Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
I call the insurance on the way and talk to the nice girl working there. She opens a claim and tells me that a claims adjuster will be coming by later this week to assess the damage. She also says that they’re going to pay for the inn that I’m staying at and that I can start cleaning up debris and patching up any holes.
So, that’s what I’m going to do today. I’m going to clean up and make a plan.
I get so nervous as I’m driving up, afraid that it’s going to be worse than it looked last night.
I hold my breath as I turn the bend and my studio comes into view.
“What the hell?” I whisper when I see a big black pickup truck parked in my driveway.
My stomach drops, thinking that it may be a thief. I’ve heard that burglars sometimes target homes that were recently burned, but that can’t be it. I live in the middle of nowhere and the fire was only a few hours ago. Nobody knows about it except for me, the insurance company, and…
“Holy crappers.”
My mouth drops as I see Ethan walk around my barn with a few scorched planks of wood on his shoulder. He’s wearing jeans, work boots, a tight gray T-shirt, and has a leather tool belt hanging from his waist. I get a shiver of arousal when I see the hammer hanging down.
He sees me and that sexy mouth curls up into a smile. I just stare back with my jaw touching my chest.
I watch in awe as he easily tosses the wood into the back of his pickup truck like it was a pile of toothpicks. He smacks his gloved hands together and walks over as I park and turn off my car.
“Good morning,” he says with a devastating smile as I step out.
I don’t even know what to say. I just kind of stare at him as my brain short circuits.
“I thought I’d get a headstart on the day,” he says like it’s nothing. “I couldn’t let you do it all by yourself.”
My eyes move on their own, roaming over his broad shoulders and big arms. My gaze slides down his chest and over his flat stomach. When it starts moving toward his belt, I catch myself and yank my head up.
“You didn’t have to…” I say, feeling emotional when I see my happy place all burnt up. It was so nice of him to come. I don’t have anyone else here, so it means a lot. I feel a lump in my throat and my eyes fill with heated tears.
“It’s okay,” he says, stepping forward. He opens those big comforting arms, and I practically lunge into them as a few tears leak out. He wraps those sexy arms around me and holds me tight as I melt into his embrace, feeling like everything will be okay as long as this man is by my side.
I see my scorched home over his round bicep and grin. This is my new happy place. Being swallowed by this man’s protective arms is where I always want to be.
“I’ll help you fix it up,” he says in a soft, encouraging tone. “It will be back to new before you know it.”
I smile as I rest my cheek on his hard chest. I’ve always been so independent and self-reliant. I left my family and moved out on my own to Japan. I bought this place by myself and renovated the whole thing on my own. I’ve only ever relied on me.
And I’ve been proud of it.
But having this man hold me like this. Knowing he wants to help me. Knowing I can let someone in and rely on them too. I don’t know, but it feels good. It feels… right.
“Alright,” I say, nodding as I step back. I spot a wet mark on his chest from my tears and smile as I wipe my eyes. “Thank you.”
He nods as he looks at me closely. Like he’s seeing the girl under all that grime and soot and sweat for the first time. I’m wearing my jeans that make my ass look good, thank goodness, and an old KISS T-shirt for the dirty work, but it looks cute on me with my bare shoulder popping out of the neck hole. He seems to like it. My hair is pulled back into a ponytail and I actually did my makeup this morning in case I ran into him, or in case I couldn’t stop myself from stalking him at the fire station was more like it.
We stand there for a long moment and all that sexual tension from last night comes roaring back, smoldering hot.
My eyes drop to his tool belt and I wonder what he’s packing underneath that leather. My hands tingle remembering how that hard clay felt as I squeezed it. I wonder what kind of noises he’d make if I did the same thing to him.