to react. “There are some things that are better if they’re given some thought and done ever so slowly.”

A strand of pasta dangled from his mouth, and he sucked it while remnants of pesto lined his lips. I slammed my mouth shut to prevent chicken toppling onto the plate. That pesto needed cleaning up, and it was up to me to get the job done.

Picking up a napkin, I dabbed at his mouth. Would I have preferred to lick it off? Oh yeah, but having shared one kiss, we weren’t there yet.

Kalen clamped a hand on mine, and after removing it from his mouth, he flipped it and kissed my palm. Who needed food when his touch filled and nourished me? Though I’d like to be filled in other ways. I’d been lusting after him for weeks, and now I hoped some of my dreams would become reality.

“Delicious.”

He could have been talking about the food or me. Not sure how to respond, I said, “Dessert?”

“Mmmm.” He kissed along my arm, and goosebumps trailed after him. “I thought this was dessert.” My insides were already warm and gooey, but they melted as he spoke.

“Oh no. There’s a lot more on the menu.” He reached my shoulder, and I was trembling, my body running hot and cold.

“I can’t wait!”