After measuring and adding liquid nutrients to each row’s water tank, Lennox hands me a heavy toolkit.

“I’m assuming your morning is free until your neighborhood deliveries with Scarlett - at least until it’s a reasonable enough time to contact Andy.”

I nod, holding the toolbox with both hands and leaning backwards to keep it from keeling me over. Smiling, he takes the toolkit back with one arm; easily. We walk a ways down the warehouse before he sets it on the ground and opens it. Lying a clean-looking drop cloth on the floor, he offers me a seat on it as he takes a battered skateboard-looking thing off a hook that has been hidden by a thick clump of thyme at the end of the row.

I settle myself on the drop cloth and he grins at me as he lies on the ground, arranging the low trolley under his shoulders before rolling under the tank to do maintenance on the pump beneath. Every time he moves to a new position under there, his hips rise off the ground to let him roll. It is most distracting.

I hand him whatever tool he asks for, trying not to blush every time his thighs tense, his butt clenches and his pelvis lifts. When he finally comes back out, he has a sexy smudge of grease on his forehead, and I am very close to that spontaneous combustion point. Looking at me sideways, he shakes his head and grits his teeth.

“Chores,” he says firmly, hanging the little trolley on a hook at the end of the next row. Closing his toolkit, he grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. Bringing the drop cloth with me, I beckon him closer. Eying me warily, he lowers his head and I wipe off the smudge before kissing him quickly on his amused lips.

Nudging me ahead of him with the end of his toolkit, Lennox keeps his eyes on my ass as he directs me where to go. Smiling to myself, I put a little more sass in my step. Muttering under his breath, his eyes keep returning to me as he tightens the leaky join on a pipe halfway down row F, that I’d noted earlier.

Grunting once in satisfaction as he completes the task, he closes the toolkit and has me follow him to the tiny office area hidden behind yet another wall of greenery, where he checks the day’s orders and taps at a scale drawing of the warehouse layout pinned to the cork-board which is set amongst the plants on the wall.

Squinting at it, I wonder how I could get lost. It really seems very straight forward and logical in its progression.

“I’m sure it only feels like a maze if you’re in a panic to leave it,” he says, guessing at my thoughts.

Blushing a little, I give him a shy smile of admission.

Moaning softly he brushes his thumb over my warm cheek and shakes his head. “You’ve broken me, Katarina. Even an innocent blush is getting me hard,” he says, pulling his thumb back and exhaling roughly. Closing his eyes, his shoulders rise noticeably with the depth of his next breath. “Once Lima Bean’s off to school, I’m not going to be able to stop myself,” he warns me, his eyes serious.

“Promise?” Flashing him a teasing grin, I escape the small space as he releases a deep, rumbling growl.

Running my fingers over the young spinach, I pluck off a leaf and chew it as I take a moment to really familiarize myself with the space.

“Come on you,” he says, swatting my ass on his way past. “Stop eating the merchandise.” The grin he gives me over his shoulder fills my heart.

“Hey Kat,” Kimber says, looking up from the cereal that she’s eating next to the register.

“Hey, Kim-bones,” I reply, stalling by the big plastic curtains as Lennox strides across the store to unlock the door and flip the sign to OPEN.

“You stay over?” she asks, doing little to hide her smile as she watches her dad for a response.

“You can wipe that smile off your face, Lima Bean,” he says, pointing at her grin on his way back. “You’re too young to be that happy about what that would mean for your old man.”

Rolling her eyes, Kimber sighs. “Relax Trees, I know all about... pollination,” she says with a giggle.

“What are they teaching you at that school?” Lennox says, narrowing his eyes.

“I’ve been raised by two single guys. We had that talk, and I watch TV!”

Glowing, I’m sure, what is a brilliant red, I clear my throat. “Actually I arrived this morning to deliver cake and help your dad with his chores.”

“Someone say cake?” Linc asks, on his way through the curtain strips with two boxes of onions.

“It was on the counter upstairs, so I hid it,” Kimber replies, watching him with eagle eyes as her cereal spoon stops part way to her mouth.

Chuckling, Linc sets down the boxes and begins restocking the onion display. “I’ll find it when you’re at school.”

“I know,” she says with a shrug. “I already took my share.”

“Your share?” Linc and Lennox say at the same time, making me giggle.

“Mmhm,” she says with a satisfied nod. “I’m the whole reason Kat made another cake, ergo, I deserve a portion. An ample portion. In fact, you’re lucky I was generous enough to leave you as much as I did.”

Staring at her blankly a moment, both men crack up.

“Ergo?” Lennox cries, at the same time as Lincoln claps his cheeks in horror with a very mocking, “Ample?”

Shaking his head, Lennox chuckles again. “What the hell are they teaching you at that school? Do I have to make a phone call?”

Giggling, Kimber wipes her full mouth as she starts to dribble milk.

Enjoying every second of being amongst the family interaction, I lean against the door frame, taking them all in. “I’ll drop another cake around when I do my rounds,” I say when they finally quit joking around and Lennox tells Kimber to hurry up with her cereal or she’ll be late. “With your dad’s help, I made a dozen, so I’m sure I can leave another here.”

Kimber and Linc groan. “You didn’t let him touch the ingredients, did you?” Linc asks, watching Lennox fold his arms over his chest. “Oh God, she did,” he tells Kimber. “Enjoy your ample portion of baking powder cake.”

“It’ll be fine,” I say in Lennox’s defense. “There was no baking powder in the recipe, or even on the counter when we made the cakes. He mashed bananas and measured flour. It’ll be fine,” I repeat, watching Kimber’s expression turn from disgusted to moderately hopeful as she glances at her father.

“I hope so,” she says with a sigh, before drinking the last of the milk from her bowl. “I’ll take one for the team and sample it when I’m upstairs,” she adds, with a shake of her head, as if eating cake for breakfast is suddenly a chore. Sighing again, she walks past us with her bowl.

“That kid,” Lennox says with a chuckle as he shakes his head and follows her. “Make sure your homework’s in your bag, Sprout.” He disappears up the stairs and I turn to Lincoln.

“Over early huh?”

“Yeah. Had to sort something out. It couldn’t wait.”

Lincoln watches me a moment, then keeps stacking onions. “I saw the shirt and wondered. Everything good now?”

I nod. “Everything’s good.”

“Well, good then,” he says with a smile. “About time you guys got together.”

“Glad you think so,” Lennox says, pushing the plastic curtain aside and throwing Lincoln a purple backpack before he slides his arms into a freshly pressed shirt. “Kimber wants you to walk her to school today, Champ.”

“Kimber does, huh?” he says with a chuckle as the girl herself arrives through the curtain, chewing.

“Cakes good,” she confirms, licking icing from her fingers. “Thanks Kat.”

“You’re welcome. Told you it’d be fine. I did listen about the baking powder disability.”

Lennox growls at me and Kimber giggles. “Bye Dad.”

“Bye Sprout,” he says, bending down to give her a hug and a kiss. “Have a great day. Learn stuff, but not too much of the weird shit, okay?”

“‘Kay Dad. And don’t worry, I won’t tell Ms. Carlyle you said she teaches us weird shit.”

“Good girl.”

The bell jingles as they head out the door and Lennox stands a moment, watching them with a smile. His pride is evident in everything from the sparkle in his eye to the strength of his stance, and it’s sexy as all hell. Sighing, he turns to find me staring; drooling probably.

Not breaking eye contact, his hand moves to the door, turns the lock and flips the sign to CLOSED. Striding across the store, he collects me on his way through to the back.

Before I can say a thing, Lennox has me against the wall, kissing my lips, my face, my neck...

“I can’t take it when you look at me like that,” he says, making short work of the buttons on my jeans and slipping his hand inside. “All fucking morning,” he moans and his erection jerks against my side as his fingers stroke me, and dip lower to test the waters. Swearing when he feels how wet I am, he moans at the same time as I do.

“I want to be inside you. All the time.”

“I want that too. Do it.”

Cursing again, he shrugs out of the shirt he hasn’t even buttoned yet and throws it over a nearby ladder before undoing his jeans, shoving them down and doing the same to mine.

“Fucking winter boots,” he mutters, turning me to face the wall. Lifting my hips, he slides himself inside and his hand resumes its work on my clit.

Rearing back into him, I give myself over to the sensation of solid Lennox Green pressed against my back, filling me, and driving me to the edge with his rubbing and nipple-twisting while he grunts hot and filthy things in my ear before kissing my neck and scuffing it up with beard-y goodness.

“Lennox! I’m gonna come!”

“Mmmm,” he agrees on a pleasurable moan. “I can feel you getting tight around my cock. Come for me now and I’ll have time to do it all again.”

Crying out, as he holds me to him, I tense and twitch in his arms, wracked by strong contractions.

“I fucking love the way you yell my name. Can you feel me getting harder inside you?”

I can only reply in moans and contractions because I can feel him swelling.

“I want to see your face when you fall apart this time, Katarina,” he says, pulling out and spinning me back around as he assesses the jeans and boots situation. “How flexible are you?” he asks lifting me off the ground. “Scrunch your knees up and open wide for me.

Doing as I’m told, I’m rewarded by compliments and a string of muttered coarse language as he thrusts into me deeply and I beg him to do it again. Shuffling forwards, Lennox props me against the wall and slams into me as I rake my fingers down his back and cry out for more.

“I’m going to lose my fucking mind with you doing that babe,” he pants, changing his angle and hitting that sweet spot inside each time, making my insides start to clench as he thrusts me to the brink. “Oh beautiful girl, here you go again and you’re taking me with you!”

Driving into me again, he sets me off; spiraling out from my center. I feel him spurt inside, my body pulling it from him with every delicious spasm. Leaning into me and the wall, Lennox catches his breath between the soft kisses he plants along my collarbone. “You respond to everything I do,” he mutters in amazement. “I can’t get enough of you,” he moans, trailing his hands down my sides and gripping my hips firmly. “I thought you were perfect before you let me in, but now... oh beautiful girl, what am I going to do with you? How will I ever get anything done?” he cries, taking my mouth in a sweet, but dangerous kiss.

Withdrawing with a sigh, he lowers me back to the ground and pulls my pants up for me before doing his own. “You’d better head upstairs and put yourself back together before I...”

“Fill me with more of your... love?”

“Mmm,” he agrees, kissing my forehead. “If I didn’t have work to do, I’d spend my day filling you with love just to watch it run down your gorgeous legs.”

A shiver runs down my spine and I cinch my thighs together and move towards the stairs to his apartment. “That is both incredibly filthy and fucking hot, in equal amounts.”

With a grin, Lennox gives me a wink as he pulls his shirt on and starts buttoning it. “You inspire me.”

“Are you calling me filthy and hot?”

“Fucking hot,” he corrects me, still wearing his sexy grin as he rolls up his sleeves. “Do you have to go home, or can you just meet Scarlett here?”

“There are eleven cakes in my kitchen. At least there was when I left,” I add, wondering if any of my roommates would eat cake for breakfast. Benji definitely would, and maybe Reeni. “So once I clean up... your love, I’ll head home and do my own chores.”

“Come say goodbye before you go?” he asks, tucking in his shirt and kissing my forehead before moving slowly back towards the warehouse.

I nod. “See you in a few minutes,” I call over my shoulder as I head upstairs.