Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
I chuckled. “I can’t believe I told you about my research.”
“You didn’t just tell me about it. You tried to enlist my help,” he snorted.
“I did?” Another hazy bit of memory broke through like a flashlight through the fog. “Oh, right. You knew Margaret O’Toole’s story.”
“Everyone’s heard it around here. Small towns hold on to good ghost stories.”
“Ghost? I didn’t realize there were any ghost s-sightings.” I rubbed my arms as if that might keep my teeth from chattering.
“There aren’t any that I know of, but—hey, you’re freezing. We can talk another time.” He backed away with his hand on the passenger side door.
My gaze lingered on the upholstered seat and just like that, I was transported in time with one hand on his hip and the other wrapped around his cock. I could practically hear our labored breathing and soft grunts. And damned if I didn’t pop a boner on cue. I clandestinely tugged at my sweats, but I had a feeling Joe knew where my mind had gone.
I stared at a crow circling above the bare branches of a maple tree on the corner to avoid peeking at his crotch. Christ, what a pervert. I hadn’t gotten laid since that night, and it showed.
But there was no screwing your handyman, right? Or did that matter?
Focus, Cameron.
I smiled, rubbing my palms for warmth. “When can you start?”
Joe arched a brow. “You sure you want me on the job? I can refer you to someone else. I don’t want to make this weird.”
“It’s not weird unless we make it weird. And we’re grown-ups. It happened and it was great, but we can move on. The truth is…the house needs work and I don’t have the time, patience, or energy to put into it. So please, let me hire you to take care of…everything.”
I threw my arms open expansively to indicate that I really did mean “everything.”
He glanced at the house, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip in a maneuver I doubted was supposed to be sexy but definitely was. “You should talk to Tony about the roof and—”
“Just send him over. I don’t know anything about roofs or leaks. If it needs to get fixed, let’s do it.”
“Okay, sure. I’ll forward his number to you. Do I have your cell or your aunt’s?” he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Probably Aunt Mary’s.” I recited my number, succumbing to an all-body shiver when a gust of wind tore down my quiet street. “Shit, it’s cold out here.”
“Californians,” he drawled with a snort. “Go on in. I’ll text Tony’s contact info to you and—”
“No, n-no. You don’t understand.” I waved dismissively. “I don’t want to talk to Tony. Can you just…handle all the handy stuff? Be my general contractor. I’ll pay you for your t-time. I’ll be staying here through the holidays, and I don’t want to worry about f-falling through bad stairs or freezing in drafty rooms with leaky walls. My seventy-eight and eighty-one-year-old aunts fancy themselves my personal assistants, which is sweet and all, but I don’t want them worrying either. Aunt Mary is heading home soon, and as much as I love her, I need to work. That was the whole idea behind this venture. I won’t have any peace if she and Aunt Georgia constantly call to make sure I’m okay. And trust me, Joe, they will call and I’ll come undone in a house decked to the nines in holiday fucking cheer.”
Joe widened his eyes comically before bursting into laughter. “Surely they know you’re a grown-ass man.”
“I’m a writer. The people in my head take precedence over real life in my world. And some of them are murderers. Not completely dealing with a full deck here, man.” I tapped my temple meaningfully, which made him chuckle a little harder.
Maybe I was certifiable ’cause instead of cutting this short and hurrying to settle into a comfy chair with a brandy by the fire in my office, I was in danger of turning into a human popsicle while trying to convince this man to take my money.
All right…maybe I had other motives, but I could barely feel my toes at the moment, so for now, I was sticking to my altruistic version.
He trailed off with an amused sigh. “Wow. You’re really selling yourself.”
“I know, I know. I might sound a little batty, but I know my limits. My work comes first and sadly, the house…doesn’t even make the top five. I could use the help, and I pay well. What if I put you on retainer for a month?” I named a ridiculous sum of dough and took wicked satisfaction when his eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re nuts.”
“Not totally nuts. I trust you.”
“Why? Because we fucked?” he scoffed. “You didn’t even recognize me.”