10
Tate
We hadn’t done a project like that house in a long time. I got the sense it was important to Adley right away. I wanted it to be done correctly, and I wanted it to be special to her. Levi and I started early in the morning so we wouldn’t finish too late. We didn’t want to be that close to the docks when it got dark.
The weather also was getting hotter and we just worked better when we weren’t melting.
The house had its issues but they would be an easy fix. We got to work on all the siding first, taking everything down that needed to be replaced. We weren’t at the design stage yet, but we were geared towards restoration. There were some charms the house had that I thought she might want to keep.
We were only about a week in when she showed up looking like a man’s fantasy. And I had plenty of those since the day I first saw her. That tank top she wore barely contained her round breasts. Her jeans snugged around her luscious thighs and hips and I definitely watched her ass when she left.
“I’m staying in to work on that fireplace mantle.” Levi caught my attention before I headed out front. The porch had to be redone, and I didn’t want to do it too late in the process. A steady porch would help a lot down the road.
“Still think you can fix it?”
Levi wiped his face with his shirt and shrugged. “Yeah. Better than replacing it. Saves a lot of money,” he said smugly, knowing damn well he just wanted to tinker with it.
“You just want to mess with it. Whatever man, I’ll be outside.”
“Suit yourself. It’s too fucking hot.” He shook his head and went over to the living room.
I plugged in the extension cord and made sure the generator was on since the power was still off. Our electrical guys had a lot of jobs, so they couldn’t usually come every day.
I started by ripping up the last of the planks and then re-sanded them. I had horses set up to lay everything down on. I didn’t expect to finish the same day, but it was nice to keep my hands busy and devote them to one thing. That was how my dad used to describe his work. Fixing one thing, and then another, and another. Before you knew it, nothing would be broken anymore.
Yeah, it was extremely optimistic. But it kept shit going.
The weather was getting even more humid so I lost my shirt and used it to wipe sweat from my eyes. I still hadn’t decided if this was easier in the cold or the heat. Both were equally annoying.
I was about halfway through the sanding when I heard an engine grow closer and then shut off. I looked out and recognized the car as Adley’s. I felt excited in a way I hadn’t felt since high school. That giddy shit there’s a hot girl coming my way kind of thing.
She got out and waved with a smile. I smiled back and saw she had a new baked good in her hand. I laughed as she walked up.
“Oh, careful.” I remembered it was unsteady and reached out for her. I grabbed her waist and led her to a safe spot next to me. Her skin was soft and plush under her thin tee shirt. The v-neck wasn’t that low, but her breasts swelled at the top anyway.
“Thanks. I bought you guys some pie. I heard Levi loud and clear yesterday.”
“Ugh, I needed this. Levi has his head in a project so don’t worry about him.” I chuckled.
I wasn’t sure how to explain Levi’s obsession with fixing things that were too far gone. Or assumed to be too far gone.
“Everything going okay?” She smiled.
She had the sweetest face, soft skin and cute button nose. Her lips so peachy and full. The slight red of her hair bounced off her green eyes and left me in a trance.
“Yeah. It’s great. I wanted to get some work done on this porch today.” I tapped the wooden plank and smiled down at her. I had a few inches on her in height.
“Oh. Okay. I’m excited to see how the place will look,” she piped. I loved her soft, chipper voice. But it still had something weighing it down. I suspect it was because of her grandmother passing so recently, and her house needing a lot more work than she thought.
“That’s normal.” I replied. She passed me a plastic fork.
“Cherry or blueberry? I didn’t know which you guys liked.”
“Blueberry, cherry for Levi.”
“So, you and Levi have worked together for a while?” Adley leaned on the window sill. The way her arms rested on her knees made her chest lean forward and I had to look away before I imagined coming all over her tits.
“Yeah. A really long while.” I laughed. “It hasn’t been all bad.” I added.
“That’s kind of nice. I don’t really have a relationship like that with anyone.” Her shoulders tensed like she was defending herself.
“Is that why you’re staying in a hotel?” I leaned against the one stable bar of the porch.
I swigged back some water and caught her looking me over. I was shirtless, so I couldn’t blame her. I saw her eyes on my lips. I licked them quickly and her cheeks flushed in the most adorable way. Like she felt some sort of shame for looking at me that way.
“Yeah. It isn’t bad. Maybe eating frozen dinners every night is. But there is free breakfast, so that helps.” She giggled sweetly. I smiled and shook my head.
“That’s no way to live.”
“It’s actually not much different from how things were before. I was a waitress so I always ate leftovers anyway.” She shrugged.
“Still. What are you doing for dinner tonight?” I treaded carefully.
There were no rules about socializing with the clients. At least I didn’t think there were. I would honestly doubt that it was wrong. But a big part of me didn’t want her to be alone, and I got a strong feeling that she was alone. I didn’t know about being there for her and all that, but I could start with little steps.
I knew Levi wanted her too and we agreed we would both have her or no one at all. We wouldn’t let it come between us. I also didn’t know how to catch her vibe—if she was open to both of us, or not.
“I don’t know. Maybe Stouffer’s Fettuccine.” She smiled wryly.
“That’s sad, honestly. Why don’t you just come to my place for dinner tonight? I make a good fried chicken dinner.” I smirked.
“I love fried chicken. Or anything fried.”
I laughed. She had this sexiness about her that was also adorable. Like she didn’t know she was so irresistible to us.
“You should come then.”
“I don’t know. I’m not even sure I’ll be staying in the hotel for the whole time. I just have a lot to think about.” She took an uneasy breath and my fingers itched to ease the tension in her shoulders.
“You can do plenty of thinking tomorrow. I’ll make it worth your while, I promise.” I smiled.
She bit her lip like she was thinking and I felt I already had her.
“Okay. Sure.” She stood up and smiled timidly.
God, I couldn’t stop looking at her. Her face, her body, those lips…fuck. “Great.” My voice came out deeper than I intended. But I was fighting a hard on and I didn’t want it to show.
“I’ll see you later I guess. Just text me your address.” She looked like she wanted to ask something else but didn’t.
“Sure. I’ll be set around six,” I told her.
“Okay. See you. Don’t forget to give Levi his pie, or I’ll rat you out that you ate them both.” She smiled one last time and then skipped off to her car.
Of course, I watched her pert, round ass bounce as she did.